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News for 08 September 2015

All the news for Tuesday 8 September 2015


Hockeyroos claim 5-1 victory over Korea in their second test match


Queenslander Madison Fitzpatrick scored her first Senior International goal.

Emily Smith’s goal six minutes after the starting whistle and five minutes before the final siren helped the Hockeyroos to a 5-1 victory over Korea in their second test match of the series.

Teamwork paid dividends for the Hockeyroos after Kathryn Slattery teamed up with forward Emily Smith in their attacking circle five minutes into the match. Smith quickly deflected the ball past Korean keeper Ji Soo Jang after Slattery found her stick in the circle, pushing the Hockeyroos in front with a 1-0 lead.

Moments before the quarter time siren, Western Australian Kathryn Slattery found herself in the right place and the right time. Eliminating two Korean defenders, Slattery went one-on-one with the keeper, slotting the ball into the net, 2-0.

After making her debut in the Hockeyroos’ previous match against Korea on Saturday, Stephanie Kershaw secured her first international goal. Forward Savannah Fitzpatrick fed the ball onto Kershaw's stick at the 18th minute mark, allowing the Hockeyroos breathing space with the score at 3-0.

Coming back onto the field after halftime, Korea created themselves a critical penalty corner opportunity, putting them on the scoreboard 3-1 in the 36th minute. Setting up their battery, Bomi Kim reached out for the deflection, which Australian goalkeeper Rachael Lynch couldn’t deny.

It was a first for Queenslander Madison Fitzpatrick who also secured her first international goal in the Hockeyroos’ bodysuit. Off the back of a penalty corner, Fitzpatrick fired a powerful drag flick into the top of the net, adding to the score 4-1.

Coming into the final 15 minutes of play the Korean defence was strong, however, that didn’t stop the Hockeyroos’ forward Emily Smith from doubling up. Five minutes before the final siren, Smith picked up the ball at the top of the circle, slotting it through the Korean keeper’s pads and securing the Hockeyroos a 5-1 victory.

Pleased with the team’s second test match performance, Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens said, “It was a really good performance by the girls today. We came into the game with a least experienced side and we were a little concerned that they may find it difficult against Korea. They all worked hard together and supported each other today.

“It was great to see Madison score a penalty corner flick, she’s highly talented and probably one of the most powerful drag flickers we have in Australia. It was also a great reward for Stephanie, with two good performances in her first two international matches."

With the 2015 Oceania Cup in New Zealand on the horizon, Commens commented on the importance of the Hockeyroos’ final test match against Korea on Tuesday.

“The third test we will be looking to progress from today’s match with a different combination. We’re trying to work out over these coming weeks what our strongest combination is leading into the Oceania Cup and World League Finals.”

The Hockeyroos will face Korea in their third and final test match at Perth Hockey Stadium on Tuesday 8 September at 17:00 AWST.
 
Match 2

HOCKEYROOS: 5 (3)
Emily Smith 6, 55 (FG) (FG)
Kathryn Slattery 15 (FG)
Stephanie Kershaw 18 (FG)
Madison Fitzpatrick 39 (PC)

KOREA: 1 (0)
Bomi Kim 36 (PC)
                    
Hockeyroos Squad
Athlete (Hometown, State) caps/goals
Started
Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD) 215/10
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 69/6
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 151/34
Stephanie Kershaw (Townsville, QLD) 2/1
Rachael Lynch (Melbourne, VIC) 126/0
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 72/7
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW) 13/0
Kathryn Slattery (South Stirling, WA) 24/7
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 126/52
Amelia Spence (Hobart, TAS) 11/1
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD) 5/0
               
Used Substitute
Laura Barden (Kew, VIC) 2/0
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 80/2
Mathilda Carmichael (Willoughby, NSW) 25/1
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD) 82/2
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW^) 2/1
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW^) 4/0
               
Did Not Play
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW) 116/1
Kate Hanna (Constitution Hill, NSW) 3/0
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 145/88
Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW*) 10/0
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC) 163/32
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 61/9
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC) 53/0
               
NOTE: The above athletes have come through the academies and institutes of sport in their home states and territories with the exception of the following:

^Madison and Savannah Fitzpatrick are scholarship holders at the Queensland Academy of Sport

*Gabrielle Nance is a graduate scholar of the South Australia Sports Institute

Hockey Australia media release



Black Sticks pull world-class competition


Photo: www.photosport.co.nz

The Black Sticks Men and Women are confirmed to play against two super-powers in world hockey in their lead up to the Oceania Cup being held in Stratford at the end of October.

