Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
THERE was good news for Lithgow hockey stars when they gained selection in a number of representative sides.
Heading the list was Abby Wilson, Rene Hunter and Andrea Gillard who were selected in the 2016 National Junior Hockey Squad.
This is in preparation for the Junior World Cup to be played in Chile in late November.
In addition to those named in the squad, a number of junior players currently participating in the senior and development high performance programs remain eligible for the Junior World Cup.
It has been a long selection process with Abby, Rene and Andrea impressing selectors at the National Futures Camp, the Junior World Cup qualification camp and the Junior World Cup Qualifier held on the Gold Coast, the under 21 Australian Championships held in Sydney in April and most recently the National Training Centre Challenge in Canberra in May.
A squad of 25 was named and if selected in the final Junior World Cup side they will be off to Santiago, Chile, with the tournament running from November 24 through to December 4.
To make the final side to go to Chile is a difficult task for the Lithgow trio with all three still in their teens.
But to even make the squad shows that the national selectors are keeping an eye on them.
The trio are contrasting players with Rene a goalie, Andrea a fullback and Abby a striker.
They have been in the representative system since an early age and Abby, Andrea and Rene have already represented NSW this year in a number of age groups and can consider themselves as the elite in Australian hockey.
In the under 21 2017 squad, Andrea, Rene and Abby will be joined by Clare Bosman who recently represented NSW under 18 Blues.
Clare is an exceptional player and has enjoyed a good year in 2016.
The trio of Abby, Rene and Andrea were also named in the AHL Arrows Open side to compete in Perth.
The NSW Open Country side was named with Clare Bosman, Millie Leard and Jessie Luchetti selected.
Jess in an outstanding goalie who has enjoyed representation at a number of levels.
She is one of the best young goalies in the state and is the current goalie for the premiership winning Panthers’ Premier League side.
Millie Leard is a player with a long representative history and her attack will be a real asset to the Country side.
Katie Hamment was also named in the Country side, but has since made herself unavailable.
The girls are the daughters of David and Heidi Hunter, Bob and Naomi Morrow and Craig and Tracey Gillard, Clare and Paul Bosman, Lynne and Graeme Leard and Samantha and Scott Luchetti.