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News for 24 June 2015

All the news for Wednesday 24 June 2015


Paumen bags brace in 200th international



Day 3: Double Olympic Gold medallist Maartje Paumen celebrated Olympic Day with two goals in her 200th international match, as her Netherlands team made it three wins from three in the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Antwerp. The Dutch are firmly in control of Pool A, while New Zealand also maintained their winning ways in the Olympic qualification tournament by powering to victory against Pool B opponents India. More information about the matches can be found below.

Pool B
New Zealand 5-0 India
New Zealand’s Black Sticks claimed their second win in two matches by defeating India’s Eves 5-0 in the only women’s Pool B match to be played on Day 3 of the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals. The result moved New Zealand onto six points, giving them plenty of confidence ahead of their Oceania derby showdown with Pool B rivals Australia on Thursday (25 June).

As in their first game, the Black Sticks were in irresistible form, with Gemma Flynn giving her side the lead with an audacious overhead smash in the first period before Olivia Merry doubled the lead in the second. Flynn grabbed her second goal of the game and sixth of the competition shortly after the break before Kirsten Pearce bagged a quick-fire double.

“It was another good performance by the girls and good to get another three points”, said New Zealand captain Anita Punt after the game. “We have Australia next so that will be fun, but we have been trying not to think about that one up until this point as we needed to focus on the earlier matches.”

After two matches, India remain without either a point or a goal in the competition, although it was a milestone day for Shushila Pukhrambam, who played her 100th match for the Eves.

Pool A
Japan 0-4 Netherlands
Maartje Paumen celebrated her 200th international appearance with two goals as the Netherlands made it three wins from three matches. The reigning World, Olympic and Hockey World League champions moved onto nine points and look odds-on favourites to finish top of Pool A. The Dutch leader and penalty corner star opened the scoring in the 13th minute with Naomi van As adding a second ahead of half time. Two goals came in the fourth quarter, with Paumen grabbing her second before Xan de Waard completed the scoring five minutes from full-time.

“We are satisfied so far, but of course we can still improve our game”, said Van As. “It was a big improvement from our match against Korea where we had two quarters which were a little bit sloppy but today we were much more disciplined. They were difficult to break through but were showed patience.”

Netherlands captain Maartje Paumen was delighted with the victory in her milestone match. “For me it was a really special day, of course. Before the game I received a lot of messages saying well done on reaching 200 and I also spent some time thinking about what we have achieved during the last eleven years. It really was a special moment for me.”

It was also landmark day for Japan’s Myumi Ono, who like Paumen was also celebrating her 200th senior international match.

More information about the competition including video clips, imagery and official tournament information can be found on the event website.

#HWL2015 #RoadToRio

FIH site



Walmikis double trouble for Poland; Keusters treble sinks China



Day 3: With celebrations of Olympic Day taking place across the globe, the race to secure tickets to the Rio 2016 Games continued in the men’s competition of the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Antwerp. A brilliant hat-trick from Amaury Keusters helped Belgium’s Red Lions to victory against China, putting them in charge of Pool B following Great Britain’s draw with Ireland. In Pool A, brothers Yuvraj and Devinder Walmiki were both on target as India moved to the top of Pool A courtesy of a win against Poland. More information about the matches can be found below.

Pool B
Great Britain 2-2 Ireland
The first match of Day 3 saw world number 14 Ireland - winners of the Hockey World League Round 2 competition in San Diego - fight back from a two goal deficit to claim a deserved draw against higher-ranked Great Britain.

Fifth ranked GB burst out of the blocks and quickly established a 2-0 lead thanks to team captain Barry Middleton and a sensational diving deflection from Chris Griffiths before Ireland’s John Jackson rattled the frame of George Pinner’s goal with a fierce penalty corner effort. It proved to be a warning of things to come, as the Green Machine began an impressive fightback when Kyle Good and John Jackson netted goals either side of half time to restore parity.

“There is no team in this tournament that we are not coming out to try and get the full win out of, and it is a good start for us”, said Ireland’s Alan Sothern after the match. “GB are a top class side so it it great to get some points on the board ahead of back to back games against Asian opposition, which will be an entirely different challenge.”

Belgium 6-0 China
Amaury Keusters thrilled the home fans with a brilliant hat-trick as Belgium’s Red Lions claimed a big win over 31st ranked China, with Dorian Thierry, Simon Gougnard and Tom Boon also getting on the score-sheet. The result puts fourth-ranked Belgium at the top of Pool B overnight, with four points from their opening two matches. Keusters treble included a blistering backhand effort into the top left corner that must surely be considered as an early candidate for goal of the tournament.

Speaking after the match, Red Lions striker Tom Boon said: “We came good in the end and we had some good periods, but we cannot forget that we also had some bad spells too. We want to win every game so now we will look forward to our next match against Malaysia. All of the teams from Asia are getting better and we cannot underestimate any of them.”

China’s Stand-In Manager Huo Kelin said: “We are getting better every match and this team is very young, so we are looking forward to the games to come. Being here is very good, it is like a party for the hockey world and we are enjoying it very much.”

Pool A
India 3-0 Poland
A rare goal from India captain Sardar Singh helped India overcome a strong challenge from Poland, running out 3-0 winners to claim their second win in Pool A.

India’s talisman fired home a backhand rocket from the top of the circle seven minutes after half time break, adding to a delicate flicked finish from Yuvraj Walmiki in the second quarter. Devindar Walmiki - the younger brother of Yuvraj - also got his name on the score-sheet with an angled deflection eight minutes from the end of the game, putting the result beyond all doubt and moving India onto six points and leaving their European opponents still on zero.

“It has been a while since I have scored so it was a good time and it was a nice goal”, said India captain Sardar Singh after the game, who will now ensure that his troops are focussed for Thursday’s meeting against eternal rivals Pakistan.

Despite defeat, Poland were delighted to welcome Bartosz Zywiczka back into the action after suffering a head injury in his team’s match against Pakistan on Saturday.

More information about the competition including video clips, imagery and official tournament information can be found on the event website.

#HWL2015 #RoadToRio

FIH site



Great Britain held by Ireland in World League clash


Chris Griffiths celebrates GB goal

Great Britain were forced to settle for a point in their second match of the World League Semi-Final after being pegged back by a stubborn Ireland side in Antwerp. Bobby Crutchley’s men led 2-0 after the first quarter thanks to goals from Barry Middleton and Chris Griffiths but the Green Machine replied through Kyle Good and then leveled in the second half through Reading’s John Jackson to ensure a share of the spoils.

It was a measured start by both sides with the teams seemingly sizing each other up and the first few minutes passed with little incident. In the first real foray forwards, David Ames linked up well with Ashley Jackson but his pass was cleared by David Harte in the Ireland goal. Great Britain then took the lead in the fifth minute. A long overhead out of defence was missed by Conor Harte, letting in Barry Middleton. The Captain cut in and slid the ball across where it was turned into the net by John Jackson under pressure from Chris Griffiths. At the other end Ireland forced a penalty corner immediately but Shane O’Donoghue’s effort was well saved by George Pinner.

On seven minutes it was 2-0. A superb piece of play from Mark Gleghorne on the right set up Griffiths who dived in to deflect the ball over David Harte for his first goal of the competition. Middleton drew a fine save out of the Ireland goalkeeper moments later as Bobby Crutchley’s side threatened to run riot. Ireland almost pulled one back late in the quarter as a slipped penalty corner set up John Jackson but his effort cannoned back off the woodwork. GB broke and won a corner at the other end but Ireland defended it well and the danger was gone.

Craig Fulton’s side won a penalty corner at the start of the second quarter. O’Donoghue took the shot again but it was deflected over the top. However with 19 minutes on the clock Ireland halved the deficit. Kyle Good supplied the deft touch in front of the goalkeeper to find the corner and make it 2-1. Pinner did well to see off a stinging shot from Eugene Magee as Ireland hunted the equaliser. With two minutes left to the break, Great Britain had a penalty corner. Jackson went low but Harte did brilliantly to extend a right leg to make the save and it stayed 2-1 at the interval.

