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Dutch champs win shootout in women's hockey semis

Dunya News

Netherlands after winning shootout 3-1 has reached women's Olympic hockey final.

Ellen Hoog, the Netherlands fifth and last shooter, scored the winner, rifling a backhand past New Zealand goalkeeper Bianca Russell to end a sensational semifinal.The Dutch came from a goal down each time to make it 1-1 at halftime and 2-2 at the end of regulation. Neither team scored in 15 minutes of extra time, forcing the shootout.Naomi van As and Eva de Goede scored early in the shootout to make it 2-1, while goalie Joyce Sombroek saved against three of the four Kiwis, including twice against their opening shooter and captain Kayla Sharland. Each player had 8 seconds to score, and only Stacey Michelsen succeeded for the Kiwis.The Netherlands will face either Argentina or Britain in the final on Friday.The Dutch had never lost to New Zealand in 17 games at major tournaments, including three at past Olympics, but this was even closer than they expected.The New Zealand women, appearing in their first semifinals, took no account again of reputations or records in producing the finest moment in their countrys field hockey history since the mens team won at the 1976 Montreal Games. They fell into the bronze-medal match.The captains inspired each side.Maartje Paumen, who was saved in the shootout, scored both Dutch goals in regulation from penalty corners and tied the overall record of 13 Olympic goals with Alyson Annan of Australia.Sharland, her left knee braced, scored the opener after only seven minutes, and typified the Kiwis approach with fearless attacks in the middle of the pitch.Their goalie Russell, or more precisely her left foot, frustrated the Dutch as she stuck it out to save at least three goal shots in the first 15 minutes.The Dutch couldnt score until the 31st, after Lidewij Welten dribbled around four defenders to earn the corner that Paumen converted. Paumen played give and take with Maartje Goderie and whacked the ball over a prone Russell.Like Sharland, Paumen yelled long and loud. Shed finally scored in London, in her sixth game. Shed scored an Olympic record 11 times in Beijing but had been silenced until now.In the second half, the relentless action paused when New Zealands Katie Glynn was accidentally smacked in the back of her head on Hoogs downswing on the edge of the New Zealand circle. Glynn walked off with help and blood had to be wiped off the pitch. She returned in the 60th with her head wrapped in a bandage.Three minutes later, New Zealand scored on a breakout, when Stacey Michelsens long ball into the circle found Krystal Forgesson all alone to the right of the post and with time. Sombroek came out but Forgesson smacked the ball past her for 2-1.The Dutch were quicker to level, only four minutes later. They used a team referral to earn a third penalty corner, and Paumen scored high.The rest of the match was full of near-misses.New Zealand had four more penalty corners, and one rejected on a Netherlands referral, and the Dutch had one more penalty corner in regulation and one in extra time. Van As grazed the left post with eight minutes to go.