The men’s and women’s teams of Argentina and Great Britain registered convincing victories in the FIH Pro Hockey League over the weekend. Argentina women hammered USA 6-1 in their second match of their opening round against USA. They had defeated their Pan American rivals 6-2 in the first match.
The men had lost their first match 3-4 against Spain. But the Olympic champions came up with a clinical performance to defeat the visitors 5-1.
Martin Ferreiro’s blistering open-play strike for Argentina was cancelled out by a trademark penalty corner drag-flick from Pau Quemada, leaving the teams level at half time. However, a three-goal burst from Lucas Vila, Jose Tolini and Lucas Martinez established a 4-1 advantage for the hosts in the third quarter before Martinez claimed his second and Argentina’s fifth early in the fourth period.
In Auckland, the British teams faced New Zealand. Great Britain men’s captain Adam Dixon scored twice to help his team to a 3-0 away victory, their first of the 2020 season. Dixon put his team ahead just before the end of the first quarter with a powerful penalty corner drag-flick, and the score remained at 1-0 for the vast majority of the contest.
Liam Ansell doubled Great Britain’s advantage with a fourth quarter penalty corner before Dixon wrapped up the points with another drag-flick five minutes from time.
In the women’s section, Great Britain’s women made it five points from a possible six against New Zealand, with Sunday’s shoot-out success adding two points to the three earned in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Black Sticks.
Olivia Shannon put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half time, but third quarter strikes from Anna Toman and Grace Balsdon gave the visitors the advantage before the former tied things up in the fourth period with her second of the match, sending the contest into a shoot-out for the bonus point.
Both teams converted four of their five initial shoot-out attempts, with Great Britain eventually winning in sudden-death thanks to Tessa Howard’s successful strike and goalkeeper Sabbie Heesh denying New Zealand captain Stacey Michelsen.