Photo: NZ HeraldThe Black Sticks women will defend their title at the Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey, after edging the United States 2-1 in their final pool match in Hastings. And goals from Kirsten Pearce and Brooke Neal saw them do just that, setting up a replay of last year's final, where the Black Sticks beat Japan 2-1. The rest of the first quarter and the early part of the second belonged to Americans as the Black Sticks struggled to string together passes and had to defend strongly to keep their opponents at bay. The victory saw the Black Sticks top the pool with 11 points, as Japan edged Australia on a countback. RESULTS:New Zealand: 2 (Kirsten Pearce, Brooke Neal)United States: 1 (Caitlin van Sickle)Halftime: 2-1

Source: Otago Daily Times April 08, 2017 07:41 UTC