McCallin looks to bounce back from penalty agony
Shona McCallin has told of one of her toughest moments in hockey when she missed the deciding penalty in this summer’s Hockey Junior World Championships, which would have won her Great Britain Under-21s team a historic bronze medal.
After unexpectedly battling through to the bronze final of the tournament, skipper McCallin and her team-mates faced India where victory would have ensured GB’s first medal in a world championship.
The match, which finished 1-1, went to sudden-death penalties and McCallin missed the penalty which, had she scored, would have won GB that elusive first medal.
However, it was India that went on to win the shoot-out in what was McCallin’s last game for her country at age level.
Former Newark Hockey Club player McCallin, 21, of Dry Doddington, said: “I’m not one to get nervous, but the India game was very tense.
“When I stepped up to take the penalty with the chance to win it, it dawned on me what was at stake.
“I could feel the nerves. I was focused on hitting the target.”
Sadly for McCallin, her shot rebounded off the post, a moment she said she had thought a lot about since.
“Those few seconds have been going through my mind since, and it will stay with me for a long time,” she said.
“You put in so much work before the tournament for several months before, especially the few weeks preceding the competition.
“You are going to have ups and downs and it’s how you react to adversity which is important, and I never want to be in that position again.
“It is one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with on the hockey pitch, but I would rather it happen to me now than in a few years.”
McCallin said she was proud of the team’s achievement in the tournament which saw them knock hosts Spain out in the final game of the group stages.
McCallin said: “It was a great tournament for us. We’re not used to having our games streamed live on the internet or playing in front of 3,000 people.
“We did a lot of bonding and had a great team spirit, which helped us through the earlier rounds. During our game with Spain we were 4-0 down with 30 minutes remaining, but not once did anyone start bickering or arguing with each other.
“Our expectation before the championships was to finish in the top eight, and we lost two players to the senior side as well so we certainly exceeded that target.”
McCallin is embarking on her final year at Tilburg University, Holland, where she studies international business and plays for Dutch Premier League outfit MOP.
