Tauranga schoolgirl Olivia Chance has been named in the Football Ferns squad to play in the Cyprus Cup next month.
Uncapped Chance and Terri-Amber Carlson have been handed the chance to book a flight to the Fifa World Cup after being included in a 21-strong Ferns squad.
Chance, 17, was one of
New Zealand's stand-out performers at last year's under-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. She was also player of the Women's Knockout Cup final for Claudelands Rovers.
She was named Bay of Plenty secondary schools sportswoman of the year for 2010 and is also a member of the Claudelands Rovers women's 1st team which was recently named 2010 Club Team of the Year at the Waikato Regional Sports Awards.
Currently playing for Waikato-Bay of Plenty in the ASB Women's Youth League as a left-sided midfielder, Chance, has been training with an extended Ferns squad over summer.
With the Fifa Women's World Cup looming, Ferns coach John Herdman has included Chance in a squad heavy on midfielders and forwards as he looks for the right blend to take to Germany.
"Olivia has displayed a mindset of wanting to beat players, wanting to get on the ball, and she's shown some technical qualities that could actually help us unlock international defences."
New Zealand have been drawn against England, Japan and Mexico in the World Cup and Herdman sees the European defences of their Cyprus Cup Group B opposition France, Switzerland and the Netherlands as ideal tests.
