Northland players to face Korea at home

Black Sticks midfielder Anna Thorpe is looking forward to getting the 2011 campaign into full swing in front of her home crowd against South Korea on Tuesday.
Two of the New Zealand Women's five-test series against Korea - part of the Malaysia Airlines Summer Series - will be played at Whangarei's Rosvall ITM Stadium. The 26-year-old grew up playing hockey there for Northland and club side Maungakaramea, and so will feel right at home there.
With 33 caps to her name, Thorpe has come a long way since making her debut in Whangarei against Argentina in 2009 - the last time the Black Sticks Women played in Northland.
"It's always so nice playing at home in front of the Northland crowd - with our friends and family among them," Thorpe said.
It has been an intense summer for Thorpe and the Black Sticks, who started their fitness training following a two week break after their silver medal win at New Delhi's Commonwealth Games.
"We hit the gym and track pretty hard over summer with our fitness trainer Jon Renes putting us through our paces,"she said.
Renes has been training seven Northland-based Black Sticks and development squad players over the summer and will continue to train the girls through to the Olympics next year.
The girls began turf training three weeks ago ahead of the Korea series which starts tomorrow in Auckland, and Thorpe said the team was as ready as they will ever be.
"You always feel as if you haven't prepared enough before an international. But I think we have a good team, with everyone there from last year and we've continued to gain on the momentum we built through 2010," she said.
There is no room for complacency against the gritty Korean team, though.
"They're ranked eighth in the world and they placed sixth at the World Cup in Argentina - we were seventh ... they have excellent skills and they're speedy - it's going to be a bloody tough series to win."
Two weeks following the fifth Korean test the Kiwi women play two tests against Japan and a series against Argentina at the end of March.
The 13 international matches before April was a bonus for the team, who have high hopes of a gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
"These games are all part of our build up to the Olympics, which is our focus right now."
After being plagued with injury last year, Thorpe is hopeful a recent niggly achilles will not cause her too much grief.
"I had a scan on Wednesday and the doctor said it is fluid on the tendon - and to suck it up basically. It's painful but I won't damage it any further by playing."
Of the 22-strong squad selected by coach Mark Hager in November, three players are unavailable for the series.
Central striker Piki Hamahona is pregnant, while Midlands defender Kate Mahon (shoulder) and North Harbour goalkeeper Bianca Russell (knee) are both recovering from surgery. Russell could be back in time for the series against Japan next month, but Mahon is expected to be out for longer. No replacements have been called in.
After the matches against Argentina, Hager will select four of the development squad girls - including Northland's Alana Millington and Carli Michelsen into the Black Sticks.
Meanwhile, the Black Sticks Men will play Belgium on Tuesday and Thursday in Whangarei, and then Japan, all part of the 14-match Malaysia Airlines Summer Series.
Game schedule for Rosvall ITM Hockey Centre, Whangarei:
February 8: Black Sticks women vs Korea, 5.30pm; Black Sticks men vs Belgium, 7.30pm.
February 10: Black Sticks women vs Korea, 5.30pm; Black Sticks men vs Belgium, 7.30pm.