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All the news for Sunday 7 December 2014

The stage is set for Lucha's last match

But will the Hockeyroos follow the script?


(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)

Hockey has followed the script in Mendoza. This was always feted to be the stage upon which Luciana Aymar made her final bow and, thanks to a last minute goal against the Netherlands, the home crowd will get their perfect final and the iconic hockey star will have her chance to achieve one last moment of hockey glory in her home country.

The opening match at 11.30 am on the final day will be the 7th/8th place match between Germany and China. This will be followed at 14:00 by Japan against England. At 16:30 hours local time, New Zealand and the Netherlands will play for the bronze medal, and at 19:00 Australia will take on Argentina.

Below is the story of day five at the Champions Trophy...

Semi-final 1

NZL v AUS 1-1 (1-0) (0-3 aet)

New Zealand's record in shoot-outs came back to haunt them when they lost to Australia after a bruising encounter with the world number two team. The Black Sticks had taken an early lead through their inspirational captain Anita Punt, but after Amelia Spence equalised, and the game went to shoot-out, the Hockeyroos had all the advantage offered by experience.

The match itself was a bruising affair with both sides enjoying periods of pressure, but it was also a game played at a high level of physicality, and by the end of the third quarter the Hockeyroos were having the better of the encounters. The high balls from the Australian defence, either cross pitch or up field were particularly effective, but every so often, the Black Sticks would burst down the pitch on a typically speedy counter.

During the shoot-out, the Australian team were clinical, with Georgia Nanscawen, Karri McMahon and Emily Smith all scoring, while for the Black Sticks, none of the players were able to convert their chances.

Semi-final 2

NED v ARG 1-2 (1-1)

 It was the match that the 6,000 fans in the Estadio Mendicini were waiting to see. The world champions Netherlands faced both the challenge of playing the home nation Argentina, and coping with the inferno created by the army of blue and white-clad fans.

The Netherlands fired the first salvo, Maartje Paumen's first penalty corner drag flick was well-saved by Succi. This served as a boost to Las Leonas and Carla Rebecchi was unlucky not to equalise when her shot flew over the cross bar just seconds later.

But it was the Netherlands who scored first. Succi made three great saves, but Lidewij Welton (15') was on hand to bat the ball home on the fourth attempt.

Argentina came back in the game in the 31st minute when Silvinia D'Elia put away a penalty corner. This signalled a rise in temperature on the pitch as neither side gave an inch. With less than four minutes on the clock, Argentina were reduced to 10 players when Martina Cavallero was green carded, but the Netherlands failed to make the advantage count. A penalty corner that slipped to Naomi van As was saved by the agile Succi and that miss proved costly as the ball went down to the Dutch defensive end and after a mazy, dribbling run along the back line by Luciana Aymar, the ball eventually fell to Rebecchi who fired home and took Argentina to the finals.

5th-8th place play-offs

ENG v JPN 3-1 (2-0)

GER v CHN 0-0 (0-0) 4-5 (aet)

England hit three past Cherry Blossoms

In the 5th-8th place play-offs, England and Japan played out a 3-1 match, with both teams playing an expensive game that had been missing in their earlier fixtures.

England's Hollie Webb scored from a penalty corner to give the team the lead and England then doubled their lead through a cracking strike from Sophie Bray just before half time.

Japan came back into the game through Akane Shibata – a fitting reward as the player celebrated her 100th cap at the start of the match.

England didn't panic and Sarah Haycroft put the game beyond doubt when she scored her first senior goal for her country – a superbly taken goal, struck as she entered the circle at pace.

GER v CHN 0-0 (0-0) 4-5 (aet)

China win on sudden death.

The match between Germany and China was full of energy but with little clinical finishing at the end of the movement. Both teams had chances to take the match but ultimately a combination of good goalkeeping and poor finishing meant the game stayed goalless.

Early in the game, China's Wang Mengyu failed to score from a penalty stroke and then a goal mouth scramble somehow prevented the German team from taking the lead. Kristina Hillmann summed it up: "We didn't create chances in the first two quarters, and then in the second two quarters we couldn't put them away."

The resulting shoot-out contest was level after five attempts, but during the sudden death, Lisa Shutze missed and Peng Yang was able to win the game for China.

#CT2014 #BestofTheBest

FIH site

Golden girl on silver screen

Lucha: the movie – set for release next year.


(Photo: PH: Rodrigo Jararamillotodos los derech reservados.-)

The cameras showed a nine-year-old girl clasping a hockey stick as she played with a ball on a piece of derelict grass. Nearly three decades later and that little girl is a global hockey icon: her skill, style and elegance marking her out as a hockey player extraordinaire. 

"I had the dream, but I never thought my life would become the dream," said Luciana Aymar as she spoke at a press conference to introduce a documentary about her life. When Lucha: Jugando con el impossible, is released next year legions of Luciana Aymar fans will be able to watch their idol, both on the hockey pitch and in her everyday life.

The Las Leonas superstar, who retires at the end of this Champions Trophy tournament, was at the press conference in Mendoza on the eve of the Champions Trophy semi-finals to promote the documentary. In a series of clips, the gathered press saw Luciana at her imperious best, jinking past players, tantalising defenders with her skills and scoring goals from the most impossible of angles. Then the camera cut to a bedroom where Luciana and her team mates were singing along to a guitar, dancing and playing 'air guitar' with their hockey sticks.

The footage showed another side to the magician, as she joked with her teammates, laughed uproariously and played around like a care-free teenager. "That needs to be edited," laughed Luciana as the camera showed the Argentine team jumping all over a mini-bus and rocking it from side-to-side.

Talking after the showing, Luciana explained what hockey meant to her: how much she had enjoyed the years of being with her teammates, playing hockey around the world and, of course, winning trophies and accolades, including eight times as the FIH Player of the Year.

Luciana said she had enjoyed making the documentary, adding it had been quite a flexible process because, in sport, things can change. "I enjoyed making the film because it gave me a chance to show that I am more than just a hockey player." But despite the enormous interest in Luciana's life, the hockey stars refused to divulge either the ending of the film or the next stage of her life. "For now it is all about the next match and trying to win the Champions Trophy."

#BestofTheBest #CT2014

FIH site

Las Leonas in the final

Hockeyroos to face hosts and defending champs Argentina at 9am AEDT Monday



The Hockeyroos will face Argentina in the women’s Champions Trophy final after the hosts overcame the Netherlands 2-1 in the second semi final in Mendoza on Sunday, following the Hockeyroos’ 3-0 shoot-out victory over New Zealand.

The final will take place at 9:00am AEDT (8:00am AEST / 6:00am AWST) on Monday and will be shown live on ABC in Eastern Daylight states and territories and in Western Australia. It will be shown on delay at 9:00am in Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia.

Argentina are the defending champions having beaten Great Britain to win the last Champions Trophy back in 2012, also on home turf in Rosario. Their experienced squad in Mendoza contains 13 of the 18 athletes that helped them win gold on that occasion.

The match takes on extra significance with Luciana Aymar set to retire from international competition after it. Lauded as the best player of her generation, Aymar has won the World Player of the Year award eight times.

It will be the Hockeyroos’ 12th Champions Trophy final since the competition began in 1987 but their first since 2009, when they went down to Argentina 4-3 in a shoot-out following a 0-0 draw.

The Hockeyroos last won the competition in Sydney in 2003, a 3-2 win over China.

Going into the match, Australia’s Jodie Kenny and Argentina’s Carla Rebecchi are locked together in the lead of the top scorers statistics having each scored five goals so far.

The two sides met on day two of the tournament (highlights above), playing out a 1-1 draw in Pool B with goals from Emily Smith of Australia and Luciana Aymar of Argentina.

Australian umpire Lisa Roach will take charge of her last international match when she steps out to umpire the bronze medal contest between New Zealand and the Netherlands. In a distinguished international officiating career spanning 15 years, Roach, from New South Wales, has taken charge of the Olympic final in 2012 and the finals of both the outdoor and indoor World Cups. Compatriot Kylie Seymour has been appointed as the video umpire for the bronze medal match.

Official website

Stats and facts

• Argentina have competed in the last SIX Champions Trophy finals, winning FOUR of them.
• Australia competed in the first SEVEN Champions Trophy finals, winning FIVE titles in a row between 1991 and 1999.
• Australia’s last Champions Trophy gold medal came in Sydney in 2003.
• Australia and The Netherlands are the two most successful teams at the Champions Trophy, each winning SIX gold medals. Argentina is the next most successful with FIVE titles.
• Australia’s route to the final. Win v England (1-0), draw v Argentina (1-1), win v Germany (3-1), QF win v Japan (4-1), SF draw with New Zealand (0-0, won 3-0 on shoot-out).
• Argentina’s route to the final. Win v Germany (1-0), draw v Australia (1-1), win v England (4-1), QF win v China (7-2), SF win v Netherlands (2-1).

Hockey Australia media release

’Roos go for gold

Hockeyroos through to final after winning 2-1 over NZL in shootout



The Hockeyroos can guarantee their place in Monday mornings gold medal match at the 2014 Champions Trophy in Mendoza against either 2014 World Cup Champions the Netherlands or hosts Argentina, after the Hockeyroos won 3-0 on a shootout over trans-tasman rivals, New Zealand Sunday morning.
  
Goals from Georgia Nanscawen, Karri McMahon and Emily Smith has given the green and gold a chance to claim the 2014 women’s Champions Trophy title after the match went into shootout with scores levelled 1-1 after the final siren.
    
Georgia Nanscawen was first to take Australia’s shootout, smoothly slotting the ball behind New Zealand’s goalkeeper Georgia Barnetts’ pads giving Australia a 1-0 lead.

Australian goalkeeper Ashlee Wells was well prepared, blocking all three of New Zealand’s attempts during the shootout. Karri McMahon scored Australia’s second goal which was quickly followed by New South Wales’ Emily Smith’s winning goal after she manage to take two attempts in the time-frame to successfully score, fishing the Hockeyroos atop of the Kiwi’s 3-0.
  
It was a disappointing first half for the Hockeyroos after the Kiwi’s broke through and took the lead in 2 minutes of the match commencing. New Zealand’s Anita Punt, the injector for the Kiwi’s penalty corner was on target and pushed them in front of the Aussies 1-0.

Neither the Aussies or Kiwi’s were able to convert their opportunities in the second quarter, leaving the score locked at 1-0 to New Zealand.

Picking up momentum and gelling together well, the Hockeyroos quickly found their feet. Dominating ball possession and circle penetration after the second half, the Hockeyroos quickly created themselves valuable opportunities.

