News 15 January 2014
All the news for Wednesday 15 January 2014
Watch out for Belgium, New Zealand: Knock-out stage
s2h team
The Hero Hockey World League Final which put on show some classic hockey games along with a couple of fast and power-packed games, has reached the midway stage. Though the quality of hockey is of high standard, the lack of advertisement in the capital city virtually led to empty galleries and if one discounts the security personnel among the crowds, even India matches were not attracting gates. When India dished out superb hockey on Monday night to shake Olympic champions Germany, there were hardly 500 spectators who purchased tickets. The figures were not immediately available from the organizers but the empty stands spoke for themselves.
The pool stage produced 12 matches, two draws, 57 goals and 74 penalty corners, two penalty strokes and two same-side goals. There were two high-scoring games among the three matches where no team could convert any of the short corners earned. Which means that the result was decided solely on field goals. England is the only team which remained unbeaten in the pool stage. Belgium’s place at the bottom of the Pool B does not justify the game it played as it lost two matches narrowly and have the potential to upset the apple-cart of England in the first quarterfinal tie on Jan 15.
Belgium had a elaborate practice session today where the chief coach Marc Lammers pepped up the team, which worked out specific plans keeping in view the England’s game. Apart from the goalkeeper’s training, the team had a vigorous work-out for over two hours.
The second quarterfinal match will feature two giants, the Olympic champions Germany and the Netherlands in a repeat of the London Olympics final. Germans have given an impression till now that they were not were keen on the outcome of the result in this tournament and all efforts are preparations for the World Cup and that they were just coming out of the off-season. But a careful consideration of the points at stake from this inaugural FIH Grade One tournament cannot be missed. Apart from the valuable ranking points, any German lethargy is out of question as they will lose their number one ranking if they finish third or below third and the Kookaburras win the championship. Similar permutations and combinations need to be addressed. The rankings are crucial at this stage as the pools for World Cup are decided based on the rankings after the HHW League Final.
Currently Germany are holding No.1 rank in the world hockey followed by Australia, who were training by 157 points. A victory in the league here will give 400 rankings points to the team.
The other two last-eight matches will pit Argentina against New Zealand and India against world champs Australia. In fact, India who are playing in the tournament by virtue of being hosts are lucky as they would gain 220 points even if they finish last. India currently have 1425 points behind eighth-placed Spain and ninth-ranked Pakistan, both of whom have 1490 points. So India may rise above these strong teams after the League provided the two countries do not gain points from other tournaments before World Cup. Likewise both Argentina (1419) and New Zealand (1583) too have a good chance to improve their ranking.
So there is a lot at stake in the quarterfinals tomorrow, and any upset will cost the teams dear in terms of ranking points. A win tomorrow will provide a top-four finish and watch-out for Belgium and New Zealand; And yes… India too!! As unpredictable and dangerous as ever, on their day.
Stick2Hockey.com
Kiwis fancy chances in Argentina clash
By David Leggat
Black Sticks striker Hugo Inglis is relishing another tussle with Argentina. Photo / Getty
As draws go, New Zealand have got the best they could have hoped for when the World League quarter-finals are played in New Delhi tonight.
Having conceded six goals to world No1 Germany and five to England in losses, the Black Sticks have caught a break. They play 11th-ranked Argentina, four spots below them.
The reason for the quirk in the draw came through Argentina starting the tournament exceptionally well, beating the third-ranked Dutch 5-2, then No 5 Belgium 3-2. They came unstuck, 6-1, against second-ranked Australia early yesterday and while New Zealand will respect them, they'll also fancy grabbing an unexpected chance.
"It has worked out not too badly for us,'' striker Hugo Inglis said. "They were playing some good hockey earlier in the week so you can't think it's too favourable. But going into the tournament, for sure we wouldn't have minded coming up against Argentina.''
New Zealand have played decent hockey in patches, but Inglis said it was crucial to increase the length of those periods and trim the efficiency of the opposition. Set pieces must sharpen up too.
"Our penalty corners at both attacking and defensive ends haven't been good enough. It's something we've recognised for the quarter-final has to be better.''
Attacker Facundo Callioni has scored three times in the tournament for Argentina; New Zealand have managed just five in total over the three games.
Inglis, perhaps New Zealand's sharpest striker, got his first goal against England on Monday night and admits feeling a touch of rustiness early in the year. Still there's no shortage of incentive tonight.
"The team is really targeting trying to achieve medals at tournaments like this,'' he said. "Although we see this as a great tournament to build on, it's great to have an objective there for us to try to perform well.''
The crunch game in the last eight will be the clash between fierce rivals Germany and the Netherlands.
World League quarter-finals, New Delhi, tonight:
4-England v 5-Belgium, 1-Germany v 3-Netherlands, 11-Argentina v 7-New Zealand, 2-Australia v 10-India
The New Zealand Herald
Confident England eye positive result against Belgium in QF
NEW DELHI: Unbeaten England are brimming with confidence ahead of their quarterfinal clash against Belgium at the Hero Hockey World League Final here tomorrow, said the team's captain Barry Middleton.
With three wins out of as many games, England topped Pool A and will play Poob laggards Belgium in the first quarterfinal at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
"Being at the top of the pool and the excellent game that we have played so far gives us great confidence, which is essential to play well in the upcoming matches. We are definitely looking forward to deliver good results ahead in the tournament," Middleton said after the team's practice session on Tuesday.
