19 July 2019 – Netanya, Israel
An incredible second half comeback fell just short for the Women’s Senior National Team against host nation Israel, 12-10.
The Girls in Green had a difficult start to their fourth game in a row, ending the first quarter down 1-6. Rachel Ward and Nicola Kiely added to Nonie’s first goal but it wasn’t enough to close the gap, ending the half down 3-9. However, something clicked in the Green Machine during halftime because from the moment the players sprinted out of the locker room, an entirely different team stepped on the field.
The team came out swinging with a goal from Maggie Egan, assisted by Caroline Peters, that started the momentum for the Irish that they were missing the first half. Caroline Peters then netted one of her own, quickly followed by Robyn Morris for a 3rd in a row. Israel was only able to answer back with a single goal before the Irish dominated again scoring another three in a row. First came a goal from Robyn Morris’ perfectly timed crease roll. Next came an Erin Riley goal assisted by Nonie Andersen with less than 5 minutes left in the game. Third came a step down shot from 7 meters out from Nonie Anderson bringing the score to 9-11 with 2 minutes left in the game. The Green Machine vacated the net, attempting to cause a turnover, but Israel took advantage of the open net with 43 seconds remaining. The Girls in Green were not done yet, as Caroline Peters netted her second goal of the game with 11 seconds to play, bringing the score to 12-10.
The Green Machine is already looking ahead and preparing for their final “Blue Division” opponent, Germany. This exciting match will be played at 20:00 (IDT) on 20 July. Germany is not an unfamiliar opponent for the Women’s Senior National Team. The Girls in Green defeated Germany 14-8 at the 2017 World Cup to capture 13th place overall, as well as the 2015 European Championship to take 5th place overall.
All games will be live-streamed on YouTube, click here to access. For in-game updates to all matches along with behind the scenes action check out (via Twitter) @IrelandWLax. And in a very exciting turn – all of the Ireland games were chosen to also be broadcast on the Olympic Channel (check your sports package for coverage)!
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