Hockey: TCOB star tapped for NZ Maori women squad

Wanganui's Melissa Hylton (left) is representing NZ Maori women at the Festival of Hockey in the Hawkes Bay. Photo/File

While the Tech College Old Boys women's team will have a staggered start to their 2014 Manawatu League campaign, one of their star players is already in the thick of the action.

Melissa Hylton was selected for the New Zealand Maori women's team to play during the Festival of Hockey in Hawkes Bay this week.

Her TCOB manager Ian Glenny said as well as the headline Six Nations series between New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Argentina, China and Korea, there are secondary Masters tournaments and second tier internationals.

"So you've got this other tournament [for player development], which is great.

"It's just a real achievement that she's made the team.

"Melissa has worked so hard, she trains seven days a week."

The NZ Maori played an Australian Country team for a 4-2 loss earlier in the week, then rebounded with a 3-0 win over NZ Indians.

Tournament finals are on Saturday.

Hylton, who played for Collegians until the advent of the TCOB team last season, wanted to thank all her local sponsors for helping her preparations for the Hawkes Bay.

Meanwhile, TCOB, or "Techno", were supposed to play PN College in their opening Manawatu League game on Saturday

Glenny, however, said the festival had taken a number of their players so the match was called off and double points will be on the line the next time they play them.

For Techno, they are rebuilding their squad after players such as Kathryn Paul (surgery) and Tess Meha (left town) are unavailable.

The TCOB men will play Palmerston North Boys High as they look to come back from their 6-0 loss to Massey, while Collegians play Palmerston North Girls High with both games at Gonville Domain.