The New Zealand women's hockey team feels it's finally got its mojo back, after a tumultuous 12 months.
The Black Sticks celebrate their Commonwealth Games win over England Photo: Photosport
The Black Sticks have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after upsetting world number two ranked Australia in the Oceania Cup series in Rockhampton, Queensland.
It comes at the end of a season, where coach Mark Hager stood down in the wake of a review into the team's culture and the Commonwealth Games gold medallists finished a disappointing sixth in the new nine nation Pro League.
Veteran forward Olivia Merry says "everything just seemed to work" in Rockhampton.
"We probably haven't felt this way as a team since the Commonwealth Games," Merry said.
"It has been a big year emotionally and mentally as well as physically so really taking the time to get team culture and all of that right is hugely important for us and hugely important moving forward I think."
It is a culture that is being established by new coach Graham Shaw.
"He definitely brings a different feel to hockey," Merry said.
"Obviously having an Australian coach for six years of my hockey career and then having a European coach they play completely different hockey styles.
"I think it's fantastic having the two different styles of hockey coaching and I think Graham has definitely opened my eyes to a whole another level of hockey and how the game can be played."
New women's Black Sticks coach Graham Shaw during his time in charge of the Ireland women's team. Photo: Supplied
Merry scored the equaliser with just five minutes remaining in New Zealand's series-clinching one-all draw in the third and final match.
But she is reluctant to take the credit for the result.
"The equaliser was awesome but we equally knew that Aussie would put the kitchen sink at it in the last five minutes so it was pretty awesome but we still knew we had five minutes to do our job.
"The last five minutes was pretty intense and something that I've probably never experienced with review after review.
"We've probably got one of the best defensive PC [penalty corner] batteries going around so it was pretty awesome."
But Olivia Merry is able to say the goal is the most important of the 97 she has scored for the Black Sticks.
"The significance of qualifying early on, rather than leaving it down the track is hugely important to us."
"It means we can plan for the next 11 months leading into Tokyo and it's a huge sense of relief waking up this morning knowing we have qualified."
The majority of the New Zealand squad will now play in the National Hockey League, which starts in Tauranga on Saturday.
"If you're injury-free and what not definitely part of NHL and then I think we get a bit of a five week break which will be really nice to refresh and spend time with family and friends and loved ones."
But Merry will letting her body rest.
"Unfortunately I've picked up a bit of an injury in the last month, so probably not [playing] at this stage."
