The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Holland swamps New Zealand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006

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Sport - Hockey

Holland swamps New Zealand

AMSTELVEEN : The Netherlands beat New Zealand 4-0 in the women's Champions Trophy field hockey on Tuesday and remained the only unbeaten team.

Sylvia Karres, Vera Vorstenbosch, Maartje Paumen and Eefke Mulder each scored for the two-time defending champion which has seven points after three games.

Germany downed Argentina 3-1.

Germany and China have six points each, Argentina three, Australia two, and New Zealand one. The top two play in Sunday's final. Karres scored from open play in the 15th minute to open the Netherlands' account, and Vorstenbosch deflected in a cross two minutes later.

New Zealand did well to limit the home side until 10 minutes from the end, when Paumen and then Mulder converted penalty corners in a three-minute span.

Germany dominates

Adopting an inclusive attacking approach, Germany was dominant against World Cup holder Argentina.

Silke Mueller scored first in the 17th from a penalty corner, but the South Americans hit back 10 minutes later when Luciana Aymar gave the Germany goalkeeper Kristina Reynolds no chance on a loose ball from a set play.

In the 33rd, Janine Beermann collected a pass from Fanny Rinne and hit a powerful strike past Mariela Antoniska for Germany's 2-1 halftime lead. Natascha Keller added the third in the 42nd, and Reynolds held out the Argentines.

Ma Yi Bo stunned the Australians with a third-minute drag-flick goal, and Fu Bao Rong doubled the lead just five minutes later after rounding Australia 'keeper Rachel Imison.

Emily Halliday pulled one back for the Commonwealth champion in the 16th minute from a penalty corner but China's defence stood up to the increasingly desperate Australians, who couldn't convert four successive penalty corners with two minutes left.

Play resumes on Thursday.

The results: The Netherlands 4 (Karres 15, Vorstenbosch 17, Paumen 60, Mulder 63) bt New Zealand 0; Germany 3 (Mueller 17, Beerman 33, Keller 42) bt Argentina 1 (Aymar 27). — AP

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