Scotland secured a 2-0 victory over Korea, executing a strong game plan with goals from Sarah Jamieson and Jessica Ross. Ireland edged New Zealand 1-0 in a tightly contested match, with Naomi Carroll’s first-half goal proving decisive. Chile dominated Canada with a 5-0 win, scoring four second-half goals to eliminate the Canadians from semi-final contention.
Korea 0-2 Scotland
On the second day of the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup, Scotland were able to push past Korea to win 2-0. Rebecca Birch from Scotland attributes this win to a well-executed game plan, “it was very hard fought from the girls, we went in with a game plan and we really succeeded with that, so it feels excellent to come away with the win”.
The first half brought Korea a few goal scoring attempts, with three penalty corners and one shot denied by the goal post. On the other hand, Scotland was able to execute offensively with Sarah Jamieson scoring a cracking field goal in the 21st minute.
With a 1-0 lead going in to the second half, Scotland turned up the heat and pressed the Korean team aggressively. This high pressure from Sarah Jamieson forced Korea to cough up the ball in their own circle, creating a wide-open chance which Jessica Ross finished in the 45th minute.
©FIH/WorldSportPicsIreland 1-0 New Zealand
This was a typical top of the table clash, with the majority of the first half remaining scoreless and neither side wanting to make a mistake. However, just seconds before the halftime hooter, Irish player Naomi Carroll buried an instinctive mid-air touch in the back of the goal, giving The Green Army a 1-0 lead heading into the second half.
New Zealand started the second half with a few quick chances, but Ireland’s keeper Ayeisha McFerran shut them down with clutch saves. For the rest of the second half, Ireland looked the better team, with The Black Sticks playing at a fairly pedestrian pace. The first half goal by Naomi Carroll ended up deciding the game, giving Ireland a 1-0 win and the top spot in the pool with six points.
Looking to their next match versus Korea, Ireland feel they are moving in the right direction as Sarah McAuley shares, “I think we are on a trajectory up, I think we started off okay into the tournament and now we are getting better and better so keep building and looking forward to Korea”.
©FIH/WorldSportPicsChile 5-0 Canada
Las Diablas led Canada at halftime 1-0, with Paula Valdivia putting away the host’s first goal of the tournament on home soil in the 20th minute. The crowd looked to energize the Chileans as they controlled the momentum and pace of the game. The Canadian Wolfpack were able to manufacture two penalty corners in the first half but were unable to convert.
The second half brought even more fire from Las Diablas as they cranked it up a notch. The floodgates opened and the hosts were able to pop in four more goals; Fernanda Arieta in the 40th minute, captain Manuela Urroz in the 47th minute, Laura Muller in the 56th minute and Fernanda Villagran in the 60th minute with a penalty stroke. Chile walks away with three points, while eliminating the Canadians from semi-final contention.
The Chilean team were buzzing post-match from the excitement of winning in front of their home crowd, as Constanza Palma shares, “the best feeling is to play here with all our family, friends and everything so we are very happy for that and happy that we won in our house”.
To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup click here
FIH Women’s Nations Cup – 3 February 2025
Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional, Santiago Chile
Korea 0-2 Scotland
Player of the match: Sarah Jamieson (SCO)
Officials: Victoria Pazos (PAR), Steven Bakker, Frederico Silva (ARG – video)
Ireland 1-0 New Zealand
Player of the match: Anna Mcloughlin (IRL)
Officials: Melissa Taylor (RSA), Allison Mikelson (USA), Megan Robertson (CAN – video)
Chile 5-0 Canada
Player of the match: Laura Muller (CHI)
Officials: Frederico Silva (ARG), Cassidy Gallagher (AUS), Steven Bakker (NED - video)
