FORMER Oakham School pupil Crista Cullen is ready to pull the trigger again to put Great Britain into the semi-finals of the women’s hockey Champions Trophy in Rosario.

Great Britain’s women have become podium regulars in recent years – winning three bronzes in 2010 – and head into today’s quarter-final with Korea brimming with confidence after recent wins over world champions Argentina and a comeback draw against top ranked side Holland.

Penalty corner specialist Cullen is the tournament’s current top scorer with five goals in three games and was also in free-scoring form in the recent 5-0 Test series whitewash against Olympic qualifiers the USA.

“Genuinely, I don’t care how or who scores the goals, as long as they go in,” said Cullen.

“If you happen to be the person who scores the goals then so be it. That is not ultimately what we are about.

“What we are about is winning medals, having a great team cohesion and our team spirit is at its highest. That is what is important

“We are winning medals consistently and are a feared team now. We always go in confident and positive, willing to take teams on.

“But as Sean Kerly proved, when Great Britain’s men won Olympic gold in 1988, you need to get to the semi-finals and then people need to stand up and be counted at the business end of tournaments.”

Great Britain – who play as England in non-Olympic years – have never won hockey’s third most prestigious tournament, with a third place in Nottingham two years ago their best previous performance.

They beat last eight opponents Korea in the early stages of last week’s Four Nations tournament but then narrowly lost to them, 3-2, in the final a few days later.

Should they reverse that result they will face either hosts Argentina, who they beat in their last encounter, or China, the Olympic silver medallists they beat in the group stages, in the semi-finals.

© Sportsbeat 2011