Japan gets draw

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 30

Japan gets draw

PA Auckland The Japanese hockey team opened its eight match New Zealand tour with a 1-1 draw against the New Zealand Indians at Hobson Park yesterday. It was a game the Indians could have won by at least a goal, but for Japan’s outstanding defence. The Indians applied early pressure but as the Japanese adapted to the grass surface the.” made several incisive rains. The Indians side comprised six players from Auckland, three from Wellington and one each from Canterbury and Counties. Japan moved as a more cohesive unit and made many spirited challenges. From one of these raids, the inside-left, Kazunori Maeda, crashed home a field goal to give his team the lead. The Indians equalised with a goal by the Olympian

Peter Daji. The halftime score was 11. Late in the game, the Indians forced several penalty corners, but could not convert. The Japanese goalkeeper, Masaru Ohnishi, and the full-backs, Yushin Sakai and Takashi Endo, kept the Indians at bay. Indeed, the Japanese mounted several spirited counter-attacks. Mohan Patel, Peter Daji, Ramesh Patel and young Paresh Patel had good games for the Indians. For Japan, captain Minoru Sakamoto was fast and dangerous on the right wing, while the defensive unit of Sakai, Endo and Ohnishi were prominent, especially late in the game. The Japanese meet North Auckland at Whangarei tomorrow. Scores: New. Zealand Indians 1 (P. Daji); Japan 1 (K. Maeda).