Stingers show penalty prowess to progress Paris dream

Courtesy olympics.com.au

The Australian Stingers will play Greece in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Water Polo competition in Paris.

The 14-12 win against the world number two ranked nation followed strong performances against China, the Netherlands, and Canada in the group stage.

The game began with intense action, as both teams demonstrated their defensive prowess and tactical discipline. Australia’s Zoe Arancini opened the scoring with a well-timed goal 90 seconds before the first quarter ended 1-all.

Scores were locked 3-all at half time, both goalkeepers playing well. Australia edged ahead 6-5 before another increase in intensity by the Hungarians left the score 9-9 at the end of regular time.

Moving into the penalty shootout, it was Australia who outscored Hungary 5-3.

Olympic debutant Alice Williams played a vital role in Australia’s victory, scoring three goals in the last quarter and netting one of the crucial penalty goals.

The 25-year-old from Queensland was thrilled with the team’s performance.

“Nerves of steel. It’s unheard of to have so many penalty shootouts in round games, like totally in finals,” Alice said. 

“I think that just goes to show how competitive the women’s game is at the moment.

“Our team can hold our own. I think it gives us a bit of a head start going into finals.”

Reflecting on the match, Australian coach Bec Rippon, a dual Olympian and bronze medallist from Beijing 2008, praised her team’s preparation and mindset.

“We’ve had the best preparation I believe we could have had, and we’re just trusting the processes that we’ve got in place. Trying to believe in that and not panic has been a really big key.”

“We've done a lot of work on us as a team, and I think that's shining through.”

The Stingers' first female coach, Rebecca Rippon, acknowledged the inherent pressure of competing at the Olympics but emphasised that the team is trying to embrace it.

“We're trying not to run away from the pressure of it and actually challenge ourselves to step into it,” Rippon said.

“If you come out here and you compete at the right time and on the right day, you can do anything.

“We know it’s not guaranteed. We’ve had a good start, and we’ve just got to keep going out and just keep focusing on what we can control.”