Hockey: Black Sticks thrashed by Netherlands

The Black Sticks have been thrashed 5-0 by The Netherlands in a warm-up game, ahead of their first match at the women's World League hockey finals against China on Sunday. Photo / Getty.

The Black Sticks have been thrashed 5-0 by The Netherlands in a warm-up game, ahead of their first match at the women's World League hockey finals against China on Sunday.

Coach Mark Hager says without Emily Naylor and Stacey Michelsen, they are very inexperienced at the back.

"We should have probably scored two or three ourselves but we were under quite a bit of pressure and a lot our young players, I think we had seven or eight different players who had never played Holland before and we were a little bit shell shocked.''

Hager says they'll have to make some positional changes to sure up the defence a little, with the likes of Sam Charlton and Julia King able to drop back.