The Hockeyroos won the 2022 Trans-Tasman Series after recording a final game 2-1 victory over New Zealand.
Heading into the fourth and final match in the box seat to claim the series after a win and two draws, the Hockeyroos finished with goals from Rebecca Greiner and Brooke Peris to put the stamp on a dominant performance.
From the off, Hannah Cullum-Sanders narrowly missed getting on the end of a searching Shanea Tonkin pass from close range, before the Hockeyroos had four penalty corners inside the opening four minutes.
Unable to capitalise on their dominance, the Hockeyroos were stung in the 14th minute when Black Sticks captain Megan Hull scored against the run of play.
Unperturbed after going behind, the Hockeyroos’ equaliser came in the 23rd minute courtesy of some fine build up play.
Courtney Schonell, making her first appearance in the series, did well to hold the ball up in the circle before sending it across to a dangerous spot for Greiner who managed to get a crucial touch that saw the ball trickle underneath New Zealand goalkeeper Brooke Roberts and over the goal line.
Then four minutes into the third quarter the Hockeyroos were in front when a sublime Steph Kershaw pass found Peris at full pace and behind the Black Sticks defence.
With just substitute goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon to beat in the New Zealand goal, Peris converted the chance with aplomb, knocking her shot on the reverse superbly over the encroaching keeper to score her third goal of the series and make it 2-1.
Cullum-Sanders went agonisingly close to scoring her first international goal after some relentless Hockeyroos pressure but O’Hanlon came up with a clutch save.
Chasing the game and the series, the Black Sticks took their goalkeeper off with 3 minutes to go. But it was to no avail, the Hockeyroos remaining composed until the full time whistle to head home full of confidence leading up to the Women’s World Cup and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July.
The men’s entinel Homes Trans-Tasman Series between the Kookaburras and Black Sticks Men starts on 31 May.