Trailing 1-0 behind the Kiwi’s after the first two quarters, the Hockeyroos’ chance quickly approached at the 40th minute mark. Tasmanian, Amelia Spence, recent debutant for the Hockeyroos was in the right place at the right time. Brooke Peris found Spence open on the spot in Australia’s attacking circle and quickly sent the ball across the goal finding Spence’s stick. Spence slapped the ball past New Zealand’s goalkeeper Sally Rutherford, and into the back of the net.

The Hockeyroos were awarded further opportunities in the remaining minutes of the match however, the Black Sticks defence remained robust and forced the match into a shootout.
  
Speaking after the match to Hockeyroos head coach Adam Commens on the team’s performance this morning, he commented, “It was a really good performance in the second half, I’m pleased with our performance this morning. New Zealand executed their penalty corner well to score and we created more than enough chances to score goals however, unfortunately we were unable to convert most of them.”
  
“I felt we were well prepared coming into the shootout and executed really well."
  
Preparing for their gold medal final on Monday morning against Argentina or the Netherlands, Commens commented on how they would prepare for what will be a tough final.
  
“We now focus on getting a result in the final on Monday. We will watch the Netherlands and Argentina's semi-final and take notes. We know both opponents very well and it will come down to what we do and how we do it.”
  
The Hockeyroos will now prepare to face the second Champions Trophy semi-final winner the Netherlands or Argentina in the gold medal match Monday 8 December in Australia live on ABC at 9:00am AEDT/6:00am AWST and on delay on ABC 9:00am AEST.
    
Semi Final

HOCKEYROOS: 1 (0)*
Amelia Spence 40 (FG)
      
NEW ZEALAND: 1 (1)*
Anita Punt 2 (PC)
 
*Hockeyroos win 3-0 on shootout over New Zealand Black Sticks

Shootout details
Georgia Nanscawen (AUS) goal 1-0
Stacey Michelsen (NZL) no goal 1-0
Casey Eastham (AUS) no goal 1-0
Anita Punt (NZL) no goal 1-0
Karri McMahon (AUS) goal 2-0
Ella Gunson (NZL) no goal 2-0
Emily Smith (AUS) goal 3-0

Semi Final Fixtures & Results
England 3-1 Japan
Germany 0-0 (4-5 SO) China
New Zealand 1-1 (0-3 SO) v Australia
Netherlands 1-1 (1-2 SO) v Argentina
    
Hockeyroos Squad
Athlete (Hometown, State) caps/goals
Started
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 61/2
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 142/33
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 127/73
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 60/7
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 168/63
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 43/8
Casey Sablowski (née Eastham) (capt) (South Coast, NSW) 221/44
Kathryn Slattery (South Stirling, WA) 8/2
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 107/46
Amelia Spence (Hobart, TAS) 6/1
Ashlee Wells (GK) (Morwell, VIC) 41/0

Used Substitute
Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD) 197/10
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD) 63/2
Rebecca Dwyer (née Reuter) (Toowoomba, QLD) 13/0
Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW) 8/0
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC) 145/30
                      
Unused Substitute
Mathilda Carmichael (Willoughby, NSW) 23/1
Audrey Smith (GK) (Wynnum, QLD) 1/0

Hockeyroos’ Upcoming Fixtures
Monday 8 Dec – Gold medal match - Australia v Argentina, live on ABC 9:00am AEDT/6:00am AWST (as live 9:00am in AEST).

Hockey Australia media release

Black Sticks Women to play for bronze


Credit: Grant Treeby / FIH

The Black Sticks Women have narrowly missed out on making their first ever FIH Champions Trophy final, losing to world number two Australia in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 full-time draw in Mendoza, Argentina.

The Kiwis will now play for the bronze medal at 8.30am tomorrow (NZ time) against either the Netherlands or Argentina. 

“We didn’t treasure every moment in the game, they pressured us in the second half and we just kept doing the same thing and didn’t move the ball. We went away from our game plan, we got a bit of stage fright, got tired and just didn’t push through. In the end, it was our basic skill error that cost us,” said head coach Mark Hager.

“I thought we defended well throughout the game, but we made one crucial error and they scored from it. When you make a mistake like that, you get punished. We currently don’t have the mental toughness to match a side like Australia – we still need to learn that.”

The Black Sticks got off to the perfect start - they won a penalty corner in the opening minute that captain Anita Punt with absolute precision, flicked low to the keeper’s right, her fourth goal of the tournament. 

It was a fast-paced first quarter, New Zealand using their speed to fend off a skilful Australian defensive unit and create opportunities up front.

The half time statistics showed both sides were equal on all fronts, but the tables turned drastically in the third quarter and Australia’s hard work earned them the equaliser in the 40th minute, Amelia Spence knocking in a high cross in front of the goal.

In the fourth quarter, the intensity increased and New Zealand’s defence did well under pressure to limit Australia’s shots on goal but they struggled to create their own opportunities.

The penalty shoot-out went all Australia’s way, with the Black Sticks unable to score and Australia scoring three from four attempts.

All games are live and replayed on Sky Sport – click here for the television schedule.  Today’s game is replayed at 2pm on Sky Sport.

RESULTS
Full time: 1-1 lost 0-3 in penalty shoot-out
Half time: 1-0 (NZ lead)

NZ goal scorers: Anita Punt

Australia goal scorers: Amelia Spence

Tournament results so far:
NZ vs Japan: 2-1 win
NZ vs Netherlands: 1-1 draw
NZ vs China: 2-0 win
NZ vs England: 3-1 win
NZ vs Australia: 1-1 draw (lost penalty shoot-out 0-3)

FIH Champions Trophy - New Zealand’s previous results
1987 – Sixth
1999 – Fifth
2000 – Sixth
2001 – Fifth
2002 – Fifth
2004 – Sixth
2006 – Sixth
2010 – Fifth
2011 – Third
2012 - Sixth

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks lose in penalty shootout

By David Leggat


New Zealand's Anita Punt. Photo / Getty Images

Australia have beaten New Zealand in a penalty shootout to advance to the Champions Trophy hockey final in Mendoza.

The scores were locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time, but Australia were too good in the shootout, winning it 3-0 as New Zealand's poor record in shootouts continued.

World No 3 Australia will face either the Netherlands or hosts Argentina in the final, with the Black Sticks to play the loser for third place.

New Zealand lost on penalty strokes to Australia in the Commonwealth Games final in New Delhi four years ago, were beaten by the Dutch in the semifinals of the London Olympics on a shootout, and again went down to England in the Commonwealth semifinal in Glasgow this year by the same method.

The fourth-ranked Black Sticks began strongly and went ahead in the first minute through a fine penalty corner drag flick by captain Anita Punt.

They held the lead at halftime, but lost their way in a poor third quarter.

Australia's equaliser had an inevitability about it, and came five minutes before the end of that quarter, through Amelia Spence after New Zealand failed to clear their defensive line.

Stacey Michelsen, Punt and Ella Gunson missed in the shootout, Michelsen losing control of the ball, Punt driving her shot wide and Gunson's effort hitting a post.

Emily Smith got the decisive goal for Australia after Georgia Nanscawen and Karri McMahon had previously beaten goalkeeper Georgia Barnett, who had kept the Black Sticks in the shootout by blocking Casey Eastham's effort.

The final games will be played tomorrow morning.

The New Zealand Herald

Black Sticks lose Champions Trophy semifinal on penalties

BRENDON EGAN

   
Black Sticks captain Anita Punt. KENT BLECHYNDEN/ Fairfax NZ

The New Zealand women's hockey team the Black Sticks have again been dumped out of a major hockey tournament on penalties.

New Zealand lost their Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia 3-0 on a shootout this morning after it finished 1-1 at fulltime.

The Black Sticks have struggled with penalties at knockout stages of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and again came off second best.

Stacey Michelsen was unable to get a shot off with her first penalty attempt after mistrapping the ball and losing control.

Australia's Georgia Nanscawen then gave her side a 1-0 advantage, beating New Zealand goalkeeper Georgia Barnett, who replaced Sally Rutherford for the shootout.

New Zealand were unsuccessful with their next two attempts, with skipper Anita Punt firing wide and Ella Gunson hitting the post.

Barnett saved Australia's second attempt from captain Casey Eastham, but Karri McMahon and Emily Smith both scored for the Hockeyroos to clinch victory.

Punt rued crashing out of another tournament through penalties.

"Unfortunately, we're making it quite a normal thing that we seem to do. Australia stepped up and it's a bit disappointing for us."

New Zealand were seeking to progress to a Champions Trophy final for the first time since the event's inception in 1987.

Their best finish was a third placing, three years ago in the Netherlands.

The Black Sticks made a dream start to the game with Punt netting her fourth penalty corner goal in three games after just 65 seconds.

New Zealand had their chances to increase the lead during the first half, but could not find the back of the net.

The Black Sticks outplayed by Australia in the second half and did well to hang on and send the game to penalties.

Australia kept New Zealand camped in their own half and dominated possession.

Their territorial dominance finally paid off with Amelia Spence scoring late in the third quarter after the ball was whipped across the goalmouth from Brooke Peris.

New Zealand will take on the loser of the Netherlands and Argentina semifinal in the bronze medal match tomorrow (NZ time).

Stuff

England seal first victory at Champions Trophy


Sarah Haycroft v Japan CT 2014

England made the best of their 5th-8th classification game at the Champions Trophy scoring three times to see off world number 10 side Japan. The result marked England’s first victory of the tournament with goals from Surbiton’s Hollie Webb and Sarah Haycroft and East Grinstead’s Sophie Bray.

England controlled possession in the opening quarter but few goal-scoring chances were created, as they struggled to break down a determined Japanese defence. However, in the 11th minute the deadlock was broken, as Hollie Webb’s powerful strike from England’s first penalty corner, deflected off goalkeeper Sakiyo Asano, into her own net. 

England continued to dominate in the second quarter and doubled their lead in the 28th minute. Sarah Haycroft latched onto a ball in the midfield and weaved her way through the Japanese defence, eliminating three players. Her slipped pass found East Grinstead’s Sophie Bray, whose first touch finish was expertly converted into the roof of the net. Japan won their first penalty corner in the final seconds of the first half but the shot from the top of the circle wasn’t a threat and the score remained at 2 – 0 heading into half time.
  
