Hockeyroos smash Fiji 14-0
The Hockeyroos have opened the Oceania Cup with a 14-0 win over Fiji, celebrating co-captain Nikki Hudson's record-breaking game in style.
Bec Sanders was first to score for the Hockeyroos, firing a drag flick into the back of the net from a penalty corner in the 7th minute.
Just a minute later, a reverse-stick shot from Sarah Taylor found a Madonna Blyth deflection to put the Australians two goals ahead.
Sarah Taylor was again in the action in the 18th minute, this time finding Hope Munro on the post for the Hockeyroo's third.
Casey Eastham also found the goals with a reverse-stick shot from the top of the circle in the 22nd.
Megan Rivers then made the scoreline 5-0 with six minutes left on the first-half clock and Blyth scored her second to give the Hockeyroos a six-goal lead at half time.
Madonna Blyth got the first of the Hockeyroos second-half goals, taking her tally to three for the game.
Record-breaker Nikki Hudson, playing in her 280th International for Australia, found an open goal to ensure she was amongst the scoring in her milestone match.
Shortly after Sanders and Munro scored once again, Sanders from a corner and Munro from the field before Hudson was once again in the scoring action in the 52nd from a well worked penalty corner.
Blyth found her fourth goal with 12 minutes to go before Angie Lambert got amongst the scoring with a penalty-corner drag flick with three left on the clock and again from another penalty corner in the dying seconds to take the score to a 14-0 win.
Hudson's milestone was acknowledged with special presentation and message from former games record-holder Rechelle Hawkes.
"It was pleasing to start that way," Hockeyroos coach Frank Murray said.
"We started to put some reasonable hockey together once the ground dried out in the second half, but we'll need to play better tomorrow."
The Hockeyroos will take on trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand on Wednesday at 6.30 pm AEST.
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