WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 260, 30 July 1937, Page 5

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Selecting Team for Tournament FORM AT TRIALS Good Material Available (By CitiTic.) The senior A trials, from which the team to travel to Invercargill to « nt the Dominion tournament next mouth nd a second eleven to pl«.v l"ben atOtaki for the Baker I’arata Memo.ml Cup are to be .selected, revealed some exceptionally good material. ' r01 " i. Table -lector. Miss M. 4’" 'qT“ tn" to cull at.'least a ’™ rt JS’tvhi„ MisrT Wilfor the tournament. K -«- M J iiUS !r too that er final selection. for very bent available. Of the goalkeepers tried out last week. E Chevue has previous tournnmeu experience which should stand her >n good but on this seasons •Miss N. Mavsuiorc must bold i.x eliini proTpectn. She is the type of goalkeeper who would roach groat heights at. the tournament. Lack of wsential experience, however, might go against her. Good full-backs seem to be in fail ‘ S,lPnlv. Mrs. A. Smith appears to me to bl once again assured of competing at a tournament. Iler form this season is as good as ever. Miss E Me ndoe has bee playing so consistently that the tut south might bn within her grasp. Misses K. Walker and M. Smith are two other good prospects, while Mibs E. Mark must be considered.

Of the half-backs, Misses I. Morris, J. McDorVell, M. Clark, T\ Monk, -I. Mack, 8. Gainby and M. Simpson, must all be in the running on the season’s form. In the forward line the main ditliculty appears to be confined to the left Hank. Miss M. Gunson played such a fine game, on the left wing last week that her prospects cannot be denied. The same might also apply to Miss S. Jackson, whose .performances in both games were bright. Miss J. Riley is another left-wing who must be considered. Misses M. Malpas, D. Roberts and E. Dunce played well at left-inner on Saturday, and this position might go to one of the trio named. Miss H. Morris appeals as the centre, while it would be difficult to find a superior right pair to Misses 11. McLellan and I. Pickering. Senior B Trial.

The most noticeable disappointment of the senior B trial match at Karori Park on Saturday, from which the Wellington team to play Wairarapa is to be selected, was the poor quality of the forwards, their one maiu thought apparently being to hit the ball and run the risk of another forward gaining possession. There was little attempt at co-operation, and combination was at a loss, while positional play was practically absent. The display of both vanguards was, such as to leave the selector, Mr. S. Brugh, in a very disappointed mood.

Both goalkeepers, Misses J. Trussler (Wesley) and .1. Peterson (Technical Old Girls), carried out their duties very well indeed. If anything. Miss Peterson gave the better display, using her feet to good advantage.

The full-backs gave quite a good account of themselves, their chief fault being a failure to clear smartly with strong shots. There were five tried, Misses U. Wornall (Upper Hutt), M. Rasmussen ("St. Joseph's), J. Kilworth (Wesley), 1. Blackio (Wenerei), and E. Nunns (St. Joseph’s). Misses Blackie and Rasmussen played so well that they must hold good prospects of filling the positions in the representative team. About the Half-backs.

There was plenty of good material in the half lines, two wing-halves, Misses J. Bleaklev (St. Joseph's) and B. Littlejohn (Wesley) practically crowning their own selection by their outstanding work. Miss L. King (Hutt Valley) was played in tlie first spell, and displayed bright hockey. -With coaching in the right direction she should develop luto a very reliable half. Three centres were tried. .Misses B. Chittenden (Technical Old Girls), M. Baillie (St. Joseph's), and 11. Croft (Upper Hutt). Miss Chittenden gave a shade the better display of the trio, her fitness being such as to allow her to keep up with the pace throughout the game, and her chance of selection cannot be denied, although Miss Croft must also come into the picture.

A Stumbling Block. The forwards must surely have proved a stumbling block to the selector, the form given being much below expectations. Of the live left-wings given their chance, not. one came up to representative standard. Players in this, position fail to appreciate the fact that it is better to pass the ball after drawing the defence' instead of trying to beat the defending player. Two inside players who excelled were Miss ’ K. O Brien (St. Joseph's), and Mrs. V. Felling (Upper Hutt), but unfortunately for the selector both are left-inners. Of the pair. Miss O’Brien gave the better positional play, capping this with superior ball control, which must give her an advantage over Mrs. Belling. Promising performances were given bv the two centre-tornards tried, Misses‘M. Fuller (Upper Hutt), and G. Pctlev (Wesley), but these were slightly Spoilt through being out of position at times, especially when the ball was being centred from the wing across the circle. Miss Fuller received better support from her halves than did _ Miss Petley, and this allowed her to give a slightly brighter display. When the final selection is announced, which might, be next week. Mr. Brugh hopes to arrange for practice matches to enable him to mould the side into a constructed combination before meeting Mairarapa here in about five weeks time. Parata Cup Match Date. Notification has been received irom Otnki. that the Horowhenua Bug >) Union Ims acceded to the request of th Horowhenua Women's Hockey Assoeta tion for the use of the Otnki Domnin on Saturday. August 28. for (he a*”” 1 ’ 1 . 1 10,1 test Ivetwcen Horowhenmi and M ellin„ton for the Baker I’arata Memorial Clip.

"Critic's” Remarks Resented. Sii 1 have read with surprise your criFc’s notes on ''ladies' lioekev” in last weeks "i’ll In the previous' week your critic mid taken the College Old Girls to task lor daring to win a match by 21 goals to m . Surelv an act of unwarranted presumption on his part, as obviously eonsistenl with fair method.-', a team plays to "" bv all the goals that, can be scored and if a team is so weak as to require the restricted protection of your critic it should be deposed. . , This week your critic adds insult to iujurv bv printing a letter of protest Irom the College Old Girls' captain, winch is couched in fair and moderate language that must appeal to anyone with sporting instinct, and he follows this with three letters from oilier people supporting his criticism. The representation or suggestion 'is that feeling is entirely against College Old Girls. I 1f is not unfair to point out: that a few i years ago this same critic wasted no less than 13 lines of your valuable space by castigating the play of a junior. No one who has the pleasure ot knowing the College old Girls’ captain, and who lias seen her brilliance, both at hoekey ami cricket, will dispute my statement. that it. would bo hard Io find a fairer and more accomplished sportswoman in New Zealand, ami that to hold her up to ridicule as your so-<'.'illed critic has done is unpardonable.—-J . B. R. Webster: You omitted to forward your address