CARACAS, Venezuela -- Bermuda are determined to go for the jugular when they open the CAC Games ladies hockey tournament against hosts Venezuela here today.

Captain Danielle Skinner said succinctly yesterday: "We want a win.'' While wanting and getting are quite separate things, such positivity just might give the Island something to cheer about.

But Skinner, who leads a predominantly young side into the match -- veterans of previous CAC Games campaigns Brenda Smith and Michelle Ming apart -- knows that her team must start to find the net if they are to have any realistic hopes of making progress in the tournament.

That was the failing of the team which competed in Puerto Rico almost five years ago, when Bermuda were hit for 20 goals without reply in a handful of games.

That failing re-emerged in Bermuda's warm-up tournament in Canada at the weekend as they drew one and were narrowly defeated in the three other games they played against teams in the Toronto area -- each time failing to hit the target.

But as Skinner pointed out: "That was the first time we'd played together as a team. It was a very worthwhile exercise and we're feeling more confident now.'' And she could also point to the relative success of the bulk of the side -- as the under-21s -- in Chile last year.

There, they did well enough to finish above today's opponents and Mexico, the team they meet tomorrow.

The final team was unlikely to be named until this morning, after a second training session yesterday evening.

Skinner reported that the grass pitches at the Caracas Country Club -- about 15 minutes from the team's quaintly named hotel, the Sweet Garden -- seemed to be in good condition.

HOCKEY HOC