Hockey: Harrison hits milestone

Northland Black Sticks player Charlotte Harrison keeps Irishwoman Zoe Wilson in check. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Black Sticks go into a Hawke's Bay Cup quarter-final today on the back of strong performances from Northlanders in the team.

Stacey Michelsen and Charlotte Harrison sealed the result on Tuesday night with a goal each in the last 10 minutes of the match against Ireland. The side defeated Ireland 3-1 to finish top of Pool B and finish pool play undefeated.

Reader Peter Nicholson captured this shot of Charlotte Harrison (far right) celebrating with her Black Sticks teammates after their win against Ireland on Tuesday. Photo / Contributed

For Harrison, it was a fitting way to celebrate her 200th international cap.

Down a goal at halftime, the Black Sticks equalised through Anita Punt in the 32nd minute.

With 8 minutes to play, Michelsen put the Black Sticks ahead when the ball fell at her feet in the circle and she sent a lethal reverse shot past the keeper. One minute later a counter attack caught the Irish defence off guard and the Northland combination of Michelsen and Harrison saw the latter put a goal away from close range.

The win saw New Zealand go three wins from three games in the pool phase after overcoming India (1-0) and China (3-1) earlier at the tournament.

The top seeded Black Sticks now face a clash against Korea (bottom of Pool A) in the quarter-finals at 2.30pm today.

All four of today's quarter-finals will be live streamed at hockeynz.co.nz/Video

Black Sticks assistant coach Sean Dancer said Tuesday's match was a tough one against an improving Irish side.

"Ireland were always going to be a strong opponent, and they gave us a really good contest which is a good thing going into the quarter-finals," he said.

"We weren't so good in the first half and we had to weather the storm under pressure. In the second half though our girls really fired up, performed strongly."

Ireland had silenced the crowd in the ninth minute after a NZ defensive error and an ensuing rush into the circle, where Nicola Evans knocked home a goal past goalkeeper Georgia Barnett.

Hawke's Bay Cup - today's quarter finals:

* 10am Australia (1st Pool A) vs India (4th Pool B)

* 12.15pm China (2nd Pool B) vs Canada (3rd Pool A)

* 2.30pm Black Sticks (1st Pool B) vs Korea (4th Pool A)

* 4.45pm Japan (2nd Pool A) vs Ireland (3rd Pool B)