The Black Sticks women's team savour defending the Hawke's Bay Cup in Hastings last night. Photo / Warren Buckland
It was always going to be a question of what is sexier - retreating into the trenches or squeezing the trigger in turf warfare?
The Vantage Black Sticks women's team made that resoundingly clear last night when they drew first blood before, slowly but surely, wearing down Japan in the Hawke's Bay Cup final for a 3-0 victory in Hastings last night.
The historic back-to-back crown in the fourth edition of the marquee international event of the HB Festival of Hockey was by no means a one-sided affair on a breathless but fresh autumn evening at Unison Stadium.
The Hazuki Yuda-captained visitors didn't give up easily, sitting back deep in their quarter to create a "no man's land", despite conceding a goal early to Rachel McCann in just the fourth minute.
The battle lines became somewhat static until late in the final quarter with Japan defender Mami Itchitani becoming a casualty of several ferocious New Zealand raids eight minutes into the third spell with skipper Olivia Merry leading the charge, including the goalmouth shot that fed McCann for the opening goal.
Itchitani required attention on the turf, as the game came to a halt for about 10 minutes, before the medics wheeled her away on a stretcher with her calf wrapped up in an ice pack.
"She's fine but the team has to leave at 3am [via road] for Auckland to catch their flight at 1pm," said Napier interpreter Satomi Yamaguchi when asked if Itchitani required to be attended to in hospital.
The Mark Hager and Sean Dancer-coached Kiwis had showed incremental gains throughout the 10-day tourney that provided a sandpit for all four nations, including the Hockeyroos and Team USA, to tinker with their squads in preparation for the World League 3 starting late next month.
For the hosts last night, the energy and passion undoubtedly came from the near-capacity parochial supporters who gave them a standing ovation during their lap of honour following the final hooter.
With four minutes to go in the clash of defiance, Rose Keddell had inscripted Japan's epitaph with a reverse stick shot from the top inside of the D to increase the lead, 2-0.
You could almost feel the resistance drain out of the women in pink but they had no one to blame but themselves for some lacklustre air shots that left the ball dangling to be rifled in.
As they returned in a dazed state to the centre line, Merry drove a stake into their heart within seconds of the restart for a don't-argue 3-0 margin.
Dancer, who took his post on the sidelines again with Hager taking the lookout perch in the tower, kept the achievement in perspective.
"To win a tournament is, obviously, good and that's what we're trying to do in every tournament we play and in every game we're trying to be successful," said the Brisbane-born assistant coach.
He lauded his women's intent with an early goal but felt they had made life difficult for themselves although how they had closed their account had pleased him and Hager.
The go-for-the-jugular brand of hockey was something that had become part of a tribal ritual for the Black Sticks.
"We pride ourselves on that and that's the style of game we play so we're confident, more often than not, that we can win more games through that style."
While kudos was rightly heaped on the predatorial personnel, Dancer agreed the defence - which the likes of Brooke Neal, Keddell, Liz Thompson and Pippa Hayward kept calm and composed, and veteran goalkeeper Sally Rutherford kept intact - deserved just as much recognition.
"As the game progressed we gave Japan too many opportunities but ... our keeper's done a great job today. At stages we were certainly under the pump and Japan got straight back into the game.
"For us it's pleasing that we were tested and we were eventually able to get through it."
If Japan goalkeeper Megumi Kageyama had stamped her supremacy for the best part of the tourney, Rutherford showed there's no subsitute for her 139 caps as rookie Queensland-born Black Sticks convert Grace O'Hanlon donned the pads in some of the build-up games.
Dancer said the New Zealanders were certainly "not getting ahead of ourselves" because we know we have a long way to go.
With a fresh blood element in the matrix, he and Hager were much wiser for the exposure here.
"We were successful but we'll go home and take a hard look at everything to make sure we keep improving from now until the World League 3."
Dancer said every area of the line up required attention even though the midfield was the point of circulation.
"They are engine room so we rely on them to win the ball for us but able to create the play."
He said a cursory glance of the statistics of that facet of play would indicate it wasn't operating at its optimal level.
Asked if they had ample time to make the adjustments, dance replied: "To be honest, the years are going to come quite quicker.
"Everyone thinks in post-Olympic year it's a bit of a down year but this year is going to come around very quick."
The players will enjoy recovering this week, amid light workout sessions, but it'll be back on the drawing board the following week.
Reflecting on last year, Dancer said the Kiwis were 2-nil up against Japan and then made the last quarter stressful but last night there was an air of confidence when they ran out for the final spell.
"We love playing in Hawke's Bay and the support we get from you guys here is very pleasing," he said.
The Robyn Mactaggart Medal for best and fairest player, was awarded to Team USA forward Michelle Vittese, 27.
The medal is named in memory of the late Robyn Mactaggart who died after a long illness in November 2012 at the age of 44.
Robyn was born into a hockey family in Newcastle, Australia. She played club hockey for the Waverly Hockey Club in Victoria and school hockey for Kilvington College in Melbourne.
She moved to the Bay with husband Bruce in 2008. A passionate supporter of hockey here, Mactaggart had coached both school and junior representative teams in the Bay.
Monique Therese, of Havelock North, designed and handcrafted the medal in sterling silver.