News for 15 May 2015
All the news for Friday 15 May 2015
Honours even between Great Britain and Argentina
Ashley Jackson in action for Great Britain 2015
Ashley Jackson’s late penalty corner rescued a draw for Bobby Crutchley’s side in the first of a two-test series against Argentina. Despite dominating the game and creating the better of the chances, Great Britain fell behind to a Lucas Vila strike from a penalty corner rebound, which looked like it might settle the game until Jackson’s late intervention.
Great Britain had the better of the opening quarter with Sam Ward and Chris Griffiths both looking lively. Argentina set up to defend deep and hit their hosts on the break, a tactic that ensured Crutchley’s men had the lion’s share of the possession. David Condon went closest in the opening quarter but he couldn’t get a touch on Griffiths’ pass to divert it into the goal.
The second quarter followed the same pattern. Manuel Brunet cleared a Jackson penalty corner off the line brilliantly whilst in a rare foray forwards, Gonzalo Peillat fired a penalty corner wide at the other end.
Great Britain came out strongly in the third quarter but found goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi in superb form. He saw off a number of penalty corners from Jackson, before making a superb sprawling save to deny Ian Sloan a goal on his debut.
Vivaldi did well to get a block on an effort from David Ames in the fourth quarter and then stretched out a left foot to repel a low shot from Ward after the No13 had escaped his marker with a neat turn. With six minutes to play, Argentina took the lead against the run of play. Nicolas Della Torre’s penalty corner was saved by Paddy Smith but Vila was on hand to lash the rebound into the roof of the net.
Vivaldi continued to defy Great Britain with another good save from Jackson and then a great reaction stop to keep out Iain Lewers. With the clock ticking over to 60 minutes, Jackson finally got the better of the goalkeeper with a precise flick into the net to make it 1-1 at the final whistle.
Great Britain Head Coach – Bobby Crutchley
On the performance: “We dominated for long periods, which was pleasing but it's frustrating we didn’t win the game as we had significantly more chances.”
On the challenges presented by Argentina: “They're a very tenacious side with a good goalkeeper and a good defence. They often find a way to win which they almost did today. They’re a really hard side to play against. Even if you dominate like we did today, they find a way to make it difficult for you. We have to take our chances when we get them but we didn't do that today. They're a good side to play against as preparation. They are excellent at varying their tempo and it gives the players different challenges tactically and mentally.”
On the debutants, Ian Sloan and David Ames: “They give us more depth to the group which is great. They both played well and I’m really pleased with them. They’ve trained with us for a while now and both settled in nicely, so it's great for them to get their first caps.”
If you'd like to see Bobby Crutchley's team in action first hand, why not head to Lee Valley hockey and Tennis Centre on 13 June when they will face the might of World Champions and old foes Australia. For all the details, including how to buy tickets, click here.
GREAT BRITAIN 1 (0)
Ashley Jackson 60 (PC)
ARGENTINA 1 (0)
Lucas Vila 54 (PC)
Great Britain Hockey media release
Imran to lead Pakistan hockey squad to South Korea
LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary general Rana Mujahid Ali on Thursday announced an 18-member national squad for South Korea tour. Talking to media at National Hockey Stadium here, he said that Mohammad Imran would be the skipper while three changes had been made in the touring squad.
Goalkeeper Amjad Ali, forwards Kashif Shah and Rizwan Ali have been replaced with Mazhar Abbas, Mohammad Kashif Ali and Nawaz Ashfaq.
The tour will be held from May 15 to 23 and Pakistan will play a four match test series against the hosts. All the four matches will be played in Incheon.
The first match will be held on May 18, the second on May 20, the third on May 22 and the fourth and final match on May 23.
Before the departure, captain Imran said that he was satisfied with the changes made in the team and this was an honour for all players to represent Pakistan in the ground and money was not important for them. Pakistan will be featuring in next month's Rio Olympics qualifiers in Belgium and the training tour in South Korea will help provide the much needed confidence to players.
