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News for 03 March 2021

All the news for Wednesday 3 March 2021


Lacklustre India-Germany match ends in a 1-1 draw at Krefeld

Lanky forward Jarmanpreet Singh deflected a short rebound from goalkeeper off the India’s first penalty corner to give India the lead well within five minutes of the game only to see Germany equalize three minutes from the half time. The remainder of the game saw more goalmouth action albeit without goals emanating, leading the match to end in a dame 1-1 draw.

However, as is  the recent practice, shoot out held to decide the winner, which the hosts own, as only Vivek Sagar Prasad and Gurjant could score for India while four Germans were successful.

Expectations were high today against the backdrop of India overwhelming the hosts with a 6-1 toast. However, the hosts tightened their grip on the match and appeared a better side especially after lemon time. After the first two quarters which saw  each team scoring once, The teams returned for half time with that 1-1 scoreline. It appeared the third quarter will see intensified game from both sides. The initials proceedings gave such an indication when Germany surged ahead and nearly put a goal in the very first minute of the third quarter, but the host’s forward harried the close range push.

The third quarter however turned out to be dullest of the three. Midway through this quarter, Mandeep Singh did a brilliant interception to snatch the ball from German midfield, surged into the net, and managed to hit twice at the goal, but those were saved.

In the first quarter, both sides got a penalty corner each. Germany was better on this count when it got two more in the next session.

It's worthwhile to mention here that the matches are categorized as Friendly which means the result will not have any bearing on the FIH Ranking points.

A few hours before the match, Indian women went down to Germany at Dusseldorf 0-2 for their third successive loss.

Stick2Hockey.com



India's share spoils with Germany; Continue positive start to European tour

Jarmanpreet Singh scored for India from a penalty corner

By Samrat Chakraborty



India drew 1-1 in a friendly match against Germany on Tuesday evening in the second of their four-match Europe tour on Sunday.

The European side were comprehensively beaten 6-1 by India in the first match of the tour on Sunday. The results so far augur well for India in what is the Olympic year.

Jarmanpreet Singh struck for the men in blue in the first quarter to hand India the lead on Tuesday while the Germans equalised through a penalty corner just on the stroke of halftime.

India started the match on the front foot and asked serious questions of Germany's defence. Hardik Singh earned a penalty corner for India in the 14th minute and Jarmanpreet made no mistake, piercing the net with a slap shot.

Riding high on confidence after Sunday's win, India played with a lot of intent and purpose. Graham Reid's men created several scoring opportunities and were just about stopped from adding to their lead by an alert German defence. But India maintained possession and showed glimpses of exemplary ball control, not allowing Germans to settle down.

Hardik was the livewire in attack, testing the German keeper with frequent shots.

However, against the run of play, the hosts earned a penalty corner just before half-time and Martin Haner converted it with aplomb.

In the final quarter, the Indians attacked with intent but the opposition slowed down the pace of the game. The German defenders were forced to be alert as India continued to be on the offensive.

Rio 2016 bronze medallists Germany waited for their opportunity to counter and earned two successive penalty corners in the dying embers of the game.

However, the Indian defence dealt with the threat with conviction. Both the attempts were thwarted and the scoreline remained unchanged at full-time.

India will next face Great Britain on March 6, Saturday, at 6:30 pm IST.

Olympic Channel



Jarmanpreet scores as Indian men's hockey team draw 1-1 with Germany

Jarmanpreet opened the scoring for India in the fourth minute, while Martin Haner scored the equaliser for Germany.


Indian team celebrates the goal against Germany. Twitter/

Krefeld: The Indian men's hockey team played out a 1-1 draw against Germany in the second game of its four-match tour of Europe here.

Jarmanpreet opened the scoring for India in the fourth minute, while Martin Haner scored the equaliser for Germany.

High on confidence after a dominating 6-1 win in the opening match, world No.4 India started on an attacking note against the hosts and earned themselves a penalty corner in the 4th minute, which was converted by defender Jarmanpreet with a classic slap shot.

