Black Sticks women beat Australia
- Dave Worsley
- 1 day ago
- 1 min read
Despite being under sustained pressure and a clear territorial advantage against them the Black Sticks women have beaten the Hockeyroos at the Oceania Cup 1-0 in Darwin.
Black Sticks goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon was immense producing a string of sharp saves, commanding her circle and guiding a youthful side with authority.
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Her clean sheet was the foundation for a result that leaves New Zealand just one win away from sealing direct World Cup qualification on Australian soil.
The decisive moment of a tense game came in the 48th minute with 24-year-old Olivia Shannon, widely regarded as one of the best players in world hockey getting on the end of a sweeping move.
She unleashed an unstoppable reverse‑stick rocket against the run of play. It was a captain’s strike of the highest quality, silencing the home crowd and underlining her match‑winning pedigree.
The Hockeyroos enjoyed a significant circle entry advantage and long spells of possession, particularly in the third quarter, but couldn’t apply the final touch in front of goal.
A flurry of penalty corners in quick succession and several promising open‑play chances were not enough to breach the defences of New Zealand shot stopper O’Hanlon.
Meanwhile the men's Black Sticks were beaten 2-0 by the Kookaburras.