The Black Sticks Women will face Argentina and the Black Sticks Men will take on India between the 3-11 October with games to be hosted in Blenheim, Nelson and Christchurch.

The Women play their first two games in Blenheim (3rd-4th October) before travelling to Nelson where they play their third test against Argentina and the Black Sticks Men play two tests against India (6th-7th October).

The final weekend is in Christchurch where there is a double header on the Friday with the Men playing their fourth and final test on Sunday.

The Men’s NZA team will also play two games against India on the 2nd and 3rd October at North Harbour.

It’s the second time that Argentina women have been to New Zealand this year – they were here in April for games in Gisborne and for the Hawke’s Bay Festival. India men last visited New Zealand six years ago when they played two tests in Auckland and Wellington.

Black Sticks Men’s head coach Colin Batch says to have India visit is a real coup and will provide his side with invaluable build up ahead of the Oceania Cup (21-25 October), which is the last Olympic qualifying event for the Black Sticks Men.

“The biggest thing for us is having good competition in the build-up to a tournament. We last played in June and we identified that it was important for us to secure competition before Oceania Cup – so this series will be good preparation,” said Batch.

“The team selected could be significantly different, so having four international tests before we face Australia will help.”

Hockey New Zealand chief executive Malcolm Harris said that although there are obvious high performance objectives in hosting home tests, the events have a wider impact on the growth of the sport.

“Our event strategy to take international games to regional New Zealand has become a proven way for us to help develop the profile, participation, and commercial model for international tests,” says Harris.

“The communities we go to are extremely supportive and both the teams and fans love the experience.”

The Black Sticks Women have never played in Blenheim before, and the New Zealand Men have only ever played one test back in 1958 against Australia. Nelson and Christchurch hosted the Black Sticks Men vs Canada internationals at the end of last year, but they have never hosted an official international test on the women’s side.

Tickets are now on sale at www.dashtickets.co.nz. Tickets start from just $8 with discounted family tickets also available.

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Valuable games for Black Sticks before Oceania Cup series

By David Leggat


Cory Bennett of the men's Black Sticks plays a pass during the Test Match between the New Zealand Black Sticks and Japan. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand's hockey teams have secured valuable lead up opposition ahead of their Oceania Cup series in Taranaki next month.

The women's Black Sticks, ranked fourth and who have already qualified for the Rio Olympics next year, will play world No 3 Argentina in four internationals in Blenheim (October 3 and 4), Nelson (October 6) and Christchurch (October 9).

It's the second time that Argentina's national women's team have been to New Zealand this year. They contested the Hawkes Bay Festival tournament and had games in Gisborne in April.

The Black Sticks women have never played in Blenheim before.

The men's national team play India in Nelson and Christchurch. Ranked seventh, New Zealand play India on October 6 and 7 in Nelson and in Christchurch on October 9 and 11.

India are ranked one spot behind New Zealand and will provide quality opponents for Colin Batch's team, who must beat world No 1 Australia in the Oceania Cup to secure a place in the Olympic field.

It is six years since the Indian men last played in New Zealand.

''The biggest thing for us is having good competition in the build-up to a tournament," Batch said.

''We last played in June and we identified that it was important for us to secure competition before Oceania Cup - so this series will be good preparation.

''The team selected could be significantly different, so having four international tests before we face Australia will help."
New Zealand A men's team will play India at North Harbour on October 2 and 3.

