JAPAN stands in the way of the Hockeyroos and a place in the Champions Trophy semi-finals after the Australian women clinched second place in pool B with a 3-1 victory over Germany.
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Played out of Mendoza, Argentina, Edwina Bone and the Hockeyroos shot out to a brilliant three-goal advantage over the European gold medallists with goals to Georgia Nanscawen, Jodie Kenny and Emily Smith helping maintain the Australian side’s unbeaten run throughout the tournament’s pool stages.
Only goal differential could split both Argentina and the Hockeyroos, with the hosts’ 4-1 victory over England shooting them to top of pool B.
Finishing third in pool A, Japan will play the Hockeyroos from 5.30am tomorrow morning Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time in a quarter-final match-up sure to extend a healthy 2014 rivalry between the nations.
It’ll be the ninth time the Australians have played Japan this year, following a five Test series in Western Australia in March and matches at the Hawke’s Bay Festival, the World Cup warm-up tournament in Bremen and the World Cup itself.
Australia has won all eight contests so far, including a tight 3-2 win at the World Cup.
A Kinross graduate, Bone has started in all of the Hockeyroos’ Champions Trophy games so far, helping the team to a 1-0 win over England, a 1-all draw with Argentina before the two-goal victory against the Germans.
In the other quarter-final match-ups, the Netherlands clash with Germany, Argentina meets China and the pool A topping New Zealand plays England.