"VAN" (Sports Desk - 16.06.2025) :: Ireland’s men pulled off their first win of the FIH Hockey Pro League season by defeating Belgium on their home turf on Sunday while the Belgian women held out for a shootout win over Germany.
In other action, which was again played across three venues in Antwerp, Amsterdam and London, Australia’s men and women got the better of India, on a day when Manpreet Singh celebrated an incredible 400th cap for India. The Netherlands women tightened their grip on top spot with a win over China, while the Dutch men prevailed in their second shootout in as many days against Argentina.
There was no joy for England’s teams in London as the men’s side lost an action-packed encounter to Germany and the women went down to Argentina.
(Women's) India 1 – 2 Australia
Australia came from behind and snuck one in at the death to pull off a 2-1 win over India in London.
It was all India in the opening quarter and they took the lead in the third minute, when Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke rounded off a good team goal with a sliding deflection. The Australians did settle into the game, although it was India who created opportunities throughout the first half, and they deserved their 1-0 lead at the long break.
Australia was in the ascendancy through the third quarter, and Amy Lawton found an equaliser in the 37th minute, scrapping for possession at the top of the circle and taking a clean strike. India won a barrage of penalty corners in the middle of a tense fourth quarter, striking the post off one of them, but not being able to add to their score. Australia survived the onslaught to snatch the win in the final minute, Lexie Pickering's penalty corner deflection from quite wide on the right slipping in behind the defenders.
Grace Young received the player of the match award for Australia and said: "Definitely relieved. We have so much belief in our team, and we base our game around grit and playing to the very last minute, so I'm so proud of our group. It really reflects how we are as a team and how we really play to the end."
(Women's) Belgium 2 – 2 Germany (SO: 3 – 2)
Belgium squandered a two-goal lead in Antwerp to share the points in a 2-2 draw with Germany, but then fought back to win the shootout 3-2 and claim a bonus point.
The Belgians looked creative throughout the opening quarter, surging forward repeatedly but struggling to connect with the final touches around the circle. They did find the net in the 15th minute, though, when Emma Puvrez showed quick reflexes to bat a nasty popped ball in from a penalty corner. The second quarter was more evenly contested, but Astrid Bonami's high-quality reverse strike gave Belgium a 2-0 lead on the stroke of half time.
Germany were much better in the third quarter, and Lisa Nolte pulled one back in the 41st minute with a dipping penalty corner strike. Emilia Landshut then equalised in the 50th, after poaching her first international goal at the post from a penalty corner rebound. The Belgians looked stronger at the finish, but they couldn't find a winning goal and the match went to a shootout, where the home side prevailed.
Emilie Verhees received the player of the match award on debut for Belgium and said: "I think we played good in the first quarter, but for the rest it wasn't that good a game. But I feel really good in the team and hopefully I can play more games in this Pro League."
(Women's) Netherlands 3 – 1 China
The Netherlands were made to fight hard for a narrow 3-1 win in a physical clash with China in Amsterdam.
There were early chances at both ends before the Dutch took the lead in the fourth minute, a penalty corner variation going to Luna Fokke on the right post after China had run down a flurry of drag flicks. The Chinese responded in the 11th minute, when Zhang Ying's blistering drag flick found the back of the net off the post defender's shoulder. Frédérique Matla restored the lead for the Netherlands with her tap-in two minutes later, and they managed to carry their 2-1 lead to the break.
China was on top in a combative second half, disrupting the Dutch and creating plenty of opportunities. But Pien Saunders gave the hosts a welcome two-goal cushion in the 42nd minute, showing lightning-fast reflexes to clean up a penalty corner rebound off the pads. China finished on the front foot, making regular circle entries, earning a fistful of penalty corners, and bruising the Dutch defence repeatedly, but they simply couldn't find the net.
Luna Fokke of the Netherlands was named player of the match and said: "I think it was a tough game, it was game six. We had a lot of energy left, but it was quite warm, we did a good job."
(Women's) England 0 – 1 Argentina
Argentina were in control for the majority of their clash with England in London, but only managed a one-goal win.
The first quarter saw Argentina dominate initially, but England finished much stronger, and only good angles from goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino kept them out. Agustina Gorzelany found the back of the net for the Argentinians with a 17th-minute drag flick, and they carried their 1-0 lead to half time.
Argentina tightened their grip in the second half, and goalkeeper Miriam Pritchard had to be at her best to keep England in touch. The English made occasional forays into Argentinian territory but soon found themselves back under pressure. There were no further goals and the win saw Argentina just managing to hang on to current second spot in the standings behind Netherlands.
The player of the match went to Argentina's Agustina Gorzelany, who said: "It was a tough game, the goal was quite close, but we succeeded, we earned the three points, I'm very happy."
(Men's) India 2 - 3 Australia
Australia dominated play in their 3-2 win over India in Antwerp, with Manpreet Singh celebrating a remarkable 400th cap in a losing cause.
