Kookas sweep hockey series
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| Australia |
September 21, 2003
news.com.au
> Page Views 2342
New Zealand 1 Australia 4
AUSTRALIA completed a sweep of the Oceania Cup men's hockey series with a comfortable win over New Zealand in the third Test in Wellington today.
After qualifying for next year's Athens Olympics with nailbiting 4-3 wins in the first two Tests last week, the Kookaburras were able to relax and rotate fringe players into the side.
Again New Zealand took an early lead, via a free hit deflection by Phillip Burrows.
But Australia went on to dominate after Craig Victory supplied a brilliant equaliser in the 19th minute.
Paul Gaudoin followed with a conversion of a penalty corner variation 10 minutes later.
Troy Elder scored from a penalty corner and Michael McCann added a field goal in an assured second half display by the visitors.
New Zealand were understandably flat after the heartbreak of yesterday's loss in a match where it took the lead three times.
That loss consigned the Kiwis to a 12-nation qualifying tournament in Madrid in March where the top seven countries will advance to the Olympics.
New Zealand are ranked fifth and are drawn in the easier pool with top-ranked the Netherlands, Malaysia (4), Japan (8), Belgium (9) and Canada (12) while the other pool contains Pakistan (2), Great Britain (3), India (6), Spain (7), Poland (10) and Cuba (11).
"I'd be very surprised if they didn't make the Olympics," said Australian coach Barry Dancer.
"I'm not surprised they've pushed us so close. They got ninth at the World Cup and they challenged Germany and Holland and I've seen them beat Pakistan and South Korea twice.
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