"VAN" (Sports Desk - 04.12.2024) :: China and Belgium's women's hockey teams clashed for the second time in the new FIH Pro League season in Hangzhou on Tuesday. In their first encounter on Saturday, China held a two-goal lead but Belgium fought back to secure a draw, with the Chinese then winning the shootout. On Tuesday it was the Red Panthers who walked away with maximum points.
(Women’s) China 1 - 2 Belgium
It’s still early in the tournament but Belgium will be relieved to have posted their first win with a 2-1 victory over hosts China in a tight encounter. It was another fast start from the Chinese who had their first opportunity in the second minute, but sharp goalkeeping from Elena Sotgiu denied them a goal.
China then managed to dispossess the Belgians repeatedly in dangerous areas through the first quarter before the Red Panthers settled down and began to control their possession better. The teams traded blows through a tight second quarter, the impressive Liu Ping making a couple of great saves in goal for China, and Stephanie Vanden Borre clearing a drag flick on the Belgian post. Delphine Marien had a golden one-on-one opportunity to open the scoring in the final minute of the half, but Ping met her with an excellent reverse stick tackle at the top of the circle to keep it goalless at the break.
Belgium bossed the third quarter and Noa Schreurs steered the ball in brilliantly from Judith Vandermeiren’s cross in the 39th minute for a 1-0 lead. A frantic period of play followed as China tried to hit back quickly, but the Red Panthers kept out three penalty corners and eventually cleared their lines after a desperate goalmouth scramble. Belgium then struck a decisive blow at the beginning of the fourth quarter with Vanessa Blockmans’ sizzling 46th-minute drag flick doubling their lead against tired Chinese legs.
With a little over eight minutes remaining, China pulled off their goalkeeper to go on the attack. They came close with a crossed ball passing agonisingly between the Belgian goal and two Chinese strikers, and Sotgiu made a good glove save off a drag flick with five minutes remaining. China finally got their reward through Liu Chencheng’s 57th-minute penalty corner rebound, setting up a thrilling finish. Marien sliced an important shot wide of an open Chinese goal in the 58th minute, and Belgium then endured tough defending to the final hooter before they could celebrate their win.
Belgium’s Judith Vandermeiren was named the Player of the Match and said: “We were pretty disappointed with the last two games, for sure the results, but I think we had a very good performance today and we have a young team and we’re growing, so pretty proud of our performance.”
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