Australia's men’s hockey team and their women’s side both qualified for the 2008 Beijing Games today. The men’s team, which won gold in Athens in 2004, beat New Zealand 3-1. The Kiwis will now attempt to qualify for the Olympics through a second-chance tournament in February in Auckland against India.The Australian women’s team advanced along with New Zealand to Beijing, despite the Australians losing 1-0 to the Kiwis in the final match of an Oceania tournament today. Both teams in the four-country women’s tournament advanced to the Olympics.The loss ended Australia’s 18-game unbeaten streak, a run that rivaled its dominance while holding the women’s No. 1 ranking between 1993 and 2000. “One of the things we focused on was extra urgency, which put pressure on the New Zealanders,” said Australia’s coach Barry Dancer.Australia scored first as David Guest converted a penalty corner with a powerful flick high into the right of the net. David Kosoof replied for New Zealand two minutes before the break, scoring from a cross from the left by Phillip Burrows with a diving backstick shot.Bevan George deflected in a penalty corner for the go-ahead goal three minutes into the second half, and Travis Brooks took a long pass from the midfield to beat New Zealand’s goalkeeper Paul Woodford from the far right of the circle in the 59th minute to seal the victory.“The most pleasing thing about today’s performance by Australia was the performances were so even all around the ground,” Dancer said. New Zealand must now win an Olympic qualifying tournament in Auckland in the first week of February to get to Beijing.In the classification match of the women’s tournament, Fiji took third place, winning 6-0 over Papua New Guinea.
