NZ men down Canada; women shred Ghana

A ferocious start to the third quarter saw the Black Sticks men thrash Canada 6-2 at the Commonwealth Games on Friday.

Up just 1-0 at the half, New Zealand blasted four goals home during the third quarter to pull well clear of their opponents, and although the North Americans pulled two goals back in the final quarter, it was too little, too late.

The goals were shared around with six different men getting on the scoresheet for New Zealand, including three penalty corners by Dane Lett, Nic Woods and Kane Russell.

Both of Canada’s strikes came through penalty corners, from Gordon Johnston and James Kirkpatrick. It was Russell who opened the scoring for New Zealand with just two minutes left in the first half, slamming a penalty corner home after returning from a green card.

Russell had a second penalty corner saved 30 seconds into the second half, and while that earned another penalty corner, this time Woods stepped up to bury the chance.

George Muir, Lett and Stephen Jenness then scored goals in the space of two minutes to blitz Canada and secure victory. Canada may have pulled two goals back, but Hugo Inglis had the final say with a goal in the final minute to confirm the three points in pool A.

Meanwhile the Black Sticks women’s team recorded their second successive win in two days after thrashing Ghana

12-0 on Friday. The Ghanaians were competing in their first match at the Commonwealth Games and were simply no match for New Zealand, with

18-year-old Madison Doar scoring a hat-trick.

After thumping Scotland 6-1 on Thursday to begin the pool stages, the Black Sticks face bigger tests against Canada and hosts Australia in the coming days, but they could not have started with more conviction after following up their opening victory by putting Ghana to the sword.

Doar and Kelsey Smith netted in the first quarter and the Kiwis led Ghana 4-0 at halftime after Samantha Charlton and Shiloh Gloyn doubled their advantage.

Then captain Stacey Michelsen, in her 250th game for the Black Sticks, made it five early in the third quarter when deflecting a cross into Ghana’s net.

Olivia Merry and Samantha Harrison scored New Zealand’s sixth and seventh goals respectively before Anita McLaren smashed home her 100th goal for the Black Sticks to make it eight during the final quarter.

Doar grabbed her second and Amy Robinson made it double figures.