Within the following two minutes, the hosts also bounced back and got their chance to score an equaliser with a PC but could not capitalise.

The visitors continued to be dominant in the second quarter, displaying better ball possession and creating opportunities with an intent to capitalise on the early lead.

However, the quarter ended with the hosts putting pressure on the Indian men with strong man-to-man tackle.

The hosts backed their tactical play with some quick forays into the striking circle, resulting in them earning back-to-back PCs.

It was in their second attempt when the experienced Martin Haner levelled the score 1-1 minutes ahead of the half-time break.

Continuing the momentum, the third quarter saw Germany keeping the ball in the Indian half to create scoring opportunities but, Indian defenders remained composed and set-up a well-structured defence that kept the German forward-line from converting.

A solid block from Surender Kumar at the very last minute saw the third quarter ending in a 1-1 stalemate.

The final quarter saw some nail-biting moments, with both the teams upping the ante before the match ended in a 1-1 deadlock.

"This match was a good experience for our players. It was a tough match and the team worked hard. Both teams created opportunities and I believe we will learn a lot from this game," said India's chief coach Graham Reid.

India will next play Great Britain on Saturday.

Firstpost



India Women suffer third straight defeat to Germany

Indian eves are yet to score a goal on the tour...

By Samrat Chakraborty



The Indian Women's hockey team suffered a 2-0 defeat against Germany in the third match of their Germany tour in Dusseldorf on Tuesday. Goals from Sonja Zimmermann (26’) and Franzisca Hauke (42’) sealed the match in the hosts' favour.

This was India's third consecutive defeat against their much higher-ranked opponents. After losing the first match of the tour 5-0, India put up an improved show in the second match which they lost narrowly (1-0). But they could not breach the German defence in the third match as well.

The Germans were on the front foot from the first whistle on Sunday but were frustrated by a gritty Indian defence who did not provide space to manoeuvre for their opponents. They dominated the midfield but lacked imagination in the attacking third.

Building on a strong defensive show in the first two quarters, the Indian team started to foray into the attacking third with purpose and intent in the third quarter. That led to open spaces at the back which Germany looked to capitalise.

Germany earned their third penalty corner of the match soon enough and Zimmerman made no mistake to convert and hand her team the lead.

After breaking the deadlock, the third-ranked side in the world continued to test India's defensive resolve with waves of attacks. Their efforts were paid off once again and they went on to double their lead before the end of the third quarter through midfielder Hauke.

In the final quarter, the India eves threw the kitchen sink at the Germans in search of a goal. On one occasion, Salima was through on goal but could not make the opportunity count. Germany were also looking to counter at every given chance, which meant India had to remain cautious and could not commit many bodies in the attacking third.

India will go up against Germany for the final time in the four-match series on Thursday afternoon.

Olympic Channel



Indian women's hockey team suffers third consecutive defeat against Germany

Sonja Zimmermann (26') and Franzisca Hauke (42') scored the goals for Germany, who won their third consecutive match on Monday.


The fourth match of the series will be played on Thursday. Image Courtesy: Twitter @TheHockeyIndia

Dusseldorf: The Indian women's hockey team's defence resisted well but formidable Germany walked away with a 2-0 win in the third game, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match series.

Sonja Zimmermann (26') and Franzisca Hauke (42') scored the goals for Germany, who won their third consecutive match on Monday.

The hosts were unable to create any early momentum and had a penalty corner saved in the first quarter. While Germany pushed forward to break the deadlock, the Indian backline stood firm yet again.

Germany were awarded a penalty corner early into the second quarter but still couldn't find a way past India's defence. The team managed to keep out three penalty corners in the previous game too.

The hosts ended India's resistance in form of a goal from the third penalty corners. This time, defender Zimmermann made no mistake as the World number three side started the third quarter with a lead.

Germany doubled their advantage shortly before the end of the third quarter with seasoned midfielder Hauke getting on the score-sheet. The hosts held on to complete their third successive win.