Six minutes after the break Ireland drew level. John Jackson drove along the baseline and forced a save out of Pinner at the near post but the Ireland No3 was alert to the situation and stabbed the ball in on the rebound. At the other end, a good run by Alastair Brogdon almost set up Griffiths for his second but as the East Grinstead man slid in David Harte got a touch to the ball to divert it into the Great Britain player to see off the danger. Then, John Jackson almost grabbed the lead for Craig Fulton’s side with an outrageous above the head touch off a penalty corner which landed on the top of the net.

The game shifted from end to end as the clock ticked down. Sam Ward battled well to set up a chance for Brogdon from the edge of the circle but once again Harte made a fine save to keep the scores level. Harte’s opposite number Pinner showed his skills to deny O’Donoghue from another penalty corner and it was still 2-2 heading into the final quarter.

Brogdon threatened again in the final quarter but couldn’t manufacture the power to beat Harte. Tempers flared as the game entered the closing stages with both sides keen not to give any quarter as the next goal looked like it would settle it. Magee was sent to the sin bin with five minutes to go but then Adam Dixon followed moments later, conceding a penalty corner in the process. O’Donoghue went for goal but Pinner saved before springing up to make an excellent stop from Conor Harte’s follow up to preserve the point for Bobby Crutchley’s side.

Great Britain’s next match is against China on Thursday 25 June at 15:00 UK time.

Quotes – Great Britain Captain Barry Middleton

It’s frustrating because we’ve been ahead in both games but let the opposition back in to give them draws. It’s a long tournament and little things make a big difference. We still have a lot of games to achieve what we want to achieve.

We started well and went 2-0 up but we need to do a few things a little bit better to take advantage when we get into those positions. We weren’t quite as good as we can be; we need to do what we do every day at home.

We played well against Belgium and Ireland are a good team. We didn’t play badly today we just need to start doing the things needed to do to get through a tournament.

Great Britain Head Coach – Bobby Crutchley

We were not near our best in defence or attack so we’re very frustrated with how we played. They’re a good side and they’ll cause some problems for other teams, no question.

We weren’t accurate enough in our play which is why we’re so frustrated. The saves by George Pinner at the end were really important and when you look at those it shows the result isn’t the end of the world. The most disappointing thing is we didn’t execute our game plan and we paid for it.

We have China next who are a totally different challenge. They’re another team whose world ranking perhaps doesn’t do them justice. We’re in reasonable shape as a group and we’ll look forward to that game and hopefully putting today behind us.

Great Britain 2 (2)
Barry Middleton 5 (FG)
Chris Griffiths 7 (FG)

Ireland 2 (1)
Kyle Good 19 (FG)
John Jackson 36 (FG)

Great Britain Hockey media release



Green Machine draw 2-2 with GB



Ireland began their World League campaign with a 2-2 draw against Great Britain, ranked 5th in the world. The Green Machine wore black armbands in remembrance of those who passed away in the tragedy at Berkeley, Lorcán Miller was an integral part of UCD Men’s Hockey team.

GB got off to a flying start, with Middleton and Griffiths giving the British a 2-0 in the first 8 minutes. But Ireland settled into the game and John Jackson rattled the post on a penalty corner effort; a sign of things to come.

Mitch Darling crossed the ball expertly into a waiting Kyle Good who duly scored to make it 2-1 before half time. 6 minutes into the second half Conor Harte slipped past 2 defenders and set up a goal mouth scramble which John Jackson took advantage of to score and draw the match level.

Both sides’ goalkeepers, Harte and Pinner, were called into action before the match came to a close. Great Britain’s Pinner denied Jackson in the final minutes as the ball was deflected onto the post before being cleared. The match finished 2-2.

Speaking after the match Coach Craig Fulton said “Overall we’re happy with the result. We were a bit nervous in the first quarter but settled in the 2nd quarter and got on the scoreboard. The second half was pleasing, we created some good phases of play which was more like us. We’re looking forward to the next game against Malaysia”

Ireland play Malaysia on Thursday June 25th at 1pm and it will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1.

Starting: D Harte, Jackson, Gormley, Watt, Cargo, Magee, O’Donoghue, Darling, Good, Gleghorne, C Harte.

Bench:  Bell, Sothern, Dowds, Caruth, Shimmins, Carlisle, FitzGerald

Irish Hockey Association media release



Great Britain throw away lead to draw 2-2 with Ireland in World League semi-final

By Mike Haymonds


Chris Griffiths was also on target for Great Britain. GETTY

GREAT BRITAIN men drew 2-2 with Ireland in their second pool game at the World League semi-final, which is also an Olympic Qualifier, in Antwerp.

Goals by skipper Barry Middleton and Chris Griffiths in the first eight minutes confirmed GB's domination in the opening quarter but they then lost the initiative and were hit by goals from Kyle Good and John Jackson in the second and third quarters.

This result was a repeat of their 2-2 draw with the hosts Belgium in their first game and this match had an extra edge as GB have three former Ireland internationals in their squad.

GB's opener after five minutes came when Middleton's cross was turned in by Jackson under pressure from Griffiths.

The second three minutes later stemmed from a superb piece of play by Mark Gleghorne who set up Griffiths to dive in to deflect the ball over keeper David Harte for his first strike of the tournament.

Both Irish goals were from close range and GB had to repel four penalty corners in the second half.

GB coach Bobby Crutchley said: "We were not near our best in defence and attack so we're very frustrated at how we played.

"They are a good side and will cause some problems for other teams. We weren't accurate enough in our play which is why we're so frustrated.

"The saves by our goalkeeper George Pinner at the end were really important and when you look at those it shows the result is not the end of the world.

"The most disappointing thing is we didn't execute our game plan and we paid for it."

GB captain Barry Middleton said: "it's frustrating because we've been ahead in both games to give them draws.

"We started well and went two up but we need to do a few things a little bit better to take advantage when we get into those positions.

"We weren't quite as good as we need to be. We need to do what we do every day what we do at home.

On Thursday GB face China which Crutchley predicts will be "a totally different challenge."

"They are another team whose world ranking perhaps doesn't do them justice. We are in a reasonable shape as a group and we will look forward to that game and put the last game behind us."

Daily Express



Great Britain men hold on for draw against Ireland in grudge clash

By Rod Gilmour


In the thick of it: David Ames, right, gets stuck in against Ireland Photo: FRANK UIJLENBROEK / WORLDSPORTPICS.COM

Great Britain men record second 2-2 draw in pool stages of World League as Ireland rally in Antwerp, Belgium
           
Paul Gleghorne, the Ireland defender, admitted before this "grudge" clash that "it would be nice to show them what they've been missing” after three Irish players switched allegiances to Great Britain.

That much was realised in Antwerp on Tuesday when Ireland came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against a Great Britain side - which included Paul’s brother, Mark - who experienced the same result as their opening game against hosts Belgium on Sunday.

This was a frenetic Olympic qualifying pool match. Great Britain were 2-0 up in the opening 10 minutes and seemingly coasting through deflected goals from Barry Middleton and Chris Griffiths. But a spirited Irish team, led superbly by John Jackson, fully deserved their point.

“We've been ahead in both games. It is frustrating but this is a long tournament and there are games left to do what we want to achieve here,” admitted Middleton. "It's the little details that we need to work on.”

Played in a physical manner, the opening skirmishes saw an aerial ball find Middleton, whose cross was turned in by Jackson, the goal accredited to the GB captain. Three minutes later, Great Britain found another circle penetration. Mark Gleghorne fizzed in a knee-high cross, as Chris Griffith deflected past the hapless David Harte.

In the second quarter, a Jackson shot hit George Pinner's left post before Kyle Good pulled Ireland back after a cross which should have been cut out.

Ireland continued to make hay in the Great Britain half, a snap shot by Eugene Magee forcing a smart save by Pinner. And they were rewarded in the third quarter when Jackson swept through on the baseline, the ball eventually going off Pinner for the equaliser.

As the final quarter loomed, Pinner was again forced into action and pulled off a fine reflex save onto the post from a penalty corner.