"We have played Belgium many times and hence are aware about their game. They are a pretty strong squad and it is really going to be a tough game tomorrow. We will be playing our usual game and I think we have good chances for all the upcoming matches," he added.
Meanwhile, having managed only a draw from their three pool games, Belgium will definitely start tomorrow's game as underdogs and will have to play out of their skin to down England.
"We are practicing more on passing and shooting and have prepared ourselves to put up a good show against England. We just want to play our game like we did against Netherlands. We will fight for the ball and win it for ourselves," Belgium captain Felix Denayer said about his side's preparations.
Belgium coach Marc Lammers added: "It is really important for us to close the injections by England. We have to play like a team and showcase a good team spirit. With our pace in the midfield, I think we can convert them into goals. The England team looks fitter and stronger; however, we will follow the planned strategies. We will fight for it and focus on our game."
The Times of India
India will look to run Aussies close
Biswajyoti Brahma
NEW DELHI: The last time the two met on a hockey turf was in the Hockey World League semifinals in June last year when Australia outplayed India 5-1.
The last time they met at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here was in the 2010 Commonwealth Games final in which Ric Charlesworth's men thrashed India 8-0.
The recent history of the rivalry between these teams does not look promising for the Indian fans, but they will still hope for a good contest when the two clash in the quarterfinals of the Hero World Hockey League Final here on Wednesday.
India had started the tournament on a poor note, losing their first two matches without a fight. But the pluck they showed in the 3-3 draw against Germany has given hope of a fight against the awesome Australians. And the team from Down Under seems to be aware of that.
"The Indians are a big threat. They did not perform the way they wanted to (in the first two matches), but you can't underestimate some of the weapons they have got in their arsenal. We have played them so many times and we know what they are capable of producing on the field," Australian player Kieran Govers said.
When things didn't go as planned in the first two matches, India's team management had decided to skip a scheduled training session on the eve of the Germany match and opted for an indoor brainstorming.
In the meeting, coach Terry Walsh told captain Sardar Singh and others to do certain things which were crucial for raising their performance level.
"I was talking to the team on Sunday night and we talked about the squad and just how to run our interchanges. That may sound like very basic, but that is very important," Walsh told TOI after the match against Germany.
Interestingly, the Indians once again cancelled their practice session scheduled to be held on Tuesday. Walsh's compatriot Charlesworth reckoned India have the ability to beat top teams but they lack self-belief.
"They haven't done anything, so they don't believe they can (win big matches). They have to play consistently (with the belief) to win major competitions," Charlesworth said.
Quarterfinal matches: 1315 hrs: England vs Belgium; 1530: Germany vs Netherlands; 1745: New Zealand vs Argentina; 2000: India vs Australia (Live on Ten Sports)
The Times of India
Gritty India face stern Australia test in last eight of HWL Final
Unlike their previous two games, the Indians looked far more organised and co-ordinated in both attack and defence against Germany. Sardar Singh and Co were a better side on display throughout the match. Photo: R.V. Moorthy
The morale-boosting draw against Olympic champions Germany has done a world of good to their confidence as hosts India face a Herculean task when they square off with World Champions Australia in the quarterfinals of the Hero Hockey World League Final, in New Delhi on Wednesday.
After back-to-back defeats against higher-ranked England and New Zealand in their opening two Pool A games, a struggling India gave the home fans something to cheer about and dished out a spirited performance to hold world number one Germany to a 3—3 draw at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Monday.
If India’s opening two outings were horrible in terms of performance, they came up with much-improved performance in their last pool match to hold the mighty Germans.
Unlike their previous two games, the Indians looked far more organised and co-ordinated in both attack and defence against Germany. Sardar and Co were a better side on display throughout the match.
Had it not been for a late defensive lapse from skipper Sardar, India could have stunned Germany last night.
The Indian midfield and the forward line combined well to create a number of opportunities, which were missing in the first two games against England and New Zealand.
The defence, which is India’s perennial problem, too lived up to the expectations to deny Germany any major inroads.
And come Wednesday, India would be hoping for a repeat performance, if not better, to give themselves a chance against the Kookaburras, coached by legendary Ric Charlesworth.
But one thing which will continue to haunt India’s chief coach Terry Walsh is the ordinary showing of his dragflickers.
Insipite of having three specialist dragflickers in the team in VR Raghunath, Rupinderpal Singh and Amit Rohitdas, India have not been upto the mark with penalty corner conversions so far in the eight-nation event.
But if they are harbouring any such hopes of shocking Australia, the home team cannot afford to waste any scoring chance that comes their way.
India’s chief coach Walsh, an Australian national, would also be relying on his knowledge about the Australian players to give his side an edge in the contest.
But it is easier said than done as of late the Kookaburras are a far superior side than the Indians in all aspects of the game.
Having defeated Belgium by a narrow 3—2 margin in their tournament opener, Australia lost 0—1 at the hands of Netherlands in their next game.
But Charlesworth’s boys regained their confidence back with a 6—1 thumping of Argentina to make their intentions clear that they are not here just to make numbers.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, Australia would be a tough nut to crack for past-masters India, who are struggling to get their footing back in world hockey.
India’s coach Walsh is fully aware about the enormity of the task at hands for his side.
“Australia are a very high quality team and it will be a big challenge for us to keep ourselves organised and create a match,” Walsh had said.
