By Lucas Ball
Olivia Shannon has been delighted with the start that Holcombe have made to their Premier Division season with two wins in two and also heaped praise on coaches Nick Bandurak and Brad Read ahead of this weekend’s trip to Hampstead & Westminster.
Shannon, who has 83 caps for New Zealand, has scored twice in as many matches – in a 2-1 home win over Wimbledon and 1-0 win away to Bowdon.
Holcs currently sit fourth as one of four teams with a 100% record, with this weekend’s opponents three points further back with a win and a loss in their opening two matches.
Shannon said: “It’s been a really good start, I think the girls have played really, really well so far this season and building into it as well.
“I obviously came over for the last pre-season game and was a bit jet-lagged but coming in and fitting straight into the mix has been great – the girls are so lovely and the coaching staff are incredible.
“Nick’s been amazing and I think it’s a really cool thing to be able to step into an environment with this support staff – Nick, Brad, Matt, Becci, the girls as well – and it’s made it very easy just to slot in and play my game.
“They’ve made it very easy for me to be able to do that and I know that it’s been the same for the other Kiwi girls just to come over and play how we want to play, which is really cool.
“I think there’s another two Kiwi girls playing for Hampstead & Westminster as well – it’s always nice to beat the Kiwis!
“It’s obviously a big game again this weekend but I think the girls are already really pumped for it.
“We’ve got great momentum with two wins from two which is always good going into a tough game.
“If we just keep ticking over, stick to our principles, trust Nick and Brad – they’ve done such an incredible job in the last few weeks so it’s just about us trusting what they want to do for us and executing it.
“If we do all that, I’m sure we can get the win this weekend and it’s such a cool thing to have where you can just trust our coaches and step out on the pitch to just play, it’s exactly what you need.
“100%, I think it helps with Nick and Brad both being current players too but it’s also the way they coach, they’re very welcoming, they’re people, people which is cool.
“Like I said, I’ve been here for three weeks and I feel like I’ve been here for three years – they welcome you, they let you play your game, they give you feedback, it’s a constant cycle of what good coaches are.
“It’s hard to come across a good coach and coming across these two in this club, I’m so grateful and it’s one of the big reasons why I did sign.
“It’s really exciting for the club.”
Shannon is one of three Kiwis in the current squad, with assistant coach Read also from New Zealand and Hope Ralph still to join. She highlights one of the main differences between hockey in England and New Zealand as the level of crowd support at first-team matches: “I think that’s always good – on pitch, having the crowd behind you is great, it’s probably not something we really have back home in New Zealand.
“To come over here and have that atmosphere, that environment is amazing – Kaitlin and I actually played men’s club hockey back home because our club competition isn’t that strong so to come over and drop back into the women’s competition again is pretty exciting along with the social aspect of being at Holcombe as well.
“It just ties into the culture, the coaching staff and what this Holcombe team is all about.
“Back at home, hockey isn’t a big, pinnacle sport in our country and over here it’s probably a little bit bigger so to be able to come over to mostly play hockey is great – back home we’re trying to work two jobs, trying to play for club, train.
“To play in this environment and atmosphere is very different from New Zealand, and it’s a very different programme and style which is cool, it’s nice to play a different style.”
“It makes it pretty easy when you’ve got your friends!
“I’ve played with Kaitlin since I was 10-years-old so to travel the world with your best friend and play hockey is pretty cool – the three of us here now and four of us soon [when Hope Ralph joins up with the squad] – it will be nice to play with me, Kaitlin, Tessa and Hope.
“Me, Kaitlin and Hope have played rep hockey together right through the ranks as well since we were 14 so to come over here and bring that connection play that the three of us have on the pitch for Holcombe will be great.
“Playing under Nick and Brad they make it so easy for us just to turn up and play.
“When Hope gets over here, people will be very quick to learn that she’s super competitive!
“We’ve been going toe-to-toe for years and years and years now – that’s the difference that she brings, she’s such a competitive person and it’s exactly what you need to be a forward.
“You need to want to score goals, want to be in that circle, be aggressive and it’s something that she’s very good at.
“It’ll be a really good addition to the team to have her up front but this team already is gelling so well, we’ve got two wins from two after being promoted so to be able to do that straight away has been incredible.
“To have her to add to this environment and culture with what Nick and Brad are building at this club right now is really exciting.”
Noticeably, Holcs have also deployed a back-five system so far this season in a change of shape – Shannon is quick to highlight the defensive solidity and the benefits of the new set-up.
“I think that [defensive solidity in a new back-five] is massive credit to the coaches as well, they’ve put out a clear game plan for us, a real clear game plan with a different press that I’ve never played before and a different outlet that I probably haven’t really played before either but coming over here and having that click within three games is pretty incredible and just a massive testament to the coaching staff and how they run things, how they run trainings.
“Having nearly 100 caps for New Zealand, it’s been incredible to come over and fit into a team environment and culture this quickly – I think that’s something that Holcombe and this women’s team is about and that’s really cool.
“It feels like I’ve been here for a year already and it’s only been a few games.”
Holcombe are in action this afternoon at Paddington Rec as part of a double-header (16:00), with Holcombe’s men also in action at 18:00 – updates for both games will be provided across our social media channels.
Image: Jon Goodall