Powered on by a large Southern contingent, New Zealand won all six games, but the crunch game was against the home team Thailand, midway through the tournament.
The Kiwis edged Thailand 4-3 and that result ultimately decided the tournament.
Thailand led 2-0 midway through the game after Nuchanat Ponglerkdee slotted two goals. She banged in a third later in the game and was the tournament’s leading scorer with 27 goals in six games.
The New Zealanders did not have the same firepower but scored important goals through Gore’s Beth Scott and Jana Kivell to level the score.
Taieri’s Kirstin Gerken put New Zealand up 3-2 early in the third period and Scott slotted the winner, converting a power-play to seal the victory.
New Zealand dominated its other games, beating Singapore 6-2, Malaysia 13-2, India 10-1, Philippines 8-0 and the UAE 16-1.
It is the first tournament the team has attended since it was set up several years ago.
There were 11 players from the Otago and Southland region in the squad: Scott, Gerken, Laney Keenan, Gabrielle Mills, Ashley Dickinson, Rina Watt, Hannah Cross, Erin Marshall, Brittany Tiller, Heather McAslan and Jordan Wichman.
Assistant coach Lyndal Heineman is also from the region, lifting the Southern involvement to 12 people.