The fourth match of the series will be played on Thursday.

Firstpost



Green Army to take on Great Britain in SoftCo Series



Hockey Ireland is excited to announce the SoftCo Series which will take place in Queen’s University Belfast, with the Irish Women taking on Great Britain on Saturday the 13th, Sunday the 14th and Tuesday the 16th of March. The uncapped series matches against Great Britain are the first international matches for the team on home soil since the Olympic Qualifier in December 2019.

Hockey Ireland are delighted to announce that all the matches will be available to view via streaming or broadcast. BBC Sport NI will be streaming all three matches on their website as well as the BBC iPlayer, while RTÉ will broadcast Sunday evening’s match live on RTÉ 2 with coverage starting from 16:30. Nigel Ringland will present BBC Sport NI’s coverage of the three matches and will be joined on commentary by former Ireland international Alex Speers; while Evanne Ní Chuillin will present RTÉ’s coverage, joined by Cliodhna Sargent and Gillian Pinder in studio, with match commentary from George Hamilton and Sarah Scott.

The announcement comes today on the 125th anniversary of the first ever women’s international field hockey match. A year after the establishment of the Irish Ladies Hockey Association, the match took place on the 2nd of March 1896 at Alexandra College, with the Irish Women recording a 2 – 0 victory over England, with goals from Johnson and Merton sealing the win.

The matches will provide the Green Army with the opportunity to play high quality international matches ahead of an intense international summer. With the EuroHockey Championships now an integral aspect of the World Cup qualification process, the 2018 silver medallists will be keen to ensure they maximise every opportunity to allow them to perform this summer in Amstelveen not only as a warmup for the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games but also to secure their spot in the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking on the announcement, Captain Katie Mullan said: “Given the past 12 months we are really excited to play these international matches at home. The squad has been training hard throughout which showed in our recent matches against Spain. They are a strong team and we recorded two wins and two draws out of the five friendlies, putting us in a confident position going into our next block of training.

These matches against GB will be great preparation for the EuroHockey Championships this summer ahead of travelling to Tokyo. As current Olympic gold medallists GB are an experienced and strong team, so this is a really good opportunity for us to put all the training into practice ahead of this summer.”

Match dates, times and where to watch:
Match 1: Saturday March 13th @ 2pm. BBC Sport NI website, BBC iPlayer. RTE Player TBC.
Match 2: Sunday March 14th @ 5pm. BBC Sport NI Online, BBC iPlayer, RTE 2
Match 3: Tuesday March 16th @ 3pm. BBC Sport NI Online, BBC iPlayer. RTE Player TBC.

First International Women’s Hockey Match:

The match took place on the 2nd of March 1986 at Alexandra College, with the Irish Women recording a 2 – 0 victory over England, with goals from Johnson and Merton sealing the win.

Picture below is the team who recorded this historic match and victory.


L Martin, Alex College; GK Capt E. Sealey, Dundrum; I Shaw, Donnybrook; A. Boyd, Merton; E. Obre, Merton; J. Boyd, Merton; F. Henshaw, Alex College; D. Johnson, Alex College (1); M. Obre, Merton (1); F. Martin, Alex College; A. Bell, Donnybrook.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Great Britain women to face Ireland in uncapped series



Great Britain, the Olympic women’s hockey champions, will travel to Ireland for a three-match uncapped series this month, with coverage live on RTE and BBC Sport.

The SoftCo series matches will take place from March 13 at Queen’s University Belfast and will see Ireland play at home for the first time since the Olympic qualifiers back in December 2019.

The Green Army have had the luxury of playing friendly matches against Spain last month, while GB players have been forced to train at home.

Ireland captain Katie Mullan said: “Given the past 12 months we are really excited to play these international matches at home. The squad has been training hard throughout which showed in our recent matches against Spain.

“They are a strong team and we recorded two wins and two draws out of the five friendlies, putting us in a confident position going into our next block of training.

“These matches against GB will be great preparation for the EuroHockey Championships this summer ahead of travelling to Tokyo.”

