(Photo: Yan Huckendubler)
Canada’s Hockey World League Final quarterfinal opponent is set after it finished pool play with a 6-0 loss to the world’s number one team, Australia, Tuesday in Raipur, India.
The loss means Canada finishes fourth in Pool A and will face the Netherlands, which took the top spot in Pool B, in one of the four tournament quarterfinals (Wednesday, 5:00am PT/8:00am ET).
Having only beat Australia’s Kookaburras once (4-0 in 1999), the Canadians were in tough in their last pool match. Australia, which was coming off a surprise 3-1 loss to Great Britain, was looking for a big win in order to have a chance to finish first in the pool.
They got off to a quick start with two penalty corner chances by the third minute. Kieran Govers let go of a strong flick, which was turned away by Canadian keeper David Carter, who also stopped the other and was named the Man of Match after facing eighteen Australian penalty corners in the game.
“They put our penalty corner defence to work,” said Carter after the game. “Eighteen (corners) is a bit too many to give away. I think we’ll be very disappointed with that. But we defended them quite well I think.”
AUS 0-0 CAN Good double save by Carter to deny Australia an early lead #HWL2015 #Raipur https://t.co/pd4TQzotec
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) December 1, 2015
AUS 4-0 CAN Tupper with another save on the line to deny Govers #HWL2015 #Raipur https://t.co/ziuai2FNHx
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) December 1, 2015
A minute later, Australia got the game’s first goal when quick ball movement up the field and into the Canadian circle, resulted in Daniel Beale firing a backhand pass an onrushing Carter for 1-0 lead.
Jeremy Hayward converted on a corner in the eleventh minute and by the end of the first quarter, Australia had added two more for a 4-0 lead.
It was the second game in a row Canada surrendered multiple first quarter goals, which made the rest of the game an uphill climb.
But despite the relentless attack from the Australians and penalty corners against in the double digits, Canada defended well and nearly went the remaining three quarters without surrendering a goal.
Carter was a large part in that, but the Canadians will take pride in their corner defence heading into the quarterfinal and more importantly into next summer’s Olympic Games.
“I don’t think we’ve played this number of good sides in a row in many years,” added Carter. “Just being at this tournament, getting that experience against sides number one, two, three, we’re going to take this experience moving forward into the Olympics.”
In the end, Govers was able to convert on a corner in the fifty-seventh minute and Beale added his second of the match in the sixtieth to give the Kookaburras the 6-0 win.
Canada will face the Netherlands in a quarterfinal match on Wednesday at 5:00am PT/8:00am ET. All Canada’s schedule, scores, and recaps are available here.
Full post-match interview with David Carter:
Post-match interview with Adam Froese:
