NZ Hockey captain Suzie Muirhead to head a Games team with mixed experience.
Wellington Hockey player Niniwa Roberts and Auckland’s Jaimee Proyan are surprise omissions from the New Zealand Black Sticks Women’s Hockey team for Melbourne.
Roberts and Provan, who each boast more than 100 caps, were missing from the squad named by coach Ian Rutledge, paving the way for new faces, including 16-year-old striker Charlotte Harrison.
Rutledge said the team aimed to balance its experienced players with new faces to improve the future performance of the New Zealand side.
"It is one of our objectives to have 25 players of international standard so we are able to pick players who are in form," he said.
Experience comes to the team in the form of captain Suzie Muirhead, with 225 caps, but Rutledge said they will miss some of the other senior players.
"It was hard to leave [Roberts and Provan] out. Experience is an important factor, but we've gone for a team that is displaying current form and unfortunately those two girls weren't in the 16,” he said.
The squad was cut from the 19 players who have been playing in the test series against Japan to 16 players who will continue the series and go on to play at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next month.
Also missing from the team was the experienced Meredith Orr, who was ruled out with a knee injury, and Kate Saunders.
Meanwhile, the men’s Hockey team will rely heavily on its experience, naming 16 players who have player an average of over 70 international games with the Black Sticks.
The team includes 10 players from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games side which finished sixth, including Darren Smith, Blair Hopping, Dean Couzins, Bevan Hari, Paul Woolford, Kyle Pontifex, Phillip Burrows, Hayden Shaw, James Nation and Gareth Brooks.
Eight players - Archibald, Hari, Woolford, Shaw, Smith, Couzins, Hopping and Burrows - played in the silver medal winning team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
New Zealand Olympic Committee selection committee member, Mike Stanley said it is an impressive line up.
“The men’s team thrilled us all with their outstanding performance at the 2002 Games. They are now more experienced and I am sure will perform with great credit in Melbourne.”
The New Zealand Men’s Hockey Team includes:
Darren Smith, Blair Hopping, Dean Couzins, Ryan Archibald, Bradley Shaw, Bevan Hari, Paul Woolford, Kyle Pontifex, Phillip Burrows, Hayden Shaw, James Nation, Bryce Collins, Gareth Brooks, Shea McAleese, Ben Collier and Simon Child.
The New Zealand Women’s Hockey Team includes:
Beth Jurgeleit, Anita Wawatai, Emily Naylor, Lizzy Igasan, Clarissa Eshuis, Diana Weavers, Kate Mahon, Kayla Sharland, Suzie Muirhead, Jane Maley, Frances Kreft, Michelle Hollands, Krystal Forgesson, Honor Dillon, Stacey Carr and Charlotte Harrison.
The New Zealand women’s team will be in action on the first day of competition at the Games on 16 March, while the men’s team will play on 17 March at the State Netball and Hockey Centre, with both teams pushing for a finals berth on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March.
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