BBC Sport NI will be streaming all three matches on its website as well as the BBC iPlayer, while RTÉ will broadcast Sunday evening’s match live on RTÉ 2 with coverage starting from 16:30.

Match dates, times and where to watch:

Match 1: Saturday March 13th @ 2pm. BBC Sport NI website, BBC iPlayer. RTE Player TBC.
Match 2: Sunday March 14th @ 5pm. BBC Sport NI Online, BBC iPlayer, RTE 2
Match 3: Tuesday March 16th @ 3pm. BBC Sport NI Online, BBC iPlayer. RTE Player TBC.

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The Hockey Paper



Ireland to face GB for the first time in 13 years on home turf



Ireland will face Great Britain on home turf for the first time in 13 years with three uncapped international matches given the go ahead for Queen’s University next week.

And while no fans will get to attend the games on March 13th, 14th and 16th, skipper Katie Mullan hopes that having the games broadcast on BBC NI and RTE will allow fans from their last home games – the Olympic qualifiers in November 2019 – to reignite their connection with the team.

“We’ve been working away really hard behind the scenes,” she said at the series announcement. “Because there has been no live competition, we have not been seen and haven’t been able to continue that journey with the fans.  

“Hopefully this is a huge step in the right direction toward generating that all again for the Olympics and the Europeans [in June]. We love playing in front of the crowd, we love inspiring the next generation. It’s part of our identity.”

This series’ launch was timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary of the first women’s international match when Ireland beat England 2-0 on March 2nd 1896 at Alexandra College in Milltown.

It will be the first time GB have travelled across the Irish Sea since 2008’s Setanta Trophy with Ireland travelling for series at Bisham Abbey a number of times in the past few years around St Patrick’s Day.

And it marks a big step forward in preparations for Sean Dancer’s side ahead of a busy summer. June’s European Championships now bring the added pressure of being a 2022 World Cup qualifier with not enough space in the international schedule due to the spate of 2020 postponements and cancelations.

Then, just six weeks later, Ireland will contest the women’s field hockey event at the Olympics for the first time.

As such, a series against the fifth-ranked team in the world represents a strong testing ground for the challenges ahead. “Since I have been involved, GB have never come over to play us so that’s massive,” Mullan added.

“They will be high quality games to get under our belt ahead of the Europeans and the style they play is similar to what we will face there.”

Women’s Hockey International series

Saturday, March 13: Ireland v Great Britain, Queen’s University, 2pm
Sunday, March 14: Ireland v Great Britain, Queen’s University, 5pm
Tuesday, March 16: Ireland v Great Britain, Queen’s University, 3pm

The Hook



Plennevaux and Boon inspire Léo to slay Dragons



Royal Léopold got the second phase of the Belgian season up and running with a hugely important 4-3 win over KHC Dragons.

In the reconstituted table, it sees them close the gap in Group A to leader La Gantoise and maintains the four-point gap to third place Racing Club de Bruxelles.

Léo landed the win despite the absence of the injured Tanguy Zimmer and Dylan Englebert. They took the lead in the 27th minute when star forwards Tom Boon and Max Plennevaux combined with the latter scoring.

Boon added the next two goals for a 3-0 lead before Florent van Aubel and Felix Denayer, from the penalty spot, cut the gap to 3-2.  

But Léo were out of range when Plennevaux got his second and while van Aubel did pull back another, it was too late.

Reflecting on the tie, coach Robin Geens was satisfied with the result but perhaps not the performance, telling Le Soir: “Dragons had to win and therefore put more energy than us into this duel. I admit that it is not normal, when you are leading 3-0 up, to be afraid at the end of the game but that was the case. We have a good team but our midfield has yet to gain confidence.”

La Gantoise, meanwhile, fell 2-1 to Racing with Conor Harte and Alexis Cayphas getting the crucial goals. It was the former’s first loss of the season and leaves them on 19 points in the round-robin stage with Léo on 16 and Racing on 12 with Dragons on 11.