Magee and then Adam Dixon, needlessly, were awarded late yellow cards - there were four greens and three yellows in all - as Great Britain held on after a last-gasp penalty corner was averted.

"We had to find our feet after two sloppy goals and you could say it was an opportunity missed at the end,” said Harte, the Ireland captain.

Great Britain next face China, before a final pool game against Malaysia on Sunday.

The Telegraph



Ireland hold Britain to a draw as they prepare for Malaysia next

By S. Ramaguru



ANTWERP: Ireland have pulled off a big surprise in the World Hockey League Semi-Finals.

The Irish could not have asked for a better workout in preparation for their match against Malaysia by holding fancied Britain 2-2 in their opening Group B match at the KHC Dragons Stadium.

Britain led 2-0 in the first quarter through Barry Middleton (fifth minute) and Chris Griffiths (eighth minute).

Ireland then saw three penalty corner attempts hit the post before finally reducing the deficit through a Kyle Good field goal in the 19th minute. John Jackson then got the all-important equaliser in the 36th minute.

Ireland coach Craig Fulton said that the three penalty corner misses “proved costly for us”.

“It was good match and we certainly had chances to score. But it’s not ideal when you come into the tournament and only start playing after three days,” he said.

“We were slow in getting started and only managed to play better after the second quarter. I’m sure we could have done better if not for our finishing.”

Ireland will take on Malaysia on Thursday.

It was the second draw for world No. 5 Britain, who were also held 2-2 by Belgium on Sunday.

“I think two draws are not very good for us. But I must say that we played two good teams ... it’s always tough,” said Britain coach Bobby Crutchley.

“But we could have done better ... at some points in this match we didn’t do enough to get a result.

“We must now look at the remaining two matches to get the points needed to stay in the fight.” 

The Star of Malaysia



Black Sticks Women remain unbeaten


Sophie Cocks in action in Antwerp, Belgium. Credit: FIH

The Black Sticks Women have continued their winning ways at the FIH World League Semi-Final with a decisive 5-0 win over India.

A total of 31 goal attempts highlights that the Kiwis played their trademark attacking game, pouncing on every opportunity to turn over the ball and counter-attack.

Midfielder Gemma Flynn who had a four goal haul in the opening match, bagged another two and was a stand-out player in today’s game.  

But both Flynn and coach Mark Hager agree the basics need to be improved if they are to get more wins in the tougher matches ahead.

"We are under no illusion, we are probably not going to get as many chances as we have in the last two games. So whatever chances we do get against Belgium and Australia, we need to finish them off and be really clinical," said Hager.

"We will watch Belgium play Australia tomorrow (local time) and that will give us a chance to see both teams in action. But in the end we will just concetrate on ourselves and getting our own structures and patterns correct."

Flynn got the scoring underway in the 10th minute, picking up a high rebound from the keeper and batting it into the goal.

Early on in the second quarter, the Indian keeper was forced to make a save and lying on the ground with the ball at her feet, Canterbury’s Olivia Merry stepped over the keeper and tapped it across the line. 

Merry almost got a double in the third quarter but her attempt bounced off the post and Flynn once again swooped in to make it count.

Flynn’s impact on the game continued when she passed to Kirsten Pearce who fired it into the goal in the 52nd minute to give the Kiwis a 4-0 lead.

The opportunities kept coming for the Black Sticks in the fourth quarter. It was a piece of brilliance from Pearce, who moving away from the goal and at the top of the circle, turned and with a reverse stick shot and pin-point accuracy made it 5-0.

It was Canterbury’s midfielder Jordan Grant’s 50th international test match today.

The Black Sticks next clash is against Australia at 6am on Friday (NZ time), with LIVE coverage on SKY Sport 1. The Kiwis then face the host Belgium in their final pool-play game.

A top four finish at the World League Semi-Final would earn the Kiwis a spot at the World League Final at the end of the year, while the tournament also doubles as an opportunity to qualify for Rio with a top three placing securing an automatic berth.

BLACK STICKS 5: (Gemma Flynn x2, Olivia Merry, Kirsten Pearce x2)
India 0
Halftime: Black Sticks 2-0

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Black Sticks thrash India at women's World League

By David Leggat


No 22 Gemma Flynn, Black Sticks. Hawke's Bay Today Photograph by Duncan Brown.

New Zealand were too good for India, winning their second game at the women's World League hockey semifinal 5-0 in Antwerp, Belgium today.

The win follows an opening 12-0 thumping of Poland and leaves the Black Sticks well placed to top their pool and secure a favourable quarter-final draw providing they don't slip up against world No 2 Australia in their third pool B game on Friday morning (NZT).

New Zealand produced a whopping 31 shots on goal to four by 13th-ranked India, who owed a debt to their resolute goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu, whose work prevented the world No 4 Black Sticks from putting up a cricket score.

Attacker Gemma Flynn, who scored four times against Poland, put New Zealand in front with a clever high volley after 10 minutes, and Olivia Merry added a second two minutes into the second quarter when she reacted quickest to a loose ball in front of the Indian goal.

Flynn, who struck a post with one attempt, was on the job again with her sixth goal of the tournament five minutes before the end of the third quarter, pushing home a rebound after a Merry shot bounced off a post.

Two goals from striker Kirsten Pearce wrapped up a convincing win, the first a well struck effort off a Flynn pass, the second a clever reverse stick shot from long range.

It wasn't all good news, with New Zealand failing to capitalise on all three penalty corner opportunities and some of their skill work let them down.

"The basic skills are really important," Flynn said. ''Our trapping, passing and playing our game with speed are important for us moving forward."

The New Zealand Herald



Gemma Flynn continues hot form as Black Sticks women roll India


Gemma Flynn has scored six goals in two matches as the Black Sticks women post back-to-back wins in Belgium. KERRY MARSHALL/PHOTOSPORT

Gemma Flynn upped her tournament-high goal tally to six as the Black Sticks women made it back-to-back convincing wins at the Women's Hockey World League Semifinal tournament in Antwerp, Belgium.

Following on from scoring four goals in a 12-0 demolition of Poland on Sunday, Flynn netted a pair of goals in New Zealand's 5-0 victory over India in Canterbury midfielder Jordan Grant's 50th international test match.

Flynn's goals came in the 10th and 40th minutes, with Olivia Merry, who netted twice against Poland, scoring in between in the 18th minute, before Kirsten Pearce finished the match off with a double of her own, scoring in the 52nd and 56th minutes.

A total of 31 goal attempts highlighted that the Kiwis played their trademark attacking game, pouncing on every opportunity to turn over the ball and counter-attack.

But both Flynn and coach Mark Hager agreed the basics needed to be improved if they are to get more wins in tougher matches ahead.

"We are under no illusion, we are probably not going to get as many chances as we have in the last two games. So whatever chances we do get against Belgium and Australia, we need to finish them off and be really clinical," Hager said.

"We will watch Belgium play Australia tomorrow and that will give us a chance to see both teams in action. But in the end we will just concetrate on ourselves and getting our own structures and patterns correct."

Flynn got the scoring underway in the 10th minute, picking up a high rebound from the keeper and batting it into the goal.

Early on in the second quarter, the Indian keeper was forced to make a save and lying on the ground with the ball at her feet, Canterbury's Olivia Merry stepped over the keeper and tapped it across the line. 

Merry almost got a double in the third quarter but her attempt bounced off the post and Flynn once again swooped in to make it count.

Flynn's impact on the game continued when she passed to Pearce, who fired the ball into the goal in the 52nd minute to give the Kiwis a 4-0 lead.

The opportunities kept coming for the Black Sticks in the fourth quarter. It was a piece of brilliance from Pearce, who moving away from the goal and at the top of the circle, turned and with a reverse stick shot and pin-point accuracy made it 5-0.

New Zealand currently top Pool B but face world No 2 Australia in their next group match on Thursday (6am Friday NZT), before closing out the first phase against hosts Belgium on Saturday (2am Sunday NZT). The top three teams from the Antwerp tournament will qualify for the 2016 Olympics while the top four teams qualify for December's Women's Hockey World League Final in Argentina.

