The New Zealand women's hockey team were wearing face masks while defending penalty corners from Germany. Photo: Getty Images
The Daily Mail Australia asked if "this [was] the moment hockey went soft?" in a story covering the Black Sticks' 2-1 loss to Germany.
The masks were worn as Germany took a penalty corner, where they scored the game-clinching goal.
Wearing facemasks for protection is common in field hockey during penalty corners, when all teams use them.
A representative for the team explained the players use the masks to protect themselves from powerful drag flicks, but they are then thrown behind the goal after the ball is cleared.
The team also took to social media to voice their disapproval of the claim, tweeting that the story was "one of the most ignorant and unbalanced" of the Games.
