Kookas going for gold

THE Kookaburras have qualified for tomorrow’s International Festival of Hockey gold medal match against Japan after a 4-1 win over New Zealand in Melbourne on Thursday night.

Melbourne product Aaron Kleinschmidt ( above) starred again on home turf with two goals and an assist as the Kookaburras continued their recent dominance over the Black Sticks, having won the past five encounters including last month’s Oceania Cup final.

Kleinschmidt has scored four goals from two games in the tournament, after netting a double in Wednesday’s 9-1 win over Pakistan.

The win means Australia sits on top of the table with two wins, while today’s opponents Japan are second on four points, with New Zealand third on one point and Pakistan eliminated after two defeats.

Meanwhile, the Hockeyroos fought back from 2-0 down to claim a 3-2 win over the US. The result means the Hockeyroos will qualify for the gold medal match tomorrow if they beat Japan today.