“But we will try to give our best.”
India captain Sardar Singh too agreed with his coach.
“The boys are motivated after the draw against Germany. But it will be a different game against Australia and we will try to give our best in the pitch. Our focus would be on cutting down on our mistakes,” Sardar said.
Meanwhile in the other quarterfinals of the day, England will play Belgium, Germany will lock horns against Netherlands and Argentina will face New Zealand.
The Hindu
Can India match Aussie game?
Indervir Grewal
India take on the mighty Australians in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World League tomorrow. With the pool matches only deciding the final eight draw, India, which finished last in their pool, face the toppers in the other pool.
Despite the ranking difference, anything is possible in a knockout match, which is why former India player Rajpal Singh finds the format strange.
"Despite not winning any match in their pool and finishing last, India get the opportunity to play in the quarters. It's a knockout match and if they win, what about Australia, who played consistently good to top pool," said Rajpal.
"This is not a very important tournament. But in the WHL semifinals, which was the World Cup qualifying tournament, Pakistan, who had topped their pool, were knocked out by Korea, who bottomed the other pool."
Drag-flickers need to fire
Though the possibility was there, according to Rajpal, the former captain didn't sound too confident about India's chances of progressing.
India would have regained some of its confidence after the fighting draw against Germany. "We are consistently improving and will continue to fight and play the same way in the next match as well. We need to keep ourselves motivated and improve with every game," Terry Walsh, India coach, had said after the German game.
But Walsh accepts the challenge for the team to keep organised against the "high quality Australian side".
To make a match out of the quarterfinal, the hosts will have to be "composed", with their defence "well organised" and their attack "electric" as was the case in the previous match.
But to have any chance of beating the Australians, who were at their destructive best in their 6-1 win over Argentina, India will need their drag flickers to fire. In the three matches, Rupinder Singh has scored only one goal, while VR Ragunath has not scored any.
On a day when India will have to absorb immense pressure and most probably play on the counter, with very few scoring chances, every penalty corner will be precious.
The Tribune
In quarters, India expect none
by Jonathan Selvaraj
India's record against Australia at the Dhyanchand Stadium in the last three years is 3-0, with the Kookaburras outscoring the hosts by 18 goals to four (IE Photo Ravi Kanojia) India's record against Australia at the Dhyanchand Stadium in the last three years is 3-0, with the Kookaburras outscoring the hosts by 18 goals to four (IE Photo Ravi Kanojia)
In between the exhilaration of India’s shock 3-3 draw with Olympic champions Germany on Monday, coach Terry Walsh tried to keep an objective perspective of proceedings. “One sunny day doesn’t make a summer,” Walsh had said.
Walsh had actually made his statement on a day warmer than ususal but you got the point he was trying to make. “We did several things better today. We were trying to improve in different areas. We played better against a quality opponent like Germany. But I think the opponents didn’t play that well today,” he said. “We have to understand the difference in level between India and some of these teams. I frankly don’t know how long it will take. It may take several months of steady progress,” he said.
Unfortunately, India won’t have the luxury of months of steady progress behind them when they face Australia in Hockey World League quarterfinals on Wednesday. Since it was an eight-team tournament, India were always assured of a place in the quarterfinals. However, in order to advance any further, India will require a monumental effort as they take on the world champions.
Indeed, India would be ruing Sardar Singh defensive error in the 68th minute against Germany. The resultant goal denied an Indian win, and with it a chance for a decidedly milder quarterfinal opponent in Argentina.
Against Germany, India benefitted from a side who were uncharacteristically giving away turnovers and passing slowly. While much of that would also be due to the fact that India were playing a hard-pressing game, their opponents’ obvious rustiness — they haven’t played or even practiced outdoors on account of the European winter for many weeks — means that the hosts could able to consistently bring to the table clever variations in their midfield.
Gathering momentum
Australia, in contrast, have showed few vulnerabilities in their own games. They started gingerly with a closely fought win against Belgium, followed with a 1-0 loss against the Netherlands. The latter scoreline, however, didn’t do justice to the domination they had enjoyed in the game. They had seven PCs and according to team statistics nearly twice the number of circle penetrations but were denied by a sensational game by the rival keeper Jaap Stockmann. In their most recent game against Argentina, they gave an account of just how irresistible they can be, outrunning and outplaying their extremely physical opponents 6-1.
With every game from here on a must win, India are likely to find an opponent who will be pressing themselves from the start.
“I went to the Junior World Cup and we got beaten in the quarterfinal so I know how tough that can be. This is just another final; we’ve pretty much got three finals in a row. We’re definitely taking it like the grand final,” says defender Daniel Beale, the youngest member of the Australian squad.
If Australia play to their ability, it will not be much of a contest. The side relentlessly attacks, has superior fitness. India’s attack has shown little ability to win goals in open play and their defence is prone to errors. One area in which both teams share a similar concern will be penalty corner conversion. India have scored 2 out of ten chances, one of those goals coming off a rebound. Australia have been even more profligate, they missed all their second game and only have three PC goals, all scored by Keiran Govers.
Germany, meanwhile, will renew their biggest European rivalry, with Netherlands. In other games, England play Belgium while Argentina, who punched above their world ranking to finish second in Group B, take on New Zealand.
