Glasgow 2014: England Women's Hockey Team Reach Commonwealth Final After Shoot-out With New Zealand

Goalkeeper Maddie Hinch was the hero for England women's hockey team after saving three times in the shoot-out, enabling the team to reach a third Commonwealth Games final at the expense of New Zealand.

Hinch denied New Zealand trio Anita Punt, Katie Glynn and Stacey Michelsen as England prevailed 3-1 in the shoot-out to guarantee themselves a medal for the fifth Games in a row.

Glynn had earlier scored a dramatic equaliser with two minutes left after England had looked set to reach the final through Lily Owsley's first half goal.

But as Georgie Twigg, Alex Danson and Lucy Wood each scored, Hinch came to England's rescue to set up a meeting with reigning champions Australia

The final against Australia on Saturday gives England the chance to avenge their defeat in the 1998 final in Kuala Lumpur, as well as their 3-0 pool stage loss earlier in the tournament.

"I'm renowned for being a bit of a geek when it comes to studying players and I'd done my homework on what to expect from them," Hinch said.

"I knew what they might do under pressure and I felt ready.

"We can't wait for Australia now. They are defiantly favourites but we are going in with the mindset that we can win."

After beating Scotland, in a nervous fashion, to reach the knockout phase, England stood 70 minutes away from guaranteeing themselves a medal a month on from finishing 11<sup>th out of 12 nations at the World Cup.

New Zealand had won all three of their preliminary matches on their route to the last four, beating India, South Africa, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobabgo, to waltz through as pool winners.

The Kiwis dominating possession during the opening exchanges, forcing England to operate on the counter-attack, though opportunities to open the scoring were few and far between.

Even when the first penalty corner of the match came the way of the New Zealanders, Maddie Hinch's was untested in the England goal as Katie Glynn fired harmlessly wide.

With possession at the premium, England knew they had to take their rare attacking opportunities and they were left to rue a missed chance as Lucy Wood over-shot her pass beyond Lily Owsley inside the circle.

But the 2006 and 2010 bronze medallist didn't have to wait for their next chance as with New Zealand temporarily down to 10 after a green card, Alex Danson's cross-shot went through goalkeeper Sally Rutherford before being hooked in by Owsley.

After the break, New Zealand resumed their role as the main protagonist in attack, and Hinch had to be alert to beat away Glynn's flick from a penalty corner, before on the break at the other end Susie Gilbert's shot was deflected over by Owsley.

As the match entered the last 10 minutes the pressure intensified on the England goal, but a combination of heroic blocking and New Zealand indiscipline – which saw Petrea Webster and captain Kayla Whitelock both yellow carded – looked set to keep them at bay.

But with just over two minutes remaining, New Zealand equalised as Glynn deflected home Sally Rutherford's goal-bound shot.

England survived a New Zealand penalty corner as the game entered the final 60 seconds, and quickly won one of their own which was hooked away off the line as the game went to a shootout.

And after Twigg, Danson and Wood all scored for England, Hinch's stop from Michelsen sparked scenes of wild celebration in Glasgow