Hockey: Win first step to squad recall

By Terry Maddaford

The "comeback kid" and the "kid" will have different aims when they team up in the New Zealand Academy side to play the visiting Chinese women's hockey team next week.

For Tina Bell-Kake, the 32-year-old veteran of "100 something" games for her country, Tuesday's match is the first tentative step towards winning back her place in the national side.

That could give her the chance to wipe out memories of a disastrous 1992 Olympic campaign and the hope of a medal at Sydney 2000.

Among Bell-Kake's Academy team-mates is 17-year-old Lizzy Igasan who has had a busy year having played for the academy side (against India), the national under-18 side (who toured Australia), North Harbour, and her club and school teams.

The Tuesday afternoon (3 pm start) game will be a big one for North Shore's Rangitoto College.

Bell-Kake is a physical education teacher at the school; Igasan a sixth former; and the game will played on the school's new water-based pitch - the same surface as at the Olympic Hockey Stadium at Sydney's Homebush Bay.

Igasan and Bell-Kake go into the opening game of China's four-match tour keen to win but elsewhere their aims differ.

Bell-Kake wants to impress and press her recall claims; Igasan simply to continue the progress she has made since moving south from Whangarei.

"There have been no promises and I certainly don't expect to get straight back in [to the national side]," said Bell-Kake. "I have spoken to [New Zealand coach] Jan Borren and he has made it clear that I will have to work hard like everyone else.

"At this stage, I'm just happy to play for the academy side against China. Beyond that, who knows?

"Once we have played China the next aim will be to try for a place in the team to tour Argentina and beyond that the side for the Olympic qualifying tournament in England."

Preferring to play at inside-right, Bell-Kake faces a battle as team captain Anna Lawrence (112 games for NZ) and Suzie Pearce (79 games) have shared the inside forward roles in recent internationals.

But the challenge, like her third comeback - the first two followed the birth of her children now aged four-and-a-half and nearly two years - has been carefully considered.

"I have talked it over with my husband Mark and decided to teach only part-time next year to give it a real go," said Bell-Kake, whose last outing for New Zealand was the bronze medal-winning game against India at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

While Bell-Kake has her sights set on Sydney 2000, Igasan thinks those Olympics might come too soon.

"I would like to think I could play for New Zealand at an Olympics but perhaps not yet," said Igasan, who celebrated her 17th birthday last week.

While Bell-Kake is almost certain to play at inside forward against China, Igasan is not sure where she will play as she has played left fullback for the academy side, centre-half for Rangitoto College and inside right or left for her club side in 1999.

Following the game against the academy side, China will play three tests against New Zealand on September 30 (Auckland), October 2 (Whangarei) and October 3 (North Harbour).

Academy team: Lisa Bishop, Trish Ross (Wellington), Colleen Gubb, Jaimee Provan, Kirsty Redfern, Rachel Sutherland, Carol Ward, Rachel Helps, Nicky Grimwood (Canterbury), Lizzy Igasan, Bianca Russell (North Harbour), Meredith Orr, Jenny Shepherd, Toni Mason, Tina Bell-Kake (Auckland), Anita Wawatai (Hawkes Bay).