By: Hockey WA

Hockeyroos (3)  New Zealand Black Sticks(2) (New Zealand 2 - AUSTRALIA 1 at Half Time)
Goals: Hockeyroos Madonna Blyth  19 min , Nicole Arrold 55 Min PC  Black Sticks Gemma Flynn 5 min  FG, 9 min FG

The first test at the Rockingham Sportsplex was always going to be a grudge match after New Zealand Black Sticks narrowly beat the Hockeyroos to win the Oceania Cup last year.
 
Australia started the game scrappily, missing two penalty corners and conceding two goals in the first five minutes. New Zealand’s Gemma Flynn had a fantastic game on the right wing and was the scorer of both early goals. She received a great pass across goals from the right and pushed the ball home on the left post.

Five minutes later Flynn again received the ball on the back line, taking the ball full circle around the defence and slipping it past the goalie.

In the 19th minute 17 year old Georgia Nanscawen received a long pass at the base, scooped the ball over the defenders stick and passed to Madonna Blyth who pushed home Australia’s first.

With three minutes to go New Zealand were unlucky not to score another when Katie Glynn took the ball solo through three players. In the last few minutes of the half Nanscawen then penetrated the circle on the right creating another penalty but no score resulted.

In the second half, two penalties were saved by the Hockeyroos in the first few minutes as the Black Sticks came out flying. Great saves were made by goalie Bianca Russell throughout the game.

Amy Korner was a key play maker for the Hockeyroos and fed Hope Munro who narrowly missed a reverse stick tommahawk over the cross bar.

In the 15th minute Korner set up another penalty and Nic Arrold whacked the resultant shot at perfect height to skim over the goalie pads to even the scores.

In the 20th minute Nanscawen again brought ball down wing and forced a penalty. The shot was deflected and Fiona Johnson slammed it home to put the Hockeyroos in the lead 3-2.

The game opened up in the last quarter and the Hockeyroos settled down to find some space. The blonde right side for New Zealand wowed the crowd all game and Charlotte Harrison, Gemma Flynn and midfielder Stacey Michelsen made life hard for the Australian defence.

A last run by Casey Eastham sent the ball across field to Madonna Blyth who dived and hit at the goalie who once again saved the shot. The game continued to see saw until the final siren and will set up the next two tests as close encounters.