Family's national pride extends

Following in the footsteps of big brother Shay Neal, Brooke Neal has broken into the national scene, lining up for the New Zealand Junior Hockey Academy girls.
While Shay, a Junior Black Stick and Black Sticks representative, played for North Harbour at the recent National Hockey League tournament because he lived and studied in Auckland, 17-year-old Brooke proudly represented the Northland Under-18 team earlier this year, followed by the NHL women's side last month at Christchurch.
Her strong performances at left half helped her earn a place in the NZ Academy, designed to nurture and develop the country's top 16 to18-year-old players, and prime them for higher national honours.
 The girls' and boys' teams were in action last week at Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton, contesting a three- match series against Queensland Schools.
"It was a big step up from the other tournaments I've been to. It was great to play alongside the best in NZ, in my age group," she said.
The academy squads gathered for the first time at Hamilton last Monday for a two-day training camp before the series got under way.
"We needed a bit of time to get used to playing together, although some of us played in the NZ Under-16 team last year,"Neal said.
Neal was part of the national under-16 side, which last year was replaced by the Junior Academy squad.
Neal and the Kiwi girls faced Queensland Schools in game one on Wednesday, where NZ won 5-0, followed by a 3-0 victory on Thursday and a 6-1 thrashing on Friday to whitewash the series.
"Once we realised we could easily beat those guys we just wanted to concentrate on improving individually, and as a team and not worry about the score."
 Neal played at  fullback, and not in her familiar left half role,  for the first time in her  hockey career, she said.
"It was interesting coming in at that level and playing a new position but I gained a greater understanding of the game."
The NZ boys also had a three-match clean sweep at Hamilton.
Next year the Junior Academy teams have another series against Queensland as well as three training camps planned.
 Neal said she was aiming for a good hockey year in 2010 with the academy and her club side Whangarei Girls' High School, and she was hopeful of making the Northland teams again.
"After that - I will just see how I go," she said. But if sibling rivalry is a driving force and anything to go by, then the talented hockey player will go places.