N.Z. struggles in America Cup hockey

Press, 11 October 1982, Page 40

N.Z. struggles in America Cup hockey

NZPA staff correspondent Washington The New Zealand women’s hockey team has lost to the top-rated Netherlands’ side and drawn with the United States sb far in the four-' nation America Cup tournament in Boston. Massachusetts. In the first game. New Zealand lost 2-4 to the Dutch team at the Nickerson stadium. The match took place in

atrocious conditions. It was played under floodlights on waterlogged astroturf — a surface barely wide enough to accommodate a hockey field and on which narrower than usual field markings were laid down to ensure player safety. An unstoppable shot from ’ a Dutch penalty corner came after only two minutes. New Zealand recovered and took control of the game, pressuring the Dutch players for the next 20 minutes. They were rewarded with a good penalty corner goal by Lesley Monk (centre forward. Hawkes Bay). Seven minutes before halftime the Netherlands launched into a five-minute burst that saw them score three goals. The first, a field goal, came after the New Zealanders had stopped playing, thinking the ball was out of play, and the next two came from penalty strokes, leaving a half-time score of 4-1 to the Netherlands. New Zealand held the Dutch side in the second half, and with 10 minutes to go, Cheryl Law (left wing, Auckland), scored with a penalty stroke to make the final score 4-2. The game between the United States and Australia, which followed, was abandoned three minutes into the second half with the score at 0-0 when a violent storm flooded the stadium. The United States and Australia will either resume their game from the point where it was abandoned or obtain permission to agree to a scoreless draw. Rain continued to fall for most of Saturday, but cleared in time for the evening games - once again

under floodlights on wet as-tro-turf. The first half of the match between New Zealand and the United States which resulted in a scoreless draw, saw play contained very much between the two twenty-fives with both sides solid in defence, effectively cancelling out each others front runners.

Faye Mathews (Auckland) and Mary Clinton (Canterbury) in New Zealand's deep defence effectively dealt with the Americans’ inconsistent attack. The Americans threw more players forward in the first 15’ minutes of the second spell, but to no avail.

New' Zealand then swung the game in its favour and won three quick penalty corners, but was unable to score.

With 15 minutes to go it was the American’s turn to apply the pressure.

Four minutes, from full time, Lesley Monk (centre. Hawkes Bay) made a spectaular run which split the United States' defence but her shot was just wide of the right hand upright.

The last two minutes saw New Zealand hot on attack, forcing three penalty corners iri quick succession, but although the New Zealand players had the United States back-pedalling, the goals still eluded them.

The other match played saw Australia defeat the Netherlands 2-1 in a fast and hard encounter. Points after two rounds: Netherlands 2, Australia 2. N.Z. 1, U.S.A. 1.

Today’s games are N.Z. v Australia and U.S.A, v the Netherlands.