Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: 5 goalkeepers to watch out for

#2 Tyler Lovell (Australia)

Tyler Lovell seems to cherish high-pressure encounters

If one man stood between India and a historic maiden Champions Trophy gold, it was Australian goalkeeper Tyler Lovell.

At Breda, Lovell had not had the best of tournaments by his own standards but came vigorously to life in the big final, denying the Indian forwards a winning goal in regulation time and saving four penalties in the shootout.

Back in the 2016 edition of the Champions Trophy at London too, Lovell was chosen to defend India's penalties in the final instead of the more experienced Andrew Charter and helped his side prevail in the one-on-one battle.

India's Analytical Coach, Chris Ciriello, who used to be Lovell's roommate when he was part of the Aussie squad, was emphatic that it was the Kookaburras goalie who proved to be the only difference between the two sides in the big final.

"Tyler Lovell who used to be my roommate was by far the player of the final. He saved some near-certain goals. He had conceded three PC goals against Argentina and had not played well against them, but in the final, he did. Under pressure is when you stand out."

As the Aussies aim to create history by winning their third successive World Cup title at Bhubaneswar, Lovell's form will be crucial for Colin Batch's boys to succeed.

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