Australia Defeat New Zealand in Perth Hockey Test

Australia has scored wins over New Zealand in both men’s and women’s matches at the Perth Hockey Stadium overnight.

WAIS athletes featured prominently for both the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, with both sides recording convincing victories.

The Trans-Tasman rivalry seems to be strong in all sports and the tough and rough game between the Kookaburras and New Zealand was no exception.

New Zealand fought hard in the first half but the slick Kookaburras unit were just too strong. The first five minutes was even however Australia had the ascendancy in their circle.

In the sixth minute a skirmish in the Australian circle ricocheted off the goalie and Jamie Dwyer posted it home. A solo run down half the field by Black Stick Simon Child lead to another penalty corner which was saved again by Goalie Nathan Burgers. The young new Kookaburra Kieran Govers looked impressive as he weaved through traffic.

He passed off to Liam de Young who slammed home Australia’s second. New Zealand’s Phil Burrows orchestrated the next penalty corner and it was struck home by Andrew Hayward to make the score 2-1.

Australia had two quick penalties, the first being bravely trapped by Shea McAleese and the second converted by Luke Doerner, making the score 3-1 at half time.

In the first three minutes of the second half Rob Hammond tore down the field and passed to Glenn Turner who tomahawked Australia’s fourth. Soon after Eddie Ockenden weaved through players and shot at goal.

The goalkeeper made repeated saves but was unable to stop the third attempt, batted in by Jamie Dwyer. The penalty corners came thick and fast. One to New Zealand was flicked high over the net and then Australia’s shot was saved in the bottom right by Richard Petherick.

The next two penalties to Australia went wide. As the score line separated the two teams, the New Zealanders became a little frustrated and so tackles became less than average. Hammond and Ockenden combined when Ockenden received a brilliant pass and struck the ball diving toward goal. It was well saved.

Australia kept up the momentum with some brilliant passing but did not convert. With four minutes to go another penalty corner variation worked when Luke Doerner fed the ball right and Glenn Turner chipped it high past the goalkeeper, making the score 6-1.

Hammond was a true play-maker all night. In the dying minutes he fed the ball to Luke Doerner who batted the ball at the goalie twice, the second time slicing it home to make the final score 7-1.

AIS-WAIS scholarship holders Hope Munro and Ashleigh Nelson starred for the Hockeyroos as the national women’s team made a clean 3-0 test sweep over New Zealand.

New Zealand dominated in the first five minutes of play however it was Australia who broke through with the first scoring opportunity. A penalty corner hit by Nic Arrold was deflected off the pads and posted home by Hope Munro to put the first score on the board for the Hockeyroos.

The game was run at a frantic pace and a fantastic hit by Gemma Flynn across the circle was dived-upon by Krystal Forgesson for a reverse stick goal to even the score.

Stacey Michelsen worked well in the middle and her cracking pass found Charlotte Harrison who orchestrated New Zealand’s first penalty corner but the drag flick did not connect. Hope Munro was positioned as a striker in the first half and she had a lovely solo run but the cross to the wing was wide.

With five minutes to go in the half Kim Walker laid the perfect overhead to Amy Korner unmarked inside the 25 who hit Australia’s second goal squeezing the shot between the goalkeeper and the near post. The second half was feisty and within minutes Holly Evans was sent off for an untidy tackle.

Her two minute suspension seemed short and as she came back on she received a pass allowing a solo run. The New Zealand backs continued to block Australia with disciplined defence and strong tackling. In the 23rd minute a defensive error by Australia lead to a NZ penalty.

The quality drag flick was well saved by goalie Toni Cronk. At the 61 minute mark it was Australia’s turn and the penalty corner was slammed home by Nic Arrold. In the dying minutes Teneal Attard fed Ashleigh Nelson on the wing who cleanly took the ball and hit it home to give Australia a 4-1 lead.

Both teams kept up the tempo until the final whistle. Australia stepped up in this third test and New Zealand will be a team to watch over the next few years.

– Hockey Australia