Hockeyroos seal Trans-Tasman Series with dominant display
Published Sun 15 May 2022
The Hockeyroos have won the 2022 Trans-Tasman Series after recording an impressive 2-1 victory over New Zealand.
Heading into the fourth and final match in the box seat to claim the series after a win and two draws, the Hockeyroos finished on a high as goals from Rebecca Greiner and Brooke Peris put the stamp on a dominant performance.
The Hockeyroos’ intent to wrap the series up was clear from the outset. Hannah Cullum-Sanders narrowly missed getting on the end of a searching Shanea Tonkin pass from close range, before the Hockeyroos had four penalty corners inside the opening four minutes.
Unable to capitalise on their dominance, the Hockeyroos were stung in the 14th minute when Black Sticks captain Megan Hull scored against the run of play.
Unperturbed after going behind, the Hockeyroos’ equaliser came in the 23rd minute courtesy of some fine build up play.
Courtney Schonell, making her first appearance in the series, did well to hold the ball up in the circle before sending it across to a dangerous spot for Greiner who managed to get a crucial touch that saw the ball trickle underneath New Zealand goalkeeper Brooke Roberts and over the goal line.
Then four minutes into the third quarter the Hockeyroos were in front when a sublime Steph Kershaw pass found Peris at full pace and behind the Black Sticks defence.
With just substitute goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon to beat in the New Zealand goal, Peris converted the chance with aplomb, knocking her shot on the reverse superbly over the encroaching keeper to score her third goal of the series and make it 2-1.
Cullum-Sanders went agonisingly close to scoring her first international goal after some relentless Hockeyroos pressure but O’Hanlon came up with a clutch save.
Chasing the game and the series, the Black Sticks took their goalkeeper off with 3 minutes to go. But it was to no avail, the Hockeyroos remaining composed until the full time whistle to head home full of confidence leading up to the Women’s World Cup and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July.
“It was really good to get that final match working in our favour and show some of the things we have been working on all week,” said Hockeyroos Head Coach Katrina Powell.
“I thought we played better as a team today. We didn’t get or structures together yesterday both with the ball and without the ball, so it was a good change from yesterday’s game into today.”
With a host of inexperienced players in the squad, including four debutantes before the series started, Powell was delighted the opportunity they had to play at this level.
“I’m really pleased with those who played their first internationals here,” said Powell.
“We also have a bundle who haven’t played many (internationals) at all, so I’m really pleased with what we put out on the pitch this week considering our level of inexperience.”
The men’s edition of the Sentinel Homes Trans-Tasman Series between the Kookaburras and Black Sticks Men starts on Tuesday 31 May. The 4-match series will be broadcast LIVE in Australia on LIVEHockey.
Match Details
New Zealand 1 (Hull 14’)
Hockeyroos 2 (Greiner 23’, Peris 34’)
@ National Hockey Centre, Auckland
Hockeyroos: 1.Claire Colwill, 3.Brooke Peris (c), 7.Aleisha Power (gk), 8.Georgia Wilson, 9.Shanea Tonkin, 10.Maddy Fitzpatrick, 11.Meg Pearce, 12.Greta Hayes, 14.Steph Kershaw, 16.Courtney Schonell, 18.Jane Claxton, 20.Karri Somerville, 24.Mariah Williams, 28.Hannah Cullum-Sanders, 29.Rebecca Greiner
Unused substitute: 19.Jocelyn Bartram (gk)