Indian Express
India, not in world league
Mihir Vasavda
Sardar Singh during a practice session (IE Photo Ravi Kanojia) Sardar Singh during a practice session (IE Photo Ravi Kanojia)
In an otherwise bleak period for Indian hockey, the only player who has stood out with his performances has been Sardar Singh. So it was ironical that it was the skipper who stood in the way of what would have been India’s biggest result in close to five years. Sardar’s rare error inside the ‘D’ resulted in Thilo Stralkowski scoring the equalising goal for Germany, denying India a morale-boosting win.
That, in a way, summed up India’s failing fortunes in recent times. Since 2010, India haven’t managed a win against the elite hockey nations like Australia, Holland, Germany and Spain — even their second string sides. The slight advantage they enjoyed against the Tier II teams — England, New Zealand, Belgium and even Argentina – too is now lost. They have even failed to beat Ireland last year.
One can dissect the performances however much they want — fragile defence, mediocre midfield, toothless strikers, poor goalkeepers — but the harsh truth is that the team does not belong to this level. Embarrassing defeats to England and then the Black Sticks in Delhi this week has reinforced this point, if the performances at London Olympics and last year’s World League semifinals weren’t enough.
Perhaps, that’s because India simply does not have the players who are technically and physically adept to meet the requirements of the modern game. Yet, when the Hockey India League begins 10 days from today, the performances of these players will be frantically celebrated. The fumbling forwards will suddenly seem like world class strikers. All because of the quality assists by some of the top foreign players.
If anything, the 3-3 draw against Germany in the Hockey World League will reassure newly-appointed coach Terry Walsh’s belief in his team’s abilities to execute the game-plan. However, the fact that India stand no chance of winning against Australia in today’s quarterfinal shows where things stand.
(Mihir is a senior correspondent based in Mumbai)
Indian Express
Father-son, coach-player: Paul, Seve balance roles
by Jonathan Selvaraj
In addition to father and son, Seve’s brother David, and sister Berbel also play professional hockey (Photo Courtesy: FIH)
In November last year, Dutch hockey player Seve van Ass was competing in a Euro Hockey League match when a stick swung by a rival forward caught him square in the jaw. Playing without a bit, van Ass, as a result, lost ten of his teeth, was hospitalised and had a plate inserted into his lower jaw. He ate through tubes for the next few weeks. It also means he has to see a dentist regularly for the foreseeable future.
The injury was a huge blow for the Van Ass ahead of this year’s Hockey World League, but in the Netherlands there was a bit of morbid interest as to how the 22-year-old midfielder’s father would react. Paul van Ass is the coach of the Dutch senior team and had to name the squad for the Delhi competition. Seve was expected to make the squad, also seen as a sure shot was Valentin Verga – the latter being the one who had swung the stick.
“It was an awkward situation. Paul was obviously hurting because his son was so badly injured but he didn’t say anything. Ultimately he named both Verga and his son in the national squad,” says Phillip Kooke, a senior TV commentator from the Netherlands who is in India for the World League.
After the incident, Verga was banned for six games by the Dutch federation and, ultimately, isn’t playing the HWL as he is recovering from a knee injury of his own. However, the decision by Paul is seen as characteristic of someone who has had to balance the roles of being both father and coach to a talented hockey player. “It’s simply a case of switching on and off ,” says Paul. “On the field I am his coach, so I call him Seve, and he calls me Paul, and when we are out of a tournament, I am dad once again,” he says.
It’s no longer unusual, says Kooke.
“Paul has always been hard on his players but even more so on his son. That way there has never been any question of favouritism. When Seve broke into the squad, he had already excelled in the juniors, B team and won the Euroleague club tournament, so it wasn’t a surprise call. But ahead of the 2012 Olympics, Seve who was seen as a good prospect was dropped,” says Kooke. Indeed, soon after Seve’s debut with the senior team in 2011 — an event that was commemorated by a family celebration — the youngster was benched by his father after missing a simple chance.
Seve has to do a bit of compartmentalising himself. “It’s a bit strange at times. Sometimes in the locker room, when somebody says something about the coach, I don’t get defensive. I won’t think they are criticising my father, but rather the coach Paul,” he jokes.
In addition to father and son, Seve’s brother David, and sister Berbel also play professional hockey and understandably, the family dinner conversations would become hockey centric. But Seve says that isn’t the case anymore. “In the past, dad would start to talk hockey with me at home. One day I said, out there you are my hockey coach, but at home you are my father. So now we talk about family things like studies and girlfriends,” he says.
Indian Express
Ireland Spain series remains level after draw
Ireland played Spain in their penultimate match in this series of four, in a game that ended in a scoreless draw.
Ireland looked the most threatening throughout the match in a game that was devoid of any penalty corners. Ireland’s Deidre Duke went close in the first 35 intercepting a Spanish outlet creating a one on one but the Keeper for Spain pulled off a good save keeping it 0-0.
The only goal chances in the second half came from the girls in green the best from Katie Mullan who went close with a reverse stick strike. Ireland’s outfield players made life somewhat easy for Emma Gray in goals who did not get a touch in the second half and with that the match closed out 0-0.
The sides are now level with a win each and a draw (Match 1: Ireland 2-3 Spain; Match 2: Ireland 4-2 Spain; Match 3: Ireland 0-0 Spain).
There is all to play for in the fourth and final game taking place at 10.30 Irish time tomorrow.
Ireland's men will play their third and final match at 2.30 tomorrow against Spain before both sides return to Ireland from this warm weather training camp on Thursday 16th January.