The New Zealand Herald



Junior Asia Cup: China 4 Malaysia 0

By Jugjet Singh

THE Malaysian women's team went down 4-0 to China in the Junior Asia Cup at the Wujin National Hockey Stadium in Changzhou Monday.

Playing in Group A, Malaysia's next opponents are North Korea on Wednesday, followed by India the next day. Three points are possible from North Korea, as China had beaten them 11-0.

Malaysia had beaten Singapore 2-0 in their opening match.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Hockey teams for Olympic qualifiers

BY FORTUNE MBELE



THE senior men and women’s national hockey teams will be using the Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Cup to be staged at Khumalo Hockey Stadium in Bulawayo on September 26-27 to prepare for their 2015 Africa Olympic qualifiers.

The Olympic qualifiers will be held in South Africa from October 24 to November 1 at Randburg Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

HAZ vice-president Humphrey Chigwedere yesterday confirmed the HAZ Cup and participation in the Africa Olympic qualifiers, adding the technical team, appointed on September 3, would soon be announcing the provisional teams to represent the country in South Africa.

“The coaches will be selecting the players soon. The HAZ Cup on September 26-27 at Khumalo Hockey Stadium will be used as part of the preparations for the AOQs. Some players are in Bulawayo and the coaches will have to choose various training grounds for selection of the teams,” Chigwedere said.

Harare, Bulawayo and Masvingo will each provide two teams for the HAZ Cup with Midlands and Mashonaland West each providing one team in the men’s section.

The women’s category will only have four teams with two from Harare while Bulawayo and Masvingo will only provide one team each.

Colin Williams was appointed head coach for the men’s national team and will be assisted by Tongai Mukwewa, while Eddie Chiringa will be in charge of the women with his assistant yet to be appointed.

The managers for the respective teams are Kalpesh Parshotam (men) and Coleen Natival (women).

Team selectors for the men are Williams, Mukwewa, Keith Kachambwa and Chiringa who is also in the women’s selector together with Nicola Watson, Tendayi Maredza and Sarah Bennett.

“The Africa Hockey Federation (AfHF) has moved the tournament from Ismalia (Egypt) to South Africa and HAZ has decided to take part given the relatively lower costs involved in travelling to South Africa. The decision was also taken in the interest of players. The players need this exposure for us to remain competitive internationally since we struggle to raise enough funds to enable our players to travel frequently.”

He added that their main rivals South Africa and Egypt had an advantage over Zimbabwe since their players are always playing in competitions around the world.

HAZ has set a budget of the $30 000 for the Africa Olympic qualifiers which were last hosted by Zimbabwe at Khumalo Hockey Stadium in 2011 with Zimbabwe losing to Egypt, South Africa and Ghana.

News Day

Note: the African Hockey Federation website reports the tournament will be held in Johannesburg from 22 October - 30 October



Van Huizen the chosen one

by Jugjet Singh



STEPHEN van Huizen was the chosen one when the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) named the senior men's coach for the next two years.

Assisted by Lim Chiow Chuan, both of them are tasked with whipping up a team which would hopefully take the country back into its glory days by qualifying for the 2018 India World Cup, and then the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Hand-picked by Technical director Terry Walsh and the MHC Coaching Committee chaired by Datuk Ow Soon Kooi, among the challenges the duo would face are changing the players mindset.

"First of all I would like to thank the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) for selecting me as chief coach. I take the challenge, and among the areas that need to be improved to get back into the World Cup and Olympics is to change their mindset into winners," said Van Huizen who assisted Tai Beng Hai in the failed attempt to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Then, playing in Belgium, Malaysia had two chances to qualify for the Olympics but an inferior attitude saw them lose to India in the quarter-finals and then to Ireland in the fifth-sixth classification.

For the juniors, Arul Selvaraj has been retained and he will be assisted by Amin Rahim and Jivan Mohan.

The MHC will also include a clause in the coaches contract, which will no longer allow them to coach club sides in the Malaysia Hockey League as well as Junior Hockey League. Currently, Arul Selvaraj is coaching Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the MHL.

