New Zealand Defeats Australia 4-2
New Zealand put together one of its best games of the tournament to beat Australia 4-2 and move on to the semifinal round.
Right off the bat, the Black Sticks scored off a penalty corner attempt executed by Anita McLaren.
Kelsey Smith added another penalty corner goal before halftime, putting New Zealand at a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Australia picked up the pace and drew a penalty corner in the third quarter. Kathryn Slattery scored to cut the lead to just one goal.
What looked like a glimmer of hope turned into a breakaway from New Zealand. Gemma Flynn and Olivia Merry led the offense in the third with two goals, suddenly putting the Black Sticks up three goals.
Time was not on Australia’s side. As the minutes trickled down in the fourth quarter, the Black Sticks continued to manage the clock. Slattery put one final goal on the board for the Hockeyroos with a minute and a half left in play, but her last effort would not be enough to overcome New Zealand’s lead.
This will be New Zealand’s second consecutive semifinal appearance. The team made the semifinals for the first time in program history in the London Games. Australia has been ousted from the quarterfinals every tournament since the 2004 Athens games.
For full results of Monday’s games, click here.