Squad:
Mohammad Imran (captain), Mazhar Abbas, Mohammad Kashif Ali, Nawaz Ashfaq, Imran Butt, Mohammad Irfan, Tassawur Abbas, Zohaib Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan Junior, Mohammad Tauseeque, Ahmad Shakeel Butt, Faisal Qadir, Mohammad Waqas Shareef, Arsalan Qadir, Shafqat Rasool, Mohammad Umar Bhutta, Mohammad Dilbar and Ali Shan.
The Daily Times
Three changes made to Pakistan’s hockey squad
Skipper Muhammad Imran said that the changes will help Pakistan determine the best team for the 2016 Rio Olympic qualification round scheduled for June in Belgium. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has made three changes in the team for the upcoming Korean Test series in Seoul, for which the team will depart on Friday.
The PHF dropped full-back Syed Kashif Shah, goalkeeper Amjad Ali and forward Rizwan Ali and replaced them with Nawaz Ali, Mazhar Abbas and Kashif Ali respectively.
Skipper Muhammad Imran said that the changes will help Pakistan determine the best team for the 2016 Rio Olympic qualification round scheduled for June in Belgium. “The players who have been dropped have performed well but not up to the expectations of the management, while the new players are in good form and will help us decide the best team for the qualifiers,” he told The Express Tribune.
The Express Tribune
Europe playing tour gathers vital information for hockey team
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian hockey team’s five-match tour of Europe has provided vital information on combination play.
The team, who are preparing for next month’s World Hockey League Semi-Finals, played three matches in Holland and two in Antwerp, Belgium.
And they will be back in Antwerp in about two weeks’ time to try and secure a place in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Assistant coach Stephen van Huizen said the friendly matches allowed them to try out various combinations and “we now have a better idea on the options available”.
“Besides, we also tried out different playing styles ... the five matches provided us with quality practice,” he said.
“We didn’t get too many penalty corners in the friendlies, so we’ll have to look ways to get more such set piece attempts and improve on our conversion rate.
“Overall, the players now have a better understanding of the team’s playing style and structure.”
Malaysia played three matches against the mixed Dutch team, comprising players from their national training squad. They lost all three – 2-0, 1-0 and 6-2 – but Stephen believes the matches provided a good test for his men.
In the two matches against the Belgian national team, the Malaysians lost the first match 3-1 and drew the second 2-2.
“The good thing about the Belgium friendlies was that we played at the tournament venue (for the World Hockey League Semi-Finals) and were able to test out the facilities and ground conditions,” said Stephen.
“They have one main pitch for the matches and a training pitch adjacent to it. I don’t think we’ll have problems with the playing surface.”
The World Hockey League Semi-Finals will be held from June 2-July 5 and offers three places to the Rio Olympics. Ten teams will be vying for the three spots – Australia, Belgium, England, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Ireland, China, France and Poland.
Malaysia also had three players injured during the tour. Former skipper Mohd Shahrun Nabil had a boil in his leg, Meor Mohd Azzuan suffered a hamstring injury and Izzad Hakimi Jamaluddin injured his thumb.
Shahrun has recovered but Meor and Izzad are still undergoing treatment. They should be fit for the final phase of training, which starts on Monday.
“All 25 players will resume training on Monday. The injured players will be assessed by the doctors,” he said.
The Star of Malaysia
People cycling with hockey sticks on their backs? That’s Holland for you, says Great Britain’s Shona McCallin
Telegraph Sport speaks to the latest talent to make her mark in GB women’s hockey, Slough’s Shona McCallin
By Rod Gilmour
Eyes on Rio: Slough and GB midfielder Shona MacCalin Photo: ADY KERRY
Shona McCallin, 22, is a player who has risen rapidly through the national junior ranks. She garnered over 80 caps at under-16, 18 and 21 level and won four European Championship medals before leading England’s under-21 to fourth at the 2013 Junior World Cup. She made her debut for Great Britain as then coach Jason Lee handed her and a host of others, including Ellie Watton and Joie Leigh, their first caps against Germany in late 2013. Here, she describes her path to the GB squad, via nearly four years in the Netherlands.
