New Zealand

Coach Kevin Towns reflects on New Zealand's sixth place at the Champions Trophy after the 2-1 loss to Germany

The men's hockey team has ended up sixth and last at the prestigious Champions Trophy hockey tournament.

The New Zealand side has lost 2-1 to Germany in the play-off for fifth and sixth place in Pakistan.

Bevan Hari scored the consolation goal for the New Zealanders in the dying minutes of the game.

They needed to finish fifth or higher to qualify for the 2005 Champions Trophy in India.

New Zealand will receive an invitation to April's Champions Challenge.

Coach Kevin Towns says in hindsight he may have made some errors in the team's preparation.

He feels it may have been better to rest the players after Athens, exclude them from the national league and bring them together as a team.

Towns says the atmosphere in the team is sombre, and the players feel like they have let down New Zealand Hockey and future players who will not have a chance to play in the tournament next year.

Towns points out the team created a lot of opportunities but failed to capitalise, and says while a New Zealand side has not been to the Champions Trophy in 20 years, at least they will learn from their mistakes.

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