THREE Basingstoke-based female ice hockey players, Natalie Aldridge, Leanne Ganney and Chrissy Newman, have been selected for the Great Britain team that faces the Netherlands next month.

The games take place at Dordrecht on Saturday, February 7 and in Tilburg the following day.

The two matches are being used as warm-up games ahead of the World Championships in Dumfries starting on March 30.

They are no strangers to playing for Great Britain, as all three were part of the team which finished second in Division 2A last season.

The trio, all forwards, play for Bracknell Queen Bees, the current league leaders in the top flight of the women’s game in Britain.

At the World Championships, GB will face Croatia, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand and Poland from March 30 to April 5.

Last season at the same level, the Brits beat both Korea and New Zealand on their way to second place in the standings behind winners Italy.