Odds against young hockey team

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 21

Odds against young hockey team

The Canterbury women's under 21 hockey team has the odds stacked against it when it travels to Wellington this week-end to attempt to win the finals of the A.N.Z. Bank national provincial championships. No member of the Canterbury team has played on the artificial surface at Mount Albert Park where the finals will be held, and among the opposition will be the defending champion, Otago, which has had few changes from last season. Already this season several of the Otago players have had a tournament on the artificial surface. Seven of the Otago team that played in the P. 0.5.8. Trophy tournament earlier this month are members of the under 21 team.

Five teams have qualified for the finals. Each was the winner of a zone tournament held earlier this month. They will play a round-robin competition starting tomorrow and ending on Monday. Canterbury has a bye tomorrow morning and plays Manawatu in the afternoon. It will play two games on Sunday and one on Monday. The other finalists are North Shore and Hawke’s Bay. the Canterbury coach. Ann McKenna, has no idea of the strengths of her opponents. All she has been able to do is prepare the team as best she can to play up to two games a day on a surface that is physically enervating. Canterbury romped through its qualifying tournament in Blenheim with two 6-0 wins, and 7-0, 3-0 and 3-1 wins.

According to Mrs McKenna it has no outstanding individuals. That is illustrated by the New Zealand under 21 team that was announced recently. There was not one Canterbury player included in the team. Otago, though, provided five players. Canterbury's preparation for the tournament started early in April - soon after Mrs' McKenna returned from India with the New Zealand women's cricket team.

■■l've tried to improve their fitness, and they should be well prepared now. For the last two weekends they have had two club games and a practise game on Sunday afternoons. It was only 'three weeks ago that they played their qualifying tournament." The team will have only 15 minutes warm-up on the artificial surface before its first game. It will not be allowed to practise on the surface today. Three players who were

members of the Canterbury team last year are sure to play a leading role. Jayne Beattie is a forceful centre forward whose strong running should be an inspiration to the other forwards.

Hayley Read, the centre back, reads play well, and her ability to dominate the mid-field will be a vital factor for Canterbury. Sue Edge has developed well as a sweeper and Kate Trolove, a forward link, is another key plaver. She is the penalty corner striker. Sarah Weston, is rapidly developing into an accomplished goal-keeper. The Canterbury B men's team will play in a quad-

rangular tournament this week-end at the same venue. Its opponents are Otago, Wellington and Manawatu. Canterbury B has replaced the A team in the annual tournament to lighten the finanical burden on the A side, which next week-end travels to Auckland and Whangarei, and also to give members of the B team the opportunity to plav on the artificial surface. Canterbury is sure to find it difficult to contain Wellington and Manawatu. KEV/N 7'UTTY