Women’s sport is on the rise in Bermuda — Flora Duffy and the under-17 football team being prime examples. The island’s national field hockey team’s efforts should not go unnoticed too.

An outstanding summer finished with a 2-0 win over Shippensburg University, the NCAA Division II national champions in the United States, and Bermuda aim to carry that form on to the Central American and Caribbean Games qualifiers in Jamaica next month.

A 2-0 victory over a women’s select team on Monday night, with goals from Laura Hope and Keishae Robinson, gave the team, who feature a strong blend of youth and experience, a confidence boost.

One of the youngsters is Chrysda Smith, an outstanding talent at just 16, whose pace and directness is sure to cause Bermuda’s opponents problems when the tournament begins on November 5 in Kingston.

Smith explained how Bermuda’s set plays are coming on since the summer, with Robinson’s goal from a penalty corner — one of several Bermuda forced at the National Sports Centre two days ago.

“It was an excellent opportunity for us to practise our short corners,” Smith said. “We put a lot of work into them; we used a lot of variation and it was an excellent opportunity to put them into play.

“Communication was better, being able to support and back each other up, especially on the sidelines, being able to do the small plays that get the ball down the line.

“One thing that the coaches wanted us to work on was not passing around the back, just pushing it up. The defence did an excellent job of pushing [the ball] up there, we’ve just got to get our forwards to just continue to get on it, because those balls, you’ve just got to tap them in and they’ll be easy deflections and easy goals.

“After the summer, we had an intense three weeks of training, so just implementing those drills into the game in those three weeks just allowed us to polish. We’re gelling better together, we’re knowing our strengths and weaknesses and that just allows us to play better as a team together.”

Smith explained how she got into the sport — and how easy it has been to settle in among the more experienced players.

“I went to Somersfield Academy and there was a primary school gym teacher there called Miss [Megan] Troake and she was a leading member of Ravens field hockey club, so she asked me and a lot of Somersfield children to come and play for the club and it just went on from there,” Smith said.

“I went to Michigan State University, with the under-21 team, then went to Philadelphia and got asked to train [with the Bermuda team].

“I love it! The team is wonderful, especially the older people. They’re not mean at all!

“They’re absolutely welcoming, they’re extremely encouraging and it makes it more fun for me and I’m so excited about going to Jamaica.

“It will be a learning experience; there will be a lot of pressure and a lot of nerves. But we’ve got to put that aside, focus, and just do what we’re there to do.”

Smith’s pace down the right, as well as her understanding of the game, is her biggest asset.

“My main thing is speed,” she said. “I play on the right side a lot, especially right midfield. So just waiting for the centre back to play it out to me on the right wing, then running it down, then getting it into the [shooting] circle for a deflection.”

Playing in the summer heat against a host of American college teams is also set to prepare them well for Jamaica.

“Fitness for us was the main thing, especially with the heat,” Smith said, “We’re going to experience that heat down in Jamaica.

“Being able to be a part of the victory against Shippensburg was awesome. It just exemplifies us as a team and how far we’ve come.”

Smith is also an accomplished netball player, and she can take a lot from that sport into her hockey.

“I play for Storm netball club,” she said. “Even though they’re two totally different sports, there are definitely some key elements.

“So, trying to lose your player and getting away from your defender. A lot of the footwork especially, having to stay on my toes helps a lot.”

And with Smith around, the opposition in Jamaica will have to be on their toes if they are to stop Bermuda.