New Zealand 5 (Gemma Flynn 2, Olivia Merry, Kirsten Pearce 2) India 0. HT: 2-0

Stuff



Indian Women goes down 0-5 to Kiwis

s2h team

Indian Women Team went down 0-5 against the dominant New Zealand at the Hockey World League Semi-final in Belgium. After going down to the host Belgium in the first game, Indian Women's lacked attacking strategy up front against the Kiwis.

In the first quarter of the game, India was seen attacking from both the flanks trying to penetrate the net but was impeded by the New Zealand defence. It was New Zealand eves who took the early lead in the 10th minute and scored the first goal of the match with a rebound shot through Gemma Flynn. The Indian eves managed to keep the ball possession but unfortunately failed to convert the opportunities in goals. By the end of the first half, the scores were in favour of New Zealand 1-0.

With New Zealand dominating the first half, the second half of the game started with both the teams showing their fine defensive skills. Although, the Indian eves posed a tough challenge to New Zealand and looking for gaps to sneak in goals, New Zealand continued to attack as Olivia Merry surged ahead and smashed a reverse stick shot in the 18th minute taking the scores to 2-0.

The third quarter was an intense game where both the teams continued to fight and pressed forward to create some good moves in order to put the ball in the nets. However, New Zealand maintained its good attack and Gemma Flynn swept in and pierced a powerful shot from a field effort in the 40th minute to take the lead to 3-0.

The last quarter of the game saw an aggressive attacking spree from New Zealand who showcased a number of variations. They maintained their momentum and sneaked their way into the India’s defence area and struck a field goal through Kirsten Pearce in the 52nd minute. Four minutes later New Zealand's, Kirsten Pearce fired in another magnificent field goal in the 56th minute and took the lead to 5-0. India’s repeated efforts to score a goal in the match went in vain as New Zealand defeated India by 5-0.

Stick2Hockey.com



New Zealand hammer Indian women 5-0 in Hockey World League

ANTWERP (Belgium): India's defence caved in against a strong New Zealand as they suffered a 0-5 loss for their second successive defeat in the league stage of the women's Hockey World League Semifinals at the KHC Dragons Stadium here on Tuesday.

Dominating the bewildered Indian defence, Gemma Flynn and Kirsten Pearce scored two goals each, while Olivia Merry contributed one as World No. 4 New Zealand posted a thumping triumph for their second straight win in Pool B.

The Indian defence crumbled after matching the rivals for the initial 10 minutes of the contest. India had lost 0-1 to Belgium on the opening day, and on Wednesday they take on Poland.

Poland are the lowest-ranked team in the group, which also features World Cup silver medalists Australia.

Hampered slightly by the cold weather, the Indian eves seemed to match the higher-ranked rivals and even mounted a few fine moves deep into the rival territory before the Flynn opened the scoring for the Black Sticks by swatting in a rebound from goalkeeper Savita, who had blocked a firm reverse hit by Ella Gunson.

Merry stretched the lead by flicking home during goalmouth scrimmage in the 17th minute. The Indian defence lost its structure in the second session and New Zealand had repeated shots at the citadel.

Flynn again got into goal-scoring action in the 32nd minute on her second attempt off the goalkeeper's pads. Pearce then got into the act in the 44th minute by capitalising on a long ball he received inside the circle and then rounded off the scoring in the 52nd minute.

Conceding that the rivals played much better, Indian captain Ritu Rani was dejected by the margin of the defeat.

"We should have defended better, we conceded too many goals," said Rani.

Indian coach Mathias Ahrens said there was an enormous difference in the way the team started and the margin of defeat.

"We gave away two scrappy goals. We did not play a stable game, although the difference between the two teams was enormous," said Ahrens, who has recently taken charge of the World No. 13 Indian team.

After losing to Belgium, placed one spot ahead of India in the world rankings, India are heading for a quarterfinal encounter with World champions, The Netherlands.

Three teams from each of the World League Semifinals are assured passage to the Olympics, but some teams outside the semifinals could also qualify for the mega event.

The Times of India



Skilful Sardar guides India to victory over Poland

s2h team

ANTWERP: India registered their second consecutive victory in the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Final defeating Poland 3-0 in a pool A contest at the Brasschaat Municipal Park on Tuesday.

For India, Yuvraj Walmiki (23rd minute), skipper Sardar Singh (42nd) and Devindar Walmiki (52nd) scored to give them the second back-to-back win after Saturday's 3-2 win over France.

World No.9 India started on an aggressive not as they made circle penetration at least seven times but without any results in the first quarter. The 2014 Asian Games champions attacked from both the flanks with Birendra Lakra, Gurbaj Singh, Dharamvir Singh, Nikkin Thimmiah, centre-half Sardar and Walmiki on the forefront of the strategy. Akashdeep Singh got two good opportunities to tap in.

World No.17 Poland got their moment and came close to scoring off a penalty corner in the 21st minute. Pawel Bratkowski flicked the ball high and Indian custodian PR Sreejesh was up for the challenge, thrusting his right shoulder to ward off the danger.

After several moments that saw Indian forwards lacking finishing touches, they scored in the 23rd minute. Lakra drove the ball inside the circle, only to be deflected by a defender. Yuvraj, lurking in front of goalkeeper Arkadiusz Matuszak, pounced on it, lifting the ball into the net to make it 1-0.

In the dying moments before the half-time, India were rewarded with a penalty corner but Manpreet Singh's strike was palmed away by Matuszak.

Indian players organised their attack more purposefully in the third quarter but they messed up a penalty corner variation. However, they recovered and got their second goal as Sardar surged ahead and exercised a reverse hand strike from the top of the circle to gave India the 2-0 comfort in the 42nd minute.

Into the final quarter, Paul van Ass-coached India played with much more freedom and expressed themselves more.

The biggest positive for India was the performance of their defenders. Unlike Saturday's show, they were more disciplined, combining well among themselves and they put up a good show in boosting the attack, too. Lakra, Manpreet and Jasjit went few yards ahead, supplying more balls as compared to the first three quarters.

In the 52nd minute, midfielder Chingnelsana Singh blasted the ball at a blistering speed on to the top of the circle. Devindar, who scored on his debut against France on Saturday, deflected the ball in for India's third goal and afterwards Poland hardly troubled the Asian giants.

India next face arch-foes Pakistan on Friday.

In the other match of the day, Great Britain were held 2-2 by neighbours Ireland.

Stick2Hockey.com



India beat Poland for second successive win

ANTWERP: India registered their second consecutive victory in the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Final defeating Poland 3-0 in a pool A contest at the Brasschaat Municipal Park on Tuesday.

For India, Yuvraj Walmiki (23rd minute), skipper Sardar Singh (42nd) and Devindar Walmiki (52nd) scored to give them the second back-to-back win after Saturday's 3-2 win over France.

World No.9 India started on an aggressive not as they made circle penetration at least seven times but without any results in the first quarter. The 2014 Asian Games champions attacked from both the flanks with Birendra Lakra, Gurbaj Singh, Dharamvir Singh, Nikkin Thimmiah, centre-half Sardar and Walmiki on the forefront of the strategy. Akashdeep Singh got two good opportunities to tap in.

World No.17 Poland got their moment and came close to scoring off a penalty corner in the 21st minute. Pawel Bratkowski flicked the ball high and Indian custodian PR Sreejesh was up for the challenge, thrusting his right shoulder to ward off the danger.

After several moments that saw Indian forwards lacking finishing touches, they scored in the 23rd minute. Lakra drove the ball inside the circle, only to be deflected by a defender. Yuvraj, lurking in front of goalkeeper Arkadiusz Matuszak, pounced on it, lifting the ball into the net to make it 1-0.

In the dying moments before the half-time, India were rewarded with a penalty corner but Manpreet Singh's strike was palmed away by Matuszak.

Indian players organised their attack more purposefully in the third quarter but they messed up a penalty corner variation. However, they recovered and got their second goal as Sardar surged ahead and exercised a reverse hand strike from the top of the circle to gave India the 2-0 comfort in the 42nd minute.

