10th April 2017: Belarus just miss out on qualification for HWL semi-finals as they lost to India in the semi-final on Saturday. They salvaged a 3rd place finish against Uruguay yesterday to take 3rd, but they needed to finish in the top 2 to progress.
India were crowned HWL Round Two champions in West Vancouver at the final Round Two event of the season after a thrilling match against Chile, which was decided on penalty shoot-out.
The result means both India (World Ranking:12) and Chile (WR:20) qualify for the HWL Semi-Finals in either South Africa or Belgium and have a chance to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in London.
1st/2nd place: India v Chile 1-1 (3-1 pso)
Chile took the game to the higher ranked nation as they opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Maria Maldonado. The south American side then worked hard to shut the door on India as the Asia team poured on the pressure. Chile’s defence finally capitulated in the 41st minute when Anupa Barla scored from a penalty corner to bring her team back into the fray.
The game see-sawed back and forth but no-one was able to make the vital breakthrough and so the game went to penalty shoot-out.
India were clinical in the shoot-out, while the Eve’s ‘keeper Savita, confirmed her position as Goalkeeper of the Tournament, with two tremendous saves.
3/4th Place: Belarus v Uruguay (4-2)
Nastassia Syrayezhka smashed in a rebounded shot to give Belarus a 1-0 lead just four minutes in the penultimate match. Just before the end of the first quarter Uruguay’s Milagros Algorta unleashed a drag flick to tie the game 1-1. Sviatlana Bahushevich scored from close range to put Belarus back in front.
Belarus went up 3-2 on a penalty corner from captain Ryta Batura and the Belarus captain scored again just before the end to silence Uruguay’s medal hopes in the 52nd minute.
5/6th Place: Canada v Mexico (4-0)
Four goals from the tournament’s top scorer Brienne Stairs was enough to earn Canada fifth place as they defeated Mexico with a stylish display of hockey.
The top two finishers from the women’s Round 2 events in Kuala Lumpur (14-22 Jan 2017) Valencia (4-12 Feb 2017) and West Vancouver, (1-9 April 2017) have all qualified for the Hockey World League Semi-Finals, being joined in the World Cup qualifier phase by the two highest ranked of the third placed finishers from those three events. Kuala Lumpur top two Ireland and Malaysia join Spain and Poland, who took the top two places at the event in Valencia. Now India and Chile have also booked their places.
The two highest ranked of the third placed finishers from each event also progress through to the next phase of the competition. Italy (WR 16) finished third in Kuala Lumpur, a result which proved to be enough for their progression. Scotland (WR: 17) were the third-place finisher in Valencia, and their superior ranking over Belarus (WR: 20), who finished third in West Vancouver, means that they also move through to the Hockey World League Semi-Finals which take place this summer.
To learn more about how the teams progress through the competition in the hope of reaching the 2018 Hockey World Cups, click here, with more details about all of the HWL events available by clicking here.
Final standings
1: India
2: Chile
3: Belarus
4: Uruguay
5: Canada
6: Mexico
7: Trinidad and Tobago
Player of the Tournament: Ryta Batura (BLR)
Goalkeeper of the Tournament: Savita (IND)
Best Junior Player: Denise Krimerman (CHI)
Top Scorer: Brienne Stairs (CAN)
Source: FIH.CH
Photograph: Belarus celebrate (PAHF/Yan Huckendubler (c))