Black Stick's goal-keeper Beth Jurgeleit announces her retirement: Hockey News
New Zealand women hockey team’s goal-keeper Beth Jurgeleit announced her retirement today, May 11. After eight years of international hockey career, Beth wants to focus towards her studies and finish her law and commerce degree in order
to start a career.
After attaining a total of 105 international Tests caps during her hockey years, it was not easy to make the decision in view of the upcoming 2012 London Olympic Games. However, she hopes to be there to cheer her favourite team while sitting in the crowd.
The 30-year-old has been practicing law as part time since 2007 at the Auckland litigation practice LeeSalmonLong, a company that supported her throughout for representing the Black Sticks.
Jurgeleit disappeared after the 2010 Commonwealth Games that were held in New Delhi for taking some time in considering her options of either carrying on hockey until the London Olympics or to take retirement.
The team’s head coach, Mark Hager, commented, “Beth will be sorely missed from the team and at the London Olympics. She brought a huge amount of experience to the team, has been a key player and a real leader to the younger members of the team, both on and
off the field.”
Hager added that Jurgeleit knew how to stay calm when the team was under pressure and used to make delicate saves even at the toughest times, allowing the team to stay in the game. She had greatly contributed to where the team stands today.
Under Hager’s coaching era, the Black Stick gave her best in the 2009 Champions Challenge, 2009 World Cup Qualifier and the last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Apart from the above mentioned events, Beth believes competing in the 2004 Athens Olympics as her career’s highlight when they returned back home with a silver medal and the 2009 World Cup Qualifier played in Invercargill when they defeated Australia.
The retiring player believed that the team is strong enough to follow their future set targets closely.
The Auckland resident said, “Since Mark has been coach the results have been really good. It will be great to see how they go at Champions Trophy in June, they have had a great build up and there is so much talent in the team at the moment, they should do
well.”
According to the law student, she has many wonderful memories from the Black Sticks that she will cherish forever.
According to Jurgeleit, she hopes to return to play at the regional or club level with a feeling that she will really miss the sport.
Meanwhile, the male counterparts of Black Sticks have beaten down Malaysia by 3-2 in the 20th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup that is being held in Ipoh, Malaysia.
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