Walsh, optimistic about his new appointments, said: "Don't expect overnight changes but gradually we will work towards qualifying for the World Cup and Olympics. It might take 12 to 19 months, and there might be changes in the player line-up as many from the present batch would not be able to sustain the pace until 2020."

Coaching committee chairman Soon Kooi said Van Huizen was selected as he is the most successful coach to date.

"Van Huizen took us to the last Olympics through the Osaka Olympic qualifier (sixth in 2000) and also he is the only coach who has won a silver medal for Malaysia in the Asian Games (2010 Guangzhou)," said Soon Kooi, who was a former Malaysian skipper.

COACHING set-up: Men's senior: Coach -- Stephen van Huizen, Assistant: Lim Chiow Chuan; Juniors: Coach -- Arul Selvaraj, Assistants: Amin Rahim and Jiwa Mohan.

Women's senior: Nasihin Nubli; Juniors: Lailin Abu Hassan.

Development Director: Tai Beng Hai.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Stephen named as the national hockey coach

by Aftar Singh


Stephen (second, left) shaking hands with Soon Kooi after the announcement. On the far left is Walsh, while standing from right are Beng Hai and Chiow Chuan, who will be Stephen's assistant. - IBRAHIM MOHTAR / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Talk about a belated birthday present!

Stephen van Huizen, who turned 56 on Sept 1, received a pleasant surprise on Monday – he was named as coach of the men’s national hockey team, replacing Tai Beng Hai.

The former national coach has been given a two-year deal and will start work on Oct 1. Stephen had served as national coach twice – in 2000 and 2010.

Lim Chiow Chuan, who was in charge of 1MAS development programme for the last five years, will assist Stephen.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) coaching committee chairman Datuk Ow Soon Kooi announced the new coaching set-up at Bukit Jalil.

MHC technical director Terry Walsh said that Stephen was chosen “because of his vast experience”.

“He guided Malaysia to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and also helped the national team win their first-ever Asian Games silver medal in Guangzhou in 2010,” said the Australian.

“I believe that Stephen and Lim can work together to take the national hockey team on the right direction and achieve the desired results.

“Stephen’s mission is to help Malaysia qualify for the 2018 World Cup in New Delhi. That’s his KPI (key performance index).”

Stephen, who has more than 20 years coaching experience and who was the manager of the Malaysian team who finished a disappointing sixth in the World League Semi-Finals in Antwerp, Belgium, in June, described the appointment as “a great honour”.

“It’s also a huge responsibility for me to build a strong team. I was disappointed that the team failed to qualify for next year’s Olympics,” said Stephen.

“I will focus more on the physical aspect of the players and also on their mental strength ... I need to have players with a winning attitude.

“With support from the MHC and Walsh, I’ll do my best to help the national team get back on the right track.”

Walsh also announced that Beng Hai has been appointed as the development programme director while A. Arulselvaraj will continue to be in charge of the National Juniors, who are preparing for next year’s Junior World Cup in New Delhi.

Arulselvaraj will be assisted by Mohd Amin Rahim and Jivan Mohan.

Mohd Nasihin Nubli will continue to coach the women’s team.

The Star of Malaysia



Elektrostal win Commonwealth Cup



Dinamo-Elektrostal won the Commonwealth (CIS) Cup field hockey over the weekend, taking the title for the third successive year.

The competition features four clubs from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan with Elektrostral easing their way into their new season.

Stroitel Brest had made the early running in the competition with a 3-2 win over Elektrostal on Friday. The Russian runners-up, though, recorded a 9-0 win over Kazakh side Besarys before drawing 3-3 with HC Minsk.

It set up a final rematch with Stroitel Brest whom Elektrostal needed to beat by four goals on Sunday in order to claim the title, something they did in style with a 7-0 success with Andrei Kuraev the star man, being named player of the tournament.

The CIS Cup has been running since 2010 with Stroitel Brest winning the inaugural competition before Ukraine’s Olimpia Kolos Sekvoia succeeded in the next two seasons before Elektrostal took over.

