Olympic Hockey: New Zealand gets direct entry to 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games hockey event for women
A late second half rally and a penalty corner conversion by Olivia Merry helped New Zealand to hold the host Australia to 1-1 draw and assure her team a berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Hockey competition for women. With this draw, New Zealand won the Oceania Cup series for women on beer goal average as both the teams had four points each with a win, a draw and a loss. New Zealand, however, scored six goals and conceded five against five scored by Australia.
Australia will now have to play the Qualifier. New Zealand has thus become the fifth women's hockey team to get direct entry to 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Earlier, the host Japan, African champions South Africa, Americas champion Argentina and the European champions the Netherlands had assured themselves a berth each in the women's hockey competition. The remaining seven berths will be decided by the Olympic Qualifiers to be played in October and November. 
New Zealand after winning the opener 3-1 needed only a draw to qualify while Australia even after winning the second of three games needed a win. Australia started well and took an early lead when Mariah Williams deflected in a drag flick from the first penalty corner earned by her team, thanks to Emily Chalker. Australia had four more penalty corners, including one in the last minute but could not make se of any. In the run of play both the teams had good scoring chances.
Olympic Hockey: Round 2 games of Oceania Cup sustain excitement for the final round
Skipper Kenny Jodie was unlucky to see her superb effort going rate as the ball hit the goalpost while for New Zealand Merry failed to beat Australian goalkeeper Rachael Lynch in one for one situation in the first half. The final outcome must have come as a heartbreak for the Aussie fans who had assembled in good numbers hoping their team to get direct entry to Tokyo Olympic Games. In fact, Australia had lost to New Zealand in the last Commonwealth Games gold medal match also. In the last FIH Pro League both New Zealand and Australia had won one game each against each other.
-PTC News
