WITH the view of sticking it to the best sides in the state, Orange has named a crack squad for this week's 2014 Hockey NSW Under 18s Girls' Field State Championship at Narrellan, starting Friday.
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The Orange under 18s girls will line up in Pool A of the championship's division one competition with a squad brimming with talent, led by NSW under 18s representatives Rachel Divall, Madie Smith and Chloe Barrett.
Eyeing off the semi-finals of the tournament as a "realistic" goal, Orange manager Michelle Barrett says her 13-strong side is jam packed with experience.
"We've only got four girls in the side who won't be turning 18 this year," Barrett said.
"We're in the hard side of the draw which won't make things easy but a lot of these girls have been playing together for a long time, some of them six years. And I think that's a strength of this squad; it's a maturing side.
"I think they'll be going into the championship confident."
Orange has been grouped with Newcastle, Lithgow, Nepean and Macarthur (1) in Pool A.
Orange's first game is against western region rivals Lithgow.
Set to clash at 8am on Friday at the Macarthur Regional Complex, it's a game Barrett said her side will be very wary of.
"We know they're a strong side and they've come up from division two last year," she said.
"We went to Lithgow and went down to them recently, it's going to be tough."
Currently studying in Sydney, the inclusion of Divall is a welcome one for the Orange line-up made up of primarily women's Premier League Hockey sides Kinross-CYMS, Orange Ex-Services and Confederates.
"She recognises this might be her last opportunity to play for Orange. Any time a player like that says they'd like to play, obviously you can't say no," Barrett enthused.
The 2014 under 18s girls state championships begin on Friday at Narellan.
ORANGE: Madie Smith, Rachel Divall, Steph Hinds, Rach Hinds, Emily Piper, Ally Thurn, Rach Pengilly, Haley Butcherine, Em Wright, Tania Jachi, Telisa Schumacher, Louise Kempson.