The game started at a furious pace with three early goals, with Sanjay pouncing on a penalty corner rebound for India in the third minute. The Australians responded instantly with two field goals, Tom Craig's reflexes picking up a rebound at close range in the fourth, and Blake Govers slamming another home a minute later. Australia could easily have scored more in the opening half, but they had major problems with their penalty corner routine. Cooper Burns eventually added a drag flick goal in the 18th minute as the Kookaburras cruised to a 3-1 lead by half time.
India fought back well in the third quarter, and Dilpreet Singh rounded off a good team move to reduce the deficit in the 36th minute. The Aussies reassumed complete control in the final period, though, and only a sensational defensive effort from India, led by Pathak in goal, kept them in contention. India had one last roll of the dice in the final minute, pulling the goalkeeper off and creating one shot, but Australia shut it down quickly to secure the win.
Australia's Nathan Ephraums was named the player of the match and said: "It was an excellent game. We're really happy to get the win today. It was also a special game for India, they were celebrating Manpreet's 400th game, so we had a nice guard of honour to celebrate that."
(Men's) England 2 – 3 Germany
Germany emerged 3-2 winners in another hotly contested encounter with England in London.
Germany dominated the first quarter and Teo Hinrichs gave them an early lead, his cross deflecting in somewhat fortuitously off an English stick in the sixth minute. It was a quiet first half for the goalkeepers with few opportunities at either end, and Germany led 1-0 at the long break.
England started the second half well, testing Joshua Onyekwue Nnaji in the German goal a couple of times before Zachary Wallis equalised with a penalty stroke in the 34th minute. England's Liam Sanford then served a five-minute suspension and had to watch from the sidelines as Elian Mazkour dinked one in to restore Germany's lead in the 39th minute. But Wallis levelled matters with another penalty stroke for England a minute later after a three-man pile-up on the p-spot saw Hinrichs served with a 10-minute suspension.
Goalkeeper James Mazarelo made a good save for England with 10 minutes to go, but a five-minute yellow for Stuart Rushmere handed Germany the advantage. The winning goal from Raphael Hartkopf in the 55th minute was exquisite, helping a straight pass through the middle into the top of the net with a well-timed reverse shot.
The player of the match was Germany's Johannes Große, who said: "It's always amazing to play with such a big crowd. It was a really tough game with a lot of energy, especially as a double header, so we are really gassed to get the second win."
(Men's) Belgium 2 – 3 Ireland
Ireland followed up their success in Antwerp last year by clinching their first win of the series as they stunned Belgium with a famous 3-2 victory.
It was a goalkeeping masterclass from Ireland's Jamie Carr that set up the win as he absorbed wave upon wave of Belgian attack throughout the first half. He saved countless shots, scrambled desperately on the ground, and saved a penalty stroke to keep it 0-0 at half time.
Louis Rowe found the back of the net for Ireland off their first opportunity of the match in the 35th minute. Lee Cole doubled their lead with a 43rd-minute drag flick, but Nico de Kerpel finally found a way past Carr with a brilliant individual goal three minutes later. Belgium continued to threaten, amassing 34 circle entries in the match compared with nine for the Irish, but Ireland's defence was resolute. Cole all but sealed the result with his 58th-minute drag flick, although Thomas Crols grabbed a consolation goal for Belgium on the final whistle.
The player of the match went to Ireland's Jamie Carr, who said: "It was nice to bounce back after yesterday, we were very disappointed as a team. I was happy to contribute a little bit with that, but defensively that was a much better performance and where we wanted to be."
(Men's) Netherlands 1 – 1 Argentina (SO: 3 – 0)
The Netherlands played out another 1-1 draw for a share of the points with Argentina in Amsterdam, and claimed the bonus point with a 3-0 win in the shootout.
It was a tight first half, with the Netherlands forcing just one save from Tomas Santiago from a number of probes into the circle in the opening quarter. Derk Meijer then made an excellent save with his fully extended right leg to deny Argentina from a penalty corner early in the second quarter. It was Dutch captain Thierry Brinkman who opened the scoring in the 29th minute, driving into the circle and smashing it in. Argentina responded immediately when Nicolas Keenan cleaned up the scraps around the pads from a penalty corner, and it was locked 1-1 at half time.
There was some excellent hockey in the second half, with the Netherlands in particular showing some great skills to gain circle entries. But for the second time in two days, there was no separating the sides in regulation time, and the match went to a shootout, where the Dutch prevailed again.
Koen Bijen of the Netherlands was the player of the match and said: "Tough game, I think we deserved the win in the end, but Argentina defend really well in their D, but happy with the bonus point again."
Current Hero Top Scorers:
Women – Yibbi Jansen (NED) (17 goals)
Men – Tom Boon (BEL) (17 goals)
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