AHF: Scotland lifts the Challenger Trophy on the eve of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup final in Santiago

Scotland were the standout team of the day as they claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, beating hosts Chile in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. The British team thus became the first-ever winners of the trophy, introduced at the initiative of FIH President Tayyab Ikram as a sign of encouragement and recognition for the teams competing in the classification matches from 17th to 24th places at the tournament.

The day also confirmed key finishing positions at the Junior World Cup, with Australia beating England to finish seventh, Germany securing fifth place against the United States and New Zealand ending their campaign with a win over Canada. The tournament now enters its decisive chapter, with the final between Argentina and the Netherlands on Saturday at 7.15pm at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped at the Estadio Nacional.

Below you will find the complete overview of all matches on day 12 in Santiago.

England vs Australia (Full time score: 2-3)

Australia set the tone early on the synthetic surface of the Estadio Nacional in Santiago de Chile, enjoying more possession and applying high pressure in the opening quarter. England responded with defensive organization and a compact central block, absorbing the initial momentum and successfully defending three penalty corners in Q1. The score remained tight until the second quarter, when Jessica Dyson opened the scoring in the 28th minute after a move inside the circle. Australia maintained their collective structure but reached the break by the narrowest of margins despite continued attacking traffic and multiple circle penetrations.

After the restart the race changed pace. Australia adjusted their press and found more width, leveling the score in the 37th minute through Mihaylia Howell and taking the lead two minutes later, again through Howell. Samantha Love extended the lead in the 41st minute, taking advantage of Australia’s territorial dominance during the third quarter. England pulled one back a minute later through Hannah Boss and pressed late, defending and attacking in transition, but Australia managed to reach the closing stages with a compact structure, withstood the final attempts and finished the match with defensive control to secure seventh place in the tournament, while England finished eighth.

Australian Makayla Jones, named Player of the Match, said: “I think we’ve done really well from the start of the year in building a strong foundation as a group. It may not be the position we wanted to finish in, but it was important to get the win in the end. We created a number of attacking opportunities and from the back to the front we worked really well together and switched when it mattered, and that’s why we got the result.”

United States vs. Germany (Full-time score: 1-3)

Germany took over territorial control from the start on the second day of play in Santiago. They dominated the circle with a greater number of penetrations and found their first breakthrough before the break. After a scoreless opening quarter, the German side kept up the pressure and opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Lena Frerichs, after a sequence that ended with a composed finish inside the circle. The United States adopted a deeper defensive block and went into halftime without scoring and with a limited attacking presence in the opposition 23 yards out.

After the break, Germany extended its lead with a strong period in the third quarter. Lynn Krings struck in the 32nd minute and Katharina Haid added a third four minutes later, consolidating Germany’s control in both pace and depth. Frerichs had the opportunity to further extend the lead from the penalty shot in the 44th minute, but was unable to convert. The United States pulled one back late through Daniela Mendez-Trendler in the 50th minute, trying to build momentum in the transition phase, but Germany managed to get through the closing stages with a compact structure and maintained the margin to secure a deserved fifth place at the World Junior Championships. The Americans finished the tournament in sixth place.

Germany’s Martina Reisenegger reflected on the team’s performance at the end of the match and said: “We are very happy to have ended the tournament with this performance. We were aiming for more, but Argentina was a very strong opponent in the quarter-finals. We have trained a lot throughout the year and are proud of what we have achieved and are satisfied with fifth place.”

New Zealand vs Canada (Full-time score: 2-0)

New Zealand set the tone early in the third match of the penultimate day of the Junior World Cup in Santiago, applying high pressure and reasserting territorial control in the opening quarter. The Oceania side opened the scoring within the first minute, with Niamh McKenzie finishing after his entrance into the circle, and maintained control through patient circulation and repeated penetrations. Canada responded with a low defensive block and successfully defended two penalty corners in the first half, but struggled to generate attacking clarity against a well-organized defense.

After the break, New Zealand continued to dictate proceedings, managing possession and re-establishing play in the attacking half, collecting circle entries and maintaining the pressure in the final yards. Canada remained organized defensively and tried to break transition during the closing stages, limiting space and keeping the match alive until the final moments. The second goal came late, in the 59th minute, through Greer Findlay, completing a sustained push and sealing the result. With the win, New Zealand finished 19th overall, while Canada finished the tournament in 20th place.

Player of the Match Niamh McKenzie said during the official Watch.Hockey broadcast: “The coaches asked for a complete performance and I think we delivered it today. It’s been a long few weeks with ups and downs, and to finish the tournament this way is very special. I’m very grateful for the experience and proud of the team.”

Scotland vs Chile (Full time score: 1-1, SO: 4-3)

Chile took the initiative in front of its own crowd from the opening whistle, supported by a strong turnout of supporters with the Andes mountains in the background. The hosts controlled possession in the first half, had a 61-39 percent lead and dictated play in the attacking half, registering ten circle penetrations to Scotland’s three. Chile earned three penalty corners in the first two quarters but were unable to convert, while the British team earned no penalty corners in that period. Despite Chile’s territorial dominance, the score remained level at half-time.

After the restart, Chile broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when Maite Parada finished inside the circle after a sustained series of attacks. Scotland turned up the pressure in the final quarter, increasing the defensive intensity and finding the equalizer in the 49th minute through Jennifer Cain, who converted from a penalty corner. In the closing minutes, both teams defended with discipline and the match evolved into a shoot-out. At the decisive moment, Jessica Garden stepped up and delivered the winning try, attempting to shoot before finishing wide of the corner, leaving the Chilean goalkeeper without a chance. With that conversion, Scotland won 3–2 in the shoot-out to claim the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, while the hosts finished in 18th place.

Player of the match, Scot Ava Wadsworth, reflected after the match and said: “It was a very tough match and we had to dig deep as a team. We showed great character, especially in the shoot-out, and to come out on top means a lot. The atmosphere was great, with Chilean fans everywhere, but we stuck together and I’m very proud of the way we handled the pressure.”

FIH Hockey Women Junior World Cup City Santiago 2025

Field Hockey Sports Center, National Stadium – Santiago de Chile

Result: Match 1 – 7/8ths

England 2-3 Australia

Player of the Match: Makayla Jones (AUS)

Referees: Ayanna McClean – Katie Howie

Result: Match 2 – 5/6th

United States 1-3 Germany

Player of the match: Katharina Haid (GER)

Referees: Alex Miles – Melissa Bennetts

Result: Match 3 – 19/20th

New Zealand 2-0 Canada

Player of the Match: Niamh McKenzie (NZL)

Referees: Allison Mikelson – Claudia Montino

Result: Match 4 – 17/18th

Chile 1-1 Scotland (SO: 3-4)

Player of the Match: Ava Wadsworth (SCO)

Referees: Brian Tyson – Valerie Koh

Source: FIH.hockey