Bermuda will have a chance to make a huge impact on the world of hockey next month when the Women's Pan American Cup takes place at the National Sports Centre.

The tournament, which runs from Saturday February 7 to Sunday February 15, will see the likes of Argentina, the USA and Canada send teams to the Island with the winners securing a place at next year's World Cup.

One of the biggest tournaments in the Americas region, off the pitch the cup will give Bermuda the chance to build on the positive image they created two years ago when USA and Mexico held a play-off series on the Island.

And the women's national team will be hoping to make an impression on the pitch as well when they play their first international match for more than two years.

While winning the tournament is almost impossible, a top-six finish would see Bermuda get the chance to progress to one of three World Cup qualifying tournaments at the end of the year.

"It's definitely the first time that a tournament of this size and importance has been held in Bermuda in terms of hockey," said Andrew Travis, the deputy chair of the tournament's organising committee.

"Tournaments like this have been held by the Pan Am Federation going on for 30 years, but they have generally gone to places like Canada, USA, Argentina, the big countries, and they (the Pan Am Federation) are interested in spreading the tournaments around, now that a lot of countries are starting to get facilities like we have at the National Stadium."

Having impressed the federation with the facilities and structure of the game on the Island during the USA's visit in March 2007, success off the pitch next month will be measured in fairly simple terms.

"From the organisation perspective it really is just to have the tournament run smoothly, run to schedule, have the teams by and large be happy and comfortable and have no major issues or complaints come out of it," said Travis.

"I think if we can do that, and the teams go away thinking this was a well run, well organised tournament, and the Pan Am Federation are happy, then that's going to be a success."

On the pitch meanwhile the task facing Bermuda's women is immense.

Argentina are ranked second in the world, with the USA ninth, even Mexico, who are 53rd in the world, are some 12 places higher than Bermuda.

Even so, with eight teams playing in two pools of four, the format of the tournament means that Bermuda only have to win one game in order to secure a top six spot. Bermuda are in Pool A, alongside Argentina, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago. USA, Chile, Jamaica, and Mexico make up Pool B.

"We're realistic about Bermuda's chances," said Travis. "Obviously we haven't played any international hockey for probably around two years, the last tournament we played at was the CAC games in 2006. So we haven't played any international hockey in that time, so we don't really know where we stand against any of the other teams.

"The women's team have been practicing together for around six months, they've improved and they look like a really good team, but it's going to be how do they match up against the likes of Mexico and Jamaica and Trinidad when we go out there and play them.

"To be honest we just don't know. We think it is a possibility that Bermuda could win the game that they need to win to finish in the top six.

"Would I say it was 50-50, maybe not, maybe 30 percent chance, but again we don't know the quality of the teams we are going to come up against.

"That's the one thing, if we can finish in the top six, qualify for a World Cup qualifying tournament, that's going to do no end of good to help boost the interest in women's hockey, and hockey in general, on the Island.

"It will create a big buzz around the women's hockey team, especially towards the end of this year and beginning of next year when they would be building up to that qualifying tournament."

Women's Pan American Cup

February 7-15

Pool A

Argentina

Canada

Trinidad & Tobago

Bermuda

Pool B

USA

Chile

Jamaica

Mexico

Schedule

Saturday February 7

USA v Jamaica (9.30 a.m.)

Chile v Mexico (11.30 a.m.)

Argentina v T&T (2 p.m.)

Sunday February 8

Jamaica v Mexico (10.30 a.m.)

USA v Chile (12.30 p.m.)

T&T v Bermuda (2.30 p.m.)

Argentina v Canada (4.30 p.m.)

Monday February 9

Rest day

Tuesday February 10

Chile v Jamaica (4 p.m.)

USA v Mexico (6 p.m.)

Wednesday February 11

Canada v T&T (4 p.m.)

Argentina v Bermuda (6 p.m.)

Thursday February 12

Rest day

Friday February 13

Cup semi-finals, 3.30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Saturday February 14

Shield semi-finals, 12 p.m. and 2.30 p.m.

Sunday February 15

Finals day, games begin at –9 a.m.