(Hockey news) They may be on the other side of the world, but there was much to celebrate for Australia’s men’s side as they were confirmed as this season’s FIH Hockey Pro League champions.
That’s after the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Germany, who then won the ensuing shootout in Amsterdam on Thursday. It’s the first title for the Australians since their victory in the inaugural season in 2019 and one that prevented the Dutch from claiming a third straight crown. The Kookaburras had already secured their qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 (an added incentive for success in the Pro League this season) after other results went their way four days ago.
Meanwhile, Germany’s women secured an emphatic victory over Great Britain to ensure they’ll finish second in the standings behind the Netherlands. The runner-up spot is a significant one as it means Die Danas qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026.
In the other match of the day, Great Britain’s men completed a confident 3-1 win over Belgium.
(Women’s) Germany 4 – 1 Great Britain
GB enjoyed territorial advantage without reward at the beginning of the third quarter before play ebbed and flowed throughout the rest of the match. The Germans continued to create chances and there was a flurry of goals in the final 10 minutes. Charlotte Stapenhorst and Nike Lorenz took the game away from GB with field goals in the 54th and 59th minutes, and there was some consolation for GB when Giselle Ansley found the back of the net with a 59th-minute drag flick. But it was not enough to thwart an emphatic Germany victory and with that, second place in the FIH Hockey Pro League behind the Netherlands.
The player of the match was awarded to Germany’s Lena Micheel who said: “We expected the GB girls to be really tough fighting against us, and they were. We were really lucky to score four goals and that’s a good result for us.”
(Men’s) Great Britain 3 – 1 Belgium
Great Britain delivered an energetic performance to outplay Belgium in a 3-1 win. GB threatened the Belgian circle repeatedly in the first half, and Zachary Wallace opened the scoring with a well-taken field goal in the third minute. They were denied a second when a shot from open play, incredibly, struck both posts without crossing the line. But Sam Ward still extended their lead with a 20th-minute drag flick. Belgium were struggling to gain a foothold in the match, although Alexander Hendrickx’s successful drag flick did keep them in touch.
A goalless third quarter was more evenly contested with GB still creating more chances in the final third of the pitch. The match was very much in the balance heading into the final quarter and Belgium had possession for long periods, but they couldn’t find a goal. GB had the final word in the 58th minute when Ward reached high above his head to tap in from a metre off the goal line. GB currently lie fourth in the standings and a single point from their last game against Germany would guarantee them third place.
Great Britain’s David Ames received the player of the match award and said: “This was a great result. Two good wins in the last two, and we spoke about trying to be consistent at this period of time leading into what’s going to happen in a few weeks’ time, and really happy with that against a really good Belgian side.”
(Men’s) Netherlands 1 – 1 Germany (SO: 1 – 3)
Germany came from behind to draw 1-1 with hosts Netherlands, sharing the points and then grabbing a bonus point by winning the shootout 3-1. The first quarter was evenly contested with no real opportunities, but the Dutch stepped up a gear in the second quarter and camped in Germany’s defensive third. Goalkeeper Jean-Paul Danneberg made one sensational save for Germany, but the chances kept coming and Jip Janssen eventually fired the Dutch ahead with a drag flick in the 26th minute. Pirman Blaak then made a good glove save on the stroke of half time to deny Germany an equaliser.
The Germans bossed the Dutch for the entire third quarter, testing Blaak and the resilient Dutch defence repeatedly. Niklas Wellen eventually found the equaliser with a penalty corner rebound in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter and the match was poised for an exciting finish. The goalkeepers each made an excellent save in the hotly contested final period, and Germany almost snatched the win from a penalty corner with three seconds left on the clock. The Dutch made their own task harder by breaking early and losing a defender, but they were able to charge down the shot to take the match to a shootout. The Dutch needed to win the shootout to keep their hopes of winning the competition alive, but Germany prevailed so Australia are the FIH Hockey Pro League champions.
Hannes Müller of Germany was named player of the match and said: “I think we played a good first half, second half was very good. And the quality, the intensity from us, I’m very happy to win a penalty shootout, but yeah, we won the game, I am happy.”
Top Scorer Armband
To celebrate the talented goal-scorers throughout the season the FIH has introduced the Top Scorer Armband, which is being worn by the leading goal-scorers in the men’s and women’s competitions in the current season, as a visual mark for the fans, and for the players to wear proudly, match after match.
Current Top Scorers:
Women – Yibbi Jansen (NED) (17 goals)
Men – Jip Janssen (NED) (15 goals)
FIH Hockey Pro League – 27 June 2024
Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)
WOMEN
Result: Match 69 (W)
Germany 4 – 1 Great Britain
Player of the match: Lena Micheel (GER)
Umpires: Sophie Bockelmann (GER), Hannah Harrison (ENG), Sandra Adell (ESP-video)
MEN
Result: Match 69 (M)
Great Britain 3 – 1 Belgium
Player of the match: David Ames (GBR)
Umpires: Wanri Venter (RSA), Coen Van Bunge (NED), Sophie Bockelmann (GER-video)
Result: Match 70 (M)
Netherlands 1 – 1 Germany (SO: 1 – 3)
Player of the match: Hannes Müller (GER)
Umpires: Ayden Shrives (RSA), Rachel Williams (ENG), Wanri Venter (RSA-video)
Also read: Dutch men keep title hopes alive as Belgium women defeat GB
