STUDENT Sarah Hope is celebrating her selection for the North of England hockey squad.
The 16-year-old plays in goal, a position dangerous enough to warrant £1,400-worth of protective clothing.
Sarah, a student at Northallerton College, said: "After a match, I sometimes turn up at the college with bruises and even the odd black eye."
Sarah, who plays for Northallerton Ladies Hockey Club, will attend training sessions with the North of England under-17 squad at Leeds and Manchester.
If she impresses selectors, she may play at national level. "It is my big ambition to play for England," she said.
She started playing hockey five years ago at school and has played for Northallerton Ladies for three years, two of them as goalie.
She said: "I think I have a good chance of making it to a higher level."
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