Into the final quarter, Paul van Ass-coached India played with much more freedom and expressed themselves more.

The biggest positive for India was the performance of their defenders. Unlike Saturday's show, they were more disciplined, combining well among themselves and they put up a good show in boosting the attack, too. Lakra, Manpreet and Jasjit went few yards ahead, supplying more balls as compared to the first three quarters.

In the 52nd minute, midfielder Chingnelsana Singh blasted the ball at a blistering speed on to the top of the circle. Devindar, who scored on his debut against France on Saturday, deflected the ball in for India's third goal and afterwards Poland hardly troubled the Asian giants.

India next face arch-foes Pakistan on Friday.

In the other match of the day, Great Britain were held 2-2 by neighbours Ireland.

The Times of India



We need to score more goals: Sardar Singh

ANTWERP: India captain Sardar Singh had a word of caution for his teammates on the goal scoring front as he feels that their conversion rate needs to improve in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals.

Sardar, who mostly plays game maker these days, scored an outstanding goal in India's 3-0 victory over Poland in a group league match on Tuesday.

India lead the Pool A table with maximum six points from two outings, following by World champions Australia and Pakistan, who have three points from the first fixtures and meet on Wednesday.

"Poland is the tough team and pack their defence well. It took some effort to get past them," said Sardar, adding that his team has a lot of tough work to do.

"We are improving and we need to do a lot to that. We need to score more and more goals," said the Indian captain, who seemed pleased to have got his name on scorers' sheet.

"It's been a while since I scored a goal and this was a nice conversion," he added.

After their narrow 3-2 win over France, India were confronted with an ultra-defensive Poland outing, which also seemed to like the weather conditions.

The Polish players seemed to enjoy the breezy conditions and the Celsius at 16 degrees. These were conditions the Indians had not confronted in recent months.

"It was cold indeed," said coach Paul van Ass, quite happy with the way the young players were using the opportunity to play as India have come into this tournament without the pressure of securing qualification for the 2016 Olympics.

Three Olympic spots are on offer in this tournament, but that is not the focus for India who have already secured their passage to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics by virtue of winning the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon.

The Times of India



Goal on debut was special: Devindar Walmiki

Ritu Sejwal,

NEW DELHI: Devindar Walmiki scored a goal on his debut when India beat France 3-2 in the ongoing World Hockey League Semi-Final in Antwerp (Belgium) on Saturday. On Tuesday, the Mumbai-lad once again found the target.

Devindar spoke to TOI from Antwerp prior to the Poland match and talked about his first outing with the national team. "It was a great experience playing my first official game and the fact that I scored made it extra special. It was the best gift I could give to my team and my country. I'm also satisfied that we could earn three points against France," Devindar said. The debutant was all praise for the senior players.

"It's amazing to play alongside PR Sreejesh and Sardar (Singh) who are players of such high quality. They kept me motivated and it is thanks to their encouragement that I didn't feel any pressure in my first match. This tour nament is a great learning experience for me and I will cherish every moment," he added.

Devindar, whose brother Yuvraj is also part of the Indian team, talked about the inspiration he gains from his sibling. "I have grown up with Yuvraj and learnt by watching him play. He's my idol. I have looked up to him from the start of my hockey career. He groomed me as player and slowly hockey became my passion. I am proud to be part of the team with him and the fact that we are representing our country in such a big tournament," he said.

He also thanked Hockey India for announcing a cash award of Rs 1 lakh for him for scoring on debut. "It means a lot and also gives me strength to work harder. It's just the beginning of my hockey career and I have a long way to go. I will try to keep the momentum going," he said.

The Times of India



Ireland hold the key to Malaysia's quarter-final chance in Antwerp

By S. Ramaguru


Tengku Ahmad (front) regards the match against Ireland is the most important in his playing career.

ANTWERP: Forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin reckons that the World Hockey League Semi-Finals Group A match against Ireland on Wednesday “is one of the most important in my playing career”.

A win will confirm Malaysia’s place in the quarter-finals – but, then, Ireland will be no pushovers.

“I’m excited and apprehensive as well ... so much is riding on it. It’s the most important match for me ... and the team,” he said.

“This isn’t just any tournament ... it’s one that can see us win our spot in the Olympics. We need to win this match ... and then plan for the quarter-finals.”

Malaysia began the tournament here with a nervy 3-2 win over China on Saturday.

And Tengku Ahmad, 29, was honest enough to admit that they were lucky to have won.

“We need to be on our toes at all times. I think the China match was a good lesson for all of us. It taught us not to take any team lightly ... not even when you have a two-goal lead,” said Tengku Ahmad, who feels that the emergence of young and talented forwards like Faizal Saari, Mohd Haziq Shamsul, Mohd Firhan Azhaari and Izwan Firdaus has allowed him to play a deep-lying role in midfield.

“I’m not the main goal-getter now ... I assist more now.”

A win over Ireland will allow Malaysia to face their other Group A rivals – Britain and hosts Belgium - without any pressure.

“That’s why the Ireland match is crucial. A win will take the pressure off our shoulders as the quarter-final berth will be confirmed,” said Tengku Ahmad.

“I want my team-mates to go all out and fight all the way until the final whistle. We can’t take any risks against Ireland.”

The Perlis-born player has 199 caps to date and made his senior team debut in 2006. He was also part of the 2005 Junior World Cup team.

Last year, he played in his first-ever senior World Cup in The Hague, Holland. Now, he wants to complete his innings with an Olympic appearance. 

The Star of Malaysia



Let’s be consistent, Beng Hai urges hockey team ahead of Ireland clash


Malaysian players celebrating their 3-2 win against China in their opening Group B match. - FIH

ANTWERP: National hockey coach Tai Beng Hai wants his men to be consistent at all times when they take on Ireland in their second World Hockey League Semi-Finals Group B match in Antwerp on Thursday.

After calling the team to go on the offensive on Monday, he also warned them not to give their opponents space to manoeuvre.

“It’s pointless if we control the match but allow them to hit back quickly. The Irish are tough and will take the game to the end. We have played them a number of times in the last few years and the matches have always been close,” he said after a training session at the Antwerp Stadium.

“I’m sure they too are targeting all three points from this match.”

Malaysia drew 1-1 against Ireland in the 2012 Olympic qualifiers and it effectively ended the Malaysians challenge for an Olympic berth.

The two teams also met in the Champions Challenge I in Kuantan last year, with Malaysia winning the bronze-medal match 4-2.

In Antwerp, Malaysia beat China 3-2 in their opening Group B match. A win over Ireland will ensure them a berth in the quarter-finals.

Beng Hai, though, wants his men to look no further than Ireland.

“We need to be realistic and take it one match at a time. Beating Ireland will mean a quarter-final berth. So, that’s what we must do,” he said.

“The quarter-finals are still a long way off ... we have the time to think about that later.

“I’d rather the players focus on the Ireland game.

The team also spent a lot of time reviewing the video analysis of their game against China and watching videos of Ireland’s matches.

“I want the players to look at their game, see their mistakes and correct them,” he said.

“We need to attack more but be solid defensively as well. This calls for greater discipline from the players on the pitch.

“Cutting down on the mistakes is crucial and we must not fear the Irish. I believe that we can play better and that the players will rise to the challenge.”

Malaysia drew 1-1 against Ireland in the 2012 Olympic qualifiers and it effectively ended the Malaysians challenge for an Olympic berth.

The two teams also met in the Champions Challenge I in Kuantan last year, with Malaysia winning the bronze-medal match 4-2.

The Star of Malaysia



Pakistan take on the mighty Australians in Antwerp

By Nabil Tahir


According to the captain, the difference in Pakistan and Australia’s rankings does not matter as modern hockey is highly unpredictable. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: The Greenshirts are eager to build on their unconvincing 2-1 win over Poland behind them as they take on the world champions Australia in their second group match of the Hockey World League Semi-finals at Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday.

Pakistan needed a last-minute goal to emerge victorious in their first match on Saturday as their defence struggled and the Poles exploited the gaps to launch several attacks.

