In the first game of the 2014 Four Nations Invitiational Tournament in Dublin, Ireland the Canadian Women’s National Field Hockey Team faced a tough test in twenteith ranked and fellow Pan American Hockey Federation member Chile on Saturday in Dublin.
In the game versus Chile, the Canadian women played their first of three straight matches against teams ranked higher than them in the world ranking. But the rankings didn’t show early in the first half as the Canadians mounted pressure in the first twenty minutes, forcing Chilean goalkeeper Claudia Schuler to make several saves, many off penalty corners. Schuler, though, was equal to the task shutting out Canada and keeping the score at 0-0.
In the twenty-third minute, the Chileans began to turn the table as Catalina Salas beat Canadian keeper Kaitlyn Williams (White Rock, B.C.) but was thwarted by the goal post. The first half ended with no score.
In the second, Canada had a glorious opportunity to open the scoring in the forty-sixth minute when Holly Stewart (North Vancouver, B.C.) faced a wide open Chilean goal, but was not able to convert. That stage the stage for Chile to break the deadlock.
Four mintues later, in the fifteith minute, Marian Lagos beat Williams for the first goal of the game to give Chile the 1-0 lead. In the sixty-fourth minute, Carolina Garcia added to the lead beating Williams on a one-on-one challenge, giving Chile the two goal advantage.
That’s all the South Americans would need, taking the first match of the tournament 2-0.
View the complete matchsheet here.
Canada will take on world number fifteen and tournament host, Ireland, on Sunday. Game time is 3:15pm (local). Live match updates can be found @IrishHockey.
