Key Players Not Selected

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30157, 14 June 1963, Page 15

Key Players Not Selected

IBy our Women’s Hockey Correspondent)

The hst of 28 players alerted for trials for the Canterbury senior women's hockey team involves more than the usual number of surprise omissions. One of the selectors said yesterday that ’these would not be the only trialists” but would give no indication as to whom, if any were not available. The trial list is: B. Strong, J. Wilson: J. Gunn, D. Geddes. J Murray. L. Drummond, J. McNaughton: A. Colville. A Ruston. S. Riches. J. Paget, A. Rouse. L. Watson. J. Witte, J. Rogers: M. O’Brien. E. Hastie, D. Eddy. G. Muirson, G. Phillips. M. Cunningham. H. Walker. F. Whisker, J. Davies, C Herrett, M. Healey. L. Kearns and P. Anderson. The outstanding absentee is the University centre-half, S. M. Comer, who has been the most prominent player in the senior competition. Whether the selectors admire her style of short - passing. controlled hockey—is immaterial for they have a duty to pack the best

team and it is difficult to imagine any team being the ‘‘best’’ without Miss Comer. Competent as the other centrehalves are, they are not in this player’s class for all-round brilliance. Another non-selection. almost as difficult to understand, is F. Whitehead. the University centre-forward. She does not score goals in great handfulls. but provides scoring chances for her other forwards—with, out neglecting any chance of her own. Also, she is third in the goal-scoring list. The selectors have also overlooked the two University in-side-forwards. T. Minehan and K. McKerrow. at a time when the province does not have a surfeit of intelligent insideforwards. Miss Minehan would be an ideal foil to the likely right-wing (D. Eddy! and would provide her with more chances than she receives tn club hockey, while Miss McKerrow is certainty not Inferior to some of those chosen. The Aranui centre-forward,

S. Cowles, is another who—provided she Is available—would warrant consideration. She is a lively player and a great trier, who is also very alert for a scoring chance. Two left-halves (Witte and Rouse) are included but there is little reason why J. Gainsford (University) should not be considered. She is not a spectacular player but is most efficient at keeping a right-wing under control. Another fine player left out is the Harewood left-wing. S. Rich, who has shown attacking potential for her club this year.

If these players were not selected because they were considered “certainties,’' it would be hard to follow the

line of reasoning that includes Ruston. Murray, Eddy and Walker—players that are also

The K Cup tournament is not until August and, for Canterbury’s sake, some revision in thinking and selecting wiH be rorr.taal