Now the national side is all set to produce an improved show to ensure a berth in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Australia are the top-ranked team in the world — nine spots ahead of Pakistan — but skipper Muhammad Imran believes that ranking hardly matters in modern hockey and Pakistan have the potential to pull off a surprise win. “Australia won’t be taking us lightly as anything can happen in hockey in this age,” Imran told The Express Tribune.

The 36-year-old emphasised on the need to tighten the defence. “Australia have some speedy strikers who can score goals on the counter, as they displayed against France in their 10-0 win. The same French side had lost 3-2 to India, which shows what the Kookaburras are capable of. We will have to make amends in our defence and also play attacking hockey.”

We’ve learnt from mistakes: coach

Pakistan’s head coach Shahnaz Sheikh is hopeful that the Pakistanis will put on a very different show than the one they did against Poland, who repeatedly managed to cause problems through penetrative bursts. “We have worked on the mistakes done in the opening match and have analysed the match between Australia and France,” said Sheikh.

He added that the match with Australia and arch-rivals India are the two important and tough encounters which will decide the Greenshirts’ future in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt is eagerly awaiting encounters with the top teams in their pool. “The clash against India is the most awaited,” said Butt, adding that the encounter with the Kookaburras will also be an exciting one.

“The team has worked on various combinations ever since we arrived here, keeping in mind the importance of the tournament which offers three spots in the Olympic line-up,” said Butt. “The new strategy of playing with 10 attackers and 10 defenders gives me extra confidence as now I feel my fort has been strengthened.”

The Express Tribune



Pakistan face Australia today

Convincing wins for India, Belgium as GB held in World Hockey League

ANTWERP - Pakistan will face world number one, Australia in second ground group match of FIH World Hokey League at Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday. Pakistan need to beat one major team to reach wuartr-finals of the event after there 1-0 win over Poland in the opening match. Pakistan will also take on India at same venue on Thursday (June 26).

Pakistan team need to finish at top three in World Hockey League tournament to qualify for Olympics 2016. India, Netherlands, Germany and Argentina have already qualified for mega event. Pakistani coach, Shehnaz Shiekh said that opening victory was highly significant but the real test is yet to come when Pakistan team will world number one, Australia.

In Tuesday action, Great Britain were held by Ireland while India beat Poland 3-0 and hosts Belgium thrashed China 6-0.

The first match of Day 3 at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals saw world number 14 Ireland fight back from a two goal deficit to claim a deserved draw against higher-ranked Great Britain. Fifth ranked GB burst out of the blocks and quickly established a 2-0 lead thanks to team captain Barry Middleton and a sensational diving deflection from Chris Griffiths before Ireland’s John Jackson rattled the frame of George Pinner’s goal with a fierce penalty corner effort.

It proved to be a warning of things to come, as the Green Machine began an impressive fightback when Kyle Good and John Jackson netted goals either side of half time to restore parity. Ireland - winners of the Hockey World League Round 2 competition in San Diego - were arguably the better team for the remainder of the game, and could easily have won it were it not for a crucial Pinner save, guiding a goal-bound effort onto the post before the danger was cleared.It was enough to ensure that the spoils were shared.

A rare goal from India captain Sardar Singh helped his team overcome a strong challenge from Poland, running out 3-0 winners to claim their second win in Pool A. India’s talisman fired home a backhand rocket from the top of the circle seven minutes after half time break, adding to a delicate flicked finish from Yuvraj Walmiki in the second quarter. Devindar Walmiki - the younger brother of Yuvraj - also got his name on the score-sheet with an angled deflection eight minutes from the end of the game, putting the result beyond all doubt and moving India onto six points and leaving their European opponents still on zero.

“It has been a while since I have scored so it was a good time and it was a nice goal”, said India captain Sardar Singh after the game, who will now ensure that his troops are focussed for Thursday’s meeting against eternal rivals Pakistan.

Amaury Keusters thrilled the home fans with a brilliant hat-trick as Belgium’s Red Lions claimed a big win over 31st ranked China, with Dorian Thierry, Simon Gougnard and Tom Boon also getting on the score-sheet. The result puts fourth ranked Belgium at the top of Pool B overnight, with four points from their opening two matches.

China gave a superb account of themselves in the early stages, limiting the lethal Lions to only a handful of chances before a diving Thiery found the net moments before the end of the first quarter. Keusters was the star of the second quarter, taking the score to 3-0 with a double strike that included a blistering backhand effort into the top left corner that must surely be considered as an early candidate for goal of the tournament. A goalless third quarter was followed by three Belgian strikes in the fourth, with Simon Gougnard, Keusters and Tom Boon completing the scoring.

Results

Belgium 6-0 China
India 3-0 Poland
Great Britain 2-2 Ireland

The Nation



Blyth to break Aus history

Madonna Blyth to play 304th game against New Zealand



When Australia was surging to victory in the women’s gold medal hockey match of the Sydney Olympics, a 15-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl was spellbound.

“I remember the day very well,’’ Madonna Blyth said of Australia’s 3-1 win over Argentina.
“It was my uncle’s birthday and they had a big party and put up the big screen so everyone was able to watch the hockey.

“You watch it and you think that is something you would like to be a part of but you don’t think much more of it.’’

Over the past 15 years, Blyth has actually thought a lot more about it, to the point that she is about to become the most capped Australia’s women’s hockey player ever.

Hockeyroos captain Blyth, the daughter of Brisbane teachers Brian and Judy and a hockey player since she was five, will play her 304th game for the Hockeyroos in this week’s World League Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgium against New Zealand.

She will eclipse the mark set by her former captain Nikki Hudson, one of her early inspirations as a member of the Sydney 2000 squad that won gold.

“Nikki was one of the superstars of that era and I was lucky that when I started she was one of the captains,’’ she said.

“It is a bit of weird feeling to be going past her record only because she was someone I grew up watching and I was lucky to play beside her. I really respected her contribution to our sport but she is a great girl and I have already got a couple of messages from her over the last few months.’’

>>>CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE VIA THE COURIER MAIL<<<

Content: The Courier Mail

Hockey Australia media release



Scotland squads named for Czech Republic matches in Glasgow


Scotland's Gavin Byers is in line to win his 100th cap against Czech Republic. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray

Scotland Senior Men and Senior Women squads both have been named for international matches against Czech Republic from 26-28 June at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

As part of an International Festival of Hockey in Glasgow, both Scottish squads will play three international matches.

The Czechs are ranked number 27 in the world for men and ranked number 35 in the world for women, and will host the EuroHockey Nations Championship II tournament that Scotland Senior Men will compete in next month.

Senior Men Head Coach Derek Forsyth has named an unchanged squad from the group that defeated Wales 2-0 in an international series last weekend, with Grove Menzieshill's Gavin Byers in line to win his 100th international cap should he be selected for all three games.

Senior Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd welcomes Sarah Robertson back into the squad after recent Great Britain commitments, while Katie Robertson of Grove Menzieshill is set to win her first international cap.