Japan stated brightly in the third quarter and Holcombe’s Maddie Hinch, who has been nominated for FIH International Female Goalkeeper of the Year*, was called into action for the first time. Hazuki Nagai’s reverse stick ball into the circle was deflected goal wards by Mie Nakashima but Hinch reacted quickly, palming the ball away with her left glove. Minutes later Hinch was beaten, as a free hit fired into the circle deflected off a Japanese stick and fell kindly to Akane Shibata on the back post. She smashed the ball home on the volley to pull the score back to 2 – 1 and set up a tense final quarter.   
  
Haycroft ruled out any chance of a Japanese fight back, when she scored her first goal for England in the 49th minute, to restore England’s two goal cushion. Haycroft ran into the Japanese circle unopposed and struck the ball into the top right hand corner of the goal, past a diving Asano to seal the victory.

Captain Sam Quek was pleased with the team's performance:

“We’ve been focusing on the same things every game, it was just nice that we got the result today and that the goals came. I think the most important thing for us was that we kept our concentration, even though we conceded a goal in the third quarter. I was proud of the way the girls reacted; we kept our focus and built our attacking play which allowed us to score again and re-establish our two goal lead.”

The result means that England will be playing against either Germany or China in the battle for a fifth place finish tomorrow at 17.00 (GMT) on the final day of the Women’s Champions Trophy. 

England 3 (2)
Hollie Webb 11 (PC)
Sophie Bray 28 (FG)
Sarah Haycroft 49 (FG)

Japan 1 (0)
Akane Shibata 42 (FG)

England Hockey Board Media release

England stun Australia in Bhubaneswar as Belgium, Netherlands and Germany nab wins too

India fall just short in front of massive Hero Hockey Champions Trophy home crowd while Australia, Pakistan and Argentina also fall

   
England surprised by beating the world champions from Australia. (Photo: FIH / Koen Suyk)

The Hero Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar kicked off with a big surprise as England defeated the reigning world champions from Australia 3-1 (2-0). Debutant Sam Ward scored twice in his England debut with Alastair Brogdon adding another to secure a deserved win for the world number 5. Belgium, meanwhile, had the edge over Pakistan in the second game in Pool A, Thomas Briels scoring the decisive goal in the third quarter to see them home 2-1. The opener in Pool B saw the Netherlands sealing a 3-0 win over Argentina. In front of 7,000 fans, India were unable to grab the win they so-desired as Florian Fuchs last minute goal saw Germany succeed 1-0.

POOL A: AUS v ENG 1-3 (0-2)

In game one, England had the better start into this game with Brogdon scoring the opening goal in the 6th minute. He won possession in the circle and defeated Kookaburra goalie Andrew Charter with a powerful backhand stroke.

While England were the dominating side in the first quarter, the world champions got stronger in the second quarter. Australia produced a row of penalty corners but could not capitalise on the opportunities.

However, England doubled their lead against the run of play. Debutant Sam Ward (27’) smashed the ball into the empty Kookaburra goal after the ball bounced off the post. The 23-year old got called up into the team last Saturday after Harry Martin had to pull out due to injury.

The third quarter saw an equal match with chances either side but the goalkeepers Charter and George Pinner (ENG) kept clean sheets. Australia raised the pace in the last quarter but the English defence stayed firm until Chris Ciriello (54’) flicked in a penalty corner to bring Australia on the scoreboard.

Soon after, Australia failed to net from a row of promising opportunities. Instead it was Ward again, scoring from a fast counter-attack to make it 3-1 with three minutes to go.

BEL v PAK 2-1 (1-0)

In the other game in Pool A, Thomas Briels’ delightful third quarter goal helped Belgium nab an opening day 2-1 victory over Pakistan to get their Hero Hockey Champions Trophy campaign up and running in strong fashion.

The Belgians had the half time lead when Tanguy Cosyns (12’) scrambled home at the right post after a left wing attack spun invitingly for him. They had the guts of the play from there  on, creating eight circle entries, but were unable to break through the Pakistan defences.

Tom Boon did draw a top save from Imran Butt from a high corner two minutes before the break to keep the margin at the minimum. Pakistan improved markedly in the second half and were back on terms when a corner flick hit Loick Luypaert on the body. After an umpire’s consultation, a penalty stroke was awarded which team captain Muhammad Imran duly converted, wrong-footing Vincent Vanasch.

But Briels (43’) restored the lead in stunning style, finishing off with a delicate flip after Boon eliminated a couple of defenders with some lovely stickwork and they held on in reasonable comfort.

POOL B: NED v ARG 3-0 (2-0)

World Cup Silver medallists the Netherlands produced a fine 3-0 (2-0) win over Argentina in the opening match of Pool B at the Hero Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar. The crowded Kalinga Hockey Stadium saw the Netherlands being awarded five penalty corners in the first quarter but only scoring from one occasion. Mink van der Weerden’s drag-flick found the net after 12 minutes, earlier Manu Brunet had saved a van der Weerden push on the line.

Argentina’s Leones also had their chances to score, for instance when Lucas Vila received a running pass from Matias Paredes but could not defeat Pirmin Blaak in the Dutch goal. The Dutch eventually doubled their lead in the second quarter when Robbert Kemperman (19’), known in Holland as Mr. Backhand, converted a beautiful pass from Sander Baart with a reverse stick strike.

Argentina, who recently surprised by taking the Bronze medal at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, fought hard to get back into the game but Blaak kept them out. With 11 minutes to go Diede van Puffelen scored his first goal in his senior career securing Oranje a deserved 3-0 victor.

GER v IND 1-0 (0-0)

Florian Fuchs won the last game of the day for Germany 1-0 against the hosts India to close out day one of the Hero Hockey Champions Trophy in dramatic fashion. He struck with the last meaningful play of the game, winning the battle with the otherwise immaculate PR Sreejesh for the ball before firing home a great backhand finish, leaving the majority of the capacity 7,000 fans in the Kalinga Stadium disappointed.

The tie saw plenty of chances at both ends with Sreejesh and his opposite number Nicolas Jacobi producing a number of good saves to keep the tie in the mix until the last minute. Akashdeep Singh twice went close for India while Sreejesh denied Moritz Furste, Martin Zwicker and Pilt Arnold in a great display only for the Germans, featuring seven players from last year's Junior World Cup, to nick the result.

Follow us on here:

Event Website: For more information about the Hero Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar please visit our official tournament microsite by clicking here. The microsite will bring you all of the news coming from the event, including written match reports, action photos, official match documents, goal scoring statistics, video highlights and much more.

You Tube: The FIH You Tube channel will be active throughout the events, with match highlights and much more being posted as soon as they become available. To visit our You Tube channel, click the link below: www.youtube.com/fihockey

Social media

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#CT2014 #BestOfTheBest

FIH site

Final-minute blues haunt India again

Y. B. Sarangi


Desperate attempt: India's Ramandeep Singh attempts to score past German defenders in the Champions Trophy match. Germany beat the host 1-0. Photo Sandeep Saxena

An electrifying atmosphere and vociferous fans could not inspire India enough as it lost 1-0 in its opening Pool A match against Germany in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Saturday night. German forward Florian Fuchs slotted home the winner from a scramble in the final seconds.

Playing its first major international match after two eventful months, the Asian Games winner gave a rusty performance against the World No. 3, which was packed with some able youngsters. One aspect, however, remained unchanged — the courageous showing of P.R. Sreejesh under the bar which saved India from losing by a bigger margin.

The start seemed promising for India as it exerted pressure on several occasions through some speedy run down the flanks. A fine cross from V.R. Raghunath and a beautiful through ball from Danish Mujtaba had no takers in the opening quarter. This allowed the Germans to push hard and the nine-time champion earned two penalty corners in seventh and eighth minutes.

India averted further trouble when it appealed for a video referral and overturned a penalty stroke awarded to Germany.

About a minute remaining in the first period, India took the help of another video referral to win a penalty corner, but the young Gurjinder Singh was too predictable for the opponent defenders.

Germany tried to control the pace in order to cut out the host’s attacking efforts and orchestrate a few raids.

An ever alert Sreejesh, who was later named the man of the match, foiled two dangerous attempts to ensure a clean sheet for the home team at half-time. India had a fabulous opportunity to draw first blood when Danish sped alone on the right to cross it over to Sardar.

The captain tried his best but could not beat German custodian Nicolas Jacobi, who rushed forward to blunt the move.

In a fine start to the tournament, England rode on a brilliant brace from debutant Samuel Ward to stun World Cup winner and five-time defending champion Australia 3-1 in a Pool A match and record its first ever win over the Kookaburras in the history of the event.

Belgium, mourning the death of its Queen Fabiola, defeated Pakistan 2-1 to post its maiden victory over the last edition’s bronze medallist.

The Hindu

India stumble at first hurdle

Hosts concede last-minute goal to inexperienced Germany, lose their opener 0-1

Indervir Grewal


Ramandeep Singh (L) dribbles past Germany’s Mathias Muller during their Champions Trophy match in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. AFP

Bhubaneswar - With seconds to go and the match heading towards a goalless draw, a desperate cross from a German got deflected into the air from an Indian defender’s stick. A loose ball in the Indian circle during the final seconds of the match — that’s a familiar sight for the Indian fans. Everyone knew where this was heading, but hoped it would be different today.

Florian Fuchs, however, didn’t oblige. As PR Sreejesh charged ahead, Fuchs easily drifted away from the keeper to the left and smashed a reverse flick into the net.

This time the clock stopped at 34 seconds. The Indians protested and asked for a video referral, out of desperation really. The clock stayed at 34 for a few a more seconds before the Indians were put out of their misery. Germany saw out another weak Indian attack to start their campaign with a 1-0 win.

The match was one of the more ordinary ones of the day but the boisterous home support made it an exciting one. The capacity crowd roared with each Indian attack, which was for most part of the match. India’s attacks, however, were all about quantity, not quality. Most of their chances were half if not quarter ones. But the animated ‘aahs’ of the crowd made them seem more potent than they actually were.

There were many strikes at the goal that went nowhere, many crosses that went everywhere but just not to the right man. India got only one penalty corner, which Gurjinder Singh fired straight into the goalkeeper.

“We made chances but couldn’t score. The players were not able to read the game and were reacting most of the times. They were indecisive about the final passes,” said Roelant Oltmans, India coach.

Germany didn’t have a very good game either. They created fewer chances and failed on all three of their penalty corners. Moritz Furste, through, was in his element today. He played deep, in a more defensive role, but even from there kept finding his man with every long pass.

Sardar Singh played the match but was used judiciously, suggesting that he is not yet fully fit.

