Home » News » Bartlett & Maguire named in Great Britain Women’s squad
The Great Britain Hockey women’s squad has been
announced for the forthcoming London Prepares VISA International
Invitational Hockey Tournament which runs from the 2-6 May 2012.
Great Britain will face opponents Korea, China and Argentina
across four days of competition with the final taking place on
Sunday 6 May at 12:15.
Among the 18 athlete squad is Leicester’s Rebecca
Herbert and University of Birmingham’s Susie Gilbert who both
return after missing out on the 2012 Champions Trophy in Argentina
back in February. In total, the side includes 16 of the
players who brought back a silver medal from Argentina.
Speaking about his squad selection, Great Britain’s
Head Coach Danny Kerry said, “The final Olympic team will not
necessarily come from this squad. Korea and China will both be in
our pool for the Olympic Games and so there will also be an element
of keeping back aspects of our game.”
In contrast to the majority of international
tournaments Reading’s Beth Storry is the only goalkeeper to be
named in the squad. Commenting on this decision Kerry said,
“We have decided to only name one goalkeeper for the four matches
to facilitate looking further at outfield options. Our primary aim
at the test event will be looking at combinations of players across
certain lines to assist our thinking toward the final Olympic Games
and to continue to evolve our play.”
Included in line-up for the tournament is the
Reading sextet of Alex Danson, Helen Richardson, Emily Maguire,
Laura Bartlett, Beth Storry and Kate Walsh who all played in
Argentina. Among the six are the two Brits who were named in
the 2011 FIH All Stars team – Alex Danson and Helen Richardson and
also the two Scottish representatives – Laura Bartlett and Emily
Maguire. Making up the final two Reading spots are Great
Britain Captain Kate Walsh and sole goalkeeper for the tournament
Beth Storry who, between them, have 384 combined caps for England
and Great Britain. If selected for the first game of the
tournament next week Kate Walsh will make her 100th appearance for
Great Britain against Korea.
The Great Britain squad, supported by Principal
Partner Investec, contains five players from Leicester who were
recently crowned Investec Women’s Hockey League Champions after
narrowly defeating Reading at the Investec Finals Weekend earlier
in April. Crista Cullen, Rebecca Herbert, Chloe Rogers,
Hannah Macleod and Anne Panter will all travel to the Riverbank
Arena on Olympic Park to compete in the tournament.
Speaking about his side’s approach to the
tournament, Kerry said, “Our opponents offer us an excellent
opportunity to further experience their styles of play. All the
teams contain a considerable counter-attack threat. Park for Korea
is one of the world’s leading forwards and has a very differing
skill set to many forwards against whom we play. Fu Barong, Song
Qingling and Gao for China represent a major strike force with
Olympic silver medal credentials. World Champions Argentina have
high levels of individual skill across their playing group allied
with tactical acumen and big match experience. We feel very capable
of matching these world class teams but the focus ultimately will
be on preparing for the Games themselves. Results in this respect
are secondary to our Olympic preparation.”
The VISA International Invitational Hockey
Tournament is the penultimate tournament for the Great Britain
Women’s Hockey Team before the Olympic Games this Summer. In
the middle of the Olympic sandwich Danny Kerry will name a squad
for the Investec London Cup which will take place from the 5-10
June 2012 at the University of Westminster ground, Chiswick.
BBC Sport will be broadcasting coverage of all of
the Great Britain women’s matches at the London Prepares VISA
International Invitational Hockey Tournament on the BBC Red Button
and BBC Sport website. The coverage will coincide with the
times listed below. Please note the schedule is subject to
change.
VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Fixtures
Wednesday 2 May 2012 – 13:15 – Great Britain v
Korea
Thursday 3 May 2012 – 13:15 – China v Great
Britain
Saturday 5 May 2012 – 11:45 – Great Britain v
Argentina
Sunday 6 May 2012 – 12:15 – Women’s Final
Great Britain Women’s Squad for London Prepares
VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Name (Club) Position [Home Nation] Great Britain
Caps/Great Britain Goals – Home Nation Caps/Home Nation Goals –
Age
Ashleigh Ball (Slough) Midfielder [England] 17/4 –
48/1 – 26
Laura Bartlett (Reading) Forward [Scotland] 36/4 –
57/# 23
Crista Cullen (Leicester) Defender [England] 68/23
– 92/24 – 26
Alex Danson (Reading) Forward [England] 49/20 –
123/29 – 26
Susie Gilbert (University of Birmingham) Midfielder
[England] 25/2 – 40/5 – 23
Rebecca Herbert (Leicester) Forward [England] 21/3
– 67/8 – 25
Hannah Macleod (Leicester) Forward [England] 15/2 –
46/5 – 27
Emily Maguire (Reading) Defender [Scotland] 21/0 –
71/# – 24
Anne Panter (Leicester) Defender [England] 44/1 –
51/3 – 28
Helen Richardson (Reading) Midfielder [England]
76/6 – 146/22 – 30
Chloe Rogers (Leicester) Midfielder [England] 50/4
– 99/11 – 27
Natalie Seymour (EuroCanterbury) Defender [England]
17/0 – 51/0 – 25
Beth Storry (Reading) Goalkeeper [England] 30/0 –
71/0 – 34
Sarah Thomas (No Club) Forward [Wales] 54/6 – 69/#
– 31
George Twigg (Clifton) Midfielder [England] 11/1 –
28/2 – 21
Laura Unsworth (Loughborough Students) Defender
[England] 23/1 – 47/0 – 24
Kate Walsh (Reading) Defender [England] 99/9 –
184/31 – 31
Nicola White (Slough) Forward [England] 24/0 – 44/4
– 24
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Interview Requests and further information
Please contact Jennie Byass, Great Britain Hockey
Communications Officer, by phone on 07850 907320 for further
information or to make an interview request.
