The Australian Kookaburras have continued their recent run of good form at the International Festival of Hockey, defeating the New Zealand Black Sticks, 2-1, to take out the series.
Backing up their Oceania Cup win last month, the Kookaburras pushed the Black Sticks to their limits throughout the entire match to complete their sixth consecutive defeat of NZ.
VIS scholarship holders Kiran Arunasalam, Josh Pollard and Aaron Kleinschmidt all took to the pitch for the Kookaburras through the Festival.
The Black Sticks kept the pressure on throughout the match, scoring late in the final term to put the Kookaburras only one up on their Trans-Tasman rivals.
The Kookaburras now turn their attention towards their upcoming World League Final, held in India early next month.
Meanwhile, in Women’s hockey, the Hockeyroos defeated the United States, 5-0, to claim bronze at the International Festival of Hockey.
After missing out on the final by 1 goal in Sunday’s semi final against Japan, the Hockeyroos were determined to leave the series with a medal.
The Hockeyroos came out of the halftime break hot, after a slow start that saw them only score once in the first half.
Brooke Peris and Captain Emily Smith put together a huge game to see the Australians score four times in the second half to take an emphatic win.
VIS scholarship holder, Lily Brazel, made her Hockeyroos debut last Monday joining fellow VIS athletes Madi Ratcliffe, Rachael Lynch, Laura Barden, and Krissy Bates on the pitch.
The bronze medal win will serve as a great confidence booster for the side, as they now fly to Adelaide ahead of their test series against Japan later this month.
Image: Hockey Australia