Belgium edge Pakistan

Belgium beat Pakistan 2-1 after dominating most part of the match. The Europeans got off to a perfect start when Tanguy Cosyns, in the 12th minute, tapped in a deflection from his teammate that wobbled to him at the right post.  Pakistan played a defensive game and looked for the counter-attacks. But Belgium handled the ball well, giving the Asians few chances at goal.

In the match between two of the strongest teams, Netherlands beat Argentina 3-0. The scoreline would deceive anyone as it was one of the tightest matches of the day.

The Tribune

India lose to the Germany in the final minute

s2h team

The EuroHockey Champions Germany beat the Asian Games Gold medallist India 1-0 at the Kalinga Stadium Bhubanshwar, on the opening day of Champions Trophy '14. A heart-breaking last minute goal for the Indian fans came from Florian Fuchs making Germany bag full 3-points from a game that remained goal-less up till then.

With just 40 seconds to remain, Fuchs beat PR Sreejesh on an one-on-one tackle at the Indian goalmouth. A hard-hit by him from an acute angle denied India a crucial point, had the match ended in a draw.

In the evenly contested encounter where misses galore, right from the word go both Germany and India looked off-colour.

On one hand India's attacks looked unconvincing; on the other hand, Germany missed scoring on two penalty corners they got in a row in the 10th minute. On the first one, they couldn't trap the injection correctly and the second one was misdirected.

An aggressive appeal to the umpire in the 14th minute by the Indians claiming a foul by a German defender earned them a penalty corner. However, Gurjinder's flick was blocked head-on by the German keeper, Nicolas Jacobi.

Although each Indian charge-down towards the German cage was complimented by a deafening cheer from the 7000-plus crowd at the Kalinga Stadium, it ended up meeting an impenetrable German wall. On the handful chances India got, not a single one posed a considerable threat.

The highlight of the game was the numerous saves made by the Wall of Indian Hockey, their custodian, PR Sreejesh. Apart from the various head-on saves, the best of the game came from him in the 36th minute. A deflection by an acrobatic Sreejesh denied the four-time Olympics Gold medallist Germany, a sure goal coming from a penalty corner, their third one in the game.

He bagged a much-deserving 'Man of the Match' for his outstanding work under the cage.

India earned a few half-hearted chances. In the 20th minute, Sardar charged down on the center-left flank but his angle to the German post was blocked by Jacobi just in time.

Two-time World Champions Germany remained guilty of numerous misdirected hits and poor finish. Christopher Ruhr, Jonas Gomoll and Martin Zwicker took shots at the Indian post at various occasions but none of them looked threatening.

At the penalty corner in the 48th minute, Germany looked lax in their stop and flick. Raghunath was quick enough to block the view and when a gentle push reached Sreejesh, he could comfortably push it away.

India got only one penalty corner compared to four for Germany. Neither of the teams succeeded on any occasion.

India stand third in the pool currently and will now take on Argentina, placed last in the pool, on Sunday at 1930hrs.

Stick2Hockey.com

Jacobi and Sreejesh in mutual admiration of each other

Tazeen Qureshy



India versus Germany was not just a match between the two hockey loving nations, but also a test between the two goalkeepers who have made a mark in the world of hockey. While it will not be an exaggeration to say that India’s P.R. Sreejesh is perhaps the only player who has remained the team’s trump card for some time now and has given good performance consistently, Germany’s Nicolas Jacobi is already an established name in goalkeeping.

So, when India managed to survive German scare up to 59 minutes, scoring only when the timer was 42 seconds away from the final hooter, Jacobi credits Sreejesh for setting up the exciting match.

“Sreejesh did a good job. He gave us a tough time. We were lucky in the end. He made a tremendous game,” Jacobi told www.stick2hockey.com.

Sreejesh on the other hand stands surprised on the praise he receives from Jacobi. “If he praised me, I am very happy. In fact, it is me who follows his techniques. Even before the final of the Asian Games, I had watched the videos of the Hockey India League final where Jacobi had played brilliantly during the shoot-out and it helped me in the final of our game against Pakistan as well.”

While Jacobi says, Sreejesh’s reaction time is his strength, Sreejesh himself refuses to agree. “I don’t say I have a strong point. That is because I want to keep improving in all aspects of goalkeeping – drag flick, scoop, defense,” Sreejesh says.

In fact, not just Sreejesh and Jacobi, the tournament also features Jaap Stockmann, another goalkeeper to watch out for.

“Over the last years, a lot of good goalkeepers have come up like Jaap and Sreejesh. I know them personally. In fact during Hockey India League, I hang out with Jaap, you know may be we have beer after a game. I always look at what they are doing and perhaps steal some ideas from them,” he says.

Jacobi is a favourite in India. His performance in the final shootout of this year’s Hockey India League gifted Delhi Waveriders their first title win. And the German too loves playing here.

“It is always great to play in India. I have played in HIL, World League and now Champions Trophy. It is lot of fun playing here.”

But, does Jacobi have any advice since Sreejesh follows his game closely. “Advise? No, I don’t give anyone advise. That would be stupid you know,” he jokes.

Stick2Hockey.com

Germany beat India 1-0 in Champions Trophy

BHUBANESWAR: Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh's magnificent effort went in vain as Olympic champions Germany scored a late goal to beat hosts India in their opening Pool B match of the Hero Champions Trophy at a packed Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

If not for Sreejesh, the margin of defeat for India could have been higher as the Kerala custodian made innumerable number of saves to keep India in the match.

But an error of judgment in the final minute of the game cost Sreejesh and India, a point, as Florian Fuchs was quick to pounce on the opportunity and score the winner.

Sreejesh rushed to tackle an onrushing Fuchs but he mistimed his jump and then the German striker kept his cool and turned the ball around Sreejesh before putting it into the net with a reverse hit just 34 seconds from the final hooter.

It was tipped as the most high-profile match of the evening but it was the Germans, who dominated the proceedings and created chances galore.

The Indians played well in patches but it was their defence, which felt the heat of continuous raids from the Germans, who had the better share of chances in the first quarter.

The reigning Olympic champions earned two quick penalty corners inside the opening 10 minutes, the second of which resulted in a penalty stroke for the Germans as the umpire thought the flick struck on rushing S K Uthappa's hand. The Indians immediately objected and went for the referral which they won.

In the final minute of the opening quarter India got a golden chance to take the lead when they earned their first penalty corner of the match but Gurjinder Singh's grounded flick was saved by Nicolas Jacobi in the German goal.

The two teams kept up the pace and created chances in the second quarter but it was Germany who had the better share of exchanges.

Sreejesh lived upto his reputation and denied the Germans on at least two occasions in the second quarter.

He first denied Christopher Ruhr's try before he kept at bay Martin Zwicker's forehand shot from top of the circle in the 25th minute to keep a clean slate at the breather.

The Germans came out attacking after the change of ends and secured their third penalty corner soon but once again they found a rock in front of Indian goal in Sreejesh. The Indian custodian made an acrobatic save to keep away Moritz Furste's powerful high drag-flick.

India mounted some good attacks but their forwards, especially Ramandeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah fizzled out once inside the striking circle. Both the strikers looked poor in their anticipation and reflex.

Sardar too had a chance to break his goal drought when Dharamvir Singh's pass found him alone inside the circle but the Indian skipper failed to gather the ball with an onrushing German goalie Jacobi in front of him.

Then it was Akashdeep's turn to waste another chance as he failed to connect his reverse shot from a SV Sunil pass from the right flank.

Sreejesh was definitely the centre of attraction in front of Indian goal as he came to his side's rescue for the umpteenth time in the match.

He first padded away Pit Arnold's shot and then dived to his right to keep out captain Tobias Hauke's try from Germany's fourth penalty corner.

But Sreejesh's efforts went up in smoke when Fuchs scored the goal in the dying minutes to break the hearts of the capacity crowd.

India will next play Argentina on Sunday, while Germany will be up against the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, World No. 2 and World Cup silver medalists the Netherlands outclassed Argentina 3-0 in another Pool B encounter earlier in the day.

The Netherlands earned as many as five penalty corners in the first quarter but could convert only one occasion when Mink van der Weerden's drag-flick found the net in the 12 minute.

The Argentines, who surprised everyone by clinching the bronze medal at the Hockey World Cup at The Hague earlier this year, also had their chances in the match only to see them go in drain.

The Dutch doubled their lead in the second quarter when Robbert Kemperman (19th), better known back home as Mr. Backhand, converted a beautiful pass from Sander Baart with a reverse shot.

With 11 minutes from the hooter Diede van Puffelen scored the maiden goal of his senior international career to hand the Netherlands a convincing victory.

The Times of India

Time for India to go for the kill

Arnab Lall Seal

BHUBANESWAR: 2014 has been a very busy year as far as Indian hockey team is concerned. First it was the Hockey World League Finals that was held in New Delhi. Then came the World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands, followed by the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Incheon.

But the Champions Trophy will be India's biggest test as they take on the top hockey nations in front of home crowd here from Saturday.

Even though all the eight teams will automatically qualify for the quarterfinals, India will still hope to start with a bang against Germany in their opening match on Saturday.

Germany are ranked third in the world at the moment and are the second most successful team in the history of Champions Trophy. They have won the tournament nine times and have finished second and third seven and six times respectively.

But India can take heart from the fact that Germany's recent performance hasn't been too impressive. They finished a lowly sixth in the World Cup and even lost their practice match against Belgium here on Thursday. Even in their last meeting in the World League Finals, India came out on top after a brilliant hat-trick by Mandeep Singh.

On the other hand, the Sardar Singh-led side has tasted a lot of success coming into the tournament and will hope to continue the same way over the next two weeks. It's their performance against Australia in the test series that has been the most impressive.

In the four matches that they played Down Under, it was India's defence that impressed the most. In the first match they let in four goals but in the remaining three matches, Australia were able to score only two goals. Not only PR Sreejesh but the entire defensive unit of Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh and VR Raghunath were exceptional.

Another huge positive for the Indian side is the way Raghunath and Rupinder have been consistently converting penalty corners. The attacking line is also impressive with the presence of Ramandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh, SV Sunil and Nikkin Thimmaiah.

Moreover, Sardar, who injured his left calf muscle during their practice match against Australia, is also certain to play against Germany and he trained extensively with the team here on Friday.

Sardar is all geared up to face Germany in their first match at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

"I had a niggle on my left calf muscle, but it's fine right now. I had to stretch more than the other guys and I'm applying ice to it so that the injury doesn't aggravate," said the Indian skipper.

But India's high performance director Roelant Oltmans still wants to wait till Saturday before taking a decision on Sardar.