Rights Free Images
Attached is a rights free image of Great Britain’s
Silver Medal winning team celebrating against China at the 2012
Champions Trophy in Argentina. Please credit Frank
Uijlenbroek where used. For further images please email
[email protected]Investec London Cup, 5-10 June 2012
The next International Tournament for the Great
Britain Women’s Team, following the Test Event, will be the
Investec London Cup from the 5-10 June 2012 at the University of
Westminster in Chiswick. Tickets are on sale now, please
click here for further information.
Media accreditation applications are now being
accepted for the Investec London Cup, please click here for further
information.
The npower Big Dribble
Great Britain Hockey is on a mission to break a
record for dribbling a hockey ball 2012km around cities in
Scotland, England and Wales. The npower Big Dribble is
currently hitting the South of England on its 29th location out of
40, offering people of all ages and abilities the chance to pick up
a stick and have a go at hockey. To find out more please
visit www.thebigdribble.com
Scotland’s Laura Bartlett and Emily Maguire have been
included in the Great Britain Hockey women’s squad announced for
the forthcoming London Prepares VISA International Invitational
Hockey Tournament which runs from the 2-6 May 2012.
Great Britain will face opponents Korea, China and Argentina
across four days of competition with the final taking place on
Sunday 6 May at 12:15.
Speaking about his squad selection, Great Britain’s Head Coach
Danny Kerry said,
“The final Olympic team will not necessarily come from this
squad. Korea and China will both be in our pool for the Olympic
Games and so there will also be an element of keeping back aspects
of our game.”
In contrast to the majority of international tournaments
England’s Beth Storry is the only goalkeeper to be named in the
squad, meaning Scot Abi Walker misses out on this occasion.
Commenting on this decision Kerry said,
“We have decided to only name one goalkeeper for the four
matches to facilitate looking further at outfield options. Our
primary aim at the test event will be looking at combinations of
players across certain lines to assist our thinking toward the
final Olympic Games and to continue to evolve our play.”
In total, the side includes 16 of the players who brought back a
silver medal from Argentina, which also means Dundee Wanderers’
Vikki Bunce also misses out on the competition.
Speaking about his side’s approach to the tournament, Kerry
said,
“Our opponents offer us an excellent opportunity to further
experience their styles of play. All the teams contain a
considerable counter-attack threat. Park for Korea is one of the
world’s leading forwards and has a very differing skill set to many
forwards against whom we play. Fu Barong, Song Qingling and Gao for
China represent a major strike force with Olympic silver medal
credentials.
World Champions Argentina have high levels of individual skill
across their playing group allied with tactical acumen and big
match experience. We feel very capable of matching these world
class teams but the focus ultimately will be on preparing for the
Games themselves. Results in this respect are secondary to our
Olympic preparation.”
The VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament is the
penultimate tournament for the Great Britain Women’s Hockey Team
before the Olympic Games this Summer. In the middle of the
Olympic sandwich Danny Kerry will name a squad for the Investec
London Cup which will take place from the 5-10 June 2012 at the
University of Westminster ground, Chiswick.
BBC Sport will be broadcasting coverage of all of the Great
Britain women’s matches at the London Prepares VISA International
Invitational Hockey Tournament on the BBC Red Button and BBC Sport
website. The coverage will coincide with the times listed
below. Please note the schedule is subject to change.
VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Fixtures
Wednesday 2 May 2012 – 13:15 – Great Britain v Korea
Thursday 3 May 2012 – 13:15 – China v Great Britain
Saturday 5 May 2012 – 11:45 – Great Britain v Argentina
Sunday 6 May 2012 – 12:15 – Women’s Final
Great Britain Women’s Squad for London Prepares VISA
International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Ashleigh Ball (Slough) Midfielder [England]
Laura Bartlett (Reading) Forward [Scotland]
Crista Cullen (Leicester) Defender [England]
Alex Danson (Reading) Forward [England]
Susie Gilbert (University of Birmingham) Midfielder
[England]
Rebecca Herbert (Leicester) Forward [England]
Hannah Macleod (Leicester) Forward [England]
Emily Maguire (Reading) Defender [Scotland]
Anne Panter (Leicester) Defender [England]
Helen Richardson (Reading) Midfielder [England]
Chloe Rogers (Leicester) Midfielder [England]
Natalie Seymour (EuroCanterbury) Defender [England]
Beth Storry (Reading) Goalkeeper [England]
Sarah Thomas (No Club) Forward [Wales]
George Twigg (Clifton) Midfielder [England]
Laura Unsworth (Loughborough Students) Defender [England]
Kate Walsh (Reading) Defender [England]
Nicola White (Slough) Forward [England]
Further information
Please contact Jennie Byass, Great Britain Hockey Communications
Officer, by phone on 07850 907320 or via
email for further information or to make an interview
request.
Investec London Cup, 5-10 June 2012
The next International Tournament for the Great Britain Women’s
Team, following the Test Event, will be the Investec London Cup
from the 5-10 June 2012 at the University of Westminster in
Chiswick. Tickets are on sale now, please visit the Great Britain website for further
information.
