Dunblane’s Nicki Cochrane can thank a former school teacher for putting her on the path to a place in Scotland’s senior ladies hockey team.

The 21-year-old had been a talented young football player, but when the school found they were short of a hockey goalkeeper she gave it a try.

By the age of 17 the University of Edinburgh student was selected for the Scotland’s senior team, making her the youngest player in the squad.

She has the ideal temperament for a top goalkeeper and, apart from three occasions playing on the field ‘for fun’, she has stuck rigidly between the posts. Cochrane said: “I think it was because I played football and could kick a ball that my geography teacher, who was the hockey coach, asked me to play.

“In goal you can see the whole pitch, so you have to communicate with your defence constantly throughout the match.

“You need to be a bit fearless. Not everyone would want to have people hitting balls at them but I think it’s good fun.” Cochrane’s career highlight is competing for Team GB in the 2013 Youth Olympic Festival in Australia, an eye-opening first experience of a multi sport games.

Nicki only just missed out on selection for Team Scotland at last summer’s Glasgow Games with the goalie spot going to her close friend Amy Gibson whilst she became reserve, but she insists the experience fortified her resolve to become the country’s top goalie.

She said: “It was a tough call for our coach and obviously I was really disappointed, but I’ll learn from it and I want so much to become the number one goalie in Scotland and be selected for the next Commonwealth Games.

“We’ve also got another goalie, Siobhan Cowie, in the mix. But it’s good because we want what’s best for the team so we support and push each other.” Cochrane is one of 150 students to be supported by Winning Students, Scotland’s national sports scholarships for student athletes.

Through the programme over the past three years she has received funding support and the academic flexibility required to perform at the highest level in sport and studies.

she said: “Winning Students have been fantastic. The funding means I’ve been able to train full time for the last two summers.

“I didn’t have to look for a job so I could completely focus on my training which has been amazing. Edinburgh University have been brilliant.

“If I need time off I speak to my personal tutor and she will sort it all out and if I have to miss lectures all the notes are online. When I have to focus on the hockey they really let me focus on the hockey.” This season all roads point to London for August’s EuroHockey Nations Championship.

Scotland’s senior women begin their preparations with a warm weather training camp, including three training matches against Germany, in Valencia, Spain from 27 February to 8 March. Both Cochrane and Cowie were this week named in the squad.

The talented youngster will be a perfect learning experience for a squad which has got younger since a number of players retired after the Glasgow Games.

Cochrane added: “Having a chance to play against a team of Germany’s quality will help us improve. And it will be a great experience because we are quite a young squad.

“It’s good to have new faces at training and it’s exciting times for the team to see what we can go out and do.”