Black Sticks women miss bronze at Changzhou Invitational after 1-0 loss to China A
The Black Sticks women have ended their week-long Changzhou Invitational campaign in fourth place after going down 1-0 to host nation China A in the bronze medal playoff on Tuesday. The narrow loss capped a tournament of two wins and four defeats for Phil Burrows’ side against some of the best hockey nations in the world, leaving plenty for the squad to chew on as they look ahead to a busy international winter.
China A struck the only goal of the bronze medal match in a tightly contested affair, denying New Zealand a podium finish in front of a partisan home crowd. The Kiwis had beaten the same opposition in their tournament opener last week, but this time the home side held firm. New Zealand’s defence was hard to fault for long stretches, and several attacking opportunities went begging in the final quarter.
The result followed the familiar pattern of a tournament in which the Black Sticks were never far away from the world’s top sides but could not quite turn good performances into wins. They opened the event in dramatic fashion on 27 April with a 4-3 shootout victory over China A after the teams played out a 2-2 draw in regulation. Goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon was named player of the match in the opener after producing two crucial saves to seal the shootout, and Mezzy Surridge was among those to convert from the spot.
Things got tougher from there. Their second match pitched them against world No. 2 Argentina, and the Black Sticks more than held their own in a 3-2 loss. Olivia Shannon converted a first-quarter penalty stroke and Emma Findlay added a fourth-quarter penalty corner as New Zealand pushed Las Leonas all the way before Argentina struck twice late to take the points. Defender Julia Gluyas drew praise for crucial saves on the goal-line and Anna Crowley batted away direct flicks from Argentine penalty corners that could easily have ended the contest earlier. Riana Pho and Britt Wang were also busy throughout the match.
Less encouraging was the rematch with Argentina later in the week, with the South American powerhouse running out 7-0 winners in the penultimate game of the tournament. That heavy defeat ultimately cost New Zealand a chance at the gold medal match and dropped them into the bronze medal playoff against China A. Hannah Cotter, who had been on the scoresheet earlier in the tournament, was unable to break through the Las Leonas defensive structure as the gulf between the two sides told over the full 60 minutes.
For Burrows, who took over the side in late 2022 and has been rebuilding the programme after a difficult Olympic cycle, the Changzhou tour represented exactly the kind of test the Black Sticks need before a packed international winter. The squad was up against three of the world’s leading nations on a fast surface against opponents who will be among their main rivals over the next 18 months. Reading the games as a development exercise rather than a medal hunt, there was plenty to work with.
The wider context makes the lessons from China particularly valuable. New Zealand will host the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Auckland from 15 June, the country’s biggest hockey tournament in years and the team’s first home outing in front of New Zealand fans for some time. From there the squad pivots straight to preparation for the FIH Women’s World Cup, which is being co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from 15 to 30 August. The Black Sticks have been drawn in Pool C alongside hosts Belgium, Spain and Ireland, with all their pool games scheduled for the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre.
Taking the tournament as a whole, the bare numbers are not flattering, but the performance lines tell a more optimistic story. Drawing China A in regulation away from home is no small feat, and pushing Argentina to within a goal in their first encounter showed the Black Sticks can match it with the elite when fully switched on. The penalty corner accuracy of Findlay, the calm of Shannon from the spot and the goalkeeping of O’Hanlon are real assets to build the campaign around. The 7-0 reverse and the bronze medal slip-up are the loose ends the coaching staff will want tied up before Auckland.
A long winter of hockey lies ahead, and on the strength of what they showed in Changzhou the Black Sticks women are not finished products yet. With the Nations Cup on home turf in just over a month and a World Cup pool draw that is open enough to dream about a quarter-final, the next four months are shaping as the most important stretch of this group’s cycle. The fans turning up to Auckland in June will get a full sense of where the side really sits on the world ladder.
Did you watch any of the Changzhou Invitational, or are you planning to head to the FIH Nations Cup in Auckland next month? Are you backing the Black Sticks to make a run at the World Cup quarter-finals in August? Have your say in the comments below.