Greece and Spain topped the major groups with decisive victories as the early group stage has finished. The top eight teams have a rest day as the focus switches to the minor groupings and who will emerge to medal consideration with Canada and New Zealand facing off on Wednesday and Israel taking on the high-flying Australia.
Overview
In Group A, Greece finished top of the group, delivering Hungary its first loss 14-10. Third-ranked Netherlands dealt Italy a third blow, winning 15-12.
In Group B, Spain won the group with a thundering 18-4 margin over third-ranked China. United States of America took out second position with an 18-6 destruction of Croatia.
In Group C, Group winner New Zealand displaced Colombia 20-12 who finishes third behind Turkiye.
In Group D, Canada beat winless Malta 16-4 with Germany taking second spot.
In Group E, Israel downed South Africa 19-11 in the duel of the top two. Zimbabwe finishes third.
In Group F, Australia romped home against Serbia 22-5 for top spot with Brazil filling third position.
Match Reports
Match 17. Group E. SOUTH AFRICA 11 ISRAEL 19 (0-5, 4-5, 2-5, 5-4)
Israel took out the group with a second victory over the second-ranked team. South Africa did well to win the final period. A barrage of goals in the first quarter by five different players, set Israel up for the rest of the encounter. Gabriella Morrell backhanded from centre forward to start the second quarter and get the Africans on the board. Shiri Wissman collected her second goal, on extra from the top left. June Stander replied on penalty and Libby Gur-Koren took a six-metre shot from 10 metres out and plunged the ball into the bottom right for 7-2. It was the first of four consecutive goals for her. South Africa, meantime, scored a penalty goal to Amy Aaron and Isabella Duffy jumped on to a rebound to score from bottom left. Gur-Koren scored just before the buzzer from deep left for 10-4 at the long break. Teva Dorfman started the second half on extra from deep left Duffy made it 12-5 on penalty while Wissman and Dorfman, both on extra, raised the score to 14-5. Esme du Plessis shocked everyone with 10m African rocket and Dorfman again hammered one in from the bottom left for 15-6 at the last break. Goals were swapped three times in the fourth period with Gil Roitman nabbing a pair for Israel. Einav Amor broke the pattern at centre forward for 19-9. Du Plessis converted extra from the top left and South Africa had double figures. On the next African attack, Duffy fired quickly from top right for 19-11 at 0:28, the final score.
Match Heroes
Dorfman and Gur-Koren scored five each for Israel and captain Wissman made a treble. Duffy was South Africa’s best with four goals. The goalkeepers combined for seven saves.
Turning Point
That opening period was a killer for South Africa.
Stats Don’t Lie
Israel was superb on extra with a tournament-high 10 from 15 while blocking five from six. South Africa made sure of four penalty attempts. Israel won the steals 11 to four and the shots 33-28 at a percentage of 57.6 to 39.3.
Match 18. Group F, AUSTRALIA 22 SERBIA 5 (7-3, 5-1, 4-1, 6-0)
Australia swept its grouping with a second large victory and assigned Serbia to second place in the group following its 12-11 win over Brazil. Bless Daly, who scored 11 against Brazil, started the scoring and made it 3-1 on extra soon after. Serbia drew close at 4-3 through Nika Ratkovic but an Aussie triple with two Daly strikes, had the match at 7-3 by the first break. Goals were traded and then Australia rattled in four more by halftime — three on counter. Daly countered to start the second half and score her sixth. At 4:57 in the period, Abigail Oates scored her third but it was disallowed on a coach challenge as she allegedly kicked the trailing player. It earned her a red card with substitution. Ali McCarthy scored off the right-post position for her second and Elena Cuk replied with a bouncer from well outside for 14-5 and her second. Sara Connors scored from deep right and Daly’s buzzer-beater on extra proved to be a fraction too late, according to VAR. Captain Kiera Mironova countered for the 16th team goal just before the final break for her second. McCarthy from seven metres; Amelie Hoefel on penalty and Mironova at centre forward, raised the bar to 19-5 at 4:05. Two more penalty goals and a lob on counter sealed the match at 22-5, leaving Serbia scoreless in the final period.
Match Heroes
Daly finished with six with McCarthy and Mironova netting a hat-trick each. The goalkeepers stood up with Caroline Healy saving eight and Isabelle O’Connor five. For Serbia, Masa Cuk and Elena Cuk scored two each.
Turning Point
Australia scoring the last three goals of the first quarter that gave adequate separation and onwards to victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
Australia converted four from seven on extra and blocked six of seven. Australia made four penalty goals; won the steals 15 to three and outshot Serbia 61 per cent to 17.2.
