Stingers repeat Paris water polo success against USA
With former skipper and three-time Olympian Zoe Arancini announcing her retirement, the Stingers opened the Tri Nations series in style.
Playing their first match at home since winning silver at the Paris Olympics, the Australians posted a thrilling win after the scores were locked at 8-8 at the end of regulation time.
In Paris the Stingers downed the three-time Olympic champions in the semi-finals in a dramatic penalty shoot-out after the scores were also 8-8 at fulltime.
After some huge saves in their latest shoot-out by goalkeepers Gabi Palm and Gen Longman, fellow Olympian Alice Williams slotted the winning goal.
Williams was everywhere, opening the scoring for Australia after converting a penalty, while she also found the back of the cage in the dying seconds of the first quarter to level the scores 2-2.
The Aussies added another two goals to their haul in the second quarter, courtesy of Abby Andrews and Olivia Mitchell.
In the third, a buzzer-beater goal from Dani Jackovich put the hosts back in it, trailing by one at the three-quarter time break.
Williams scored another in the fourth quarter, with Jakovich again nailing her shot in the final minutes to draw level at 8-8.
For proud veteran Bronte Halligan, it was a case of deja vu.
"An 8-8 score and then to go into penalties...the irony wasn't lost on me. Almost 12 months ago we had the exact same score in the semi-final against them at the Olympics," Halligan said.
"It was just a true dedication to the hard work the girls have put in all year and it was really exciting for our first official home game (this cycle) on home soil to come up with a big win in penalties."
Meanwhile, Arancini, who isn't playing in the series, confirmed her retirement from the international stage after a 16-year career.
Arancini made her debut for the Aussie Stingers in 2009 and went on to amass 330 international caps and played in the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games.
Having achieved podium success at every major international competition in world water polo, Arancini said the timing felt right to step away.
"I've done this for 16 years now, and to finish on such an amazing note at Paris 2024 is pretty special," Arancini said.
"I'm ready for the next chapter of my life… I know it's the right decision because I'm happy, I'm content, and it's my choice.
"I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved, and I'm so excited for the next generation to step in."
The Australians next face Italy on Sunday in Perth as the teams gear up for the world aquatic championships in Singapore next month.
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