Australian hockey is celebrating its best start in 25 years of Olympic competition with both the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras winning all of their Pool matches so far at Tokyo 2020.
The Hockeyroos notched their best start to an Olympics since the 1996 Atlanta Games defeating host nation Japan 1-0 to claim three straight wins.
The Kookaburras have secured their best Olympic Pool round results since the 1988 Seoul Olympics notching four from four after overcoming a dogged New Zealand 4-2.
The Hockeroos sit at the top of Pool B after a hard-fought victory, Maddy Fitzpatrick’s winner ensuring a quarter final berth with two matches to play.
Hockeyroos Coach Katrina Powell, who was a member of the gold medal-winning side from Atlanta, praised her side but warned they needed to lift before their match against New Zealand after converting just once from 36 circle penetrations.
“The way the athletes have gone about it has been outstanding; their commitment, work rate and determination to be successful,” Powell said of the Olympic campaign so far.
“There is great unity behind what we are trying to do – it has been fantastic.
“We need to finish better. We had plenty of opportunities to nail down the game and close it off - we didn’t get those outcomes.
“We need to be able to put (our best game) on the park consistently, not come in and out of matches. It’s a 60-minute game and we need to be there the whole time.”
An energised Cherry Blossoms kept the Hockeyroos scoreless in the first half with both teams failing to put points on the board despite numerous opportunities.
Goalkeeper Sakiyo Asano saved a penalty stroke attempt from Kaitlin Nobbs and Yuri Nagai’s tap-in goal was disallowed after her team failed to move the ball 5 metres before penetrating the circle to leave the score nil- all at the break.
The opening half of the match could be best described as fruitless for the Hockeyroos who struggled to overcome the host nation’s tireless and persistent defence.
Late call-up Maddie Fitzpatrick broke the drought in the opening three minutes of the third quarter slamming in a top-of-the circle goal from a penalty corner and gaining some much-needed confidence for the tournament.
Fitzpatrick, whose older sister Savannah is also in the line-up, was an addition to the side after an IOC rule change allowed teams to include their two reserves due to Covid-19.
In an explosive final two minutes, veteran goalkeeper Rachael Lynch and all-rounder Rosie Malone foiled a late surge by the Japanese to keep the score 1-0 at the final whistle.
Meanwhile, the Kookaburras top Pool A with a goal tally of 21 – six higher than the next best, Belgium.
The world number one ranked Kookaburras took control early in their match against the Black Sticks with a steal by Blake Govers setting up Tim Brand to convert a well-executed flick in the 9th minute.
Not to be outdone, Black Sticks drag flick specialist Kane Russell stunned goalkeeper Andrew Charter with his speed and finesse to equalise off a penalty corner and leave the scores tied 1-1 at quarter time.
Nothing separated the two teams in a scoreless second quarter with the ball possession equal at 50 per cent and circle penetrations similar with 11 (AUS) to 7 (NZL).
The Kookaburras won three penalty corners in the third quarter but Govers and Jeremey Hayward, whose older brother Leon was guarding the New Zealand goal, were unable to convert.
In an unusual twist, the Haywards are playing for different nations at the Olympics; older brother Leon embraced his mother’s Kiwi heritage after failing to secure a regular starting position for Australia.
Brand helped take the pressure off the Kookaburras scoring his second with 10 minutes to go before teaming up with Govers to give the Kookaburras a two-goal lead.
Two penalty corners in the final three minutes saw Tom Wickham team up with Govers to add a fourth, while Russell slammed in another drag flick for the Black Sticks to make it a nervy final two minutes but the Kookaburras did enough.
Match Details
Japan 0 Hockeyroos 1 (M.Fitzpatrick 33’)
@ Oi Hockey Stadium, Tokyo
Hockeyroos: 2.Rosie Malone, 3.Brooke Peris, 4.Amy Lawton, 10.Maddy Fitzpatrick, 13.Edwina Bone (c), 14.Steph Kershaw, 15.Kaitlin Nobbs, 18.Jane Claxton, 20.Karri Somerville, 21.Renee Taylor, 22.Kate Jenner, 24.Mariah Williams, 26.Emily Chalker, 27.Rachael Lynch (gk), 30.Grace Stewart, 32.Savannah Fitzpatrick
Match Details
Kookaburras 4 (Brand 9’/50’, Govers 55’, Wickham 57’) New Zealand 2 (Russell 13’/58’)
@ Oi Hockey Stadium, Tokyo
Kookaburras: 1.Lachlan Sharp, 5.Tom Wickham, 6.Matthew Dawson, 10.Josh Beltz, 11.Eddie Ockenden (c), 12.Jake Whetton, 13.Blake Govers, 15.Josh Simmonds, 16.Tim Howard, 17.Aran Zalewski, 22.Flynn Ogilvie, 23.Daniel Beale, 25.Trent Mitton, 29.Tim Brand, 30.Andrew Charter (gk), 32.Jeremy Hayward
Catriona Dixon