"He (Sardar) is sure of playing the game against Germany, but I want to wait and see how he reacts to the practice sessions. As of now, there's a 90 per cent chance of him playing," said Oltmans.

Respite for defenders

In a recent change of rules, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to allow players to wear better protective gears while defending penalty corners. This is great news especially in the wake of the tragic death of Australian cricketer Phil Hughes, who recently passed away.

According to FIH website, the rules have been changed to help improve the safety of the players. "A wider range of masks, including metal grill masks, will now be allowed to be used," states the FIH website. However, this is effective at international level only from January 1, 2015 after it was agreed at the Executive Board meeting at the Congress on October 30.

FIH considering to make World Cup 2018 a multi-city affair

The FIH is considering to make the men's World Cup 2018 a multi-city affair as the present infrastructure at the Kalinga Stadium is not adequate to host 16 teams.

The Times of India

Belgium edge Pakistan, Australia stunned by England


Pakistan’s Zohaib Ashraf falls as he tries to stop the ball during the Champions Trophy Hockey match against Belgium in Bhubaneswar, India. — AP

BHUBANESWAR: Belgium defeated Pakistan 2-1 while England earned a surprise 3-1 victory over five-time defending champion Australia in the opening pool A matches of the Champions Trophy on Saturday.

Belgium, which is considered the dark horse as it has the most experienced side in this tournament, made a strong start getting goals through Tanguy Cosyns and Thomas Briels. Captain Muhammad Imran converted a penalty stroke for Pakistan.

“It was an even game and I thought my boys played well,” Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh said.

“Considering that we've not played many European teams in recent months and the fact that we've been trying out new things, it's not a bad result for us.”

In the day's first game, Samuel Ward struck two goals while Alastair Brogdon was the other scorer for England, which earned its first ever win over Australia in the tournament.

Penalty-corner specialist Chris Ciriello found the mark for Australia, which has been forced to try out new combinations due to a spate of injuries and a few retirements. Australia is without attacking midfielder Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles, Kieran Govers and Joel Carroll who are all injured, while midfielders Liam de Young and Rob Hammond retired recently.

“I thought we played well but in patches,” England coach Bobby Crutchley said about the tournament opener.

“There is scope for a lot of improvement for us while they tried out quite a few new things since they're not here with some first-choice players.”

Crutchley also said the pool A result was not a reflection of the sides but just one result in a long tournament.

“We beat them early on in the World Cup in the Netherlands this year but they went on to win the tournament. So I think they're capable of coming back strongly here,” Crutchley added.

Fifth-ranked England dominated from early on and went ahead in the sixth minute when Brogdon shot in from the top of the circle with a crisp reverse-flick. The second goal came in the 27th minute through Ward, who scored following an attempt by David Condon off a long pass from Nick Catlin. Australia got one back through Ciriello in the 54th minute but Ward struck again two minutes later to douse Australia's hopes.

Both teams played with black bands on their arms in memory of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died last week after being hit by a bouncer in a domestic game.

The Netherlands, Germany, India and Argentina are in pool B, with all teams assured of quarterfinal knockout berths.

Dawn

Belgium beat Pakistan 2-1 in Champions Trophy

BHUBANESWAR: Thomas Briels' delightful third quarter goal helped Belgium snatch an opening day 2-1 victory over Pakistan to get their Hero Hockey Champions Trophy campaign up and running in strong fashion at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

The Belgians had the half time lead when Tanguy Cosyns (12th minute) scrambled home at the right post after a left wing attack spun invitingly for him.

They had the guts of the play from there on, creating eight circle entries, but were unable to break through the Pakistan defences. Tom Boon did draw a top save from Imran Butt from a high corner two minutes before the break to keep the margin at the minimum.

Pakistan improved markedly in the second half and were back on terms when a penalty corner flick hit Loick Luypaert on the body. After an umpires consultation, a penalty stroke was awarded which team captain Muhammad Imran duly converted, wrong-footing Vincent Vanasch.

But Briels restored the lead in stunning style, finishing off with a delicate flip after Tom Boon eliminated a couple of defenders with some lovely stickwork in the 43rd minute and they held on in reasonable comfort to the lead for all the points on day one.

Commenting on their win, Belgium captain John-John Dohmen said, "We are really happy with the result as Pakistan is a really good side. We did not play great but we did not play badly but we just need to play together a bit more in the next game."

"Tomorrow (against Australia) will be a great game for us. Playing the world champions who I think are the best team here - even though they lost today. They might be a bit angry to win this game."

Speaking on the team's performance, Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh said, "I am very happy with the performance of the boys as after a long gap we played against an European team. It was an even game today and it was satisfying in the manner that we countered their game. We just lost it by one goal and this I think because of the inexperience on our side. We will come back strong in our next outing against England".

The Times of India

Pakistan disappoint in opener against Belgium


TOUGH DRAW: The Greenshirts are playing as the lowest-ranked team in the event that is also featuring Australia, and England in their Pool A. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: In a complete contrast to head coach Shahnaz Sheikh’s optimism, three-time champions Pakistan lost their opening match of the 2014 Champions Trophy 2-1 to Belgium in Bhubaneswar, India on Saturday.

The team went down to their European counterparts as Tanguy Cosyns scored the opening goal of the match in the 10th minute, while Pakistan captain Muhammad Imran equalised the score in the 36th minute of the match. However, Belgium proved their dominance in the next quarter with a winner from Thomas Briels in the 43rd minute.

The Greenshirts are playing as the lowest-ranked team in the event that is also featuring Australia, and England in their Pool A.

Meanwhile, Pool B have hosts India, Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands.

Loss not exactly unexpected: former captain

Former national captain Zeeshan Ashraf said Pakistan’s defeat against Belgium was not entirely unexpected.

“It’s a European side and we haven’t played any match with any European nation in the recent past,” Ashraf told The Express Tribune. “They did their best, but this is not an unexpected result. Belgium are a strong side and they also have new players now.”

Ashraf said that while the team deserves appreciation for putting up a fight, the defender’s mistakes cost them the match.

“This is a new team; we only have Waqas Sharif, Shafqat Rasool and Muhammad Tauseef from the older lot. The rest are new. Imran performed well in the match, but they need to work hard on defending.

“The team gave its best, the attacked and counter-attacked, it was our defending that brought us down. But this is just the first match.”

He said that he will be expecting the team to counter England in more skilfully in today’s match.

“Their next fixture is with England, which is also tricky,” said Ashraf. “England usually score on short-corners and they play longer shots. Pakistan will definitely need man-to-man marking in this match.”

The 2010 Asian Games-medallist added that he wants to see the team to be in the semi-finals.

In other matches of the day, Australia defeated England 3-1 and the Netherlands crushed Argentina 3-0 in Pool B.

The Express Tribune

Shahnaz ‘satisfied’ despite Pakistan’s 2-1 loss to Belgium


BHUBANESWAR: The ball eludes Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt for Tanguy Cosyns (2nd R) to give Belgium the lead during their Champions Trophy match on Saturday.—AP

BHUBANESWAR (India): Pakis­tan coach Shahnaz Sheikh said the 2-1 defeat to Belgium in Pakistan’s first match at the Champions Trophy on Saturday wasn’t a “bad result” for his team.

“It was an even game and I thought my boys played well,” Shahnaz said. “Considering that we’ve not played many European teams in recent months and the fact that we’ve been trying out new things, it’s not a bad result for us and it was satisfying in the manner that we countered their game.

“We just lost by a goal and this I think is because of the inexperience on our side. We will come back strong in our next outing [against England].”

Thomas Briels scored Belgium’s match-winner in the 43rd minute after Muhammad Imran converted a penalty stroke for Pakistan in the 36th to equalise a 10th minute goal from Tanguy Cosyns.

World number four Belgium, who are playing in only their second Champions Trophy tournament but are considered dark horses as they have the most experienced side in this tournament, play Australia next on Sunday. England take on Pakistan the same day.

Defending champions Australia were upset 3-1 by England in the other Pool ‘A’ match at the Kalinga stadium on Saturday.

Samuel Ward struck two goals while Alastair Brogdon was the other scorer for England, who earned their first ever win over Australia in the tournament.

“It’s very disappointing to lose,” said Australian skipper Eddie Ockenden. “We did not start well and that cost us in the end. We had our chances, but need to push up our game.”

Belgium had the half-time lead when Cosyns scrambled home at the right post after a left wing attack spun invitingly for him.

They had the guts of the play from there on, creating eight circle entries, but were unable to break through the Pakistan defences. Tom Boon did draw a top save from Imran Butt from a high corner two minutes before the break to keep the margin at the minimum.

Pakistan improved markedly in the second half and were back on terms when a penalty

corner flick hit Loick Luypaert on the body. After an umpires consultation, a penalty stroke was awarded which captain Imran duly converted, wrong-footing Vincent Vanasch.

But Briels restored the lead in stunning style, finishing off with a delicate flip after Tom Boon eliminated a couple of defenders with some lovely stickwork in the 43rd minute and they held on in reasonable comfort to the lead for all the points on day one.

“We are really happy with the result as Pakistan are a really good side, Belgium captain John-John Dohmen said. “We did not play great but we did not play badly but we just need to play together a bit more in the next game.

“Tomorrow [against Australia] will be a great game for us. Playing the world champions who I think are the best team here — even though they lost today. They might be a bit angry to win this game.”

Australia, who are seeking an incredible sixth successive title, struggled to keep pace with their rivals after England went into half-time 2-0 up.

Brogdon opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a spectacular back flick before the 23-year-old Ward increased the lead off a rebound from the post in the 27th.

Chris Ciriello pulled back one for Australia with a penalty corner

but Ward, a last-minute replacement for the injured Harry Martin, made it 3-1 with a swift counter-attack three minutes from the end.

It was a disappointing start for the new-look Kookaburras, who were without retired veterans Liam de Young and Rob Hammond and the injured duo of five-time world player of the year Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles.

“I thought we played well but in patches,” England coach Bobby Crutchley said. “There is scope for a lot of improvement for us while they tried out quite a few new things since they’re not here with some first-choice players.”

Both teams played with black bands on their arms in memory of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died last week after being hit by a bouncer in a domestic game.

In pool ‘B’, World Cup silver medallists the Netherlands opened their campaign with a 3-0 dismantling of Argentina. Mink van der Weerden, Robbert Kemperman and Diede van Puffelen scored for the Dutch.

In the final match of the day, hosts India were playing Olympic champions Germany.

Sunday’s fixtures (all times PST):

Australia vs Belgium 11:30am; Pakistan vs England 1:30pm; Germany vs Netherlands 5:00pm; India vs Argentina 7:00pm.