On Olympic selection
"The squad currently has tremendous depth to it. Selection for the World League [Olympic qualifiers] will be one of the most competitive since I have been in the programme the last couple of years. Whichever 18 is selected for the squad are going to do an absolutely brilliant job and there will be those who will be disappointed they haven’t got on the plane to Valencia. Training has been really high-quality in the last two months.
On her club future
It was tough watching Slough in the Play-Offs [who narrowly failed to gain promotion]. I really enjoyed my season with them and the squad as a whole has the potential to play Premier Division hockey so I was disappointed for the girls; there are a lot of technically gifted players there. But for my personal development, I won’t be there next season unfortunately as, after talks with the GB coaching staff, it was felt that I needed to be playing premier hockey. However, I haven’t thought about which club I might be at and I won’t until after the World League.
On playing in Holland
If I was able to turn back time and do the other route [playing in England], I could then see where I was at the end of that passage of time. What I can say is that playing in Holland definitely didn’t harm my chances. The biggest difference for me was that I was out on the pitch four times per week, training at a really high intensity. It was something I wasn’t used to do doing coming straight out of school and more pitch time definitely helped. I had the experience of playing against the best internationals, Dutch, Spanish and Argentinians, too.
Why I stayed for the ‘fun bit’
My initial intention was to go to Holland for a gap year. I still wanted to play at England under-21 level so I looked closer to home, rather than go to Australia, and went over for a trial at HC MOP for two days. We then got promoted to the top flight, arguably the best domestic league in the world, and I remember one of my team-mates saying to me ‘if you leave now, you’ll miss the fun bit’.
She was right. Everyone wants to play in the Premier League in Holland and I had worked so hard with the girls to get us there. It hit home and planted the seed. I had to think about outside of hockey and whether I could combine it with university [she studied international business at Tilburg University or a job and, more importantly, playing with England.
Shona MacCalin leaves Slough for Premier Division hockey (HOCKEYIMAGES.CO.UK)
Experiencing ‘total hockey’
People underestimate the ability that hockey players have with skill, fitness and tactical awareness. For it [the tactics] to be filtering into Dutch football, the biggest sport in the world, is quite remarkable really. When you think of the top nations, Holland is up there with the men and women, and both play a total hockey style. It comes about because Holland breathes hockey and it was great to be a part of it and see so many people cycling with hockey sticks on their back!"
Two coaches I respect
Christine Fergusson [who retired in 2013, aged 78] at Newark juniors, her local Nottinghamshire club which also produced Adam Dixon. “I have such respect for her, an incredible lady and she taught me a hell of a lot about hockey."
Toon Siepman, the outgoing MOP coach. “His tactical and technical knowledge is unbelievable, He really helped me when I was out there and I wouldn’t be the player I am without having the chance of working under him.”
The Telegraph
U.S. Women's National Indoor Squads Announced
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Following a series of four tryouts, which more than 230 players competed for selection, the 2015-16 U.S. Women's National Indoor Squads have been confirmed.
"It was pleasing to see so many quality players," said Jun Kentwell, U.S. Women's National Indoor Head Coach. "I am looking forward to working with this talented group of players and creating a competitive environment which will raise the level of everyone's game. I have identified a couple of important areas which need development and we will work hard to build a structure to enable us to compete at the international level."
