Dual milestone night ends in disappointment for Hockeyroos
Published Tue 17 Jun 2025
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The Hockeyroos have fallen to England 0-1 in a tight encounter against the hosts in London, as they continued their FIH Pro League campaign in Europe and the UK. Australia were forced to chase England and hunt an equaliser for three quarters, but they couldn't find the breakthrough needed to cancel out the home side's early goal, and end a double milestone night for co-captain Kaitlin Nobbs and Mariah Williams on a high. "We knew England, in their home country, would come out firing and we knew we couldn't take their skill level for granted but when we got out there, we didn't stick to what we do well," Mariah said post-match. "We were on the back foot after that goal and we chased the game as hard as we could, but unfortunately it wasn't good enough today." As they hunted the win over England, Kaitlin and Mariah called upon over a decade's experience, including five Olympic Games between them, in what was their 150th appearance in green and gold. "It's been a long time coming... I debuted in 2013, alongside the likes of Jane Claxton and Brooke Peris, which feels like a very long time ago," Mariah reflected. "Unfortunately, having the injuries that I've had throughout my career has made me miss a lot of games, and I don't take this for granted, I'm very fortunate that I've still been able to reach 150 games for my country, and to do it alongside one of my best friends, Kaitlin, is something that's also been incredibly special." "Unfortunately, we couldn't get over the line and get a win... I actually took a moment to reflect before the game, and I said to the girls, 'Unfortunately, the game of hockey doesn't know when it's your 150 and you have to rock up and play as hard no matter what game it is," Kaitlin said. "It's been a long journey and I'm pleased to have finally reached the milestone." "You don't know when your last game will be for your country... we're doing something we absolutely love and something we put a lot of hard work and blood and tears into, so when you step out on that field it's a moment to feel a big sense of pride and gratitude," Mariah added. The Hockeyroos had surged to fifth on the FIH Pro League ladder after back-to-back victories over India, while England were desperate to lift themselves off the bottom of the table and were determined to make a statement in front of a packed home crowd. Within the first ten minutes, England gained the only lead they needed, capitalising on a defensive lapse by Australia that proved costly, when Becky Manton tapped in a ball that trickled over the face of the goal. After the half-time review, the Hockeyroos upped the intensity and added pressure, maintaining more possession as they hunted an advantage and ultimately the much-needed equaliser. Their first penalty corner opportunity came in the fourth after a bright start to the quarter, but Tatum Stewart's flick couldn't penetrate the defence. With England reduced to 10 players for two minutes of the last four to a green card, Australia continued to surge. A last-second strike from the captain on her milestone night was the final opportunity, but it wouldn't get through England's defence, sealing defeat despite a dominant finish. The Hockeyroos will reset ahead of the second clash against England, determined to bounce back and finish the London leg of their FIH Pro League campaign on a high. "We had some really good chances tonight, and we moved the ball well, but we didn't make the most of the chances that we actually had in the circle," Kaitlin said. "They were only up for one goal for most of the game, and it's not too hard to get one goal back and then another one, so tomorrow it'll be just about being a bit more deadly with our opportunities." "Tomorrow's game is going to come down to a lot more hard work and smart hockey," Mariah added. "There were times when we were trying to put in the hard work, but it wasn't necessarily the smartest work to be doing. I think we can tone it back a little bit and make sure when we step out on the field tomorrow, we're actually going forward as a unit and as a team. "Our way of play and our structure is absolutely deadly when we're working together and making sure we operate as a real unit and attack the width with our speed." Game two gets underway on Thursday morning, at 12.45am AWST / 2.45am AEST, live and free on 7plus. |
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Hockeyroos v England Lee Valley Hockey Stadium, London Hockeyroos: 1. Claire Colwill, 3. Morgan Mathison, 4. Amy Lawton, 5. Grace Young, 7. Aleisha Power (gk), 9. Maddi Smith, 11. Alice Arnott, 13. Hattie Shand, 15. Kaitlin Nobbs (c), 16. Courtney Schonell, 17. Lucy Sharman, 18. Alana Kavanagh, 22. Tatum Stewart, 24. Mariah Williams, 25. Zoe Newman (gk), 26. Lexie Pickering, 30. Grace Stewart, 78. Jamie-lee Surha |
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Hockeyroos FIH Pro League UK/Europe Tour Schedule London, England Tuesday, 17 June – 8.00pm AEST / 6.00pm AWST - England v Hockeyroos Thursday, 19 June – 2.45am AEST / 12.45am AWST - England v Hockeyroos Berlin, Germany Sunday, 22 June – 12.30am AEST / 10.30pm AWST (Saturday, 21 June) – Germany v Hockeyroos Sunday, 22 June – 10.00pm AEST / 8.00pm AWST – Germany v Hockeyroos |
