A storming performance from Michaela Migrova helped Slovakia overcome Croatia 17-7 and set up a semi-final meeting with host nation Great Britain.
The Slovakian captain grabbed a triple hat-trick to make sure of her team’s place in the semi-finals.
She was well supported by Eva Hajkova, Lucia Valocka and Paula Lacikova who all scores twice.
After the first quarter, the crowd were looking forward to a tight encounter. Pre-match favourites Croatia were on the back foot to start with, quickly going 3-1 down as Migrova (2) and Valocka scored.
However, the Croats showed the fighting spirit they lacked against the Czech Republic by going in at the break leading 4-3.
The second quarter was Migrova’s, though, as she scored three goals in the space of a minute. With the game finely poised at five-all, Lacikova fed her captain twice and as Slovakia began to dominate.
Croatia’s top goalscorer Anamarija Reic-Kranjac looked very impressive in the first half, grabbing two goals but in the second half her side could only penetrate their opponent’s goal twice, through Aida Sehic and Emmi Miljkovic.
Croatia’s misery was compunded as, early in the third quarter, they found themselves reduced to just four players. Miljkovic, Reic-Kranjac and Karmela Tvrdic all found themselves in the exclusion zone but their team-mates did well to block the Slovak’s attack.
After the impressive win, Slovakia will be hoping to get the better of the host nation, who they lost to yesterday.
Martina Kunikova, who grabbed ger first goal of the tournament today, spelt out what her team needs to do tomorrow: “Hopefully we can play better than last time. We just have to score more!”