In Group B, Waterloo Ducks saw off KHC Leuven 4-3 to extend their lead at the head of the pool. They are on 19 points with Orée on 16 following a 4-4 draw with Beerschot. Leuven and the Bees are both on 11.

Euro Hockey League media release



Bloemendaal keep rolling as Kampong, Pinoké and HGC shine with goals galore



HC Bloemendaal continue to prove an unstoppable force in the Tulp Hoofdklasse after two wins over the weekend, extending their winning streak to 12 games.

It means they lead the table by 12 points with Pinoké heading up a congested set of four teams covered by three points in the race for the playoff spots.

For Bloemendaal, they won Saturday’s topper 2-1 against Rotterdam, fighting back from a goal down to succeed 2-1. Jeroen Hertzberger’s corner goal had given Rotterdam a strong 1-0 position at half-time.

But Arthur van Doren – with his second stroke of the week – and a 66th minute winner from Roel Bovendeert turned the tide. A day later, the Sparrows went goal crazy with an 8-3 success against Tilburg with Bovendeert adding another couple to his tally.

SV Kampong were another side to land all the available points, doing so in rollercoaster fashion as they fought back twice over the weekend to win.

On Saturday, they trailed Amsterdam 1-0 before Jonas de Geus, Lars Balk, Derck de Vilder and Pepijn Luijkx swapped things around to win 4-1.

Sunday was even more dramatic with an incredible 6-3 win having trailed Rotterdam 3-1 at half-time. De Vilder provided a sublime strike in the first half to get his side on the board and they were back in the contest when Ties Ceulemans scored two minutes into the second half.

Robbert Kemperman equalised and then two Bjorn Kellerman goals and one from Terrance Pieters closed out the win. They are up to fourth, overtaking Rotterdam as a result.

Pinoké saw off Tilburg 8-0 with Alex Hendrickx getting a hat trick while his Belgian international team make Sebastien Dockier did likewise in a bizarre 5-4 win against Hurley. The Amsterdam club led 2-0 then trailed 4-2 before a Dockier double and a winner from Jannis van Hattum.

HGC had an impressive weekend to rise to third with a 7-0 win over Almere followed by a 4-0 scoreline over Den Bosch.  

Euro Hockey League media release



Den Bosch’s six-point weekend maintains narrow edge over Amsterdam



No mistakes and no surprises for the top three in the women’s Hoofdklasse as EHL-bound Den Bosch and AH&BC Amsterdam both picked up six points out of six from their double weekend.

It means Den Bosch still hold a two-point gap at the top with Amsterdam in close proximity. For the Brabant club, they swept by the challenge of HGC on Saturday with Ireen van den Assem whipping home twice from corners and Frédérique Matla added another couple for a 6-0 win.

A day later, Bloemendaal were the victims in a closer-run 3-0 success with all the goals coming in the second half via Maartje Krekelaar, Matla and Rosa Fernig.  

Amsterdam, meanwhile, kept up the chase with a 5-0 Saturday win against Hurley with five different scorers on the mark before out-doing bottom side Laren 3-0 via Lauren Stam, Joy Haarman and Kimberly Thompson.

SCHC had seen off Laren 5-1 in the first of their weekend games before edging out a tough battle in their derby against SV Kampong. Pam Imhof had given Kampong a first half lead which they held until 16 minutes from the end but strikes from Pien Dicke and Kyra Fortuin saw them nick a 2-1 result.

Den Bosch are now on 33 points after 12 games with Amsterdam on 31 and SCHC on 29. They have created a gap back to HDM on 23 after they drew 1-1 with Oranje-Rood and 2-2 with HGC from their two games.  

Pinoké have moved into a position to challenge them for a top four place courtesy of a six-point weekend, defeating Victoria 4-1 and Hurley 2-0.

Euro Hockey League media release



Junior move level with Campo in Spanish women’s league



Junior FC took advantage of Club de Campo’s delayed game away to CH Sardinero to move level at the top of Spain’s women’s Iberdrola league with a resounding 8-1 success against RC Jolaseta.

