JUNIOR SPORT - Girls teams ready for big week of hockey

This year's Federation Cup Hockey Tournament will provide different challenges for two Northland teams next week in Christchurch.
Whangarei Girls' High School and Kamo High school came first and third respectively in the country's top secondary school hockey tournament last year in Napier.
The Whangarei Girls' team will be without their star player, Black Sticks striker Charlotte Harrison, who is on international duties - but they have also had major changes in personnel since last year, coach Angeline Waetford said.
"We've only got five players from the team that won last year which means we're still strong but we've lost a lot of experience, with a bunch of seventh formers gone as well as Charlotte's little sister Sam (Harrison)," she said.
She said schools like Girls High and Kamo don't have the luxury of buying players in like some of the schools they'll be playing, so they had to rely on development.
Several players have impressed her this year by stepping up in the school's top team which, like Kamo, plays in the Northland Premier Women's competition and only time will tell how they will do in the Federation Cup.
"I'll be disappointed if we don't make the top four, and after that it will come down to fitness and mental toughness," Waetford said.
"The team have certainly exceeded my expectations by finishing second in the club competition, so hopefully they can do something similar next week."
Kamo High School are also without players like Stacey and Carli Michelsen and Nicki Howes and have survival at the top grade as their target this year.
Coach Donna Edlington says the team has improved considerably since the beginning of the season and playing premier grade every week has sped up that process.
"Defensively we still are having a few lapses in the circle under pressure, but they're a good bunch of girls and they've had to learn quickly at this level - and it will be interesting to see how we'll go against schoolgirls at the Federation Cup."
The competition runs from Monday to Friday and the teams will each play six games.
The aim for the school is to come first or second in their pool and then go on to the playoffs.
"It's pretty cut-throat competition - there are 16 teams and if you don't make the playoffs then you play off for 8-16 and you have to be careful not to drop out of the competition," Edlington said.
She said four to six teams face relegation from the top schoolgirl competition every year and if they don't make the playoffs then remaining in the top flight would certainly be the focus: "At the moment we're only losing one player who's definitely leaving school, so the squad will be better placed to maybe challenge for a place in the final next year."