Thursday, April 17, 2025, 3AM Belgian time, an exciting match took place in Dunedin, New Zealand, between Belgium and Turkey. The teams were evenly matched and kept the game tense until overtime, where Turkey ultimately secured the victory.
Turkey started at a high pace and immediately put Belgium under pressure, but after five minutes the game was balanced with chances on both sides. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. In the second period, Turkey opened the scoring, but Belgium quickly equalized with a goal from #9 Anke Steeno. Two minutes later, Turkey regained the lead, but that goal was swiftly answered by #19 Femke Bosmans, assisted by #9 Anke Steeno.
In the third period, Belgium took the lead with a third goal scored by #11 Linnore Saunders, assisted by #17 Louise Paulissen. However, Turkey refused to give up and tied the game once again. With a 3-3 score after regulation time, a nerve-wracking overtime followed in which Turkey scored the decisive goal and secured the win.
Despite the loss, the Belgian team delivered a strong performance, and the match could have gone either way. Tomorrow is a rest day, after which Belgium will face two tough opponents: Ukraine and Australia.
#19 Femke Bosmans was deservedly named MVP for Belgium.