The New Zealand men's team notched their first win at a world championships in Melbourne yesterday, beating Japan 10-9 for 15th place.
Down 7-8 going into the final quarter, two quick goals from Richard Claridge proved decisive for the New Zealanders, who endured a number of heavy losses
at the tournament.
They were relieved to emerge on top in an even encounter, which was locked 4-4 at halftime.
French-based Wellingtonians Timothy Grace and Lachlan Tijsen both scored three goals for New Zealand while Zoltan Boros and Claridge each bagged a double.
New Zealand first qualified for a world championship in 1982 and again competed in 1990, 1994 and 1998 without a win while finishing 16th and last in each. It was also New Zealand's first win over Japan, having lost to them on several occasions in the past.
The New Zealand women's team suffered a disappointing 14-7 loss to Brazil in their classification match.
After shooting to a 3-1 lead after the first quarter, New Zealand found themselves one goal down at halftime before falling away in the second spell.
New Zealand's last game will be for 11th place in the 16-team tournament against Germany today.
- NZPA
