Hockey: Whanganui four get chance to shine in U18s

The four Whanganui players selected for the Central Under 18 squads for tournament week. From left, Patrick Madder, Connor Hoskin, Rebecca Baker, and Sophie Redmayne.

The next batch of talent from Wanganui Hockey will be hoping to make an impression in the Central Under 18 squads as national tournament week gets underway in Wellington on Sunday.

Both Rebecca Baker and Sophie Redmayne have been selected again for the girls team, having 2-3 years experience at this level, as has Patrick Madder for the Under 18 boys.

Making his debut for Central U18 will be Connor Hoskin, who cut his teeth as part of a very strong Wanganui Under 15 programme, winning the 2017 national championship tournament.

"We're finding that age group is starting to come through," said father Darrell Hoskin, who will be the boys team manager, while Whanganui's Jan Dixon is the assistant coach.

"That's a credit to Wanganui Hockey, they put some good teams together when they were younger."

The two teams have spent eight weeks in training sessions and camps in Levin, Hastings and Taupo.

In the women's tournament, Central are the defending two-time champions, with Baker having received selection to the New Zealand Under 18 training camp at the end of 2018.

Her current squad with Redmayne is Hawke's Bay-heavy with eight players from that province, plus four from Manawatu and three from Taranaki.

Madder and Hoskin's team has a wider spread of the Central catchment, with six from Hawke's Bay, four Manawatu, three Taranaki, one from Horowhenua and the two Whanganui boys.

Last year, the Central Under 18 boys were in a very tough pool at their tournament, while as in 2018, the girls are picking Canterbury to be the other leading contender in their search for the three-peat.

Tournament week will be from Sunday through until next Saturday.

As well as national play, the Wanganui Under 18 boys team, coached by Robbie Matthews, will begin their regional tournament, also starting on Sunday.

By Jared Smith
Whanganui Chronicle 6/7/19