IRELAND 0 (0) SPAIN 0 (0)
Ireland Squad –v Spain 14 Jan : Pamela Smithwick - Old Alex – Goalkeeper; Emma Gray - Hermes – Goalkeeper; Kate Dillon – Railway Union – Defender; Michelle Harvey – Pegasus/Leuven – Defender; Ali Meeke – Loreto – Defender; Yvonne O'Byrne – Cork Harlequins – Defender; Audrey O'Flynn – Hermes – Defender; Cliodhna Sargent – Cork Harlequins –Defender; Emily Beatty - UCD – Midfield; Lisa Jacob – Hermes/SCHC – Midfield; Gillian Pinder – UCD – Midfield; Chloe Watkins – UCD/Club de Campo – Midfield; Chloe Brown – Ards – Striker; Deidre Duke – UCD – Striker; Nikki Evans – UCD – Striker; Kate Lloyd – Railway Union – Striker; Katie Mullan – UCD – Striker; Anna O'Flanagan – UCD – Striker;
Irish Hockey Association media release
Scotland Senior Men go unbeaten in Tri Nations
Scotland men went unbeaten in this weekend’s Tri Nations indoor tournament in Brussels. Beating Belgium and England and drawing twice, it was a confident performance from the Scottish side.
First match saw Scotland take on England where the Scots went one nil down in the first few minutes but quickly fought back to go ahead, 2-1. The goal scorers were Alan Forsyth and William Marshall. England came back just before halftime to equal it 2-2. With 25 minutes gone England went ahead 3-2 but Scotland came back with another goal from Marshall.
Scotland equalised in the last minute to make it 4-4, but in the dying minutes of overtime England secured a penalty corner but goal keeper David Forrester made a brilliant save to deny the English from a win.
Second game of the day saw the Scots go up against the home nation Belgium. Scotland were 1-0 up at half time with a goal from Marshall. The home side came out determined for an equaliser which they found straight away. However the Scots showed great control in this game with Chris Grassick finding the back of the net twice putting them ahead 3-1. Scotland conceded a scrappy goal to make it 3-2 but came away with their first win of the tournament.
On Sunday Scotland beat England 5-1 in the first game of the day, with an outstanding performance by Alan Dick in goal saving 6 out of 7 of England’s penalty corners. It was a close first half ending 0-0 at half time, but the Scots soon got the first goal on the score sheet, with Nial Stott converting a penalty corner making it 1-0. As soon as the first goal was scored the rest flooded in with the second coming from Iain Scholefield, followed by a third from Kenny Bain. With 3 minutes to go the Scots conceded a goal through a penalty corner making it 3-1. In the last few minutes Kenny Bain secured his hat-rick scoring twice on the break.
Scotland were unlucky in their final match drawing 4-4 with Belgium with a serious injury to Alan Forsyth in the last seconds of the game.
Scotland started strong and quickly went up 2-0, the two goals came from Chris Grassick and Iain Scholefield. Yet the home side came back and took the lead 3-2 just after half time. Nial Stott made it level with a field goal, but in the last minutes Belgium went ahead once again to make it 4-3.
With less than a minute to go Scotland put on a kicking back and a tackle was made leaving Alan Forsyth taking a knee to the face resulting in a trip to the hospital and stiches above the eye. He is out of hospital now and is on the mend. Once they had cleared up the mess from the nasty tackle Michael Ross came out and scored the equaliser in the last seconds of the match making it 4-4, leaving Scotland unbeaten throughout the tournament.
Head coach Derek Forsyth couldn’t be more pleased with how his team stepped up; ‘It was a good weekend, they played better today then yesterday, as they were a little rusty to start off with but quickly shook it off. A lot of positives from this weekend going into the FIH EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship II. The only down side was Alan’s injury on what was otherwise a good performance.’
The Scotland men’s side go to Bern, Switzerland for FIH EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship II starting on the 17th of January.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Scotland Women to face England tests before European challenge
Scotland Senior Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd has selected a squad of twelve players for a four match international series against England in Perth from 17-19 January and the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship II in Lithuania from 24-26 January.
Dundee Wanderers’ indoor specialist Vikki Bunce will captain the side during the two tournaments, one that features a mixture of experience and youth as Shepherd looks to test his charges against their English rivals this weekend, before travelling to Siauliai to face Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine in the European competition next week.
Nicola Cochrane, Susan McGilveray, Morag McLellan and Jennifer Eadie of Milne Craig Clydesdale Western are also included, while CALA Edinburgh quartet Amy Brodie, Mairi Drummond, Sarah Robertson and Louise Campbell are also named in the squad.
Looking forward to the forthcoming international action, Scotland Senior Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said, “We have six of the U21 squad in the side for this weekend and indoor Europeans, a step up for them which will be key in helping their development in both the indoor and outdoor game. We also have fantastic experience amongst the side with six players who have competed in Europe before, so there is a good balance in the squad.”
“Our main target for Europe is remaining in group B and at a stretch qualifying for group A. It is very much unknown what may happen, as all the teams are very good in the group and every game is going to be tough. It’s going to be challenge and it will come down to who can adapt best and quickest to the new rules.
“This weekend will be good preparation for the team. England are a developed team so it will be a challenge but our overall concern for the weekend is gelling as a team and playing well.”
