Hockey: Selectors mix youth and experience in NZ women's Olympic squad

1.00pm

The New Zealand women's hockey selectors have gone for a mix of experience and youth in the squad named today for the Athens Olympics in August.

The 16-strong line-up contains three survivors from the Sydney Games four years ago, when New Zealand finished sixth.

They are Wellington playmaker Suzie Muirhead, Auckland goalkeeper Helen Clarke and Canterbury defender Diana Weavers.

Muirhead will skipper the side, with Weavers as vice-captain, while Aucklander Clarke will appear in her third Olympics, having also been to Barcelona in 1992.

Also picked is Manawatu's Rachel Sutherland, who was one of the players cut before the Sydney Olympics.

Sutherland's provincial teammates, Emily Naylor and Kyla Sharland, have also been given the nod, and at 18, are the youngest in the squad.

They are joined by a number of players who fought their way into the national side last year -- Lisa Walton, Leisen Jobe, Meredith Orr and Rachel Robertson.

Coach Ian Rutledge said he believed the individual qualities of the group in terms of ability, fitness and competitive drive augured well for Olympic success.

He said the make-up of the squad, with an additional midfield player added, was decided on with flexibility and versatility in mind.

"The majority of our team members have the ability to play in a number of various lines."

Rutledge said this was an important consideration for the selectors, given the conditions likely during an Athens summer.

He said this had worked against the two players in the Olympic qualifying tournament squad of 18 who had been left out, Karen Syddall and Caryn Paewai.

Both were defensive specialists and had been included among the non-travelling reserves.

The Black Sticks this week completed a 2-0 win against India in a four-test home series.

They will play in a four-nation tournament in Australia from June 16 to 27, before starting a pre-Olympic tour in Germany on July 19.

Olympic squad:

Kayla Sharland, Emily Naylor, Rachel Sutherland, Tara Drysdale (all Manawatu), Meredith Orr, Helen Clarke, Lisa Walton (all Auckland), Jaimee Provan, Leisen Jobe, Lizzy Igasan (all North Harbour), Stacey Carr, Diana Weavers, Rachel Robertson (all Canterbury), Niniwa Roberts-Lang, Beth Jurgeleit, Suzie Muirhead (all Wellington).

- NZPA