The Australian boys’ hockey team will contest the gold medal match at the Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday having won their final round match against Chile 9-0.

The young green and gold team came into this afternoon’s match in much the same way that they have progressed through the last four preliminaries – cool, calm and collected.

Despite taking to the pitch without striker Dylan Wotherspoon, who was suspended for two yellow cards over the previous two matches, the Australian team were focused on the game and treating it like any other.

The teams were matching each other wit-for-wit at game’s start but Australia asserted its dominance early with Daniel Beale scoring a field goal – the 100th goal of the tournament.

A goal scoring frenzy followed (Oscar Wookey 9’, Flynn Ogilvie 10’) and Australia soared to 3-0 within just 10 minutes of play.

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, Ogilvie snagged his second point of the game with a cracking field goal that proved too good for Chilean keeper Valentin Arguindegui.

As the teams caught their breath during the half-time break, the Singapore skies opened and torrential rain soaked all and sundry.

Play commenced as scheduled but the conditions were very trying for both sides.

The youngest member of the Australian team, 15-year-old Casey Hammond put Australia on the board in the second half, converting a penalty corner to bring the team to 5-0. This lead quickly extended by another goal, this time to Rory Middleton (46’).

An injury to Chile’s Rodrigo David that required him to be stretchered from the field must have hit home with the officials, with the decision to suspend play being made shortly after.

Following half an hour of shelter-seeking, the rain eased and play resumed.

A change of roster saw the reserve Chilean keeper Felix Schiegg take to the pitch. Standing at an imposing six foot five, at just 16 years of age, Schiegg may have looked intimidating but did little to stop the Australian goal scoring spree that followed.

Middleton snatched a field goal at the 49 minute mark. Solid pressure from the Aussie attacking line saw another one sneak through moments later off the stick of Oscar Wookey (53’).

The Wookey roared one more time in the match, clocking in a penalty corner to bring the final Aussie total to nine.

“I play up front so I try to get goals,” Wookey said of his Youth Olympic goal haul. “I just try my best.”

Despite the scoreline, Australia did not appear to bring its A-game tonight and will need to lift their performance for a solid shot at gold.

“I’m not sure what it was,” Wookey said. “We weren’t all there a hundred per cent I don’t think. We got the result though I guess and we’re looking forward to the final now.”

Australia will enter the gold medal match as the only undefeated team and will play the winner of tonight’s match between Pakistan and Belgium.

Alice Wheeler
AOC