Sarah Robertson will feature for Scotland after Great Britain commitments

Match Schedule

Friday 26 June

Scotland Senior Men v Czech Republic, 15.00
Scotland Senior Women v Czech Republic, 17.00

Saturday 27 June

Scotland Senior Men v Czech Republic, 13.00
Scotland Senior Women v Czech Republic, 15.00

Sunday 28 June

Scotland Senior Men v Czech Republic, 09.00
Scotland Senior Women v Czech Republic, 11.00

Scotland Senior Men

Forename

Surname

Club

Caps

Wei

Adams

Canterbury

71

Gordon

Amour

Edinburgh University

5

Russell

Anderson

Beeston

29

Kenneth

Bain

Amsterdam

145

Michael

Bremner

Kelburne

52

Gavin

Byers

Grove Menzieshill

97

Daniel

Coultas

Holcombe

49

Murray

Collins

Loughborough Students

6

Callum

Duke

Hillhead

24

David

Forrester

Cannock

4

Alan

Forsyth

Surbiton

84

David

Forsyth

Hurley

27

Chris

Grassick

Surbiton

81

Gregor

Hirst

Clydesdale

3

Hamish

Imrie

Grange/Beeston

5

Gordon

McIntyre

Beeston

66

William

Marshall

Surbiton

132

Lee

Morton

Kelburne

5

Nicholas

Parkes

Sheffield Hallam

36

Michael

Ross

Grove Menzieshill

10

Gavin

Sommerville

Western Wildcats

11

Ross

Stott

East Grinstead

110

Jamie

Wong

Edinburgh University

1

 

 Scotland Senior Women

Forename

Surname

Club

Caps

Amy

Brodie

Grove Menzieshill

23

Millie

Brown

Clydesdale Western

4

Fiona

Bruce

Clydesdale Western

4

Vikki

Bunce

Dundee Wanderers

191

Fiona

Burnett

Clydesdale Western

5

Louise

Campbell

Edinburgh University

5

Nikki

Cochrane

Edinburgh University

26

Rebecca

Condie

Birmingham University

2

Aileen

Davis

Clifton

63

Jennifer

Eadie

Clydesdale Western

8

Leigh

Fawcett

Grove Menzieshill

118

Amy

Gibson

No Club

67

Alison

Howie

Clydesdale Western

42

Nikki

Kidd

Mannheimer

155

Nikki

Lloyd

Canterbury

64

Kareena

Marshall

Western Wildcats

79

Susan

McGilveray

Clydesdale Western

74

Emma

McGregor

Edinburgh University

3

Becky

Merchant

Edinburgh University

90

Katie

Robertson

Grove Menzieshill

0

Sarah

Robertson

Holcombe

52

Nicki

Skrastin

Clydesdale Western

64

Becky

Ward

Dundee Wanderers

87

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Women's Masters Home Nations


England Ladies O40 Sheffield 2011

Wakefield Hockey Club are proud to be hosting the 2015 Women's Masters Home Nations Tournament for 2015. The tournament involves teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland at Over 40/45/50/55, and in the absence of an Ireland O55 team, the England O60s.

Many top quality players from around the UK will be representing their country at this prestigious event, where lots of top quality hockey will be on show. The full match schedule is as below and further details including resutls will be available at www.wakefieldhockeyclub.co.uk and via their twitter account - @wakefieldhc.

There is no charge for spectators so why not come down and watch some international hockey for free!

Any questions please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the club

Friday

11.00 – Scotland O55 v Wales O55, Scotland 045s v Wales O45
13.00 - Scotland O40 v Wales O50, Scotland v Wales O40
15.00 – England O45 v Ireland 045, England O50 v Ireland O50 17.00 – England O55 v England O60, England O40 v Ireland O40

Saturday

09.00 – Wales O45 v Ireland O45, England O50 v Scotland O50
11.00 – Wales O50 v Ireland O50, England O45 v Scotland O45
13.00 - England O55 v Scotland O55, Wales O40 v Ireland O40
15.00 – England O40 v Scotland 040, Wales O55 v England O60

Sunday

10.00 - Scotland O40 v Ireland O40, Scotland O50 v Ireland O50
11.45 - Scotland O45 v Ireland O45, Scotland O55 v England O60
13.30 - Wales O40 v England O40, Wales O55 v England O55
15.15 – Wales O45 v England O45, Wales O50 v England O50

England Hockey Board Media release



Canadian roster named for Under-21 series with United States

Twenty-six men named to team, eighteen to play each match

Twenty-six athletes have been selected to be a part of the Junior Men’s National Team which will compete against the United States in a four-match Under-21 series this week in British Columbia.

Of the group of twenty-six, eighteen athletes will dress for each match. The matches will take place on June 23rd, 24th, 26th and 27th. For a full schedule and locations, click here.

The series with the United States serves as preparation for the 2016 Junior World Cup of Hockey, which will be held in India next year. Canada has yet to qualify and will be hosting the Junior Pan American Championships – the regional qualifier – in Toronto next May. The top two finishers at that event qualify for the World Cup.

Canadian Junior Men’s National Team – Under-21 Series vs. United States

 

Name

Position

Hometown

Amrit Sidhu

Forward

Abbotsford, BC

Balraj Panesar

Midfield

Surrey, BC

Braedon Muldoon

Defense

Ottawa, ON

Brandon Pereira

Defense

Surrey, BC

Cameron Bonney

Goalkeeper

Port Coquitlam, BC

David Loy

Forward

Toronto, ON

Floyd Mascarenhas

Defense

Mississauga, ON

Ganga Singh

Defense

Toronto, ON

Harbir Sidhu

Midfield

Victoria, BC

Harkirat Ahluwalia

Defense

Surrey, BC

Jamie Wallace

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

Janroop Gill

Defense

British Columbia

Josh Brown

Midfield

Victoria, BC

Kabir Aujla

Forward

Surrey, BC

Liam Fannin

Defense

Vancouver, BC

Liam Manning

Goalkeeper

Ottawa, ON

Lydon Lemos

Goalkeeper

Toronto, ON

Nicolas Howard

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

Parmeet Gill

Midfield

Brampton, ON

Rajan Khalon

Defense

Vancouver, BC

Rhoan Chopra

Forward

Ottawa, ON

Sahib Suri

Forward

Surrey, BC

Samuel Cabral

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

Shahbaaz Dhaliwal

Midfield

Surrey, BC

Tom Fannin

Midfield

Vancouver, BC

Vikram Sandhu

Forward

Vancouver, BC


Field Hockey Canada media release



Junior men kick off Under-21 series with 5-2 win over U.S.

Amrit Sidhu scored twice on Tuesday night in Surrey

Shaheed Devji

The Canadian Junior Men's National Team opened their four-game Under-21 series with the United States with a 5-2 win Tuesday night in Surrey.

Abbotsford's Amrit Sidhu scored twice to lead the Canadian to victory in front of their home fans at Tamanawis Field.

Canada began the game a bit tentative and the United States were able to capitalize when Geoge McGiggan scored on a penalty stroke in the first quarter.

From that moment on, however, the Canadian stepped up the intensity and controlled the match for the majority of the game.

The first chance to tie the game came early in the second quarter when Brandon Pereira fired a heavy drag flick on goal on a penalty corner but was turned away.

With just over a minute to go in the first half, however, Canada was able to break through when Sidhu netted his first of the match on a deflection.

Seconds before half-tme, the Canadians took their first lead of the game when the ball found its way to a wide open Ganga Singh who put it in for the 2-1 lead at half.

The second half started as the first one ended, with Canada maintaing possession, but it was the States who got the first scoring chance.

A quick cross field pass found its way to a wide open U.S. attacker who surely had sights on a goal but was turned away by a diving Cameron Bonney, who came in at half time, splitting the Canadian goalkeeping duties with Liam Manning.

The Canadians were able to add two more before the end of the third quarter.

First, David Loy showed great patience with the ball before finding an open Tom Fannin who put it in for the 3-1 lead. And after a Balraj Panesar penalty stroke was stopped by the U.S. keeper, Sidhu got his second of the game before the end of the quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, the U.S. got one back with a nice individual effort from Jaspreet Gill in the forty-seventh minute, but Canada quickly answered with a goal of their own in the fifty-third.

Panesar intercepted a U.S. clearning attempted before feeding Loy, who, at the top of the circle, threaded a pass to Vikram Sandhu behind the American defense. Sandhu's calm and collected finish gave Canada it's fifth of the match.

The second match of the four-game series takes place Tuesday at 5:45pm at Rutledge Field in West Vancouver.

Field Hockey Canada media release



Austrian top four ready for finals weekend



The Austrian Bundesliga reaches its climax next weekend with the final four of SV Arminen, NAVAX AHTC, Verifone WAC and HC Wien in the men’s semi-finals with an EHL place on the line.

Arminen are the favourites having topped the regular season table while they also became the first Austrian side to reach the EHL KO16.

But they have not had things all their own way this season with three draws and a defeat on their record for the ten games to date.

They will play AHTC in the semi-final on Saturday in what should be a closely contested tie based on league form with the first meeting ending in a 2-2 draw while Arminen shaded the other 3-2.