2015-16 U.S. Women's National Indoor Team
Mary Barham (Fairfax, Va.), Susan Ciufo (Bangor, Pa.), Maeve Doherty (Millersville, Md.). Katie Gerzabek (Springfield, Pa.), Caroline Hanks (Niskayuna, N.Y.), Alexandra Harris (Mont Clare, Pa.), Paula Heimbach (Palm, Pa.), Lindsay McArdle (Upper Darby, Pa.), Jessica McCarthy (Havertown, Pa.), Bethany Mink (Allentown, Pa.) Ainslie Rhoads (Chester Springs, Pa.), Shannon Scavelli (Yorktown, N.Y.), Meredith Sholder (Alburtis, Pa.), Amber Youtz (Dauphin, Pa.), Anna Zarkoski (Trooper, Pa.)
2015-16 U.S. Women's National U-19 Indoor Team
Casey Allen (Berwyn, Pa.), Bryn Boylan (Doylestown, Pa.), Nicole Catalino (Lansdale, Pa.), Jessica Dembrows (Palmyra, Pa.), Greta Ell (Plains, Pa.), Emily Fraser (Ballston Lake, N.Y.), Cassidy Goodwin (Gloucester Point, Va.), Alexa Hoover (Collegeville, Pa.), Sarah Johnson (Lincoln, Pa.), Sidonie La Plante (Hummelstown, Pa.), Colleen Norair (Fredericksburg, Va.), Halle O'Neil (Hummelstown, Pa.), Abigail Pitcairn (Aspinwall, Pa.), Sammy Popper (Blue Bell, Pa.), Callie Rennyson (Centreville, Va.), Erin Shanahan (Pasadena, Md.), Annie Snead (Midlothian, Va.), Claire Webb (Exton, Pa.)
2015-16 U.S. Women's National U-17 Indoor Team
Hailey Couch (Easton, Pa.), Riley Donnelly (Doylestown, Pa.), Riley Fulmer (Virginia Beach, Va.), Makayla Gallen (Glen Mills, Pa.), Gianna Glatz (Medford, N.J.), Olivia Graham (Morris Plains, N.J.), Margot Lawn (Pasadena, Md.), Gabriella Martina (Collegeville, Pa.), Anarose McDonough (Kennett Square, Pa.), Caroline McGovern (Churchville, Pa.), Hannah Miller (Malvern, Pa.), Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.), Meredith Ross (Berwyn, Pa.), Kathryn Scheerer (Downingtown, Pa.), Erica Solomen (Medford, N.J.), Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.)
USFHA media release
Scottish clubs to support Hockey 4 Heroes event in Glasgow
A number of Scottish hockey clubs have agreed to provide the opposition as part of fundraising challenge that will support the Help For Heroes charity.
During only 10 days, between Thursday 21 May & Saturday 30 May 2015, a Hockey for Heroes Invitational Squad comprising 26 players from 20 different hockey clubs will undertake 33 games of hockey and the famous 3 Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Peak & Snowdon).
At the Glasgow National Hockey Centre, the team will play Inverleith, Kelburne and Inverleith on Saturday 22 May before facing Uddingston, Clydesdale and Grange on Sunday 23 May.
Please see the flyer below and the Hockey 4 Heroes website to find out how you can support their efforts.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Lizzie Watkins Memorial
North Coast Raiders & Curtin Trinity Pirates to mark third anniversary
Hockey WA: Hockey WA, in conjunction with North Coast Raiders, advises that the inaugural Lizzie Watkins Memorial Hockey Match will be held at Perth Hockey Stadium on Saturday 16 May 2015.
The Melville Toyota League match between North Coast Raiders and Curtin Trinity Pirates will be played in honour of Lizzie Watkins, a talented young hockey player who tragically passed away after being hit by a hockey ball in an accident during a Premier League game on 6 May 2012.
“Lizzie had played hockey since primary school, so honouring her memory with a quality hockey game surrounded by family, friends and team mates is a fitting tribute,” said North Coast Raiders President Doug Stewart.
“We encourage everyone in the WA Hockey community to come down and celebrate the life of this wonderful young women.”/NCR_Lizzie_Mem_2015_poster.jpg)
Hockey WA’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Churack said, “We’re happy to support this initiative from North Coast Raiders and celebrate the life of a fine hockey player and wonderful person.
