Hockey: Alice Arnott scores goal on Hockeyroos debut

Realising a long held dream, in Adelaide on Thursday night the Tamworth representative became Hockeyroo no 518, and scored her first international goal to boot as Australia defeated India 4-2 in the first game of their three match series.

"I feel like it's something that I've been working towards for a really long time, so to actually have it happen is kind of a little bit unbelievable still to be honest," she told The Leader.

"I'm still kind of in that has that really happened mode."

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In a moment the Calrossy alumnus and Scone native won't forget in a hurry, she found the back of the net in the second minute of the third quarter with the faintest of deflections from a long ball into the circle from captain Jane Claxton.

"I think I just saw Jane hitting it and put my stick out," Arnott recalled to Hockeyroos media post match of the goal, adding modestly, "right place right time".

Putting the Hockeyroos ahead 3-1, she had a couple of other chances for a second, including a golden one in the fourth quarter.

In a perfect position on the post, her initial shot hit the left goal post. The rebound came back to her but the cross bobbled and just evaded her team-mate on the right post.

One of five players on debut, it was a seeming natural progression for the 23-year-old after being part of the National Development Squad for the past three years and previously pulling on the green and gold for the Jillaroos (Australian Junior side).

Locally she has played for Olympians and Tudors Wests, and joins Kim Small, Kate Jenner and Georgina Morgan as Tamworth players who have gone on to play for the Hockeyroos.

She has represented the Frogs from juniors all the way through and - somewhat ironically - was as she was preparing for the game on Thursday night, announced in Tamworth side for the Open Women's State Championship on the June long weekend.

The second match of the series is on Saturday night with the third match to be played on Sunday night.