Match 19. Group C, NEW ZEALAND 20 COLOMBIA 12 (4-3, 8-3, 4-3, 4-3)
New Zealand needed an heroic second quarter to surpass the plucky Colombians who kept applying the pressure in every sphere, as the statistics attest. New Zealand shot out to 4-1 and was denied a penalty attempt. However, Colombia struck back with two from the field and another missed penalty. Salome Agudelo scored on penalty to start the second quarter as Colombia took control at 5-4. The celebrations were short-lived as Isabella Lambie arrived on the scene and scored four consecutive goals, including a penalty strike after she missed her first attempt. India-Rose Scholes grabbed a second for 9-5 as Colombia took a timeout. Goals were traded with Madelyne Ciro gaining Colombia’s second penalty goal. Sasha Tindall and Scholes closed the gate on the half with the white ferns 12-6 ahead. Ciro was in a swap at the top of the third period as New Zealand missed a second penalty attempt. Ciro gained her third on extra before a mini revival by the Kiwis took the score to 16-8 with Lambie in the mix. Laura Atehortua finished the period with a six-metre, free throw shot for 16-9, 19 seconds from time. Agudelo brought up double figures for Colombia on penalty to start the fourth. Zoe Knight and Grainne Aitken responded. Aitken was in another trade; Atehortua converted extra; Liv Patterson shot her second for 20-12 and the Kiwis missed a penalty attempt milliseconds before the final buzzer.
Match Heroes
Lambie with five and Scholes netted three for the Kiwis. Jemma McKinley made eight of the team’s 10 saves in goal. For Colombia, Atehortua, Ciro and Agudelo scored a hat-trick each.
Turning Point
The 8-3 second quarter was where this match was won.
Stats Don’t Lie
New Zealand netted three from five on extra to two from two. On penalties, New Zealand missed three from five and Colombia two from five. The Kiwis won the steals 11-four and the shooting at 57.1 to 40 per cent.
Match 20. Group D, MALTA 4 CANADA 16 (2-4, 2-3, 0-3, 0-6)
Canada won the group and advances to the crossovers with a solid effort against Malta. It was a real tussle in the opening half and then Malta fell away as Canada was defensively clean for 18 minutes. Canada started first and went to 3-1 before Chloe Amato sat up on a six-metre, free throw missile. Jennika Linthicum responded for the 4-2 quarter-time advantage. It was a trade fest in the second quarter before Josephine Lukie finished at 1:08. Marierose Tully was Malta’s fourth, and ultimately final, scorer at 1:58. Clara Milleker Shyiak scored the first two goals of the third periods to add to her opener. Canadian head coach David Paradelo, so long the Canadian senior women’s mentor, was given a yellow card even though his team was on a winning run and finished the period 10-4 ahead. Adelyn Kyfiuk scored twice to open the last period and McKenna Pineda-McLean scored twice to end proceedings at 16-4.
Match Heroes
Milleker Shyiak netted three for Canada and the goalkeepers stood up, Alexandra Stoddard making 11 saves and Yasmine Sowka five from five.
Turning Point
The 8-3 second quarter was where this match was won.
Stats Don’t Lie
Canada won with a superior shooting percentage at 59.3 to 12.9. On extra, Canada went two from four and Malta none from two. Malta won the steals seven to six.
Match 21. Group A, HUNGARY 10 GREECE 14 (2-4, 1-5, 3-3, 4-2)
Greece took out the group with a fine victory that had the score at 14-6 before Hungary struck a golden vein in the last three minutes. Adrienn Hetzl started the ball rolling from the deep left but Rafael Saltamanika scored three of the next four goals, on counter, extra and from the top. Afroditi Bitsakou scored the third. Sara Keszthelyi, no relation to senior superstar Rita Keszthelyi, scrambled in a buzzer beater on extra for 4-2 down. Nefeli Krassa needed VAR to get her deep-right shot across the line and she then lobbed for 6-2. Kinco Kenez had her penalty attempt saved but scored on extra on the next Hungarian attack. A Greek triple took the match to 9-3 at halftime. Hetzl scored from the left-post position to start the second half. Krassa and Kenez traded goals and two more Greek strikes boosted the score to 12-5. Greta Tomori replied for Hungary on extra for 12-6 at the last break. Anastasia Bikou, who scored the 11th Greek goal from a six-metre rocket, began the fourth period on extra from deep left. Sofia Lampropoulou converted extra for her second and it was 14-6. There the music died for Greece as Hungary went on the rampage with Mandula Mihok pushing in a rebound and Hanga Szalkai converting a penalty foul. Mihok scored twice in the last minute off a cross pass to the left post and then stole the ball at centre forward to score with a second left on the clock.
Match Heroes
Captain Krassa and Saltamanika scored three each for Greece and the goalkeepers combined for eight saves. Mihok scored three for Hungary and the goalies dragged in seven saves.
Turning Point
Greece went to 4-1 and 9-3 by halftime, setting it up for victory.
Stats Don’t Lie
Greece converted just five from nine to Hungary’s four from five. Hungary missed one of two penalty attempts. Greece stole the ball nine times to five and had the overall shooting at 48.3-35.7 per cent.
Final Points
Group A: Greece 9, Hungary 6, Netherlands 3, Italy 0.
Group B: Spain, 9, USA 6, China 3, Croatia 0.
Group C: New Zealand 6, Turkiye 3, Colombia 0.
Group D: Canada 6, Germany 3, Malta 0.
Group E: Israel 6, South Africa 3, Zimbabwe 0.
Group F: Australia 6, Serbia 3, Brazil 0.
Day 4 Schedule
13th-20th classification
10:30, Group G, Turkiye v Malta
12:00, Group G, South Africa v Brazil
13:30, Group H, Colombia v Germany
15:00, Group H, Zimbabwe v Serbia
Crossovers
16:30, Crossover, Canada v New Zealand
18:00, Crossover, Israel v Australia