"As Lizzie was an organ donor, Hockey WA would also like to encourage you to take a moment to consider becoming a donor. One organ and tissue donor can transform the lives of 10 or more people. In 2014 alone, 378 organ donors gave 1,117 Australians a new chance in life.”
There will be information on organ donation provided by Donate Life available on the day, or you can visit their website www.donatelife.gov.au.
Presentations will commence at the conclusion of the match, where the winning team will the awarded with the perpetual trophy.
Gate Entry is Free.
SUMMARY:
Lizzie Watkins Memorial Hockey Match
Saturday 16 May 2015
North Coast Raiders v Curtin Trinity Pirates (Women’s Melville Toyota League)
Perth Hockey Stadium (1)
2:00pm start (presentations to follow at the end of the match)
Hockey Australia media release
MHC CEO Logan Raj needs GST as well
By Jugjet Singh
Pic: Logan Raj in his playing days (both legs in the air)
OUTGOING Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah stunned the gallery with his parting speech when he said the new council will need GST from the public, as well as its creditors to wake up.
There was a moment of awkward silence, followed by all round smiles and laughter when Tengku Abdullah said: "GST here means Give Some Time."
GST is what the MHC need as they have a debt of RM2.6 million to clear, and it keeps increasing as junior and senior teams criss-cross the globe to play friendlies in the run-up to the World League Semi-finals as well as the Sea Games and the Junior Asia Cup.
Knowing well that the clock started ticking when he was unopposed as president of the MHC when nominations closed on April 28, Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal has been on his toes since, meeting relevant parties and formulating KPI's for them, even before they were elected on May 13.
One matter that was discussed way ahead, and stamped right after the elections was the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Former International K. Logan Raj was hand-picked by Subahan, and his newly elected council endorsed it. Logan, Subahan said, will start work immediately.
The newly elected members did not have the luxury of GST to choose a CEO, as it was the prerogative of the president and he made a lightning bolt decision which caught many by surprise, some speechless, while others said they had no comments.
Minutes after the appointment, followed emails on Logan's job scope, as well as his KPI which was a mouthful, but Logan Raj has no GST on his side as his job scope sees him doing stuff from the office-boy level to the daily running of the MHC to bringing in revenue which is just some of the tasks that the former player with more than 200 caps will be up against for the next two years.
Logan Raj started work yesterday, and when contacted said he has yet to walk into his new office as he has been running around doing other stuff as directed by the president. He said he knows the weight that has been placed on his shoulders, and the KPI expected of him is quite heavy, and he quipped: "Even the pile of paper that my KPI has been printed on is quite heavy, but that does not worry me as I am ready and willing to give my all."
As Tengku Abdullah said, GST should be applied at all levels, and Logan Raj has two years to get the house in order as he does not have the luxury of a secretary or assistant secretary as the new constitution abolished those posts.
He will inherit many office helpers from the previous regime, but they have been in a comfort zone for far too long, and this is one group that GST must not be applied to as they had ample time under former secretary Datuk Johari Aziz but fared miserable.
One para of Logan Raj's job scope states: The CEO assumes the day-to-day management and operation of the MHC on behalf of the Executive Board, in accordance to all directives and policies established by the President and/or Executive Board."
Logan Raj must hit the ground running, and keep running for the next two years, just to place the administrative side of MHC from red to black. From debtors to a healthy bank balance.
Oh, before I forget, for those who questioned the selection of Logan Raj, and there are many, GST to the lad who gave half his life to hockey in training and playing in the 1998 KL Commonwealth Games, 2001 Hobart Junior World Cup, 2002 KL World Cup, and a host of Olympic qualifiers as well as skipper to the Korat Sea Games gold medal side.
His CV has hockey blood splattered on it, and now he has been recalled to spill more sweat and blood into his new position as nobody envies what the president and his men have in store for him for the next two years.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey