22 September 2011 Media Release Junior Black Sticks teams announced The Under 21 Junior Black Sticks teams have been announced after being put through their paces at a camp held in Papatoetoe this week. The camp was part of Hockey New Zealand’s new Owen G Glenn Future Black Sticks Programme, with Under 21 national coaches Chris Leslie (women) and Grant Edwards (men) selecting the 18 best players from the squads of 30, which were announced in May after the National U21 Tournament. “Key factors that formed the basis of selection, were identifying players that have core skills, are physically capable, are coachable and can follow instructions, as well as having the ability to play at intensity and who can counter attack quickly,” says Under 21’s women’s coach Chris Leslie. Players named in the women’s team include current Black Sticks Amelia Gibson, Samantha Charlton, Julia King and Rhiannon Dennison. They are joined by three up and coming players, midfielder player Shareena Nana and strikers Natasha Cotton and Tara Hall. The women’s team first and only international competition for this year will be in India at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Under-21 Four Nation Women's Hockey Tournament, from 8-12 November. The 18 players named in the Junior Black Sticks Men, include current Black Sticks Squad players Shay Neal, and Kane Russell, along with Development players, midfielder Nick Ross and defender Dwayne Rowsell. Jared Panchia (17), the youngest player in the team and younger brother to Black Sticks player Arun Panchia, has also made the cut. “Over the four days in camp, we held three very competitive selection matches. We were looking for players who had a high level of fitness with strong technical ability and game awareness. Over the next six weeks, players will be training in their regions and monitored as part of their development programmes,” says Under 21 men’s coach Grant Edwards. The men’s second international competition for 2011 is scheduled to take place in Malaysia, at the 1st Sultan Johor Cup Invitational, from 5-12 November this year. The first two major events for the Owen G Glenn Future Black Sticks Programme are the 2013 Junior World Cup and 2014 Youth Olympics. “This national junior programme gives these athletes the best opportunity for success at world level events and will help develop our future national players,” says Hockey New Zealand’s high performance manager Toni Cumpston. The Junior Black Sticks teams depart for their respective international competitions on 1 November 2011 from Auckland International Airport. The teams are listed on the following pages. Junior Black Sticks Women’s Team Lal Bahadur Shastri Under-21 Four Nation Women's Hockey 8 – 12 November 2011, India Player Name Under 21 Team Position Age Caps Bridget Blackwood Canterbury Defender 20 3 Sam Charlton Midlands Defender 19 12 Natasha Cotton Midlands Striker 20 Michaela Curtis Central Striker 17 Rhiannon Dennison Northern Midfielder 18 4 Holly Gaskin Capital Defender 21 Amelia Gibson Canterbury Goalkeeper 20 7 Liz Gifford Southern Goalkeeper 20 Sian Fremaux Canterbury Striker 19 Tara Hall Capital Striker 21 Pippa Hayward Canterbury Defender 21 Danielle Jones Auckland Defender 20 3 Amie Judge Northern Midfielder 19 Julia King Auckland Midfielder 18 3 Shareena Nana Auckland Midfielder 20 Brooke Neal Midlands Defender 19 Belinda Smith Auckland Defender 20 Jenny Storey Southern Defender 19 N.B. Caps listed is for senior international matches played only Team Management Head Coach Chris Leslie Assistant Coach Angeline Waetford Manager Sarah Leberman Physiotherapist Helene Barron Performance Analyst TBC Junior Black Sticks Men’s Team 1st Sultan Johor Cup Men’s Junior Invitational Tournament 5 – 12 November 2011, Malaysia Player Name Under 21 Team Position Age Caps Callum Bailey Southern Midfield 21 Cory Bennett Northern Defender 20 Rob Creffier Central Midfield 19 George Enersen Canterbury Goalkeeper 20 Cameron Hayde Midlands Forward 20 Jared Jones Capital Forward 20 Dane Lett Capital Defender 21 Thomas Loudon Canterbury Defender 20 Tom Lysaght Midlands Goalkeeper 21 Shay Neal Northern Forward 21 16 Jared Panchia Auckland Midfield 17 Nick Ross Midlands Midfield 21 Dwayne Rowsell Auckland Defender 19 Kane Russell Southern Defender 19 Alexander Shaw Auckland Defender 21 Jacob Smith Capital Forward 20 Isaac Staples Northern Forward 21 5 Zach Woods Midlands Midfield 19 N.B. Caps listed is for senior international matches played only Team Management Head Coach Grant Edwards Assistant Coach Dave Ross Manager Rae Farrell Physiotherapist Oliver Low Performance Analyst Amrit John [ENDS] For more information contact: Julia King 027 291 2873 Communications Manager Hockey New Zealand .