The match sees two of the league’s three top scorers in action with Patrick Schmidt (Arminen) and Dominik Monghy (AHTC) facing off.

The other tie sees Wien and VeriFone WAC  in action at 4.30pm. Christian Bauer’s WAC side have confidence following eight wins in a row in the spring but previous duels between the sides are inconclusive – Wien won one 4-1; WAC the other 5-3.

The final is on Sunday at 5.15pm.

Euro Hockey League media release



ASB YSPOTY winners 1991-2014: Frances Kreft

By Campbell Burnes


Frances Kreft. Photo / Photosport

Each week from now until the annual ASB YSPOTY awards dinner in November, we will profile past winners as we count down to the 25th annual event which honours the top young college sportspeople in the region.

Frances Kreft (Diocesan) 2003

Hockey player Frances Kreft was another ASB supreme award winner to represent her country while still at school.

She was the second of three Diocesan winners. Sarah Ulmer was the first, for cycling, in 1994. The third was Samantha Harrison in 2009, another top hockey player out of the school.

"That [2003] was such an exciting and successful year for me. I loved my time with the Dio team - we won Federation Cup (the premier schoolgirls' tournament) and the Auckland and intercity comps too. It was around the time of Fed Cup that I was selected in the Black Sticks to travel to Japan. I was ecstatic about that. It was my childhood dream to be a Black Stick, and the selection came quite out of the blue!" says Kreft, who also won U-21 and U-18 national tournaments with Auckland that year.

"I don't recall a lot of the detail but I remember having a lot of fun. Winning makes anything more enjoyable. I was pretty fit, playing a lot of hockey. I had great coaches, my teammates were my best friends, and the standard of hockey was really high. I was in my element!"

Valerie Adams was the guest speaker at the 2003 awards night, just two years after claiming the gong herself. "I do remember being in awe of the calibre of people in the room and being completely gobsmacked when I was named overall winner. I'd not been to a multi-code awards ceremony before so it was pretty special to be in the room with people who have gone on to achieve amazing things on the world stage," Kreft says.

Hers was a solid Black Sticks career, winning the 2005 Champions Challenge, going to the 2006 Commonwealth Games and playing at the Champions Trophy that year. She amassed 59 caps.

"After the Black Sticks, I went travelling and ended up playing a season in Northern Ireland while studying a Masters at Ulster University. I made some wonderful friends there and have very fond memories both on and off the pitch."

Since returning home, she has played a number of years for the Auckland women's side, racking up around 150 caps in 11 seasons. Kreft is also into her fifth year on the Auckland Hockey board and works in communications.

The New Zealand Herald



Nicaragua, next PAHF Member!


Emerson Velasquez, National Association VP, Alejandro Romero, President, with Laura Macchiotti, PAHF

On May, Laura Macchiotti visited Nicaragua, where she received the required documentation from the Nicaraguan National Hockey Federation with the purpose of achieving recognition as a Member on the Congress to be held on July 19th 2015.

Throughout the four-day sessions of intense labor, both authorities of the Federation and the Olympic Committee worked with the PAHF representative to plan the development of hockey in Nicaragua.

Mr. Emmet Lang, President of the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee, and top head of the Managua Games 2017, met with Alex Romero, President of the Nicaraguan National Hockey Federation and Emerson Velásquez, Vice-president of the Federation, where all agreed that the outcome of including hockey in the Managua Games would be an enormous benefit for Central America.

This visit reaped rewards immediately, as the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua (UNAN Managua) came to an agreement through the Sports Director, Mr. Wilber Altamirano Martínez and the National Federation, regarding the official inclusion of hockey in the sports program. Professor Roberto Cabrera was appointed by the University to monitor the hockey project.

Over the weekend of June 20th, during the Managua sports festival, the UNAN will present hockey through a video, so athletes will be prepared for the arrival of the PAHF coach who will run coaching courses in September 2015. PAHF donated equipment to start the activity.

Working hours were brought to completion with the participation of the Executive Secretary of the Olympic Committee Mr. José Luis Huete and members of the Board of the Federation.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Developing hockey in the Pan American region

Continuing with its work for expansion of hockey in the Americas, the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) recently undertook a number of initiatives with excellent results.

In a new development phase, PAHF carefully planned different ways  to approach countries to help the growth of hockey according to their particular needs.

During the last 2 years , Alberto “Coco” Budeisky, PAHF President, and Leandro Negre, FIH President, visited Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana, holding meetings with the Executive Boards of the Federations, the athletes and national entities, as well as PASO to obtain assistance for the construction of hockey pitches.

Initiatives such as the lunch offered by the FIH in collaboration with the PAHF during the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing to gather representatives from National Olympic Committees of our continent helped to further improve the ties carefully weaved since the beginnings of the PAHF.

In regards to the activities planned in the countries identified as potential members of the PAHF, the work undertaken in Bolivia has to be highlighted. In just one year, coaches have been trained and the Bolivian Hockey Federation was founded (April 1, 20015).  The first Men’s and Women’s National Tournament was run only one month later. Bolivia is working very hard towards the 2018 Games of Cochabamba.

In the case of Nicaragua, the federation was already created but with very little sport action. Laura Macchiotti´s visit last helped reactivate the Federation and the Board immediately organized meetings with the National Olympic Committee to seek assistance for their activities.

The President of the Nicaraguan Olympic Committee Mr. Emmett Lang was pleased with the results of the meetings and looked favorably on the inclusion of hockey for the Games in Managua in 2017. The National Hockey Federation, under the leadership of Dr. Alejandro Romero and Mr. Emerson Velazquez, President and Vice-President respectively, made an agreement with the National University (UNAN) of Managua facilitated by the Director of Sports of UNAM Managua, Lic. Wilber Altamirano Martinez, to develop hockey across the different venues of the University in Nicaragua.

Bolivia and Nicaragua will become provisional members of the PAHF during the Congress in Toronto 2015 until the FIH grants them full acceptance at its Congress in 2016.

Haiti, last nation of the Americas accepted for membership by the FIH during its Congress in 2014, will become a member of the PAHF at the Toronto Congress 2015. Canadian FIH Coach, Shiv Jagday arrived in Haiti in January 2015. His course trained more than 40 local coaches. In the next phase, actions will be programmed to help this young federation to achieve sustainability and development of sport.

Colombia is still in the process of finalizing internal formalities, but is inching closer to obtaining PAHF membership. Different areas where hockey is played are growing with great enthusiasm and are longing for the formal creation of a Federation to begin with local competition. Julio Neves visited them in August 2014 and participated in meetings where the important support program by the German Embassy to help train coaches is being consolidated.

Hockey is also on the right track in Central America. In September the 2nd Central American Indoor Cup will be played in Honduras with the participation of the men´s and women´s teams from host Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the men´s team from Ecuador. Both, the President of the Federation, Norin Palencia, and the President of the Olympic Committee, Mr. Salvador Jiménez Cáceres, joined Laura Macchiotti during the first days of June for some meetings to plan tournament operations as well as the development of hockey in Honduras.

Technical, coaching and umpiring courses with good participation were also organized. The PAHF worked jointly with the organizers of the prestigious Cal Cup in the USA and were able to offer for the first time two technical courses of different levels with great success. The 2nd Final PAHF Coaching Seminar will take place during the Pan American Games in Toronto. Coaches from the Pan American Nations will be assessed and obtain the PAHF Badge.

The FIH Training Program was also of great benefit to the PAHF since three coaches were invited to the Academy Course in Scotland in 2014. They were Chiche Mendoza (ARG), Ernesto Lucero (ARG), Lucho Pacheco (PER) as well as Shiaz Virjee (CAN). David Ruiz from Peru was selected for the Post Graduated Certification in Sports Management in London. 

Taking advantage of the Pan American Games the FIH will conduct an invitational Coaching Course during the event.

Number of teams is growing, National teams climb up the World Rankings and PAHF Officials are getting important assignments, all signs that the PAHF is keeping the pace !

Pan American Hockey federation media release

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