Sydney Uni Hockey Club representative Mathilda Carmichael has been rewarded for her strong performances in the recent test series in Perth, with selection in the Hockeyroos squad for next week’s Oceania Cup in New Zealand.
Carmichael debuted for the Hockeyroos on Wednesday night from the bench in their 3-0 defeat of Canada.
The Hockeyroos dealt Canada another 3-0 loss a night later, with Carmichael starting and playing the full 70 minutes in defence.
For the Hockeyroos, the tournament marks another important step in their journey up the international rankings and will play a significant part in the team’s preparation for the World League Finals in Argentina in four weeks. The Hockeyroos sit sixth in the world, just behind Germany and England who finished first and second in Europe’s continental championships in August.
Speaking about the inclusion of Mathilda Carmichael, who made her senior international debut against Canada on Tuesday, Head Coach Adam Commens said, “Mathilda Carmichael played particularly well in the Australian Hockey League this year and has spent the last two and a half weeks with the squad in Perth. She played well against Canada and deserves this opportunity.”
The Hockeyroos’ campaign begins with a mouth-watering trans-Tasman clash with the Black Sticks before matches against Samoa and Papua New Guinea. The tournament gets underway in Stratford, Taranki on New Zealand’s north island on Wednesday 30 October with the medal matches taking place on Sunday 3 November.
Carmichael, a SUSF Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder, was a member of the Jillaroos side that competed at the Junior World Cup in Germany in August. She was also part of the successful Sydney Uni Sydney Metro League 1 team that defeated Briars in this year’s grand final 2-0. Carmichael has played hockey for Sydney University since 2005.
