The local hockey season might have wound down but for Ehren Hazell it's just starting to heat up.
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Fresh from playing a starring role as Workies claimed a 10th Tamworth men's first grade premiership in 11 years, Hazell will this weekend suit up for the NSW Pride in their opening game of the Hockey One League.
Billed as "Real Hockey. Reimagined" and an exciting new chapter for the sport, the revamped domestic competition will feature home-and-away matches and new rule innovations such as when a field goal or penalty stroke is scored the goalscorer will have the chance to double-up with a one-on-one shoot out with the keeper.
Team lists are also restricted to 14 players, and in the event of a tied scoreline at the end of regular time there will be a penalty shoot-out.
Hazell is really looking forward to being involved in it.
Part of the NSW Waratahs AHL squad last year, he got a bit of a taste of what to expect (due to other commitments he was only able to play the one game), and is undaunted about playing alongside the likes of Kookaburras Tom Craig, Matt Dawson and Blake Govers in a star-studded Pride line-up.
"We've done a fair bit of training already for this Hockey One with all the Kookaburras and I've been holding my own at training so I feel pretty good about it," he said.
He did get a bit of a scare a few weeks ago picking up an injury playing in Sydney for Norwest Strikers.
"I thought it was a lot worse than what it was, because when I fell over I heard a crack," he said.
"I thought it was broken. [But] The next day I went for an x-ray and it was all good."
He did though miss their semi-final and final, but was fortunately right to go for Workies on Sunday.
Hazell said it was a very satisfying performance.
"I think we were just way to clinical in the circle and our defence was just incredible really," he said.
He was central to that but will push up front for the Pride, as he will the Australian under-21s when they head to Malaysia for the Sultan of Johor Cup next month.
It will be the third time Hazell has played at the tournament, which will take place from October 12-19.
The Burras brought home bronze last year after winning gold the first year he went away with them, and with a lot of unfamiliar faces he isn't quite sure what to expect.
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"I haven't played with most of these players, they're all younger than me," he said.
"I'm one of the older people in the team, which is weird."
He said the biggest challenge is gelling.
"We don't meet each other until we're in Malaysia. We're trying to do a few team building things at the moment over the internet."
"(But) It's really what happens on the field," he said.
Northern talent will feature heavily for the Pride when they take on the Adelaide Fire with Alice Arnott and Kate Jenner lining up for the women's side.
They play first-up on Sunday (1pm). The men follow at 2.30pm with the games to be broadcast live on Kayo.
