Black Sticks to play India for place in Cup playoffs

New Zealand goalie Dom Dixon, a former Napier Boys High School student, deflects a shot at goal in last night's game against Malaysia at the FIH men's hockey World Cup. At right is teammate Blair Tarrant. Photo / WorldSportPics/Frank Uijlenbroek

It’s been a winding way to the top for New Zealand men’s Black Sticks goalie and former Napier Boys’ High School student Dominic Dixon.

But now the moment’s arrived as the 26-year-old takes up the hot-seat as New Zealand plays host-nation India in a sudden-death pools cross-over match on Monday night for a place in the FIH men’s hockey World Cup quarterfinals.

The opportunity to get a shot at the medals later in the week, or, as the Indians will be acutely aware, seeing out the rest of the tournament playing for ninth 16th places.

Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar, where New Zealand was beaten 3-2 on Thursday for a one-win, two-losses record in pool play, with over 18,000 spectators mainly expecting nothing less than for the home team to win.

Dixon, who came to the sport only when a football friend at school suggested he try out in goal at hockey, he told Hawke’s Bay Today from India he and the team had enjoyed flying “under the radar”, but that has changed since the move from Rourkela, 320km away and where the Black Sticks okayed their first two games in the tournament.

He was about 13 at the time of that introduction, he was soon attaining national recognition, making a junior World Cup team for a tournament also in India, and having to juggle studies at Otago University in Dunedin and moving to Auckland to give himself the best chances at hockey.

Even at home in New Zealand, the team has had a profile which doesn’t do justice to its consistency in international hockey, pocked with a chance of medal hopes on a good day.

Now, for the first time some members were thrust into the pre-match interview routine reserved otherwise mainly for the likes of tournament favourites Australia and the Netherlands, and the home team.

It’ll be the Kiwis’ first game in the tournament at night, some blessing for Dixon who has had to endure the first week bearing the heat and humidity closed-in by the pads and masks that go with being the last line of defence in hockey.

“It will be relatively warm, but we always get up against India,” he said. “They are a Top 5 nation, but we think we match-up well. We’ll be ready. We’re looking forward to it.”

With a 3-1 win over Chile and a 0-4 loss to The Netherlands, the loss on Thursday completed the Black Sticks’ matches in Pool C, finishing in third place after Malaysia snuck into second place with a draw-breaking goal three minutes from the end.

The Netherlands qualified automatically as one of the four pool winners, completing their unbeaten pool play with a cup-record 14-0 win over Chile. Australia, Belgium and England also qualified unbeaten directly into the quarterfinals.

New Zealand started the game stronger than Malaysia and nearly got themselves an early goal with a 3-on-1 attack in the Malaysian circle, but Kingstone’s shot was rather tame in the end. Kane Russell and Razie Rahim were off target from the first penalty corners for both sides as the game started to open up.

Malaysia were the first to score as Faizal Saari got a slight touch on a ball into the circle that took it past onrushing goalie Dom Dixon, one of three Blacks Sticks from Hawke’s Bay, two of them ex-students of Napier Boys’ High School.

Dom Dixon as a Young Achiever at Napier Boys High School in 2014. Photo / Warren Buckland

Malaysia had fewer circle penetrations by halftime, but they had the better chances to score the second goal of the game through Shello Silverius and Marhan Jalil, with both missing great chances, to keep the score at 1-0 at halftime.

The second half followed the same pattern as New Zealand kept possession and territory but were well kept out by the Malaysian deep defence, while every time the Malaysians went into attack, they created good scoring opportunities and made it 2-0 with a goal from the sixth penalty corner as Rahim buried a low drag flick into the bottom left corner.

The final quarter provided pulsating hockey as New Zealand forced its way back into the game as midfield player Hayden Phillips and striker Sam Lane scored back-to-back goals in the 6th and 7th minutes of the quarter, making it 2-2 with8 minutes to go, and good enough for second place for the Kiwis if they could hold on to the draw.

But Malaysia grabbed the victory, and second place with less than three minutes left, as Saari scored his second of the game.