A 6-0 half-time lead, built on a couple of Carlota Petchame goals put them well out in front and on course for a simple win with Berta Serrahima adding two more in the second half.

It lifts them to 37 points, level with Campo who have an extra game on the agenda. The Madrid club will play that next Saturday as part of a busy double-header with a home game against RS Tenis a day later.  

Campo – who will play in the EHL FINAL4 in April – have yet to be beaten in their 13 games to date with Laura Barrios heading up the goalscoring charts with 10 while Begoña Garcia had seven.

In the men’s competition, the top four sides all won to leave the rankings as they were with Campo top on 37 points from 14 games after their 3-1 victory against CD Terrassa. Final quarter goals from Jose Basterra and Quique Gonzalez made the difference.

EHL representatives Atlètic Terrassa are four points back on 33 points courtesy of their 4-0 win away to Linia 22, Marc Vizicaino scoring the first two goals.

Club Egara are second on 34, earning a tough away win over Junior with Xavi Aguilar, Marc Recasens and Lluis Mercade getting their goals in a 3-1. Polo remain fourth but with an extra gap to fifth place thanks to a narrow 1-0 win in their derby with FC Barcelona.

Euro Hockey League media release



KS AZS AWF end top trio’s 32-year control of Polish indoor scene



KS AZS AWF Poznan and LKS Rogowo have been crowned Poland’s national indoor champions following last weekend’s finals.

In this unique season, played under special government conditions due to the pandemic, AZS AWF became the first different side outside the big three – WKS Grunwald Poznań, KS Pocztowiec Poznań and KS Pomorzanin Toruń – to win the men’s title for 32 years.

They finished the campaign with seven wins out of seven, crucially beating eventual runners-up WKS Grunwald 6-5 just before Christmas and they closed out the season with a 7-5 success against Pomorzanin Toruń.

Two early goals from Łukasz Kurniewicz got them off to a great start before Toruń fought back to level at 2-2 at half-time. But a second half hat trick from Patryk Pawlak kept AZS AWF edging ahead to land their famous victory.

In the women’s competition, Rogowo won an epic three-way tussle for top spot with the the first trio covered by just two points.  

They secured the title with a game to go when they got a 2-1 win over UKHT Ósemka Tarnowskie Góry to put Politechnika Poznańska and UKS Orient II Łosina out of contention.

Their rivals closed the gaps to one and two points, respectively, which was how it remained after the final game of the competition when Rogowo lost to LKS Gasawa 3-2.

Euro Hockey League media release



Kaitlin follows in a family tradition



As we continue our celebration of International Women’s Day with representatives from all our continental federations, we catch up with a player who is part of one of Australia’s most notable hockey families.

Kaitlin Nobbs’ love of hockey began at an early age when she used to watch her mum, Lee Capes and her aunt, Michelle Hager, plus her father and uncle all play at the local club. She was roped into being a ball girl for the club games but soon graduated onto the pitch, first for club, then state and eventually, in 2016, making her debut for the national senior team, in a test match against Japan.

“Watching my mum and auntie play for Australia was really, really inspiring for me. It is really nice to be able to go to them and draw on their experiences of being in the Hockeyroos team,” says Nobbs, whose father Michael Nobbs represented Australia and coached India at the 2012 London Olympic Games. In addition, her uncle Mark Hager is now Head Coach to Great Britain women. It can truly be said that Nobbs has some giant footsteps to follow.

“It was tough following in their footsteps because they did reach such a high level but my mum always instilled in me the idea ‘play because you love it’, and that is the best advice I received. I never felt pressurised because I have always loved the game and I am proud to now be able to say I have followed in her footsteps.”

The defender, who originates from New South Wales, has 82 senior caps for the Hockeyroos, as well as a further nine caps for the junior national team.

While Nobbs may have followed Lee Capes into the senior team, there is still one part of her mother’s journey that the 24-year-old would like to emulate: In 1988, Capes was part of the Australia team that won gold at the Seoul Olympic Games.