Euro Hockey League media release



Good rest for THT and KLHC

by Jugjet Singh

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) TNB Cup quarter-finals balloting was done yesterday, with Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) receiving a 10-day rest.

League champions THT and runners-up KLHC received a bye into the semi-finals, while third-paced Sapura drew UniKL in the last eight.

The other quarter-finals will be between Tenaga Nasional and Maybank.

The two-leg quarter-finals will be held on Sept 11 and 13, while the semi-finals, also two-legs, will be on Sept 15 and 17.

All the matches will be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, and telecast live.

THT will either play Tenaga or Maybank in the semis, while KLHC await the winners of the Sapura-UniKL match.

Sarjit Singh, who coached THT to their first double last season and is heading for another this season, said the standard of teams is almost the same and he has no preference in the semis.

"Tenaga and Maybank gave us tough times in the League and so I have no preffered side to play against in the semis. Our mission is to win the double again, and that means beating any team that comes our way," said Sarjit.

Going by form-book, it looks like THT and KLHC will meet again in the TNB Cup final. In the League encounters, KLHC won 6-2 but were beaten 5-4 in the return leg.

THT are already big winners, over the RM70,000 which came with the title, the players and and officials also received a bonus of RM10,000 from the state government.

And and Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif has already pledged to refurbish the Batu Buruk as well as the Gong Badak artificial pitches and spruce up the stadiums.

There is more, THT will fly off to London then Amsterdam to play two friendly matches against club sides on Sept 29 -- a reward for becoming double champions last season.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



UniKL hope to turn things around in knockout stage

by Aftar Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) failed to win a single match in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division this year.

They finished sixth – and last – with just one point (a 4-4 draw against Maybank) from 10 matches.

Now, they’re hoping for better luck in the knockout stage.

In the quarter-final draw on Monday, UniKL are down to meet Sapura, who finished third in the Premier Division.

The first leg will be played on Friday at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil and the return leg at the same venue on Sunday.

The other quarter-final pits Maybank, who finished fifth in the league, against fourth-placed Tenaga Nasional.

League champions Terengganu and runners-up Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) move straight into the semi-finals.

UniKL won’t be relishing meeting Sapura in the quarter-finals. They lost both league matches to Sapura – 2-1 and 3-2.

To make things worse, UniKL will also be without coach A. Arulselvaraj for the first-leg tie.

Arulselvaraj, who is also the National Juniors coach, is serving a three-match suspension for verbally abusing umpires K. Lingam and Iskandar Rashdan Mohd Rusli in the match against Tenaga on Aug 30.

He will be back to guide the team in the return leg on Sunday.

UniKL skipper Baljit Singh Charun is not giving up despite their winless streak.

“We have yet to win a match, but don’t rule us out from turning the tables on Sapura in the knockout stage,” he said. 

The Star of Malaysia



Paragon host fourth annual indoor hockey tournament

Paragon Hockey Club will host its fifth annual T&T's Youth Indoor Hockey 5’s Tournament from September 10-13 at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton Holder Street, Woodbrook. This year’s edition of the hockey-fives tournament will feature Under-16 boys and girls, U-21 boys and an Open Women’s Division in commemoration of “2015 the Year of Women in Sport”.

“This year’s tournament is very special to us because it provides young players with the opportunity to showcase their talent and it celebrates women in sport” said club president, Cindy Martin-Faustin.

“It holds true to our mandate to increase participation in hockey and acknowledges and applauds the efforts of hardworking female athletes.” The tournament is scheduled to run from 5 pm to 8 pm on Thursday and Friday and 9 am to 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday, with the teams competing for cash prizes, trophies, medals, individual awards and a position on the All Star IX Team.

Registration for the tournament costs $350 for U-16 teams and $500 for the U-21 boys and Open Women’s divisions. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Alanna Lewis, Youth Tournament Committee Representative at 780-4463.

