Maha Clarke, one of Bermuda’s star hockey players, is poised to join up with the women’s hockey team as they head to the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Dominican Republic.

The 23-year old forward, who is based in the United States, was not able to join her team-mates on the island as a result of work commitments and will instead meet the rest of the squad at Newark Liberty International Airport today, with the team due to arrive in the Dominican Republic a day later.

Clarke’s experience could prove crucial to Bermuda’s chances of success as she was voted player of the tournament when the island qualified for the CAC Games on home soil in April last year.

She is one of three players based outside Bermuda chosen in the final squad of 18, with Alyssa de Silva and Lauren Cardwell residing in the UK.

Clarke, de Silva and Cardwell missed all three warm-up matches against the University of California, Berkeley, which were played at the National Sports Centre a few weeks ago.

Coach Kovin Moodley has chosen to widen his selection pool for the CAC Games, choosing to include off-island players in a move away from the qualifying tournament, which used only women based in Bermuda.

Moodley believes that a bigger selection pool could make a huge difference.

To ensure that those off island were not left out of preparations, training sessions were recorded, allowing the trio to see exactly what was being worked on and team concepts being put into practice.

“Maha has made a concerted effort to understand the way we play,” Moodley said. “Her presence at the qualifiers makes it easier for her to slot into the team as she already has an understanding of what I expect.

“I am aware of how her abilities will complement the way we want to play.”

No captain has been named as yet with Moodley indicating that the announcement will only be made when the team arrives in the Dominican Republic.

“Captaincy will be announced once we have the entire team together, which will take place at our first team meeting in the Dominican Republic,’’ he said. “Despite the announcement happening later, the emphasis was on a leadership group with roles and responsibilities based on their individual strengths that influence the entire group in a positive way.”

Moodley is aiming for a top-four finish in the eight-team tournament, something Bermuda have never achieved with their best finish coming when fifth in 1990 and 1998.

“We are confident going into this tournament,” he said. “The preparation has been a significant journey with many ups and downs along the way, but the focus on achieving a top-four finish has never changed.”

Moodley is excited to work with the current crop of players as he believes the group has the potential to achieve something special and inspire people not just in hockey but in life.

However, the coach refuses recognition for his work in improving his squad and instead prefers to highlight the achievements of many others in making qualification for the CAC Games possible.

“None of this would be possible without the work done behind the scenes from so many different individuals,’’ Moodley said. “I often get the spotlight but the truth is more work is done behind the scenes by people who never get any recognition or credit.”

Bermuda face Barbados on June 27 and Dominican Republic two days later before taking on Puerto Rico on July 1.