#ChooseToChallenge
#IWD2021
#StrongerTogether

FIH site



The First Ever Women's International Hockey Match

Courtesy of the Hockey Museum


Photo credit: Hockey Museum

2 March 2021 is the 125th anniversary of the first ever women’s international hockey match in 1896, between Ireland and England. Ireland beat England 2-0.

The game took place on the Alexandra College ground in Milltown, Dublin, at 3.30pm, in front of a crowd of about 2,000 people. M Obre and D Johnson scored for the hosts.

To put things into context, this match took place less than fifteen years after the formation of the first hockey club at Teddington and only one year after the first men’s international match. Perhaps more importantly, social opinion at the time considered women’s hockey, indeed women’s sport, to be unladylike! Contrast that with today when some one hundred nations are playing women’s hockey internationally.

This was certainly not an impromptu event as the invitation to England had been issued the previous year. Indeed, it was the Irish who formed the first women’s national association, the Irish Ladies Hockey Union in 1894. Ireland has much to be proud of internationally; they won both of the first ever international hockey matches, men’s and women’s.

The history books show that this game was almost the second in history because a match did take place in Brighton on the 10 April 1895, one year earlier. Although it was publicised as an ‘international’ it was soon downgraded to ‘another match of interest’. This was because the Irish team, although very competent, were in fact the Alexandra College team from Dublin, not a national team. Additionally, England had yet to form their national association so the England team had no official status. As such, the match at Milltown, Dublin on the 2 March 1896 becomes the first ‘true’ international women’s match.

The reports of this notable 1896 encounter follow, albeit by male reporters!

The Irish Independent:
“There was little to choose between the teams, and though the combination of the Irish ladies was better than that of their opponents, and they had somewhat the better of the opening period, the English ladies pressed quite as much in the second half, and with better shooting they might have equalised.”

The Irish Times:
“When the teams took up their positions they made a pretty scene, the English players wearing red skirts and white bodices and caps, while their opponents were arrayed in green blouses and dresses of a similar but deeper hue, and as the colours mingled and co-mingled during the course of the match, the spectacle was quite animating, not to say charming.”

The Daily Express:
“After the bully-off, lreland got down to the English line, and there was close work for a few minutes until the visitors brought the ball to centre along their left wing. Ireland returned to the pressure and Miss Johnson [disproved; correction: Obre] got a run to the circle where, after some scrummaging, she shot the first goal for Ireland a few minutes from the start.”

Ireland went on to score a second goal before half time.

“The visitors set about reducing the opponents' advantage in determined style and, with the backs feeding the front division well, the latter made matters pretty warm for the Irish defence. Miss Martin in goal was equal to all the calls made upon her resources however and, after the Irish had conceded a corner of which nothing came, a penalty free gave them a much-needed relief.

“The English ladies attacked hotly and Miss Martin only Just managed to stop a fast shot sent … in the nick of time. A couple of corners gave England no material advantage and, after some give and take play, the Irish forwards, whose placing of the ball at this period was very good, gradually worked their way into the visitors' circle. Miss Bell had an ineffectual shot at goal, following which Miss Robson raised the siege and the remainder of the play took place at midfield. Ireland thus won a meritorious victory, albeit they were hardly two scores the better side.”

The sides lined up as follows:


Ireland: Miss Louisa Martin (captain, Alexandra College); Miss Shaw (Donnybrook), Miss E Sealy (Dundrum); Miss I Boyd (Merton), Miss EA Obre (Merton), Miss A Boyd (Merton); Miss F Henshaw (Alexandra College), Miss D Johnson (Alexandra College), Miss M Obre (Merton), Miss Frances Martin (Alexandra College), Miss A Bell (Donnybrook)


England: Ethel Robson (Blackheath); Winifred Langrishe (Columbine), A Carver (Brighton); Miss Bouchier (Bedford), Emily G Johnson (captain, East Molesey), Emily Tatham (East Molesey); J Retallack (Bournemouth), Miss Brook (Bournemouth), Mrs Mary D’Oyley (East Molesey), Miss Andrews (East Molesey), M Mellor (Brighton)

Visit The Hockey Museum website to know more about the first and only museum of Hockey in the world.

