A place on the Black Sticks team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics isn’t too far out of reach for St Paul’s Collegiate School student Daniel Scanlon.
The Year 12 student was this year awarded the Waikato young player of the year award, placing him alongside some of New Zealand’s greatest hockey players.
“All the players who have previously received this award have ended up playing for National League or the Black Sticks,” said St Paul’s 1st XI Hockey coach Craig Hardman.
Soon after receiving the Waikato young player of the year award, Daniel was also selected to play for one of two New Zealand U18 Tiger Turf teams in a test match series against Australia in December 2014.
This is all good news for Daniel, who is aiming to make the Black Sticks team in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: “I’ve set the target of making the Black Sticks for 2020. Rio is a little too soon.”
Between now and then the 17-year-old is aiming to make a step-up to the Midlands U21 team next year and then secure a place in the NHL in 2016.
