Rintala hat-trick sparks Kookaburras against Kiwis

A three-goal burst from Joel Rintala in just his second international has propelled the Kookaburras to a convincing 3-0 win over New Zealand in their Pro League match in Christchurch.

Rintala put on a drag-flicking masterclass, the Queenslander’s hat-trick all coming from penalty corners in the space of 21 first-half minutes on Tuesday.

The Kookaburras dominated the goal-scoring chances throughout the contest but could not add further to the scoreline as they rebounded from their defeat to Great Britain in resounding fashion.

Rintala’s first goal came in the third minute after Ben Staines earned the Kookaburras’ first penalty corner of the match.

Great defensive lead running from Jake Whetton blocked the Black Sticks’ first penalty corner opportunity before he combined with James Collins and Aran Zalewski at the other end to conjure an opportunity which was kept out by goalkeeper Dominic Dixon.