Hockey: Player adaptability key to new-look Black Sticks squad

Liz Thompson is a key defensive player for the Black Sticks. Photo / NZME.

Player adaptability is becoming a key factor in modern hockey, according to New Zealand women's coach Mark Hager.

With the exception of goalkeeper, gone are the days of specialist, one-position-only players. On the eve of a six-game series against the United States, starting in Stratford today, Hager talked of the importance of versatility.

Likening it to a form of Total Football - the interchangeability of players as displayed most memorably by the Dutch national side of the 1970s - Hager said players now need to have more than one string to their game.

"You've got to be able to play two or three positions, particularly now with four quarters and more running," Hager said yesterday.

"You want backs to be able to go forward and need to be able to cover that with forwards. Having that versatility in the group is going to be a key plus."

Hager is keen to promote top class attacker Stacey Michelsen further up the field, as an example, and likes the burgeoning quality of the defenders coming through, which gives confidence that the time is right to do that.

He cited young Auckland defender Liz Thompson as an example of the calibre of defensive players coming through. Having confidence in the defensive unit makes it easier to push players like Michelsen and Jordan Grant - both ironically missing the US series for study and injury reasons respectively - further up the park to bolster the goalscoring options.

"Losing Krystal Forgesson (200-plus striker, who recently retired) up front was a big loss. Stacey has the skills, she was a striker, and knows where the goals are.

"So we thought the time was right to move her up the field and try and get more reward up front, and we feel we've got good cover at the back now, with players like Liz, Sam Charlton, Rosie Keddell and Ella Gunson there."

The world No 4 Black Sticks are without eight players from the World Cup and Commonwealth Games but Hager says that makes the series against the eighth-ranked, and steadily improving, US a challenging but exciting time. He wants to see players stepping up to fill the gaps of the likes of long-time captain Kayla Whitelock and Emily Naylor, who have taken a break from the game, Forgesson and goalkeeper Bianca Russell.

"What better way to challenge young players, and those on the fringe, than against a quality team and see whether they are prepared to step up," Hager said.

Midfielder Anita Punt and Charlton are co-captains of the squad, and Hager is liking what he's seeing of them in the roles occupied for so long by Whitelock and Naylor.

New Zealand have three tests against world No 2 Australia next month.

What lies ahead

Women's Black Sticks:
v United States
Today and tomorrow: Stratford.
Tuesday, Thursday: Palmerston North.
Saturday, Sunday: Carterton.
Nov 15, 16, 18 v Australia (all games in Wellington).

Champions Trophy, Mendoza,
Argentina
Nov 30: v Japan.
Dec 1: v Netherlands.
Dec 3: v China.
Playoffs: from December 5-8.

New Zealand squad to play the US:
Goalkeepers: Georgia Barnett (Central), Amelia Gibson (Canterbury)
Defenders: Natasha Fitzsimons (Midlands), Kathryn Henry (North Harbour), Brooke Neal (Northland), Liz Thompson (Auckland), Pippa Hayward (Canterbury), Aniwaka Roberts (Capital).
Midfielders: Sam Charlton (co-c, Midlands), Gemma Flynn (Midlands), Shiloh Gloyn (Midlands), Ella Gunson (Northland), Rose Keddell (Midland), Julia King (Auckland), Anita Punt (co-c, Capital), Petrea Webster (North Harbour), Erin Goad (North Harbour).
Strikers: Sophie Cocks (Canterbury), Olivia Merry (Canterbury), Michaela Curtis (Central)