Otago veteran Kane Russell put the icing on the Black Sticks’ series win over Japan on Monday night.
Russell scored the final goal to seal a 4-3 win in Hamilton.
It completed a 2-1 series victory for the Black Sticks, who responded well after being thumped in the opening game.
The opening quarter of the third test was intense and evenly matched, with both teams showing attacking intent.
The best chance of the quarter fell to the Black Sticks when Dylan Thomas pounced on a rebound inside the circle, only to be denied by a brilliant piece of work as the Japanese goalkeeper reached back to knock the ball off the goal line.
Japan struck first in the second quarter with a moment of individual brilliance, as Kazumasa Matsumoto spun sharply inside the circle and fired a reverse-stick shot underneath the goalkeeper.
The response from the Black Sticks was immediate. Sam Lane stepped up at a penalty corner and delivered a fast, accurate flick through the narrow gap between the post defender and the goalkeeper to level the score.
Just before halftime, another penalty corner led to Lane’s flick being saved, but Nic Woods reacted quickest to the rebound, forcing the ball over the line to give the hosts a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
The drama continued early in the third quarter, with Japan crashing the ball into the circle and the unmarked Koji Yamasaki finishing from close range to make it 2-2.
The Black Sticks responded with one of the goals of the tournament.
Thomas won possession in the attacking third and drove into space down the left side of the circle before unleashing a reverse-stick effort that Lane expertly finished at the back post, restoring the one-goal lead.
Japan refused to go away and struck again late in the third quarter to level the match at 3-3, setting up a tense final 15 minutes.
The decisive moment came when the Black Sticks earned a penalty corner.
Russell walked to the top of the circle, and even with Japan throwing double runners at him to block his flick, the Otago great showed composure and class, finding a way past the defenders and firing an unstoppable flick into the top of the goal to seal victory.
The series win is a nice shot of confidence for the Black Sticks heading into an important international season.
While that was officially the end of the men’s Summer of Hockey tournament, New Zealand and Japan are playing another test this morning. — Allied Media