Admission to this weekend's matches against England at Bell's Sports Centre, Perth is FREE OF CHARGE for all spectators. The U18 Girls and Boys Indoor Cups will also take place at the same venue on Saturday 18 (girls) and Sunday 19 January (boys)
Scotland Senior Women: Nicola Cochrane (Milne Craig Clydesdale Western), Siobhan Cowie (Merlins Gordonians), Becky Ward (Dundee Wanderers), Amy Brodie (CALA Edinburgh), Mairi Drummond (CALA Edinburgh), Vikki Bunce (Dundee Wanderers, captain), Sarah Robertson (CALA Edinburgh), Louise Campbell (CALA Edinburgh), Heather Elder (Dundee Wanderers), Susan McGilveray (Milne Craig Clydesdale Western), Morag McLellan (Milne Craig Clydesdale Western), Jennifer Eadie (Milne Craig Clydesdale Western).
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Men’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup at East Grinstead
East Grinstead's Niall Stott in action against Loughborough Students in the Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Championship
The EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, in England for the very first time, will see amazing skills and matches from the best in Europe.
From 14-16 February, see the pinnacle of men's European indoor hockey – the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, at East Grinstead Hockey Club.
East Grinstead won the national indoor title for the first time in 1986 leading to inclusion in an unofficial European tournament held at Amiens in 1987. Led by Richard Leman, EG won through a really tight semi-final versus the Swiss, only to lose to the hosts Amiens in the final.
Two decades later however, after steady development for a number of years, EG gained their next national title in 2006 and three years later saw the start of a run of five national titles on the trot. European competition for these five years has been in the Eurohockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy and then the top tier, pitting our wits against the best indoor club teams.
As part of this development, the club has had the pleasure of having the likes of Olympic champion Martin Haner and Mats Grambusch from Germany in their colours, and currently has Filip Neusser of the Czech Republic keeping goal for his second year. To cap it all this season sees the club host the Men’s Eurohockey Indoor Club Champions Cup in England for the very first time at which British hockey fans will be able to see amazing skills and matches from the best in Europe.
England Hockey Board Media release
Simba's first victory
Winners devour hosts Wanainchi to renew hopes of advancing
By ELIZABETH MBURUGU
Uganda side Wanainchi’s Emmanuel Owani (left) vies for ball possession with Simba’s Davis Wanangwe at their Africa Club contest in Kampala yesterday. [PHOTO: JENNIFER WACHIE/ STANDARD]
Nairobi Simba earned their first victory of the ongoing Africa Hockey Club Championships at the Lugogo national hockey stadium in Kampala.
They beat Hosts Wanainchi 3-1 to gain three vital points.
Simba Coach Inderjit Matharu told FeverPitch the victory had revived their hopes of winning the title.
“We still have a chance to proceed to the semis and even make it to the finals. Our win today has revived our hopes of scooping top honours,” he said.
Simba have a tough task ahead as they have to beat defending champions Sharkia of Egypt to make it to the semi-finals.
“We have to win against Sharkia and we know it will not be an easy match; we will give it our best,” he added.
Determined to win
Simba went into the game determined to win and displayed good hockey attacking and defending. Their efforts paid off in the 25th minute when Asif Shah converted a penalty corner taken by George Mutira.
They surged on looking for more goals but failed to break the Ugandan defence.
Davis Wanangwe could have put the Kenyans two up in the 31st minute but Wanainchi goalkeeper Alex Adema saved the day.
Simba went into the breather having an upper hand. Coming into the second half they held on to the lead making amends for the mistake they made against Golden Sticks of Ghana when they squandered a 2-0 halftime lead.
Barnabas Odhiambo put Simba two up in the 43rd minute scoring superb field goals that boost their winning morale.
Consolation goal
Jaspreet Kalsi made it three in the 61st minute to seal the victory for Simba while Wanainchi’s consolation goal was scored in the 68th minute by Captain Derrick Akuwa.
Hosts Uganda won their first match of tournament through Weatherheads 1-0 victory over Twende of Tanzania.
Tanzania fielding the team that played in the Cup of Nations put up a hard fight proving that they indeed learnt from their debut in international hockey.
They dominated all aspects of the game but failed to score goals. Twende coach and player Valentina Quantara admitted they should not have lost the match following many scoring opportunities they lost.
“We should have done better. We wasted scoring chances, Weatherheads had two chances and utilised one,” she said. They face champs Orange in day six of the tournament.
Defending champions Sharkia of Egypt extended their winning dominance thumping Yobe Warriors of Nigeria 4-1.
Mahmoud Farouk scored two goals in the 15th and 17th while Mohamed Sameer scored in the 40th and 51st minute to seal the victory.
Yobe’s lone goal was scored in the 19th minute by Almanji Nayola.
The Standard Online
No India, Pakistan at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup?
by S. Ramaguru
The Australian team after winning the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last year. So far, apart from Malaysia, only four other teams have confirmed participation – Australia, South Korea, Canada and France.
KUALA LUMPUR: This year’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup could turn out to be a second grade tournament following India’s decision not to accept the invitation to play in the annual event.
And to make matters worse, Pakistan, another regular in the series, have also not replied to the invitation following upheavals within the Pakistan Hockey Federation.
India and Pakistan have always taken part in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
India are five-time winners of the Cup, in 1985, 1991, 1995, 2009 and 2010. The Pakistanis have won three titles, in 1998, 2000 and 2003.
