To quote a line, to the drone of the "hunk of spunk" Aussie TV series, Kath and Kim: "I have only one thing to say to you, Hockeyroos ..."
The performance, at least in the first half, in some respects resembled the situation comedy, although no one was probably laughing that hard except, perhaps, the odd hometown fans today as an army of headset-wearing Black Sticks Women watched from the sidelines while waiting for their game against Japan at 6pm.
Frankly the mongrel typically associated with the women across the ditch was missing.
The Paul Gaudoin-coached World No 4 side made hard work of it against their No 6 rivals from the Northern Hemisphere in their 1-1 stalemate in the opening round of the fourth edition of the Vantage Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey in Hastings.
Team USA didn't waste time. Midfielder Alyssa Parker finding the net from a field goal in just the third minute for a 1-0 edge on a balmy 24C at the international Unison Hockey Stadium at the HB Regional Sports Park.