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NZL V JPN ( QF 4 ) Hockey World League Semi-Final Antwerp 2015

NZL

5 - 1

JPN

Match Review NZL - JPN 5-1

Posted June 30, 2015

NZL V JPN Goal 1 for JPNPosted July 1, 2015

NZL V JPN Goal 1 for NZLPosted July 1, 2015

NZL V JPN Goal 3 for NZLPosted July 1, 2015

NZL V JPN Goal 4 for NZLPosted July 1, 2015

NZL V JPN Goal 5 for NZLPosted July 1, 2015

New Zealand’s Black Sticks claimed a fifth successive victory at the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Antwerp, battling through searing temperatures to record a 5-1 quarter-final win against Japan’s Cherry Blossoms.

The result puts them within one win of landing a place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, something that they will be certain of if they win either their semi-final or, failing that, the third-place play-off game. Japan will now compete in the 5-8 classification places.

Japan made life difficult for the in-form New Zealanders in the early stages, with the team that finished fourth in Pool A taking a shock lead when Akiko Kato slid the ball underneath onrushing goalkeeper Sally Rutherford in the 4th minute of the game. However, the Black Sticks were level within 60 seconds thanks to Petrea Webster, who was on-hand to force the ball in from close range after excellent work from inspirational captain Anita Punt.

The second and third periods were almost completely dominated by the Oceania giants, with a Sophie Cocks field goal and a trademark penalty corner from Punt taking the Black Sticks into a 3-1 lead before Kirsten Pearce and Gemma Flynn completed the scoring in the fourth quarter.

“It was a really good game for us and a really good lead up into the semis”, said Black Sticks goal-scorer Kirsten Pearce after the match. “To be honest, I think we came out firing in the second half and we really wanted to win it. We really want to beat the best teams and put our best efforts into achieving that.”

Goals

Team	Minute	Shirt #	Player	Action	Score
JPN	4	10	KATO Akiko	FG	0 - 1
NZL	5	6	WEBSTER Petrea	FG	1 - 1
NZL	34	17	COCKS Sophie	FG	2 - 1
NZL	42	32	PUNT Anita	PC	3 - 1
NZL	49	18	PEARCE Kirsten	FG	4 - 1
NZL	54	22	FLYNN Gemma	FG	5 - 1

Cards

Team	Minute	Shirt #	Player	Type
JPN	20	5	NAKAGAWA Miyuki	Y
NZL	44	6	WEBSTER Petrea	G

NZL

Minute	Shirt #	Name	Goals	Green
X	4	MERRY Olivia
3	6	WEBSTER Petrea	1	1
34	7	ROBERTS Ani
X	8	RUTHERFORD Sally
X	9	NEAL Brooke
Bench	10	GIBSON Amelia
X	12	GUNSON Ella
X	13	CHARLTON Samantha
5	15	KING Julia
X	16	THOMPSON Liz
X	17	COCKS Sophie	1
X	18	PEARCE Kirsten	1
X	22	FLYNN Gemma	1
3	24	KEDDELL Rose
4	26	HAYWARD Pippa
3	27	GRANT Jordan
X	31	MICHELSEN Stacey
X	32	PUNT Anita	1
		Team Manager	BALME Debbie
		Head Coach	HAGER Mark
		Assistant Coach	DANCER Sean
		Physiotherapist	MEYER Jessica
		Stand-In Manager	MENEZES Jude

JPN

Minute	Shirt #	Name	Goals	Yellow
50	1	OIE Ryoko
28	2	SAKAI Shiho
X	5	NAKAGAWA Miyuki		1
4	7	OTSUKA Shiho
X	8	HAYASHI Nagisa
X	9	NAKASHIMA Mie
X	10	KATO Akiko	1
6	11	SHIBATA Akane
4	12	MITSUHASHI Aki
X	13	OIKAWA Shihori
X	14	SAKAGUCHI Maki
7	15	NISHIMURA Ayaka
X	16	NAGAI Yuri
X	17	NAGAI Hazuki
X	18	ASANO Sakiyo
X	19	ONO Mayumi
4	20	MANO Yukari
X	21	YAMAMOTO Yukari
		Team Manager	HASEBE Kenji
		Head Coach	NAGAI Yuji
		Stand-In Manager	YASUDA Zenjiro
		Physiotherapist	MOGI Jun

DNP = Did not participate
S = Suspended
DSQ = Disqualified

Match Officials

Role	Official
Umpire 1	WILSON Sarah
Umpire 2	PRESENQUI Irene
Reserve Umpire	ADENOT Claire
Video Umpire	METCHETTE Carol
Judge 1	RAMPONE Guendalina
Judge 2	SHARMA Anjali
Technical Officer	WOTHERSPOON Anne