Dawn

Belgium is a tough team, Pak Skipper

Tazeen Qureshy



India’s next door neighbours Pakistan had a rough start at the Champions Trophy after dark horse Belgium cornered them with 2-1 score-line but skipper Muhammad Imran is all praise of his team and says they are enjoying their stay in India.

“Champions trophy is a big tournament. We have a lot of youngsters who played well in the match. Playing in India has been a great experience so far and the atmosphere, pitch and the hospitality is very nice,” Imran told www.stick2hockey.com after the match.

Restoring full faith in his team the skipper said that the score line should not be seen as the final reflection of the match as his players performed better than what the score board read.

“Three players in our team are making their senior debut from this tournament. So, it was naturally not easy for them. Plus, Belgium is a tough team. But we gelled well as a team and I am happy with the performance,” he said.

“We will look at the video of the match once again and cover our mistakes for the upcoming matches. I am sure we will make a good comeback.”

But, is the skipper looking ahead at a India versus Pakistan match in a later stage of the tournament? “For the crowd, it might be a special match. But, as players, we would look at it as just as another match and try to win it,” he said.

Stick2Hockey.com

England victorious over Australia in Champions Trophy opener


Sam Ward celebrates with David Condon at the CT2014

Two goals from Sam Ward on his England debut and another from Alastair Brogdon helped England Head Coach Bobby Crutchley's side to a superb 3-1 win over Australia in their opening Champions Trophy clash. It was a solid team performance from England who were two goals up at the break and although Chris Ciriello pulled one back with six minutes still on the clock, Ward’s second just two minutes later made the game safe and handed England the perfect start to the tournament.

England made a fast start to the first quarter and on six minutes Wimbledon’s Alastair Brogdon robbed Jeremy Hayward just outside the Kookaburras’ circle, rounded the goalkeeper and fired home a lovely reverse stick shot to make it 1-0.

In the second quarter George Pinner was called upon to see off a couple of good attacks by Australia including gloving away a fierce reverse stick strike from Matt Gohdes. At the other end, Henry Weir swapped passes with Nick Catlin and drew a good save from Andrew Charter in the Kookaburras’ goal. Australia built some good pressure but were unable to capitalise on it and with three minutes left to half time England doubled their lead. Ollie Willars fired the ball into the danger area and although David Condon’s deflection came back off the post, Sam Ward slotted home the rebound to send England in 2-0 up at the break; it was the Beeston striker’s first goal for England on his debut and gave Bobby Crutchley’s side some much needed breathing space.

Australia continued to press in the third quarter but England defended well to keep them at bay and even created chances of their own. Ashley Jackson played Barry Middleton in on the right and his slapped strike was saved by substitute goalkeeper Tyler Lovell. The Australian goalkeeper was called upon to keep out a penalty corner from Jackson and then at the other end, Pinner did well to see off another chance from the Kookaburras.

The final quarter followed much the same pattern as England sat deep and tried to keep Australia at arm’s length. Jacob Whetton went close with a deflection but England stood firm. With six minutes remaining Australia hit back. Chris Ciriello found the bottom corner from a penalty corner to set up a nervy finish for England. The nerves didn’t last long however, as a moment of high drama followed. Australia forced a penalty corner with four minutes left. The ball cannoned back off the post before Barry Middleton cleared off the line brilliantly. England swept forward and Ward spun and slotted home with a lovely finish to make it 3-1. Australia claimed they had requested a video referral before the goal, but after a long consultation from the video umpire the goal was awarded and England were home and dry with three points on the board.

England Head Coach Bobby Crutchley:

On the performance: “I’m obviously very pleased with the win, there were periods of the game where we played some fantastic hockey. Having said that, at other times we switched off and let Australia come back at us which we can’t afford to do against teams of this quality. I will be hoping as the tournament progresses that we can eradicate the poor periods, concentrate a little more and not allow the opposition to dominate parts of the game like Australia did today.”

England debutant and Man of the Match Sam Ward

On his England debut and the team performance: “I can’t complain! When you’ve got a team like that around you it’s brilliant. And I can certainly say I haven’t played in many games like that before.”

On England’s aim for the tournament: “Obviously everytime you enter a tournament your aim is to get as far as you can and that’s exactly what we’re looking to do here. It’s a great start for us, but it’s the first day and there’s plenty more to come.”

On beating world number one side Australia: “I think it does make it a bit sweeter getting the three points against such a good side. I’ve got a few Aussie friends back home, but it’s just good to get the win and it’s been a great first day for me.”

England's next match in the Champions Trophy is against Pakistan tomorrow at 08:30 GMT.

Australia 1 (0)
Chris Ciriello (54) PC

England 3 (2)
Alastair Brogdon (6) F
Sam Ward (27, 56,) F F

England Hockey Board Media release

Kookas go down to ENG

Kookaburras go down 3-1 to England in first match of the CT



The Kookaburras 2014 Champions Trophy campaign started with a disappointing result after England walked away with a 3-1 victory over the Kookaburras Saturday night in Bhubaneswar.

England started the match off strong, scoring in 6 minutes of the match commencing after Alastair Brogdon’s deflection trailed under the Australian goalkeepers pads, giving England an early 1-0 lead.

The Kookaburras struggled to convert their opportunities in the first two quarters of the match, finding it difficult to bring the ball under control in their attacking circle.

England showcased a robust defensive structure, proving to be difficult for the Aussies to breakdown.

England broke away with a 2-1 lead in the second quarter of the match, after another successful field goal from England’s Samuel Ward.

Coming back onto the field after halftime, it was clear Australia were not going down without a fight. Picking up better ball possession and creating themselves penalty corner opportunities paid dividends after Chris Ciriello’s drag flick in the 54th minute hit target, halving the deficit 2-1.

The Kookaburras recognised defender Chris Ciriello’s 150th cap for the Australian men’s hockey team prior to the match pushing back. Ciriello a familiar face in the Kookaburras squad, is participating in his fourth Champions Trophy tournament. Ciriello played in the gold medal winning teams in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Australia’s chance to level the score with England came at the 56th minute mark. Confusion had risen after the Kookaburras asked for a video referral after their ball was rejected by England’s goalkeeper off the back of a penalty corner. Unfortunately, Australia's referral signal was missed by the umpire and play-on was called, resulting in a third and final goal for England leading 3-1.

Speaking after the match to Kookaburras head coach Graham Reid about the team’s performance tonight he commented, “We created ourselves enough opportunities to certainly win the game tonight however, we let ourselves down after starting off the match slow with England scoring two easy goals.”

“I thought we turned it around in the second half, controlling the game better and creating more opportunities. Unfortunately we had the incident with the referral which is unlucky however, it’s not the reason we lost. We have lessons to learn and we will refocus for tomorrow nights game.”

Recent debutants Tom Craig, Matthew Dawson and Flynn Ogilvie experienced their first major international tournament since joining the Kookaburras squad in Perth last month. Reid was pleased with his decision on selecting the three new faces to join the team at the Champions Trophy and believed their performances tonight was a positive result.

“I’m happy with the new guys, they learn it’s a cauldron in International hockey and they learn very quickly.”

On Sunday, the Kookaburras face Belgium at 5:30pm AEDT (4:30pm AEST / 2:30pm AWST). The match is on delay on ABC 2 from 10:00pm local time. The match will also be live streamed by the International Hockey Federation via YouTube from 5:30pm AEDT / 2:30pm AWST. For more broadcast information head to Hockey Australia’s watch page.
                                                     
KOOKABURRAS: 1 (0)
Chris Ciriello 54 (PC)

ENGLAND: 3 (2)
Alastair Brogdon 6 (FG)
Samuel Ward 27, 56 (FG) (FG) 

Kookaburras Squad
Athlete (Hometown, State) caps/goals
Started
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD) 39/7
Nick Budgeon (Hobart, TAS) 22/11
Chris Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 150/96
Andrew Charter (GK) (Canberra, ACT) 79/0
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW) 4/1
Matt Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 105/31
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT) 22/7
Fergus Kavanagh (Geraldton, WA) 192/14
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 226/56
Glenn Simpson (Melbourne, VIC) 113/21
Jake Whetton (Brisbane, QLD) 73/30

Used Substitute
Matthew Dawson (Central Coast, NSW) 450
Tim Deavin (Launceston, TAS) 95/4
Russell Ford (Melbourne, VIC) 153/72
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW) 5/0
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW) 158/49
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 39/3
     
Unused Substitute
Tyler Lovell (GK) (Perth, WA) 31/0

Kookaburras’ Upcoming Fixtures
Sunday 7 December – Kookaburras v Belgium – ABC 2, 10:00pm AEDT (on delay AEDT states, on delay 10:00pm AEST & AWST)
Tuesday 9 December – Kookaburras v Pakistan – ABC 2, 11:00pm AEDT (live AEDT states, as live 11:00pm AEST & AWST) 
Thursday 11 December – quarter final – arrangements to be confirmed
Saturday 13 December – semi final/playoff - arrangements to be confirmed
Sunday 14 December – medal match/playoff - arrangements to be confirmed

Hockey Australia media release

England's Sam Ward scores debut brace as Australia downed 3-1

Beeston forward enjoys fruitful debut as England record first Champions Trophy win in Indian over rivals Australia

By Rod Gilmour


Watching on: Engand and Australia play to the India crowds Photo: WORLD SPORT PICS

Sam Ward, the Beeston forward, described his two goals as a “great first day” in England colours as Bobby Crutchley’s side recorded a significant 3-1 victory over rivals Australia in their opening Champions Trophy game in India.

Alastair Brogdon had given England an early lead with a reverse stick strike before Ward struck before the break. Australia made life difficult in the closing stages when Chris Ciriello fired home a penalty corner, but Ward’s breakaway goal secured a fine all-round team display.

England also overturned a recent trend of conceding early against Australia after going behind within 30 seconds at the World Cup, then inside three minutes at the Commonwealth Games semi-final.

In Bhubaneswar, Brogdon’s early strike set the tone for England. “When you’ve got a team like that around you it’s brilliant,” said Ward, the man of the match. “And I can certainly say I haven’t played in many games like that before.

“I think it does make it a bit sweeter getting the three points against such a good side. I’ve got a few Aussie friends back home, but it’s just good to get the win and it’s been a great first day for me.”

With a two-goal cushion, England sat back in the second half, allowing Australia to attack at will. Unsurprisingly, George Pinner, the England goalkeeper, was called upon on a number of occasions.

