FIH Pro League 2023: News and results out of the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras clashes with Belgium in Antwerp

The Kookaburras disappointing run in the FIH Pro League has continued with the Aussies falling 3-1 to Olympic champions Belgium.

Blake Govers (L) scored Australia's sole goal.

A well-drilled Belgium side proved too much for a young Kookaburras outfit who were bested 3-1 in their final FIH Pro League game of the season.

It was a tight first half with the Olympic champions taking the only goal.

Belgium’s Loick Luypaert made it 2-0 but a crafty goal from Kookaburras veteran Blake Govers put the Aussie’s back in the match.

A penalty corner to Belgium in the 56th minute put the home team 3-1 up and there was just not enough time for the young Kookaburras side to claw back the needed goals.

With the Paris Olympics looming Kookaburras Coach Colin Batch said he had used the FIH Pro League as a chance to test his younger and less experienced players against the world’s top teams.

Blake Govers in action for the Kookaburras against Belgium.

Australia won just five of their 16 FIH Pro League games this season.

Kookaburras captain Jeremy Hayward said the loss was disappointing.

“Belgium is a class outfit and they showed that tonight,” Hayward said.

“Belgium had the ball for far too long and we need to be better. It was tough conditions but they just adjusted better to them.

“We don’t like losing. We’ve got a young group and are experimenting but that’s no excuse. We want to win every game so we’ll regroup, learn from this and improve.”

The Kookaburras will jet off to Paris for two international games against France on June 23 and 25.

They will then compete in the Oceania Cup, which doubles as Olympic qualifiers, against New Zealand in August.

SHOOTOUT GENIUS DELIVERS FOR HOCKEYROOS

No one will be more appreciative of Hockeyroos’ shootout genius Jocelyn Bartram than Claire Colwill after the Aussie custodian saved the teen defender’s blushes against Belgium.

The ‘Roos final clash of the FIH Pro League season ended in a 1-1 stalemate after Colwill fluffed a late chance to take the lead from the penalty spot.

Bartram then stood tall for the second time this tour, denying the Red Panthers four times in the 3-2 bonus-point victory that shot the Aussies to the top-of-the table.

“We probably started on the back foot (and) Belgium continued their front-foot aggression from their game against New Zealand, so it was good to soak up some early pressure,” coach Katrina Powell said.

“Then we found our footing and some good movement and a really nice goal.”

Jocelyn Bartram's goalmouth athletics were key to saving the Aussies.

The Hockeyroos should have been 1-0 up after Mariah Williams cannoned one into the net.

But an overzealous whistle from umpire Michelle Meister after the ball struck a Belgian foot a split second earlier meant the advantage did not stand and they had to settle for a penalty corner.

Tatum Stewart’s drag flick was saved on that play, but it took less than two minutes for the Hockeyroos to bounce back thanks to a bullocking run from best afield Amy Lawton who busted Belgium’s defence open.

Her pinpoint angled pill found Steph Kershaw sprinting in from the right and, with a perfectly timed slide, she arrived just in time, deflecting it under the armpit of Elena Sotgiu and into the backboard, despite the faintest of touches from Belgium’s goalkeeper.

The Hockeyroos celebrate Steph Kershaw's goal.

The Red Panthers hit back three-and-a-half minutes from the main break when Stephanie Vanden Borre’s low penalty corner drag flick nutmegged Courtney Schonell at the back post.

Leading scorer Rosie Malone, early in the third, came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, when only the post could deny an unstoppable blow that would have given her a fifth goal in her past four Pro League appearances.

Neither team gave an inch, with plenty of old-fashioned hacking making for an, at times, ugly spectacle. But the umpires kept the cards in their pocket until midway through the third when Belgium’s Delphine Marien was given her marching orders, copping a five-minute suspension for a crude tackle.

Late in the fourth, the Aussies were gifted a golden opportunity to take victory thanks to a cynical challenge from one of Belgium’s chief instigators Helene Brasseur, this time on Schonell as she streaked baseline toward goal.

But Colwill caught her effort from the penalty spot skinny and the ball meekly rolled into Sotgiu for perhaps the easiest save she’ll ever have to make at international level.

Kaitlyn Nobbs' cool head won the shootout for the Hockeyroos.

In the end, it didn’t matter as Kaitlyn Nobbs closed the shootout after Bartram’s heroics.

Lawton was heavily involved for the Hockeyroos, her ability to pick heavy balls off at close range and fearless, speedy attack a feature.

“It was awesome to finish our European tour like that after playing the Netherlands and Belgium who are both really good teams,” Lawton said.

“Shootouts are always tough … they can go either way. We stuck to our process and have worked on our shootouts throughout this whole Pro League series, so it was a good opportunity to give it a go and luckily we came out on top.”

The result leaves the Hockeyroos on top of Pro League standings — for now — with seven wins and 31 points from their 16 matches. The caveat is they’ll need a miracle to stay there — seven of the eight teams below them still have matches in hand, including world No.1 The Netherlands (seven games), who sit six points adrift

Mariah Williams could have had the Hockeyroos' opener.

