VANTAGE BLACK STICKS HEAD STATE-SIDE FOR CRUCIAL QUALIFYING PREP

One debutante and a returning veteran help make up the 20 strong Vantage Black Sticks women’s (VBSW) side heading to the USA next month.

 The VBSW will play five matches against the USA at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte - two will be counted as official test matches while the other three are practice matches.

 The series also carries extra weight with New Zealand and the USA having been put in the same group for the January Olympic Qualifiers in India.

 Australian midfielder Hannah Gravenall will be in line to make her international debut after impressing selectors at recent camps. Gravenall, whose mother is a New Zealander, played for head coach Phil Burrows when he coached Hockey Club Melbourne.

 Veteran striker Petrea Webster also returns to the side having last featured for the Black Sticks at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Webster, with 152 caps and 38 goals to her name, has been training with the side since earlier in the year.

 Burrows has been impressed with what he’s seen from the two players, and the rest of the squad, during the last training blocks.

 “Hannah and Petrea both bring a lot of experience and skill into the side with a strong ability to read the game. They’re also both extremely hard workers fitting in seamlessly into the programme.

 “It’s been a tough year for the squad but they have shown determination to be the fittest and strongest they can be as we come into a crucial period of preparation to earn our Olympic spot. The lessons we’ve learned will hold us in good stead.”

 The two test matches will be played 9-10 December both at 7am NZT with broadcast detials confirmed shortly. The three practice matches take place 12, 14, 16 December and will not be televised. 

Squad

Casey Crowley, Sam Child, Kaitlin Cotter, Tarryn Davey, Fran Davies, Steph Dickins, Katie Doar, Hannah Gravenall*, Megan Hull, Alia Jaques, Julia King, Olivia Merry, Kirsty Nation, Grace O'Hanlon, Hope Ralph, Olivia Shannon, Liz Thompson, Rose Tynan, Petrea Webster, Anna Willocks.