After Ciriello’s strike six minutes from time, the match turned when Australia were awarded another penalty corner. The ball careered back off the post, before a loose ball was struck towards goal. Barry Middleton was back on the line to clear decisively and with Australia appealing for a review, England swept upfield where Ward coolly slotted home.

Following a long umpire deliberation, the goal stood and England hung on. Afterwards, Graham Reid, the Kookaburras head coach, refused to blame the officials for England’s third goal.

He said: “We created ourselves enough opportunities to certainly win the game tonight however, we let ourselves down after starting off the match slow with England scoring two easy goals.

“I thought we turned it around in the second half, controlling the game better and creating more opportunities. Unfortunately we had the incident with the referral which is unlucky however, it’s not the reason we lost. We have lessons to learn and we will refocus for tomorrow’s game.”

England play Pakistan this morning in their second Pool game. Meanwhile, England women secured a first win in their Champions Trophy campaign in Mendoza, beating Japan 3-1.

Sunday: Pakistan 8:30am GMT
Tuesday: Belgium 8:30am GMT

The Telegraph

England stun Australia; Belgium beat Pakistan


Australia's Daniel Beale attempt to score past the England's goalkeeper and defenders in the Champions Trophy hockey at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha on Saturday. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

Sam Ward scored twice on his debut as World No. 5 England stunned five-time reigning champions Australia 3-1, while higher-ranked Belgium defeated Pakistan 2-1 in their Pool A matches on the opening day of the Hero Champions Trophy hockey tournament, in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

Debutant Ward (27th and 56th minutes) scored twice, while Alastair Brogdon (6th) pumped in another to secure a well—deserved win for the England. Australia’s lone goal was scored by Chris Ciriello (54th min).

World No. 1 Australia fielded a relatively young team in the elite eight-nation tournament and it was quite evident from their display that the Kookaburras were going through a transition phase post the iconic coach Ric Charlesworth era.

England, on the other hand, made a bright start and surged ahead in the sixth minute when Brogdon scored from a field effort.

He won possession in the circle and defeated Australia goalie Andrew Charter with a powerful backhand stroke.

The world champions, however, came back stronger in the second quarter and earned a couple of penalty corners but failed to capitalise on the opportunities.

England doubled their lead against the run of play in the 27th minute when debutant Ward, who was called up into the team last Saturday after Harry Martin had to pull out due to an injury, smashed the ball into the empty Kookaburra goal after the ball bounced off the post.

Both the teams matched each other in the third quarter and created chances but the goalkeepers Charter and England’s George Pinner made some good saves.

Trailing by two goals, the Australians, who sported a black arm band in memory of late cricketer Phil Hughes, pressed the accelerator in the last quarter but the English defence stood tall until Chris Ciriello converted a penalty corner in the 54th minute to bring the world champions back into the game.

Soon after, Australia created some promising chances but failed to find the net. Instead it was Ward who scored his second goal from a fast counter—attack four minutes from the hooter to seal the game in England’s favour.

Australia coach Graham Reid rued his team’s missed opportunities and felt that they were slow to get off the blocks in the match.

“Out start was sluggish. We created enough chances to win the game but we ourselves were down in the first quarter. We managed a couple of penalty corners but didn’t convert them,” Reid said.

Meanwhile, in the second match of the day, world-ranked fourth Belgium were made to toil hard by World No. 11 Pakistan for the win.

Belgium started on a bright note and took the lead in 10th minute through Tanguy Cosyns’ field goal.

After a goalless second quarter, Pakistan drew level through skipper Muhammad Imran, who converted a penalty stroke with consummate ease in the 36th minute.

But seven minutes later, Belgium restored their lead when Thomas Briels scored another field goal for the Red Lions.

Pakistan pressed hard for the equaliser in the fourth and final quarter but their forwards failed to break the Belgium defence.

Pakistan coach Sheikh Shahnaz was satisfied with his team’s performance despite the loss.

“I am happy with our performance. The boys did well. We missed a few chances including two penalty corners,” Shahnaz said.

The Hindu

Young Aussies finding their feet

Indervir Grewal

Five-time defending champs Australia started their Champions Trophy campaign on the wrong foot, literally.

Defender Jeremy Hayward, put under pressure by the opposition forward, was caught wrong-footed at the top of his D. Alastair Brogdon made an easy steal and went past the goalkeeper to score England’s first goal in the 5th minute.

Hayward didn’t have a bad game otherwise. But on this occasion the 21-year-old had a lapse in concentration – got double-minded looking for a pass, lost track of the ball and got hassled out of possession.

This was the main reason for Australia’s loss. Except for the first few minutes, when England pressed high and put a lot of pressure, Australia played a good, tactically sound game. They dominated possession and created more chances. It was the lapses that let them down. The second goal was another example – a long pass deflected in by an unmarked Sam Ward.

Graham Reid, the Australian coach, agreed that it was the small mistakes that cost them the match.

The Aussies made a sleepy start. Put under pressure, they gave away the ball way too easily in their own half. Their passes were wayward, trapping horrible, and they lost most of the common balls. It was as if the Australians, known for being fiery on the pitch, had downgraded from jet-fuel to diesel. They sat back, let the English dominate. It seemed this new-look Australian side had lost that aggression that has defined them in the last five years.

The slow start and the small mistakes point to lack of confidence because of inexperience. For many of these players this is their first or second major tournament. So the pressure is high and the confidence low at the start. As the match progressed their confidence grew and the team improved. They moved up the field, became more persistent and controlled the middle.

They picked up the intensity; didn’t take off (like a jet), but they upgraded to a petrol engine. It still seemed slow. It doesn’t mean that Australia are slipping. Results like today’s or the loss against India in last month’s series have become breaking news. It’s understandable. Everybody has gotten so used to seeing the Aussies play unbelievably fast hockey and bully even the Europeans that this change is hard to absorb.

But it is unfair to this bunch. The men they’re replacing, who won almost all the titles available, became a great team in four-five years, with some players having played together for 10 years. That led to great understanding and trust. They had reached a stage where it had become second nature. They didn’t have to look up every time they had to give a pass, as the current team had to today.

There is no doubt that this current bunch has the talent and the resolve needed to become champions. They showed glimpses today. Nineteen-year-old Craig Thomas’s run from the half-line in the last quarter was the highlight of the day. Thomas, the youngest member of the team, executed a perfect ‘hook’ dodge just inside his own half and then muscled past two defenders into the England D but his shot went just wide.

Even though they lost 3-1, the tenacity with which the Aussies chased the game won the crowd over.

Australia should improve as the tournament progresses and they find their (right) feet.

The Tribune

I was scared of ball for a while, says Australian hockey player Tim Deavin

Following Phillip Hughes's death after being hit by a bouncer, Australian hockey player Tim Deavin could not help wondering about a skull fracture he suffered while playing 15 years ago.

It was in 1999 that Deavin was hit hard on the head by a hockey ball during his high school playing days. He suffered a compressed skull fracture that threatened to end his career before it could even take proper shape. And it took a full year of hard work for him to recover and take field again.

Now 30, and in India for the ongoing FIH Champions Trophy, the Tasmania-born defender said had a similar incident happened to him currently, he would've thought hard before returning to the sport.

"I think being young helped, because you're a bit naive," Deavin told dna from Bhubaneswar on Saturday. "When you're young, you're a bit fearless and silly. So I just wanted to get out there and play again. I didn't really think too much back then. Probably if it had happened to me now, I might think whether I want to continue or not. So I was a bit naive, I guess."

It seemed a distant dream back when he was sidelined from the game for a year, but Deavin never lost hope. He admitted he wasn't quite the same player for a while after his return.

"Well, I was a bit scared of the ball for a while. That was a bit hard. I am quite an aggressive player who always plays the ball hard and that was a bit difficult. I was scared for a little bit. But as time went, that went away," he said.

Not only did he play again, he went on to make his international debut in Australia's gold-winning Azlan Shah Cup campaign in 2010, became a part of the first hockey team ever to win the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games in the same year in 2010. Deavin was also part of the Australian team that retained the Champions Trophy in 2011, won the Olympic bronze in 2012, and clinched the World Cup again in June this year.

The Hughes tragedy left the Kookaburras squad shocked. "Cricket is not a dangerous sport at all. It is a non-contact, safe sport. And for something like this to happen in that was an absolute tragedy. No one saw that coming. But I guess it just makes you sit up and think how short and precious life is," Deavin said.

However, the team quickly shifted its mind to the task at hand – retaining the Champions Trophy. The world champions went down to England 1-3 in their opening match, and Deavin reckoned playing with a slightly inexperienced team will be a challenge.

"Obviously a lot of the teams are getting their younger players in as a build-up to the (2016) Rio Olympics. We've done the same. We've got four really young guys into the team, giving them a chance in a major tournament like this and see how they go," he said.

A product of the Hale hockey club in Western Australia, Deavin, who has been lapped up by the newly-formed Dabang Mumbai for the upcoming season of Hockey India League, threw some light on how the Kookaburras have managed to stay so consistently successful over the last decade or so.

"One of the reasons that the top side has been successful is that we have a really large squad of 30 players. We have a program in which we live and train in one city. So we all train and work really hard and push each other. It's really hard to get spots in the team. The spots are rotated as well, which makes everyone fight really hard to get that one spot. No one is guaranteed a place in the team. So it just makes everyone better," he said.

And what about the Indian team?
"I think it's definitely on the way up," Deavin shot back. "They beat us recently in Australia, beat us again in the practise match and they're playing really well. I think Terry Walsh has changed a few things and got the guys to play some really good hockey. They've got some amazing players now, and I guess that was a part of his game-plan."

Deavin might have a degree in computer science and business management, but he said he'd like to get into coaching after he is done playing. "But I think I've still got a lot of years at the top level," he added in the same breath. "Probably another four years left in the team if they don't kick me out first. I've got a very young body," he said breaking into a laughter.

QUOTE
When you're young, you're a bit fearless and silly. So I just wanted to get out there and play again. I didn't really think too much back then. Probably if it had happened to me now, I might think whether I want to continue or not
--Tim Deavin, Australian defender

Deavin: The Dabang Mumbai
Tim Deavin will be back in India next month to play for the Dabang Mumbai in the upcoming season of Hockey India League, which kickstarts in January. "I can't wait to come and play for Mumbai. It's going to be a lot of fun. The team has got a lot of good players, a lot of quality Indians as well as some world-class international players. We've also got a good coaching staff and the group behind us, and I'm really looking forward to coming back over after this," he said.

