AHF: Scotland Lift The Challenger Trophy On The Eve Of The Final At The FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup In Santiago

December 13, 2025
Hockey World News
African Hockey Federation
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Scotland were the standout team of the day as they claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, overcoming hosts Chile in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regular time. The British side thus became the first-ever winners of the trophy, introduced on 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 place at the tournament.

The day also confirmed key final positions at the Junior World Cup, with Australia defeating England to finish seventh, Germany securing fifth place against the United States, and New Zealand closing their campaign with a victory over Canada. The tournament now moves into its decisive chapter, with Saturday’s final between Argentina and the Netherlands set to take place at 19.15 at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped within the Estadio Nacional.

Below is the full breakdown of all matches on Day 12 in Santiago.

England vs Australia (Full-Time Score: 2-3)

hDJJCpFRfD - AHF: Scotland lift the Challenger Trophy on the eve of the Final at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago - Scotland were the standout team of the day as they claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, overcoming hosts Chile in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regular time. The British side thus became the first-ever winners of the trophy, introduced on 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 place at the tournament.

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

After the restart, the match shifted in tempo. Australia adjusted their press and found greater width, levelling the score in the 37th minute through Mihaylia Howell and taking the lead two minutes later, once again via Howell. Samantha Love extended the advantage in the 41st minute, capitalising on Australia’s territorial dominance during the third quarter. England pulled one back a minute later through Hannah Boss and pushed late on, defending and attacking in transition, but Australia managed the closing stages with a compact structure, resisted the final attempts and closed out the match with defensive control to secure seventh place in the tournament, while England finished eighth.

Australia’s Makayla Jones, named Player of the Match, expressed, “I think we did really well from the start of the year in building strong foundations as a group. It might 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 back to front, we worked really well together and converted when it mattered, which is why we got the result.”

United States vs Germany (Full-Time Score: 1-3)

7uqEPNMwzp - AHF: Scotland lift the Challenger Trophy on the eve of the Final at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago - Scotland were the standout team of the day as they claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, overcoming hosts Chile in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regular time. The British side thus became the first-ever winners of the trophy, introduced on 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 place at the tournament.

Germany took territorial control from the outset on the second matchday in Santiago. They dominated the circle with a higher volume of penetrations and found their first breakthrough before the interval. After a scoreless opening quarter, the German side sustained their pressure and opened the scoring in the 26th minute through Lena Frerichs, following a sequence that ended with a composed finish inside the circle. The United States adopted a deeper defensive block and went into the break without scoring and with limited attacking presence in the opposition 23 metres.

After the interval, Germany extended their lead with a strong spell 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 tempo and depth. Frerichs had the opportunity to further extend the lead from the penalty stroke in the 44th minute but was unable to convert. The United States pulled one back late on through Daniela Mendez-Trendler in the 50th minute, attempting to build momentum in transition, but Germany managed the closing phase with a compact structure and maintained the margin to secure a deserved fifth-place finish at the Junior World Cup. The Americans concluded the tournament in sixth place.

Germany’s Martina Reisenegger reflected on the team’s performance at the end of the match and expressed, “We are very happy to have closed the tournament with this performance. We aimed for more, but Argentina were a very strong opponent in the quarter-finals. We trained a lot throughout the year and we are proud of what we achieved and 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 asserting territorial control in the opening quarter. The Oceania side opened the scoring inside the first minute, with Niamh McKenzie finishing after an entry into the circle, and maintained control through patient circulation and repeated penetrations. Canada responded with a low defensive block, successfully defending two penalty corners in the first half, but struggled to generate attacking clarity against a well-organised defence.

After the break, New Zealand continued to dictate proceedings, managing possession and once again establishing play in the attacking half, accumulating circle entries and sustaining pressure in the final metres. Canada remained organised defensively and looked to break in transition during the closing stages, limiting space and keeping the contest alive until the final moments. The second goal arrived late, in the 59th minute, through Greer Findlay, completing a sustained press and sealing the result. With the win, New Zealand finished 19th overall, while Canada concluded the tournament in 20th position.

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

E0LkkPwqAD - AHF: Scotland lift the Challenger Trophy on the eve of the Final at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago - Scotland were the standout team of the day as they claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, overcoming hosts Chile in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regular time. The British side thus became the first-ever winners of the trophy, introduced on 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 place at the tournament.

Scotland vs Chile (Full-Time Score: 1-1, SO: 4-3)

Chile took the initiative from the opening whistle in front of their home crowd, backed by a strong turnout of supporters with the Andes Mountains forming the backdrop. The hosts controlled possession in the first half, holding a 61-39 per cent advantage and dictating play in the attacking half, recording ten circle penetrations to Scotland’s three. Chile earned three penalty corners across the opening two quarters but were unable to convert, while the British side did not earn any penalty corners during 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 following a sustained attacking sequence. Scotland increased their pressure in the final quarter, raised defensive intensity and found the equaliser in the 49th minute through Jennifer Cain, converting from a penalty corner. Both teams defended with discipline in the closing minutes and the match moved to a shoot-out. In the decisive moment, Jessica Garden stepped up and executed the winning attempt, shaping to shoot before finishing wide into the corner, leaving the Chilean goalkeeper with no chance. With that conversion, Scotland prevailed 3-2 in the shoot-out and claimed the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Challenger Trophy, while the hosts finished in 18th place.

Player of the Match, the Scot Ava Wadsworth, reflected after the game and expressed, “It was a really 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 amazing, with Chilean fans everywhere, but we stuck together and I’m really proud of how we handled the pressure.”

FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup City of Santiago 2025

Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional – Santiago de Chile

Result: Match 1 – 7/8th

England 2-3 Australia

Player of the Match: Makayla Jones (AUS)

Umpires: Ayanna McClean – Katie Howie

Result: Match 2 – 5/6th

United States 1-3 Germany

Player of the Match: Katharina Haid (GER)

Umpires: Alex Miles – Melissa Bennetts

Result: Match 3 – 19/20th

New Zealand 2-0 Canada