KEY POINTS:
Kevin Towns is still smiling despite five-from-five losses on the recent pre-Olympic series in China.
As national women's coach, Towns savoured last year's 1-0 win over Australia and subsequent Olympic selection as Oceania champions. There has not been a lot to cheer about since the win in Buderim.
The women lost four and drew one against Korea in a home series last month - scoring six goals but conceding 16. They then lost three games to China in Wellington - scoring five and giving up 14 - and shared a two-match series with Ireland (also in Wellington) trailing 2-1 before a final 3-0 win. In China this month, the Black Sticks scored a goal a game but gave up (in order) 5, 5, 3, 2, 4.
Towns took a positive from the five goals his team scored saying: "We are at least scoring one a game. In Azerbaijan we weren't scoring any."
Indeed, at that June 2007 tournament, New Zealand lost 1-0 to England and the US, 8-1 to China and 3-1 to Korea. They beat the hosts 1-0 and, in the play-offs, 4-3.
Towns said the five matches in China had been invaluable with work done both on defence and attack.
"We focused on getting better organised defensively," said Towns. "When we played them and Korea here we were ripped apart on the counter-attack. I felt by the end over there we had addressed that reasonably well.
"On attack we also improved in that by the end of the series our [attacking] circle penetrations were slightly better than the Chinese. What we have to do now is look at our conversion rate in turning circle penetrations into goals."
Towns was heartened by Kayla Sharland's return after a lengthy injury break.
Sharland marked her return with goals in the third and fourth games.
"I was also pleased with the progress shown by Stacey Carr in the unfamiliar left half role," Towns said. "She has played all her life as an inside-forward or striker. She will get plenty of hockey in her new position between now and Beijing."
Five of his players are playing in the Australian National League but will rejoin the squad in the next week or so for a series of matches with the North Harbour under-18 boys before heading to a four-team tournament in Beijing in mid-June.
After that he will have to name his 16-player Olympic squad from the 19 players in his national squad.
Meanwhile, the men's Black Sticks embark on a six-match series from Monday night at North Harbour's Crown Relocations Stadium.
The internationals - except Ryan Archibald and Phil Burrows who are still playing in Europe - will be spread across four teams topped up by other national squad members and NHL players from North Harbour and Auckland for the matches, in preparation for May's Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia.
In selecting the 50-plus players, national coach Shane McLeod is also looking beyond the Olympics and towards the 2010 World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
The matches will be played at 7pm and 8.30pm over the next three Mondays.
