London, England – After surviving the first penalty shootout game in Olympic field hockey history, the Netherlands advanced to the final, setting up a meeting with Argentina.
The Netherlands went back-and-forth with opponent New Zealand and found the semifinal matchup even at 2-2 following the completion of regulation. The deadlock wasn't broken after extra time, but the Netherlands posted a 3-1 advantage in the shootout.
Ellen Hoog scored the deciding tally that put her team into the final for a third straight Olympics. The Netherlands won gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.
"I wasn't nervous at all, as I have practiced and practiced and practiced so many times. Usually, I am a the nervous type, but I had a good feeling out there today. I knew I could do it," said Hoog.
Argentina secured its first trip to the final since 2000 with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain. Noel Barrionuevo and Carla Rebecchi scored first-half goals for the victors, while Alex Danson scored the lone goal for the Brits at the 65-minute mark.
Earlier in the day, Germany downed South Korea to win seventh place in the tournament, while Japan finished ninth with a victory over South Africa.
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