Mariah Williams has left her hometown of Parkes beaming with pride as the 24-year-old helped the Hockeyroos book its place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Australian side will appear at its 11th-straight Olympic Games after a resounding 5-0 win in the second and final qualifier against Russia on Saturday night.
In a statement from the Hockeyroos, the result gave them a 9-2 victory on aggregate to ensure they will join the Kookaburras in representing Australia at next year's Games.
After a 4-2 win in the opening game at Curtin University's Perth Hockey Stadium on Friday, the overall result was decided inside the opening half of Saturday's second match as all of the goals came in the first 30 minutes.
Williams scored a brace while Grace Stewart, Sophie Taylor and Emily Chalker also got on the score sheet.
"I feel really happy for the girls," Head Coach Paul Gaudoin said in the statement, after the win.
"They worked really hard and it has been a massive year.
"We didn't quite get there (against New Zealand) in Rockhampton but now we can focus our preparations on Tokyo.
"It was pleasing that we managed to finish off with some quality goals in the first half but our ball handling needs to get better as well as our fitness."
After a string of early Hockeyroos penalty corners, Lily Brazel, in her 50th appearance, won yet another in the 9th minute.
The set play was well worked, Russian keeper Viktoriia Aleksandrina managing to save Renee Taylor's drag flick but it fell to Stewart who was positioned perfectly to knock the ball home.
A great combination between Amy Lawton and Williams almost saw the latter score moments later but Aleksandrina came up with a fine save.
But Williams would not be denied in the 22nd minute when some good lead up work along the base line found the forward and she picked her spot and scored.
Three minutes later it was 3-0 when Chalker trapped and rolled the ball to Taylor from a penalty corner.
Taylor took a touch to put herself inside the circle and struck a shot low and hard into the bottom right corner.
An unmarked Chalker made it 4-0 in the second quarter.
There was even time for a fifth before the main interval, an attack down the right ending with Williams whose speculative shot alluded Russian defenders and the oncoming Commerford to sneak over the line.
Russia provided more stubborn resistance in the second half as the Hockeyroos were restricted to fewer opportunities.
Goalkeeper Ashlee Wells, who replaced Rachel Lynch at half time, was called upon to make a sharp save in the final quarter to keep the visitors scoreless.
With Olympic qualification achieved, the Hockeyroos players will now return to play with their respective Sultana Bran Hockey One teams for the league's final round next weekend.
Hockeyroos 5 (Stewart 9', Williams 22'/30', S.Taylor 25', Chalker 27') def Russia 0