KOOKABURRAS ADD ANOTHER THRILLING CHAPTER TO BELGIUM RIVALRY

—Matt Logue

The Kookaburras have added another chapter to their intense recent rivalry against Belgium after playing out a nine-goal thriller that saw the hosts prevail 5-4 in Antwerp.

A 59th minute goal from Belgium’s Loick Luypaert was the winner in the first clash since the Europeans defeated Australia to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

Kookaburras forward Blake Govers had netted an equaliser two minutes earlier before Belgium survived two penalty corners in the final seconds to hold on.

Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter wants his charges to use the pain of defeat as motivation when the two sides meet again on Tuesday morning.

“We’re hurting,” Charter said.

“We created enough opportunities and conceded a couple of easy goals which we’re disappointed about.

“It got a bit frantic at the end. We equalised late and then unfortunately we gave them a corner … we should have controlled the ball better after we scored.”

Jake Harvie in action for the Kookaburras.

The Australians started the FIH Pro League clash with fierce intent but found themselves behind in the sixth minute.

Kookaburras defender Jeremy Hayward was dispossessed trying to bring the ball out of his own defensive circle and Belgium’s Nelson Onana capitalised, smashing a tomahawk to open the scoring.

The Kookaburras enjoyed a period of dominance and their breakthrough came in the 13th minute from their fifth penalty corner of the quarter.

After a Govers drag flick was saved, the rebound fell invitingly to Daniel Beale who would not miss.

The homes side were back in front in the 17th minute when Thibeau Stockbroekx scored, the Kookaburras unsuccessfully challenging the decision on review.

Despite dominating the penalty corner count, the Kookaburras but found themselves trailing again with five minutes to go when Arno Van Dessel struck.

Blake Govers.

Charter came off with three minutes to go as the Kookaburras chased an equaliser and he would hardly have had time to sit down before Govers made it 4-4 when he knocked the ball home.

There was still time for one final twist, and it came as Belgium snatched a late winner when Loick Luypaert fired his drag flick low through the legs of Charter who had returned after Govers’ leveller.

The teams will meet again at 4.40am AEST on Tuesday morning. The match will be LIVE on FOX Sports and Kayo.

ROO BEAUTY: ALL ROSIE AS AUSSIES SNAP RED PANTHERS’ STREAK

The World No. 3 Hockeyroos have flexed their collective muscle in enemy territory, vanquishing nearest FIH rankings rival Belgium in Antwerp.

Goals either side of halftime to the emerging Courtney Schonell and star striker Rosie Malone ensured a 2-0 win over the World No. 4 Red Panthers, keeping the pressure on top-of-the-table Argentina as the Pro League season heads toward a thrilling finish.

Both teams opened the clash with a need for speed, the ball pinging between attack and defence, leaving fans’ heads on a swivel.

But it was the Aussies who had the first meaningful early forays, one of those resulting in the opening goal on eight minutes.

Ever-reliable midfield prime mover Jane Claxton displayed supreme hand-eye coordination, plucking the ball out of mid-air to force a turnover, control it and then pinpoint Schonell, whose deft touch left Belgian keeper Elena Sotgiu helpless.

Courtney Schonell was involved in plenty of goalmouth action.

Unbeaten in their previous five Pro League games, the Red Panthers lifted and had the better of the second quarter, but could not find a way past custodian Jocelyn Bartram and the staunch Hockeyroos’ defence.

The second half began in a similar vein to the first, with both teams engaging at breakneck pace but, again, it was the Aussies who struck early.

This time it came from Malone after the ‘Roos were awarded a penalty corner five minutes after the long break. The goal machine hared her way into perfect position to kiss Maddy Fitzpatrick’s hard slap in. The 25-year-old has lit up the European leg of the Pro League, firing in four times in three matches.

From there, the Hockeyroos’ tightened up to control proceedings and lock in a win that left them tied at the top of the Pro League table with Argentina, each nation on 29 points.

Rosie Malone struck her fourth goal in the Hockeyroos' three Pro League European-leg games.

Gun defender Penny Squibb was among Australia’s best as a constant thorn in Belgium’s side, breaking down attack after attack.

The 30-year-old hailed her teammates for their discipline, but said this was just the tip of the iceberg for the rapidly improving Hockeyroos.

“We had a game plan going into it and I think we executed it quite well,” Squibb said.

“There are still things to learn and take into our next game so we’ll review this one and look to improve.

“It’s always nice to win, to execute our skills and play well as a team. We are all about team performances and it doesn’t matter who puts the ball in the back of the net.”

The Hockeyroos close their 2022-23 FIH Pro League campaign on Tuesday morning with a second clash against Belgium at 4.40am AEST (Watch live on Fox Sports and Kayo).

Originally published as FIH Pro League 2023: News and results out of the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras clashes with Belgium in Antwerp