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Terrible luck, instead of returning to the court too quickly, was responsible for Michaela Sokolich-Beatson’s second Achilles tendon rupture in nine months.
No-luck Silver Ferns defender Sokolich-Beatson is set for another long stint on the bench after tearing her left Achilles tendon in training Monday night. He arrives only nine months after suffering the same injury to his right.
Sokolich-Beatson had been back on the court for about three weeks with a managed workload and was ready to play for New Zealand A in the Cadbury Series at Palmerston North, starting Wednesday night.
The Cadbury Series serves as a warm-up tournament for the Silver Ferns ahead of next week’s three-round series against England in Hamilton, and also involves the New Zealand men’s team and New Zealand Under-21s.
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Sokolich-Beatson never got a chance to play for the Ferns against England, but the injury setback is a cruel blow to one of New Zealand’s top-rated young defenders.
Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
Silver Fern Michaela Sokolich-Beatson defends against the New Zealand men at last year’s Cadbury Series in Auckland.
She had just returned from a right Achilles rupture suffered in a tour match against England A in Nottingham in January.
Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua said Sokolich-Beatson sustained the injury in innocuous circumstances without the ball, while changing motion in New Zealand training A.
She was devastated for the 24-year-old, who will miss another ANZ Premiership campaign next year for her Northern Mystics team.
Sokolich-Beatson had been granted medical clearance to resume training and was slowly being reduced to the elite ranks. Additional New Zealand A players had been named to his squad, so Sokolich-Beatson would not be overloaded with minutes in the Cadbury Series.
She was keeping track of her conditioning well, having passed her yoyo test, which measures an athlete’s ability to withstand repeated periods of vigorous activity followed by brief active breaks.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Mystics coach Helene Wilson will be without defender Michaela Sokolich-Beatson for the second consecutive ANZ Premiership season after her left Achilles tendon ruptured on Monday.
“Everything, if we went through a checklist, it was checked, but because it was the other Achilles, we have to look at it thoroughly and see if there are areas where we can improve,” Taurua said.
“At this stage in the last 24 hours there is nothing we can point to. It could be just one of those things that happened to her. “
Taurua spoke with Sokolich-Beatson before leaving Palmerston North for her hometown of Auckland and said she was naturally distraught.
Sokolich-Beatson was a determined person and Taurua backed her to come back stronger from the inside out.
Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty Images
Michaela Sokolich-Beatson suffered an Achilles rupture for the second time in nine months, this time in her left leg.
After tearing his right Achilles tendon in January on the eve of the Nations Cup in England, Sokolich-Beatson said Stuff Staying positive was important, something that will be critical the second time around.
“I want to play in the black dress again,” Sokolich-Beatson said.
“If I spend this time crying, I am missing opportunities to crush my rehab. It has happened now, so I have to get over it and move on.”
Taurua will downsize their Silver Ferns squad from 15 to 12 for the Cadbury Series at noon on Wednesday before their first game against New Zealand A later that night (starts at 8pm).
DAVID UNWIN / STUFF / Things
Grace Nweke will be named in Silver Ferns 12 for the Cadbury series and her first appearance in the black dress.
Grace Nweke is expected to be named at 12 and is set for her first appearance at Ferns in the Cadbury Series, culminating in a final on Saturday.
Nweke’s talent on the court was evident to everyone in the ANZ Premiership with the Mystics, where she was the most prolific scorer (471 goals at 89%). This year he had made encouraging progress with his fitness, passing his yoyo test at Ferns’ second training ground in Wellington.
Taurua described the Ferns team as the fittest in the past 10 years, a product of their focus on strength and conditioning over the past two years.
“When I look at her as an individual, she is 18 years old and what she has done for the last 18 months to be able to change and get her yo-yo [test] it’s huge, ”Taurua said of Nweke.
“Not only does he show the work ethic, he shows his heart.”
The Cadbury Series would be a test situation for Silver Ferns’ 12-man team for the England series. Players outside of Ferns’ team would have to stand out in the series, if they were to force their entry. Taurua emphasized that the national team door was well and truly open for England.
TAKE A LOOK:
Cadbury series; Fly Palmy Arena, Palmerston North.
Wednesday:
6:00 p.m. M.: New Zealand Men – New Zealand U21
8:00 pm: Silver Ferns v NZ A
Thursday:
6:00 p.m. M.: NZ A – NZ U21
8:00 pm: Silver Ferns v NZ men
Friday:
6:00 p.m. M.: NZ male – NZ A
8:00 pm: Silver Ferns v NZ under 21
Saturday:
8pm: Final