DNA

Pic of the day


Pakistan successfully appeal for a stroke

If any newspaper/media outlet or National Association would like photos from the Men's Champions Trophy, please contact Vino John of a2zfotographics who is an excellent freelance Hockey photo journalist and who will be at Bhubaneswar.
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www.a2zfotographics.com

Fiji hockey starts well at the Oceania Pacific Championship

Rashneel Kumar


Fiji's Lala Ravatu prepares to strike the ball during their match with Vanuatu during Oceania Pacific Cup Championship at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday. Picture: JOVESA NAISUA

FIJI got off to a bright start under dull conditions in the Oceania Pacific Cup Championship at the National Hockey Centre in Suva.

The national men's side trounced Samoa 13-1 in its opening match followed by the national women's team's 10-0 win over Vanuatu.

Fiji Hockey Federation development officer Tai Smith said the massive wins produced by the national sides was a positive sign.

She said it was encouraging to note that the Fiji women's side comprised of youngsters.

"It's really great to see a lot of young players playing there and this is a good sign for future," Smith said.

"Its good that they are now looking ahead and we hope they maintain this form in the remainder of the tournament."

Heavy rain in Suva forced the organisers to postpone the opening women's match between New Zealand Presidents XI and Samoa to Tuesday.

Australia Country women's defeated Papua New Guinea 7-0 in the other match played yesterday while New Zealand Presidents XI versus PNG men's match was still underway when this edition went to press last night.

Tournament co-ordinator Hanisi Visanti said they were hoping for a better weather in the remaining days.

The week-long Oceania Pacific Cup Championship, which is played alongside the World Hockey League Round One, has Vanuatu, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Australian Country and New Zealand Presidents playing.

Today - 10.30am Australia Country-Vanuatu (W), 12.30pm Fiji-NZ Presidents XI (W), 2.30 Australia Country-NZ Presidents XI (M), 4.30 Samoa-PNG (W), 6.30 Samoa-PNG (M).

The Fiji Times

Women's Indoor 4 Nations - Day 1 Results


Photo courtesy of Blair Shier.

Day 1 at the 2014 Women's Indoor 4-Nations Invitational in Mississauga is in the books.

Canada and Canada "A" were both in action on the first day. Canada's first team went 2-0 with two convincing victories, while Canada "A" lost to it's Canadian counterpart and tied Argentina.

Day 1 Results

Canada 7 - 0 Canada A

South Africa 6 - 1 USA

Argentina 2 - 2 Canada A

Canada 6 - 2 USA

For a full schedule, with results and statistics, click here.

Live stats, standings, etc. can be viewed here.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Places still up for grabs

By Jugjet Singh

THE Malaysia Hockey League TNB Cup knock-out stage is still an open affair as slim leads were taken in the first leg on Friday.

Today, Sapura will attempt to turn the tables on Tenaga after losing 4-3, while Maybank will have to play the match of their season to upset UniKL who hold a 3-1 lead.

The top-two teams Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) rest at the sidelines as their semi-final opponents battle it out today as winners of the UniKL-Maybank match will meet THT, while KLHC await the winners of the Sapura-TNB match.

UniKL will be attempting to rewrite their club history by making the MHL semi-finals since making their debut in 2009.

“We will definitely be preparing for another win tomorrow (today) and we are willing to play ugly if necessary. Ugly in the sense that we will be playing hard and going for every ball, not dirty,”” said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.

““I anticipate Maybank to search for an early goal so we will devise a plan to address that and to come out from the pressure Maybank is expected to apply early in the match. UniKL thrive on teamwork so I have to make sure that everyone are on the same page tactically and mentally.””

Meanwhile, TNB are faced with a trickier task as they hold a one-goal advantage.

““The second-leg is going to be very tough and we need to do our best,” said Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini.

TODAY: Sapura (3) v Tenaga (4) (6pm, Pitch II); Maybank (1) v UniKL (3) (8pm, Pitch II ). * First leg scores in parenthesis.

New Straits Times

UniKL hoping for shooting Stahr to deliver

By S. Ramaguru


German player Phillip Stahr (centre) will be depended upon by UniKL to finish off Maybank in the Malaysia Hockey League semi-finals. - FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have been playing in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) since 2009, and each time they’ve failed to make the cut for the semi-finals.

After five failed attempts, UniKL are beginning to feel that this could be their breakthrough moment when they face Maybank in the playoff for the semi-finals with a 3-1 lead.

And one player who can help them make it happen is German forward Phillip Stahr, who has netted six goals thus far.

The 33-year old Berlin Blue/White player from the German Bundesliga is featuring for UniKL for a second time and is determined to see them make the last four.

“That’s been my target when I came back to play this year. We missed out in 2010 when I made my MHL debut. This time we are almost there ... so, let’s go and finish off the job in the second leg,” said Stahr.

UniKl have three other German players in their ranks – Patrick Schulte, Kevin Lim and Jonas Weinhardt. They also have a South African in Tim Drummond.

UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj noted that they also needed to tighten their defence “so that we do not let in silly goals”.

“This (defensive strategy) is something we definitely need to improve on in the second leg ... besides our penalty corner executions,” he said.

“We won six penalty corners in the first two quarters of the first-leg match, but failed to convert them.

“But fret not ... we have a two-goal advantage. We have to play smart in the second leg, even if that means winning ugly. There is no doubt that Maybank will go all out ... so, we need to be prepared.”

The Star of Malaysia

Porous defence a worry for Tenaga Nasional and Sapura

By S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: Up front they are deadly. It’s their back that Tenaga Nasional and Sapura are worried about.

Tenaga lead Sapura 4-3 after the first leg of their Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) playoff for the semi-finals on Friday. The two teams will square up for the return leg today at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

In Friday’s match, it was Sapura who took the lead first. So, Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini is aware that his men cannot take their semi-final spot for granted.

“This game is far from over. There have been lapses in our defensive play and that is something we need to look into. Overall, the play has been good but we need to keep it tight at the back.

“We are confident that we can hold on to our lead,” he added.

He also said that the younger players in the team had gelled well with the seniors.

The defence is held together by Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Mohd Amin Rahim, Md Sallehin Ghani and Faiz Helmi Jali. Goalkeeper S. Kumar is still a safe bet in goal.

It is highly unlikely that either team will adopt a defensive strategy – as they need to get the goals.

This, of course, opens up the game and will provide both teams with plenty of space to exploit.

Sapura team manager Louis Gregory admitted that “our only option is to attack and go for the goals”.

“At this stage, we have nothing to lose. Our option is clear. For Tenaga, it’s not so straightforard ... they can choose to attack or just sit back and defend their lead,” he said.

Sapura will depend heavily on Pakistan’s Kashif Ali for the goals.

He is, after all, their top scorer with eight goals thus far. He was the MHL’s top scorer last year with 15 goals.

The Star of Malaysia

Telkom, Strathmore clash in final

By BRIAN YONGA


Sliders’ Nancy Kibungong battles for the ball with Margaret Rotich of Telkom Orange during their semi-final match of the Kenya Hockey Union league match at City Park Stadium on December 6, 2014. Orange won 4-0. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

Defending Champions Telkom Orange will take on Strathmore Scorpions in Sunday’s final of the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) after both teams won their respective semi-finals Saturday.

Orange beat Sliders 4-0 in the first semi while Strathmore were 3-0 winners over USIU Spartans in the second semi.

The two teams finished in the top two positions last season and also represented the country in the Africa Club Championship.

The match, which begins at 10.30am at City Park Stadium, promises to be cracker with the two teams in outstanding form.

Scorpions shrugged off their disappointment from Bulawayo to ease past a poor USIU side that lacked cutting edge.

League top scorer Gilly Okumu grabbed a brace while Yvonne Karanja added a third to seal their team's slot in the final.

“The girls were determined to put the disappointment of Bulawayo behind them and they did it in style. We now want to finish the season by winning the title,” Strathmore coach Meshack Senge said. Gilly Okumu, who now has 12 goals, warned Orange to expect a battle today noting her team was hungry to lift their maiden title.

“We will work hard and give them a fight of their lives. We want the title as much as them and so it will be a tough match,” Okumu said.

Orange coach Jos Openda praised his charges for their emphatic team noting they were still in good form following their continental triumph last week.

The tactician called on his team to finish the season on a high by defending their crown.

“It was a good performance and, despite a few signs of fatigue, we still were able to display a match winning performance and we are now a win away from another title,” Openda told Sunday Nation Sport.

Daily Nation

Millersville wins first D-2 field hockey title

Kenzie Winstead

For the first time in school history, a women’s team from Millersville (Pa.) won an NCAA title as the Marauders slipped past LIU Post 1-0 Saturday afternoon in the Division II field hockey national championship at the University of Louisville’s Trager Stadium.

The only goal came in the second half as the Marauders tried a penalty corner.

Millersville’s Rachel Dickinson took a shot just a few yards in front of the cage through a crowd of players.

The ball was headed toward LIU Post goalkeeper Ericka Parks, but Millersville reserve Olivia Hershey deflected the ball into the cage for the goal at the 46:10 mark.

“Finally we got an executed corner, and it really paid off,” Dickinson said.

After the match, Millersville coach Shelly Behrens said her thoughts went back to the school’s 1985 team that lost to Trenton State 2-1 in the NCAA Division III final.

“I’ve gotten some great emails and notes from them,” Behrens said. “They asked us to finish what they started.

“I couldn’t be happier to be the first women’s program at Millersville to win a team NCAA national championship. It’s overwhelming. The whole year’s been overwhelming. But I can’t help but remember those women from 1985. This is just as much theirs as it is ours.”

Behrens said she didn’t feel good until she walked into the interview room.

“To be quite honest, I’m full of joy,” she said. “We’ve talked about doing this for 4-5 years. . . To see it come to fruition is kind of overwhelming.”

The Marauders (20-3) recorded an NCAA-best 13th shutout in the win over the Pioneers (18-4).

“We take such pride in our defense,” Behrens said. “We work on it every day. It’s a mentality; it’s a structure we play. It’s definitely team defense.”

LIU Post came into the finals averaging more than four goals. “To come through with a clean sheet (shutout), that’s saying something because they’re very good,” Behrens said of the Pioneers.

Meanwhile, LIU Post finished national runner-up for the second straight year after losing to Shippensburg 2-1 a year ago.

“We were hoping this year was going to be the year,” said LIU Post coach Raenee Savin. “But the third time’s a charm. . . You don’t even want to think about the future but you have to at this point. . . Hopefully, we will be back here next year.

“Things just didn’t go our way today,” Savin said.

The Courier Journal