Namibia’s women’s indoor hockey team got off to a solid start in their test series against Croatia with a 4-0 win in the first test in Zelina on Monday night.
It was a special occasion for captain Gillian Hermanus who won her 50th cap for her country and she marked the moment in style by getting onto the scoresheet, while Tara Myburgh, Jivanka Kruger and Kiana Cormack scored the other goals.
Croatia had a few early chances but Namibian keeper Petro Stoffberg brought off some fine saves to deny Lucija Čepo and Saša Abramović.
Namibia steadily grew into the game, with Jahntwa Kruger launching some attacks down the right wing, while a Kiana Cormack counterattack from the back had Croatia’s defence scrambling for cover.
Namibia finally broke the deadlock at the end of the first quarter when Tara Myburgh received a great throughball from Cormack and beat Croatia’s keeper Nicole Stepic from close range.
Croatia went on the offensive in the second quarter, winning a short corner that they could not convert, but Namibia bided their time and went 2-0 ahead when Gillian Hermanus deflected a Cormack cross into the net on 17 minutes.
Cormack once again initiated Namibia’s third goal early in the third quarter when she launched a counterattack and passed to Jivanka Kruger, who hit the back of the net.
Croatia’s discipline let them down as they picked up some green cards for fouls in the final quarter, and Cormack sealed an emphatic win with a goal just before the final whistle.
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