KINROSS-CYMS’ chances of improving on their fourth place finish in the 2010 Premier League Hockey season for next year have been boosted thanks to the return of star Kate Pulbrook.

Pulbrook missed the green and golds’ 2010 campaign due to being pregnant with her first child and, although Kinross-CYMS improved from fifth in 2009 to the PLH top four 12 months on, they missed the guidance of one of their more experienced players in the midfield.

A former captain of the side, Pulbrook was excited about the prospect of returning to the field in 2011, but said it would be in a lesser role than she has been used to in the past.

“I have thought about it. I now have a 10-month-old baby, though, so we’ll see how the next few months go but, yes, I am planning on [returning],” Pulbrook said.

“I will be taking a step back. Training once instead of the twice a week with the side and things like that.”

Pulbrook said she missed playing last season.

“I certainly did and because they had such a good season it was even harder,” she said. “There are a few girls that were completing their HSC and other commitments at the time, too, so it was a good effort.”

Kinross-CYMS had one of the youngest line-ups in the 2010 women’s PLH competition.

At different stages the side had girls as young as 13 playing in the green and gold.

Although still young herself at just 24, Pulbrook will add a lot of leadership to the Kinross-CYMS outfit.

“With age comes experience and with the younger girls now having played that first year, they’ll be much better for the experience,” she said.

“And having made the semi-finals, the girls now know what it takes to play at that Premier League Hockey level.”

Although Pulbrook wasn’t involved in a playing capacity in 2010, she did coach the Kinross 1sts side last season.

She believes that side, along with a few players from CYMS, will help bolster the 2011 Kinross-CYMS ranks.

“Definitely. We used a few of them at different stages [in the PLH] last season and they’ll get more permanent next season,” she said.

“Then there are a couple more that will get a bit of game time this time around.”

Kinross-CYMS will be without Emily D’Aquino, though, and young striker Sarah Crombie is uncertain about whether she’ll take to the field in 2011.