FIH site



Virginia Beach native Sam Zwyna starred in her hometown for Maryland field hockey

Shane Connuck


Forward Sam Zwyna dribbles during Maryland field hockey's 5-0 win over New Hampshire on Sept. 1, 2019. (Julia Nikhinson/The Diamondback)

Sam Zwyna remembers the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. It was where she was introduced to hockey, and where she first played the sport.

It was where she won middle school, high school and club field hockey championships.

That sportsplex was where she had some of the best moments of her youth career, where she cut her teeth and grew into a Division I talent, playing for and against some of the best teams in the nation.

Now a sophomore forward for Maryland field hockey, the Virginia Beach, Virginia, native was ecstatic as the team traveled to her hometown to kick off the truncated spring 2021 campaign.

Late in the first half of Friday’s win over Michigan State, Zwyna handled a pass from the Terps’ Riley Donnelly, stepped by her defender and fired a right-handed shot into the cage past Spartans’ goalkeeper Jade Arundell.

Zwyna threw her arms in the air in celebration and hugged her excited teammates. She had just scored her first collegiate goal in her hometown.

“To be able to play a collegiate game and score my first goal [there] is just awesome,” Zwyna said.

An alumna of Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach — about a 20-minute drive from the sportsplex — Zwyna was a four-year letterwinner and two-time state champion for the Falcons’ field hockey team.

Being that close to home meant her friends and family were among the 121 spectators who witnessed her first collegiate goal in person.

“I’m really blessed to have my family there and have a big support system in V.B.,” Zwyna said. “I know a lot of people were watching and excited to see me, so that was really cool.”

During her freshman season, Zwyna saw action in just eight games. She tallied an assist in a Maryland victory over Towson but didn’t find the cage on two shot attempts.

So, she came into this season having to fight for a spot.

This fall, when Zwyna and the Terps were at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex practicing and participating in intrasquad competitions, they were working on technical skills and doing “all the real discipline work,” said coach Missy Meharg.

And in that environment, Zwyna thrived.

“Sam grew her game tremendously in the fall,” Meharg said. “She took the game so seriously.”

As Meharg’s squad continued to compete among itself in the fall, there was no clear picture of when it would return to the pitch against other schools. So, it took that time to focus on ways to improve its game, particularly goal scoring — an emphasis that paid off for Zwyna.

“To score a goal using that technique was super rewarding — I would hope — for her, and certainly for the coaching staff,” Meharg said.

Zwyna will be close to home again this weekend, looking to create more memories as the Terps head down to Virginia Beach for contests against Ohio State and Northwestern.

The Diamondback



UK MPs to consider links between sport and long-term brain injury



MPs will hear examine the role of national governing bodies regarding concussion in an inquiry to be launched on Wednesday.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s concussion in sport inquiry will consider scientific evidence for links between head trauma and dementia and how risks could be mitigated in sport.

The DCMS will oversee two sessions, the first of these will take place on March 9.

Although the inquiry is likely to focus on rugby and football, DCMS Committee Chair Julian Knight said that it would consider scientific evidence to link sport overall with the incidence of long-term brain injury.

He said: “We will look particularly at what role national governing bodies should be taking and their responsibilities to understand risks involved for players and what actions might be taken to mitigate them.

“We’re seeing a number of cases involving brain injury in sport likely to reach the doors of our law courts and we will also look at the implications for sport in the longer term of any successful legal claim.”

The Committee will also take evidence on the implications for youth sport, funding for further scientific research, and the role of national governing bodies and major sporting organisations in ensuring member clubs receive up to date medical advice and promote good practice.

In the second session of the inquiry, MPs will hear from individual players and governing bodies.

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