Hockey: Fresh faces join well-capped core to take on Australians

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Seven new players have made an expanded New Zealand women's hockey team to play in Australia.

Coach Jan Borren has named 22 players for the eight-match tour, which starts in Melbourne on October 27.

The new-look squad retains a core of experienced players, despite the losses of Anna Lawrence, now retired, injured Mandy Smith, and Helen Clarke, who is being rested.

Four newcomers - Piki Hamahona, Tara Drysdale, Sheree Phillips and goalkeeper Anita Wawatai - come from the Manawatu province, which finished fourth in the national league.

The other three are Amanda Christie and Rachel Helps, both of Canterbury, and Wellington's Lisa Bishop.

In the past year or so, New Zealand teams have contained at least six players with more than 100 caps.

Now only Sandy Bennett (123), who will captain the side, and Suzie Pearce (133) have reached that milestone.

The team, which leaves on Thursday next week, will play four full internationals and four mid-week games against the Victoria and New South Wales Institutes of Sport.

Meanwhile, the men's build-up for the World Cup in Malaysia next year has started.

Selector-coach Kevin Towns and assistant Charlie Oscroft will be in Hobart this week for the end of the junior World Cup.

When they return, they will name 27 players for trials in November and December.

After the trials, 17 players will be sent to Malaysia for a five-nation warm-up tournament in January.



Those 17 will almost certainly form the base of the World Cup squad.

"We will not be calling in Ryan Archibald, Phil Burrows or Blair Hopping for the trials because they need a break after a busy World Cup qualifying tournament in Scotland and now the junior World Cup," Towns said.

"We will not be bringing back Simon Towns, Michael Bevin or Bevan Hari either. The trials will be a chance for some new players to put their hands up."

As well as the trialists, Towns hopes to name three regional squads to give as many players as possible exposure at a higher level.

At the junior World Cup in Hobart, the mood in the New Zealand camp has become sombre.

Upset 2-1 by Canada in their first post-section match, despite having 18 scoring chances and a penalty stroke saved, New Zealand must win their remaining four games to finish ninth - their highest possible placing after missing a place in the top eight.

"There is the feeling we took Canada too lightly and we paid the price," New Zealand under-21 coach Craig Hobbs said. "Seven of the nine goals we have had scored against us here have come when we have turned over the ball."

He said that, starting with the game tonight against France, "we must go all out to prove we are better than our recent results might suggest."

Women's team: Sandy Bennett (capt), Leisen Jobe, Jaimee Provan, Lisa Walton (Auckland), Amanda Christie, Rachel Helps, Anne-Marie Irving, Michelle Turner, Carol Ward (Canterbury), Piki Hamahona (Hawkes Bay), Tara Drysdale, Sheree Phillips, Melody Rowe, Moira Senior, Anita Wawatai (Manawatu), Paula Enoka, Lizzy Igasan (North Harbour), Lisa Bishop, Caryn Paewai, Suzie Pearce, Niniwa Roberts, Rachel Sutherland (Wellington).