Hockey: Two changes for side's tour to Australia

Two changes have been made to the New Zealand men's hockey team for their four-game trip to Western Australia this month.

Gone from the team that qualified New Zealand in Madrid in March for the Athens Olympics are defender Dion Gosling and striker Lloyd Stephenson, although long-serving Gosling's absence is due to a longstanding arrangement to attend a wedding.

In their places, Auckland's Casey Henwood gets his chance and classy striker Bevan Hari, who missed the Olympic qualifying tournament through injury, returns.

There are a handful of niggling injuries. Key penalty corner exponent Hayden Shaw is suffering from shin splints, and captain Simon Towns and Ryan Archibald are getting over groin strains.

However, coach Kevin Towns hopes they will repair quickly. He is expected to name his 16-strong Olympic squad within two months.

The New Zealand team will be in Perth from tomorrow week until May 30.

New Zealand:

Goalkeepers: Paul Woolford (Auckland), Kyle Pontifex (Wellington).

Defenders: Dean Couzins (Auckland), Hayden Shaw (Canterbury).

Midfielders: Simon Towns (capt, Auckland), Darren Smith (North Harbour), Casey Henwood (Auckland), Wayne McIndoe (Auckland), Blair Hopping (North Harbour), James Nation (Wellington), Mitesh Patel (Wellington), Dharmesh Puna (Auckland), Ryan Archibald (Auckland).

Forwards: Umesh Parag (Wellington), Phil Burrows (Wellington), David Kosoof (North Harbour), Gareth Brooks (Canterbury), Bevan Hari (Auckland).