Black Sticks Women's Team Announced for Champions Trophy

Media release 23 April 2011 Black Sticks Women’s team announced for Champions Trophy Black Sticks Women’s coach Mark Hager has announced the 18 players that will take on the world’s best teams at the Champions Trophy in Amsterdam in June. The Champions Trophy (25 June – 3 July) is the pinnacle event in the 2011 international hockey calendar and the 13 home test series against Korea, Japan and Argentina this year, have given Hager the chance to trial and select the best players. “We have had some strong test series over the last few months, but the level of competition at Champions Trophy will be world class and if we want to place in the top six, we need to be playing at our very best,” says Hager. Sophie Devine, Cathryn Finlayson, Alana Millington, Sally Rutherford and Anna Thorpe – who have not played at a Champions Trophy before – will join the team alongside highly capped players Emily Naylor, Kayla Sharland, Krystal Forgesson and Clarissa Eshuis. “The training and competition over the last few months has been pretty intense, and we need to keep training hard over the next couple of months to make sure we get the results we want. The motivation and drive from the team to perform is evident,” says co-captain Kayla Sharland. The Black Sticks have been named in Pool B alongside the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. Pool A includes Argentina, China, England and Korea. “If we can pull off two wins in the pool round, then that could possibly place us in the top four teams in the tournament. It won’t be easy, but at the same time we will have our strongest team on field and we have had some good results lately,” says Sharland. Hager has invited North Harbour’s Petrea Webster and Northland’s Laura Douglas to take part in practice games scheduled in Europe against Germany, China and Holland in the two weeks prior to the Champions Trophy. Hager says the Black Sticks will learn a huge amount by playing these games prior to the start of the tournament and it will give them an opportunity to test out various playing combinations. On the back of naming this team, Hager has also announced a Development Team that will travel to Japan to play four games against their national side in Gifu from the 24 - 29 May. Ella Gunson and Anna Thorpe have been named in both the Development Team and the Champions Trophy Team. “Both players need extra game time, and this will be a great opportunity for them to get some extra experience before competing in Europe,” says Hager. See the Champions Trophy and Development Team lists below. [CONTINUES] 2011 Champions Trophy (25 June-3 July, 2011) Black Sticks Women’s Team Shirt # Player Name NHL Team Position Age Caps 1 Kayla Sharland Central Midfielder 25 127 2 Emily Naylor Central Midfielder 25 151 3 Krystal Forgesson Auckland Striker 28 115 5 Katie Glynn Auckland Striker 22 45 8 Sally Rutherford Midlands Goal Keeper 29 9 9 Alana Millington Northland Defender 22 14 12 Ella Gunson Northland Defender 21 45 16 Clarissa Eshuis Midlands Defender 24 85 17 Lucy Talbot Auckland Auckland 21 43 20 Samantha Harrison Auckland Midfielder 19 48 21 Cathryn Finlayson Midlands Striker 22 22 22 Gemma Flynn Midlands Midfielder 20 68 23 Anna Thorpe Northland Midfielder 27 44 27 Sophie Devine Canterbury Defender 21 11 28 Charlotte Harrison Northland Striker 21 111 30 Bianca Russell North Harbour Goal Keeper 32 23 31 Stacey Michelsen North Harbour Midfielder 20 55 32 Anita Punt Capital Midfielder 23 50 Average age: 23 Average caps: 59 Players competing in European Tour before Champions Trophy (9-19 June) 6 Petrea Webster North Harbour Striker 23 7 24 Laura Douglas Northland Midfielder 28 40 [CONTINUES] Black Sticks Women’s Development Tour Japan (24-29 May, 2011) Player Name NHL Team Position Age Caps Bridget Blackwood Canterbury Midfielder 20 3 Jan Burrows Auckland Midfielder 27 14 Samantha Charlton Midlands Midfielder 19 8 Laura Douglas Northland Midfielder 28 40 Kelsey Dunn North Harbour Defender 21 - Natasha Fitzsimons North Harbour Defender 22 31 Amelia Gibson Canterbury Goalkeeper 19 5 Amanda Green North Harbour Defender 24 3 Ella Gunson Northland Midfielder 21 45 Danielle Jones Auckland Defender 19 3 Jasmin McQuinn North Harbour Defender 21 21 Carli Michelsen North Harbour Striker 21 - Fiona Morrison Canterbury Striker 22 - Kate Savory North Harbour Midfielder 22 - Caroline Stuart North Harbour Goalkeeper 26 - Belinda Smith Auckland Defender 20 - Anna Thorpe Northland Midfielder 27 44 Petrea Webster North Harbour Striker 23 7 Anna Wetherall Canterbury Striker 22 - Average age: 22 Average caps: 12 [ENDS] For more information contact: Julia King Communications Manager Hockey New Zealand 027 291 2873 .

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