So far, four foreign teams – Australia, South Korea, Canada and France – have confirmed their entry along with Malaysia for the 23rd edition of the tournament.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) secretary Datuk Johari Abdul Aziz said on Tuesday that they are hoping that Pakistan will participate as they have a tendency to reply late.
“We have also written to India to reconsider their decision. We are waiting for a reply before making any alternate plans. We were hoping to keep it as a seven-nation affair,” he said.
The Australians are the most successful team in the series, having won seven times in 1983, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2013.
Like South Korea and Malaysia, Australia will be using the tournament as part of their World Cup preparations.
And that could mean they will be bringing new players to Ipoh.
The other two teams, Canada and France, did not qualify for the World Cup.
Canada have taken part in the tournament five times before, in 1995, 1998, 2000, 2007 and 2008.
France will be making their debut in the series. The French juniors recently made history when they finished runners-up to Germany in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi in December.
Johari did not say why the MHC decided to invite the two non-World Cup teams. Conspicuously missing from the line-up are the top teams from Europe – Germany, Holland and Spain.
For Canada, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be a great warm-up for the upcoming FIH Champions Challenge I which will be held in Kuantan from April 26-May 4.
Besides Malaysia and Canada, the other teams in the fray in Kuantan are Spain, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and South Africa.
The Star of Malaysia
'Roos tour to South Africa
National squad plus Emily Hurtz & Mariah Williams head to Stellenbosch
After rounding off 2013 with a silver medal at the World League Finals the Hockeyroos are back in action this month as they continue preparations for the World Cup with a training camp tour to South Africa.
Head Coach Adam Commens will take his entire 22 athlete National Training Squad to Stellenbosch and will use the opportunity to give further senior international experience to two other athletes; Emily Hurtz of the National Development Squad and Mariah Williams of the National Junior Squad.
The Hockeyroos will play three official Tests against their hosts South Africa and will meet another touring squad, Olympic champions the Netherlands, in a series of uncapped practice matches while there.
"This tour is an important starting point for our 2014 World Cup Squad,” said Commens. “We will finalise our 2013 review and set a clear direction on the road to the World Cup and Commonwealth Games just after.
"By including our entire squad and some additional athletes we give ourselves the opportunity to expose all of our players to our tactical themes and cultural development, as well as top level international competition
"Whilst results are important in all international matches, we will be focusing on different combinations of players, alternative playing styles and fine tuning set pieces throughout our tour. These priorities will lay a solid foundation for the competitions ahead as well as helping us understand which group of players will be most likely to give us success at the World Cup."
The tour marks the start of a high profile year for the Hockeyroos who will be looking to defend their Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow later in the year. Prior to that, the Australian women will be aiming to translate their excellent 2013 form into a medal winning performance at the World Cup in the Hague in June. World Cup preparations will continue apace after the South African tour with a six nations tournament in New Zealand in April and the year will conclude with a return to Argentina for the Champions Trophy.
Hockeyroos v South Africa fixtures
Match 1 – 22 January
Match 2 – 23 January
Match 3 – 25 January
Hockeyroos’ tour squad for South Africa series
19 January – 4 February 2014
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD)
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD)
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT)
Mathilda Carmichael (Willoughby, NSW)
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Casey Eastham (Albion Park, NSW)
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT)
Jordyn Holzberger (Ipswich, QLD)
Emily Hurtz (Camden, NSW)
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW)
Kirstin Johnson (Mackay, QLD)
Rachael Lynch (GK) (Melbourne, VIC)
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA)
Claire Messent (Melbourne, VIC)
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC)
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA)
Georgie Parker (Adelaide, SA)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Jodie Schulz (Wamuran, QLD)
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW)
Jayde Taylor (Bunbury, WA)
Ashlee Wells (GK) (Moe, VIC)
Kellie White (Crookwell, NSW)
Mariah Williams (Newcastle, NSW)
2014 Key Dates – Hockeyroos
19 January – 4 February: Tour to Stellenbosch, South Africa (three Tests v South Africa)
5-13 April: Six nations tournament in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Korea, China, Japan)
31 May – 15 June: World Cup, The Hague, Netherlands
23 July – 3 August: Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland
29 November – 7 December: Champions Trophy, Argentina
The Trinidad Guardian
Pedro fires Paragon to U-23 Ventures title
Chad Pedro fired in a hat-trick as Paragon thrashed Fatima 7-1 to claim the Men’s Under-23 Division crown in the inaugural First Citizens-sponsored Ventures Hockey Club Junior Indoor Hockey Tournament at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton-Holder Street, Woodbrook, on Sunday.
Joshua Olton added a double while Dillon Campbell and Aidan De Gannes chipped in with one each for the Dames to cancel out Quinn Clarke’s consolation item for Fatima.
In the Under-18 Division, Paragon had mixed fortunes as it won the girls crown, but had to play second fiddle to Fatima in the boys equivalent.
For Paragon girls, Felicia “Chunky” King scored both goals in a 2-0 blanking of host Ventures while in the boys decider, Fatima came away with a 2-1 penalty shoot-out win after a 3-3 draw with Paragon.
