2020 FIH Pro League commences with two thrilling shootouts

NSWIS athletes featured in both the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras squads as the 2020 FIH Pro League Season commenced with Australia taking on Belgium in Sydney.

The league commenced with two nailbiting encounters decided in penalty shootouts, the Australian women taking victory while the men were pipped at the very end.

Featuring five NSWIS representatives, the Hockeyroos looked all but beaten at 3-1 down in the 55th minute, however last-minute goals to Edwina Bone and Kalinda Commerford kept the match alive. The Australians went on to prevail 4-2 in the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Jocelyn Bartram (NSWIS) coming up with some clutch saves before Jane Claxton scored the penalty to decide the outcome.

A day later, the two sides found themselves in another penalty shootout in their second match with scores locked at 1-1 after regulation time. However this time it was the visiting team who claimed the win 3-1 in the shootout.

The Kookaburras also found themselves in a shootout in their first hit-out against Belgium; the team they defeated in last year’s grand final. Also containing five NSWIS athletes, the men’s team were held 2-2 at full-time before going down 4-2 in the shootout. In Sunday’s second match, the Aussies found themselves 2-0 down at half-time however when Lachlan Sharp (NSWIS) unleashed an unstoppable tomahawk into the away team’s goal, hope was restored. Though it wasn’t to be, Belgium putting on a clinical display to claim a 4-2 victory as the new world number #1.

Both the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras are back at Sydney Olympic Park on the 1st and 2nd February to take on Great Britain.