Hockey: Black Sticks flounder against Australia in Whangārei

Australia scores during a penalty corner in the women's game. Photo / Tania Whyte

Australia convincingly triumphed over both Kiwi teams in the first games of the Sentinel Homes Oceania Cup being played in Whangārei.

The Hockeyroos beat the Black Sticks 3-0 during the women’s clash on Thursday, showcasing why they are ranked second in the world ahead of the Black Sticks’ ninth position.

The Australian side scored three goals in four minutes on either side of halftime - two off the back of penalty corners and another on a breakaway run after a well-executed pass to Australia’s attacking end of the field.

Final statistics at the end of the game showed the Kiwi side struggled to get near the goal as the Hockeyroos entered their attacking circle 29 times throughout the hour-long match compared to five circle entries by the Black Sticks. The strong Australian defence kept the team at bay.

Whangārei’s Katie Doar had a stand-out moment when she nailed an aggressive shot at goal despite Australian defenders but was forced to watch as the ball bounced off the post.

Whangārei's Katie Doar in action. Photo / Tania Whyte

The Hockeyroos’ victory means they are one win away from Olympic qualification.

Despite them edging closer and the Kiwis continuing to have a hard-fought battle, Black Sticks captain Olivia Merry - the most experienced player on either team with 273 international caps - said they would put the result behind them ahead of this week’s remaining matches.

“We’ve still got two games and it’s a long time, we’re not down and out, we want to come out firing from the get-go on Saturday.”

While the Kiwi men were able to find the back of the net, it wasn’t enough to clinch a win as the Kookaburras dominated 3-1.

The Australian side stamped their mark on the game by scoring one of the fastest goals in international hockey history - just 26 seconds after the opening whistle.

Seven minutes later the Australian side scored again. The Kiwis answered back by netting their first goal in the last minute of the starting quarter.

The match became a to-and-fro more controlled by the Kookaburras who had 38 circle entries well ahead of the Kiwis’ 20.

Image 1 of 12: Katy and Penny Gibbons love their hockey. Photo / Tania Whyte

Cold and wet conditions didn’t stop a large cohort of fans from filling the stadium’s seats to mostly cheer on the home side.

More fans are expected to catch the action as the sides meet again on Saturday, where the Black Sticks women have vowed to “bounce back”.