Hockey: Australia make hard work of it but prevail in penalty shootout

Australian striker Madeleine Ratcliffe, 19, of Warrnambool, sparked off a penalty shootout that clinched third place in the Hawke's Bay Cup in Hastings today.

The Hockeyroos had to go to a penalty shootout to clinch victory in the third/fourth playoff in Hastings today.

Last qualifiers Team USA held the Australian women to a 1-all draw in regulation 60 minutes on the final day of the Vantage Hawke's Bay Cup four-nation tournament at Unison Stadium.

Rookie striker Madeleine Ratcliffe sparked off a 2-nil margin with Gabi Nance before Kristina Bates joined the party for a 3-2 result in the penalty shootout of the fourth edition of the annual Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey.

Team USA skipper Melissa Gonzalez found no cigar and ditto Michelle Vittese, thanks to Aussie goalkeeper Ashlee Wells' use of her foot pads, before Erin Matson gave them a flicker of yes-you-can.

Stephanie Kershaw's miss made it 2-1 before USA's Kathleen Sharkey, celebrating her 100th cap, made it 2-all but Hockeyroo Kristina Bates stopped the rot in slipping one past USA keeper Jackie Briggs as Taylor West stumbled for the Americans.

The Hockeyroos had opened their account in the 29th minute for a 1-nil lead in regulation time when Hanna Kate scored a field goal.

It wasn't until the 59th minute that the Janneke Schopman-coached side found the equaliser, 1-1, when Caitlin van Sickle pounced on a thwarted penalty corner to deposit the ball into the backboard.

It was a testy finish to the tournament for the Aussies after keeper Wells lost her composure post-match in the 1-all stalemate against the Vantage Black Sticks last Thursday.

The Paul Gaudoin-coached Hockeyroos, in response to Hawke's Bay Today reports of Wells' colourful response to missing a freaky goal from Samantha Harrison, was to refrain from speaking to all media at the weekend.

The Americans made a promising start but didn't maintain consistency in a tourney where all four teams are experimenting with a cluster of youngsters and fringe players in a bid to rebuild their stocks post-Rio Olympics.