ARTICLE BY ARIN KUMAR

THE Fiji women's hockey side won the silver medal of the Oceania Pacific Championship following their defeat at the hands of the Australia Country side at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday.

The result was one better for the side as they had won bronze medal last year.

The Fijian team, ably led by Lucretia Pickering, played their hearts out and restricted their much fancied opponents to a goalless first half.

A lapse of concentration in the last 10 minutes allowed the defending champions to score two quick field goals in the 61st and 63rd minutes to Kelly Gillard and Jessica Martin-Brown respectively.

Fiji coach Shaun Corrie said a loss by 2-0 to the defending champions was an acceptable margin.

"I think the girls gave everything on the turf and played their hearts out," Corrie said.

"The loss was not our fault because we were playing the defending champions and we did not get enough balls to make moves with," he said.

ARTICLE BY RASHNEEL KUMAR

THIS was the first tournament for the former national mens players as the womens coach after taking up the job less than two months ago.

"I would like to thank all the Fiji fans and people who supported us and the people who came to watch our games and cheer for us and everyone," Corrie said.

Aussie team captain Lauren Brownhall won her second gold medal at the OPC and said it would be her last.

"Six months of preparations finally paid off for the team and I am really glad we defended our title here today (yesterday)," Brownhall said.

"It was a really tough game as you see that at halftime it was still nil all. We were fighting for every minute and we were lucky that our hard work and patience paid off in that second half," she said.

"During halftime we just talked about being patient and constructing some goals rather than forcing them."

"This is an under 21 team and we will lose most of our players to the senior team and I will not be around either because I will be over 21 next year," she said.