Ben van Woerkom attempts to thwart an Australian attack.
Ben van Woerkom attempts to thwart an Australian attack.
Former Wairarapa age group representative and Dalefield premier men's player Benedict van Woerkom was an integral part of the Junior Black Sticks men's team which placed a creditable seventh at the 2013 Hockey Junior World Cup in India.
He scored a field goal against European powerhouse the Netherlands in thequarter-finals of the New Delhi tournament.
In pool play, the Kiwis started with a 2-3 loss to Malaysia where both their goals were scored by Kane Russell followed by a 2-2 draw with England. Russell and Matt Rees-Gibbs found the net with a cracking reverse shot by Rees-Gibbs just three minutes from fulltime keeping New Zealand's hopes of making the top eight alive.
For that to happen they needed a win over South Africa next up and despite having a couple of players sidelined through a stomach bug, the Junior Black Sticks prevailed 1-0, thanks to another Russell goal.
After two rest days it was New Zealand v Netherlands in the quarter-final and while the Netherlands won 3-2 they had to work overtime for the victory. Field goals to Nic Woods and Van Woerkom for the Kiwis ensured a close finish.
This defeat left the Junior Black Sticks playing off for between fifth and eighth and they went down 2-1 to Australia in the first of the play-off games after taking an early lead. There was better fortune against Korea, though, with Jeremy Morris scoring the opening goal and the in-form Russell netting a hat-trick.
