Two goals in four second half minutes saw Germany snatch the women’s Olympic bronze medal ahead of New Zealand in Deodoro as they made the most of their chances.
New Zealand had the majority of the play throughout but they could not break through their opponent’s defences for whom Kristina Reynolds was in inspired form.
Indeed, in the first half alone, running up six shots to just one Julia Muller corner strike in the opening 30 minutes. But the Blacksticks found Kristina Reynolds in supreme form as she saved well from Gemma Flynn in a one-on-one situation while she also kept out Stacey Michelsen at point blank range.
And, having ridden their luck before the big break, Germany prospered after it. Charlotte Stapenhorst broke the deadlock when she got on the end of a brilliant move, sweeping home from close range.
Lisa Schutze then made it 2-0 in the 37th minute with a neat finish from close range, gathering the ball and flicking it up and over Sally Rutherford.
At the far end, Reynolds continued to impress, smothering Charlotte Harrison’s backhand shot in one key moment. The goalkeeper was eventually beaten, though, on the 45 minute mark when a corner rebound fell to Olivia Merry and her shot made it just over the line via a series of ricochets.
And the Blacksticks continued to pile forward in the closing quarter but found every effort they had repelled by the German backline, scrambling and battling for every last ball to grab the bronze medal.