Hockey: NZ finish well but are short of targets

Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·

18 Dec, 2016 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Coach Mark Hager used the series as an opportunity to blood 12 new players. Photo / Doug Sherring

Their comprehensive series win over Malaysia reflected the Black Sticks' year - satisfying but still short of their demanding standards.

New Zealand's women wrapped up a 4-1 series triumph against their overmatched opponents, with a double from Samantha Harrison in her 100th international enough to seal a 2-1 victory in yesterday's final test in Stratford.

Coach Mark Hager used the series as an opportunity to blood 12 new players, as retirements after the Rio Olympics left the team needing to restock their depth.

Black Sticks assistant coach Sean Dancer said it was pleasing to close the series positively.

"We are happy to finish with a win, but needed to score a few more goals from the amount of opportunities we created," he said.

Hager was ambivalent when assessing the impact of the new crop of talent.

"[The series] gave me a good look at our next generation of hockey players and gave the young ones a chance to learn what it's like in our environment," the coach said.

"At this stage, the group is inconsistent in how they play. Some days they're good, some days they're not so good. That's what they've got to learn now."

Finishing their chances was one area in need of improvement as, aside from Saturday's 5-2 victory, too many opportunities were squandered against Malaysia.

February's trip to Argentina will be when those improvements can be put into action, and with the squad now given the summer off, Hager was left to look back on a 2016 that was pleasing in many aspects but missing the prize that mattered the most.

"We had some good results throughout the year," he said.

"Our own expectations and our own goals were to win a medal [at the Olympics], and we didn't achieve that. So if you look at it from that point of view, we failed for the year.