Saturday’s late round-robin results:
Under-23 Women:
Ventures 2 (Yael Jagbir 2) vs Paragon 1 (Rolana Cuffy-Bernard)
Ventures 2 (Emerald Piper, Jade Piper) vs Paragon 2 (Lisa Smith 2)
Under-23 Men:
Fatima 4 (Andrew Vieira 2, Quinn Clarke, Tariq Marcano) vs Notre Dame 3 (Shaquille Daniel 3)
Under-18 Boys:
Notre Dame 4 (Joshua Olton 2, Justin Beharry, Kwasi Emmanuel) vs Shape 3 (Leumas Neptune, Devon Haywood, Daniel Byer)
Sunday’s round-robin results:
Under-18 Boys:
Fatima 5 (Marcus Pascal 2, Teague Marcano 2, Joshua Olton) vs Paragon 3 (Isaiah Scott 2, Nathan Durgasingh)
Under-18 Girls:
Ventures 2 (Kayla Escayg, Karissa Wyke) vs Paragon 1 (Gabrielle Thompson)
Paragon 11 (Gabrielle Thompson 4, Felicia King 3, Therese Sobers 2, Yaphiya Queptelle, Kyona Sampson) vs Shooting Stars II 0
Ventures 9 (Karissa Wyke 3, Lisa Benjamin 2, Kayla Escayg, Cyan Lue Sue, Chantal Newallo, Sarah Thomas) vs Shooting Stars I 0
Under-23 Men:
Fatima 7 (Tariq Marcano 3, Andrew Vieira 2, Jordan Vieira 2) vs QPCC 6 (Jordan Reynos 4, Mark Ayen, Cade Lue Sue)
Notre Dame 8 (Shaquille Daniel 4, Ishmael Campbell 3, Aidan De Gannes) vs QPCC 4 (Jordi O’Brien, Kevin George, Mark Ayen, Zacharry Clarke)
QPCC 3 (Jordan Reynos, Mark Ayen, Zacharry Clarke) vs Fatima 3 (Jordan Vieira 2, Andrew Vieira)
Finals:
Under-18 Girls:
Paragon 2 (Felicia King 2) vs Ventures 0
Under–18 Boys:
Paragon 3 (Kelon Skeritte, Esau Babb, Nehemiah Julien) vs Fatima 3 (Che Modeste, Joshua Nieves, Michael Durity) Fatima won 2-1 on a penalty shootout)
Under-23 Men:
Notre Dame 7 (Chad Pedro 3, Joshua Olton 2, Dillon Campbell, Aidan De Gannes) vs Fatima 1 (Quinn Clarke)
Honour Roll:
Most Valuable Players:
Under-23 Womens: Jade Piper (Ventures)
Under-23 Men: Andrew Vieira (Fatima)
Under-18 Boys: Che Modeste (Fatima)
Under-18 Girls: Felicia “Chunky” King (Paragon)
Most Promising
Under-23 Women: Kelly Francis (Paragon)
Under-18 Boys: Kelon Skeritte (Paragon)
Under-18 Girls: Cyan Lue Sue (Ventures)
Most Outstanding:
Under-23 Men: Aidan de Gannes (Notre Dame)
All Stars teams
Under-18 Girls: Sara-Marie Thomas (GK) , Cian Lue Sue, Lisa Benjamin, Felicia “Chunky” King, Gabrielle Thompson
Under-18 Boys: Che Modeste, Marcus Pascal, Kelon Skeritte, Joshua Olton, Kwasi Emmanuel (GK)
Under-23 Men: Aidan de Gannes, Andrew Vieira, Shaquille Daniel, Jordan Vieira, Lorenzo Lodai (GK)
The Trinidad Guardian
Hertford Hockey Club youngster sinks six goals at tournament
CHAMPIONS: Hertford's U-10s, from left, Maggie Bristow, Georgina Waller, Lilly Luke, Deborah James, Iona Luke, Lucy Wells and Hermione Kay (s) CHAMPIONS: Hertford's U-10s, from left, Maggie Bristow, Georgina Waller, Lilly Luke, Deborah James, Iona Luke, Lucy Wells and Hermione Kay
HERTFORD Hockey Club’s U-10 girls turned on the style to triumph at the Brentwood indoor hockey tournament.
The event brings together the top teams in the East of England to play indoor hockey – a fast, technical and fun form of the sport.
The U-10s beat Blue Hornets, Ipswich, Canterbury and Chelmsford and drew with Old Loughtonians to seal a fantastic overall victory. All the team played well with Deborah James scoring six of the team’s seven goals, while Georgina Waller excelled in defence.
The going was tougher for the U-10 boys, but they drew against Chelsmford and Ipswich to finish seventh.
The club’s U-12 girls took the scalps of Brentwood, Old Loughtonians, Ipswich and Chelmsford to end up fourth overall, with Lucy Heald excelling in attack and Lulu Sutton impressing in goal.
There were victories for the U-12 boys against Crostyx, Old Loughtonians, Ipswich and Havant on their way to a very creditable third place. The goals were shared between Luke Kennedy (7), Josh Over, Euan Begg and Robert Holman.
The Hertford U-14 girls won two and drew one of their seven matches to finish 5th out of 8 teams, with Catryn Langley leading the way for Hertford.
The U-14 boys found it tough in a very strong tournament but managed three draws from their eight matches to finish sixth overall, with Tor Bartram excelling in goal.
Hertfordshire Mercury
Deborah James's Dad tells me to motivate her in an early game he offered her £10 per goal and learnt his lesson when she promptly scored 4! That rule was changed pretty quickly. Deborah certainly looks like she is taking after her mother Olive, who was a Kenyan International player.