BUKIT JALIL: Austria came to the FIH Series Finals looking for a semi-final slot but never dreamt of making it automatically by topping Group A.
More so with Canada as their main hurdle.
But the World No 19 achieved it when they defeated Wales 2-0 on Monday at the National Hockey Stadium here and finished ahead of 10th-ranked Canada on goal difference.
Canada and Wales, who finished third, will now play in the crossover play-offs.
Dominic Uher (37th) and Florian Steyrer's (55th) made all the difference for the indoor world champions by scoring one goal each.
"We came here to finish among the top three teams in our group. It has turned out to be an amazing tournament for us. Now we have a few days rest before we start the second part of our journey," said Austria captain Xaver Hasun.
And Hasun attributed part of their rise in this tournament to indoor hockey.
"We don't get a chance to play field hockey much because of winter, so all the players here play indoor as well as in the leagues in Europe."
When they first arrived in Malaysia, they were wary of the food and weather, but they have acclimatised and are now enjoying both.
"The weather has been good as it rains often, while the food is delicious. We were wary of both before coming here, but now, we are feeling at home," he added.
RESULTS
Group A: Canada 6 Belarus 2, Wales x Austria x;
Group B: China 3 Brazil 2,
STANDINGS
GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
AUSTRIA 3 2 0 1 8 2 6
CANADA 3 2 0 1 9 6 6
WALES 3 2 0 1 5 4 6
BELARUS 3 0 0 3 3 13 0
GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
ITALY 2 2 0 0 5 1 6
MALAYSIA 2 1 1 0 10 4 4
CHINA 3 1 1 1 8 8 4
BRAZIL 3 0 0 3 2 12 0