For the first time in New Zealand women's hockey history, the Black Sticks are through to the medal rounds of an Olympic tournament.
Five times previously they had been to the Olympics, five times they had returned home with an empty feeling. There is no guarantee of a medal now, but at the very least they will be playing their final game of the tournament with the chance to win one.
Asked how it felt to be the first New Zealand captain to lead her side into an Olympic semifinal - they will finish second in Pool B and probably face the Netherlands - Kayla Sharland was succinct.
"Bloody awesome," she said.
"I didn't realise we were in. I was freaking out; that's why I thought we had to go and score another goal."
Coach Mark Hager obviously thought it wise not to tell his troops they needed just the one point, not three.
"It's a good feeling," Sharland said.
"I'm so excited."
This is a New Zealand team unlike any of its predecessors.
Not only are they are unified bunch but, more importantly, they are resilient.
"We're a tight unit," Sharland said.
"We get on well on the field and we get on well off the field.
"We love working hard for each other. It's a great bunch of girls to lead."
They got there with a tremendous backs-to-the-wall effort against a German team that needed to win by three clear goals to have any chance of progressing.
New Zealand went into this match in the enviable position of needing only a draw to guarantee progression through to the semifinals.
That was the good news.
The bad news was that it was Germany, a team that New Zealand has never beaten at a major tournament and one that beat it 5-1 when they met in Bremen in a pre-Olympic clash last month.
"It was [a great defensive effort]," Sharland said.
"We knew they were going to come at us.
"They had to be aggressive. It was a physical game. It was a tough battle."
The match quickly became a contrast between the structured, disciplined style of the Europeans and New Zealand's counterattacking, pace-based game.
While the first half was even, the Germans probably felt a little a little short-changed by the 0-0 scoreline. They had the ball in the net and felt Maike Stoekel had got the merest of touches to it inside the circle. The field umpire referred it but the evidence was inconclusive and New Zealand survived.
If the Germans felt miffed then, by midway through the second half they were in a high state of agitation. Another goal was ruled out, this time for lifting, while Bianca Russell had to make a string of good saves to keep it deadlocked.
