On Monday, January 20, Mikayla Evans became Goulburn's latest Australian representative.
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The 22-year-old was one of two Goulburn locals named in the Australian Women's Indoor Hockey Squad, alongside Aleisha Price, which will take part in a three-day selection camp in August.
Should Price and Evans impress at the camp, they will be selected for the Australian team to take part in the 2021 Women's Indoor Hockey World Cup in Berlin.
Though Price has played for Australia before at the Under 21 level, this was Evans' first time in Australian colours, and the selection came as a surprise to her.
"I was heaps shocked by it, I definitely didn't expect it," Price said.
Evans' position in the squad was determined by her form at the Australian Indoor Hockey Festival, where she represented the ACT in the open division.
"I wasn't overly happy with [my form at nationals], so the selection was definitely a bit of a shock," Evans said. "I got a few goals, but I don't think my performance was amazing."
Though she was nonplussed with her form for the ACT, Evans expects the Australian program will give her the opportunity and training to perform at her best.
"[The training program will] probably have a lot to do with our fitness," she said.
"I'm looking forward to improving that, and then we'll have to do our own skill work leading up to the training camp."
Although nervous about the prospect of joining the Australian squad, Evans' anxiety is eased by Price's presence.
"It's always easier to have someone you know to go to those sorts of things with, it makes it so much more comfortable in a group setting," she said.
"I've played with Aleisha since we were in the Under Eights, so we've gone through the ranks together."
Both Evans and Price also represented the Canberra Chill in last year's Hockey One competition, where they contributed to the team's semi-final run.
Australian Women's Indoor Hockey coach, Mark Sandhu, said the squad was named with an eye towards youth and potential development for the future.
"The announcement of the 2020 squad is the next step in continuing the necessary change both on and off the pitch," Sandhu said.
"To improve our performance at the World Cup and our world ranking we must take risks, continue to make hard decisions, learn from our previous results and look to improve our culture as it relates to high performance, our integrity and accountability.
"The next six months are just as crucial for every squad member, as is the three day selection camp in August 2020 to select the World Cup team."
Evans knows that, should she make the final squad, the time in Europe will prove beneficial for both herself and her teammates.
"Indoor in Europe is pretty big and they're really good, so the level will be really high," she said.
"It'll be a big step up from what we're used to in Australia."
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