Hockey: Series chance for Sticks to iron out deficiencies

Mark Hager. Photo / Greg Bowker

The women's Black Sticks are set to take on Canada in early February, but their attention is still on addressing issues that afflicted them in 2014 - namely, penalty shootouts and closing out tight games.

The Canada series will comprise three tests in Whangarei during February 5-8. The Canadians aren't in the same league as the Black Sticks, who are ranked fourth in the world. But coach Mark Hager said the series would throw up some challenges despite the gulf in status.

"You've got to play teams ranked lower than you and learn how to win those games as well," he said.

"Sometimes we have that difficulty, where we tend to play well against the top three or four teams but then don't play so well against teams ranked below us. It's a good opportunity to learn that we've still got to win those games."

The series will also give Hager the opportunity to blood new players and one likely to figure is Canterbury's Rachel McCann.

"She's played really well in the under-21s in the last couple of years, so it will be good to see her in [the international] environment," said Hager.

He has also been working hard on trying to remedy the side's recent inability to convert wins from tight situations. Last year saw the team pipped at the pointy end of two major tournaments.

The first came at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where they lost their semifinal to the less-fancied English. Then came the Champions Trophy in Argentina, where they were beaten by Australia in the semis in a penalty shootout, and went on to succumb to the Dutch in the bronze match.

The close-but-no-cigar results have become something of a theme for the side in recent times.

"It's frustrating for the players," said Hager. "The shootout is an area we've got to improve on."

While they may have stumbled when it mattered most, Hager said he was still pleased with the team's overall performance in Argentina.

He said the key change that was required was a psychological shift, but that had to be achieved without bogging the players down with too much self-reflection.

"In the end, it's just having that belief you can do it. And you don't want to delve too deep into it because you could make yourself go crazy. You can talk yourself out of belief if you over-analyse it."