Lee Pendreigh, head coach to CALA Edinburgh, has created a real buzz in the top flight of the women's Aberdeen Asset Management national league.
She had guided a side used to finishing in the lower reaches of the table to third place behind Grove Menzieshill and Edinburgh University.
The most impressive result so far was the 2-1 defeat of title challengers Milne Craig Western on Sunday. "The girls approached the game without fear, and winning has given them great confidence, motivation and ambition to maintain this run of form," said Pendreigh, whose charges have won five of their seven games so far, beaten only by Dundee Wanderers and champions Grove.
Pendreigh puts the revival in fortunes down to hard work at training and a blend of talented youth and experience, making special mention of the goalkeeper Anna Gourlay and 16-year-old Shona Mcnab who has stepped up to the starting XI at left-back. "Shona's talents in tackling and reading the opposition have added strength to our squad defensively," said Pendreigh. Amber McNeill, Millie Brown and captain Emma Watson have provided the firepower.
Pendreigh has set her sights on a top-five finish when the league splits at the end of the month, which means maintaining the winning run in the remaining games against Giffnock and Edinburgh University.
n The International Hockey Federation has finalised the qualification process for the men's and women's World Cups to be played at The Hague in June 2014. Netherlands will be there as hosts, along with the five continental champions, while the remaining places will go to the top six nations in the semi-final stages of the inaugural World League, making a total of 12 teams for both men and women.
Scotland are still in contention with both men and women to contest second-round tournaments of six teams, from which the top two qualify for semi-finals and a chance of making the World Cup. Scotland's men have never played in World Cup finals but the women have done so four times, most recently in Australia in 2002.
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