Aussies Smash Hosts in Dominant World Championship Campaign!
- Peter Greenhalgh
- Jan 7
- 3 min read
MATCH REPORT: Australia 29 – 2 New Zealand
Tournament: 2026 Asia-Pacific Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Venue: Upper Hutt, Wellington
Status: Full Time
The Sharks have Unleashed
The Australian Men’s National Team has officially started their 2026 World Championship Qualifying campaign with a resounding 29–2 victory over host nation New Zealand. In a match that showcased the gap between the world-ranked Sharks and the emerging Kiwi squad, Australia combined clinical transition play with a dominant face-off performance to secure their first win of the tournament.
Key Match Phases
The Opening Surge: Australia jumped to a double-digit lead in the first half. The attack was led by Lucas Koczwara (#5), who finished the day as the tournament’s early leading scorer.
Goalkeeper Rotation:
1st Half: Kody Watts (#22) was a vocal leader, keeping the Kiwis scoreless for the first 30 minutes.
2nd Half: Jaesaya Bidwell-Barton (#23) took over the crease. While New Zealand managed to find two late goals, Bidwell-Barton made several point-blank saves during a "messy" 4th quarter transition phase.
The Kiwi Fightback: New Zealand’s Kyle Parker (#1) scored the goal of the day for the home side—a clinical low-to-high shot that whistled past the Aussie keeper.
Final Scoreboard
Hudson Robb's Senior Debut
The talk of the sidelines today was the Senior National Team debut of Hudson Robb (#13). The young star, known for his "Golden Goal" heroics in the U20 World Championships last year, looked right at home on the senior stage.
The Stat Line: Robb finished his debut with 4 goals and 2 assists, showing veteran-level composure. These goals included the first of the tournament.
The Impact: His ability to find space in the New Zealand defense proved why he was fast-tracked into the senior squad. For the new spectators watching, Robb's debut was a glimpse into the future of Australian lacrosse.
Stock’s Groundball Masterclass Delivers "First Use" and Constant Offensive Pressure
A true groundball machine, Stock was relentless in heavy traffic, vacuuming up loose balls to ensure the Aussies had first use of the ball every time he took the face-off. His dominance was nearly perfect—losing just one face-off the entire match—which effectively turned the contest into a "make-it, take-it" nightmare for the home side. Beyond just securing possession, Stock was a constant offensive threat; every time he won the draw, he looked to take it straight to the rack, forcing the New Zealand defense into an immediate state of panic. This relentless pressure placed the Kiwis at a severe disadvantage, starving their offense of opportunities and leaving their defenders gassed from a 60-minute defensive stand.
The Koczwara Clinical: A Masterclass in Finishing
While the team victory was a collective effort, the individual brilliance of Lucas Koczwara (#5) was the driving force behind the Sharks' offensive explosion. Scoring a massive 8 goals, Koczwara provided the clinical edge that turned possession into points, consistently finding the back of the net with a variety of shots that left the New Zealand keepers without an answer. His value today extended beyond the scoreboard; by serving as a relentless scoring threat, he drew the focus of the Kiwi defense, which in turn opened up passing lanes for debutants like Hudson Robb and John Stubbs. Capping off his performance with a beautiful transition goal in the final seconds, Koczwara’s 8-goal haul established him as the tournament’s premier marksman and set a high bar for the rest of the 2026 APLU competition.
War of the Wool
While the scoreline suggests a serious blowout, the real battle at Moonshine Valley was a high-stakes "War of the Wool" happening in the goal creases. In the green and gold corner, we have Australia’s keeper Jaesaya Bidwell-Barton, sporting a flowing blonde mullet so majestic it looks like it was woven from the golden rays of a Perth sunset and sheer Australian confidence. Across the field, New Zealand’s goaltend Blake van der Maas (#33) countered with a brunette mullet of such deep, chocolatey intensity that it likely has its own residency permit in Wellington. It was a classic trans-Tasman showdown: the "Aussie Sun-Kissed Waterfall" vs. the "Kiwi Cocoa Cascade." You have to admire the NZ keeper’s commitment; while Jae’s blonde locks were flapping in the wind like a victory flag during every save, #33’s brunette business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back setup remained stoic and sturdy, proving that while Australia might have won the game, the Trans-Tasman Mullet Trophy is still very much a tie.
What’s Next?
The Sharks have a well-earned rest day tomorrow to recover from the travel and the intensity of Day 1. We’ll be back at it on Thursday, January 8, as Australia takes on South Korea to decide the top of Pool A.
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