Results of the 2014 Tournament

Last year's winners:
U-16 Boys: Malvern
U-16 Girls: Shandy Carib Magnolias
U-21 Women: Shandy Carib Magnolias
U-21 Men: Fatima

Last Year’s All Star Team

Men: Jordan Viera (Fatima), Mark Ayen (QPCC), Andrew Viera (Fatima), Jordan Reynos (QPCC), Kevin George (GK/(QPCC)

Women: Brianna Govia (Shandy Carib Magnolias), Aimie Olton (Shandy Carib Magnolias), Zene Henry (Paragon), Cyan Lue Sue (Venture), Tiffany Thompson (GK/Paragon)

The Trinidad Guardian



Scottish Hockey Masters Euro Round Up

Scotland Over 40’s, 45’s, 50’s & 55’s took part in the 3rd European Masters Tournament in St. Albans.

The Over 40’s with Keith Joss coaching have improved dramatically over the last year and were confident pre-tournament of claiming a semi-final spot.

They opened against Spain with a goal from a short corner in the first minute and had lots of possession against a very skilful Spanish side.

When the Spanish side equalised slightly against the run of play Scotland pressed for the winner, but were very unfortunate when a defensive slip left the Spanish Centre Forward with an open path to goal to give the Spanish the win.

Following another defeat at the hands of the Dutch Scotland put together a fine performance against the Irish, who went on to beat the Germans for the Bronze Medal.

At one stage it looked as if the three goal victory to reach the semis was on until a late Irish goal halted Scotland’s chances. Good wins over Wales and Spain in the crossover games meant that the Over 40’s finished in 5th Place overall.

The Over 45’s were hit by a series of withdrawals in the weeks up to the tournament and they were further hampered by injuries to key players in the opening half of their first game. Eventually down to the bare 11 players they battled on and finished on a high by beating Wales 9-0 to finish in 7th.

The Over 50’s failed to qualify from a group including England and the Dutch despite playing what Coach Robin Plevin described as the best hockey he had seen from a Scottish side. However the good form was continued with emphatic wins over Spain and France to claim 5th Place.

Victories over Italy, Germany and Wales along with close defeats against England and the Dutch left the Over 55’s collecting the Bronze Medal in their age group. This was a fantastic and well deserved result for the 55’s after a good year when they lost out narrowly to England in the Home Internationals.

The result was particularly pleasing due to a major reshuffle that had to take place when the squad was reduced to having only two recognised forwards. The highlight was a convincing victory over a robust German side with goals from a real team move ended by Billy Taylor and a Penalty Flick converted by Stephen Springthorpe.

Next up for the Masters is the World Cup in Canberra, Australia over Easter next year where Scotland will be represented at Over 35’ 45 & 55.

In the Grand Masters European Cup at Southgate London, Scotland Over 70 came home with the bronze medal courtesy of a 2-1 win over Germany with goals in each half by Alan Bremner and Sandy Weir, both from penalty corner moves.

This was the first time that Scotland had entered an Over 70 team in an international tournament and also the first time that Scotland have beaten Germany in any Over 60 age group. It was all the more remarkable because medical problems earlier in the year had cut down the initially selected squad to only twelve players, who had to survive five full matches over a period of a wee  and played their semi final match with no substitutes.

Five of the team had played in the Scotland Over 60 team which won the bronze medal in the European Championships nine years previously in Bra, Italy - the last time Scotland won medals in any Over 60 age group.

Scotland Over 60 also qualified for their 3rd/4th play-off on the final day of the competition on 28 August but had to settle for fourth place, going down 3-0 to Spain. Still, it is a measure of their progress that they improved on their fifth position in the last European Cup, held in 2013 in Belgium.

The second Over 60 team, playing in the satellite Tournament Trophy, finished sixth.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



England’s Frances Block receives Golden Whistle in London


European Hockey Federation President Marijke Fleuren presenting Frances Block (right) with her Golden Whistle

England’s Frances Block received the International Hockey Federation (FIH) ‘Golden Whistle’ as she umpired her 100th senior international hockey game as Scotland women took on Poland in Pool C at the 2015 Unibet EuroHockey Championships in London last week.

Frances became the 39th women's umpire to receive a ‘Golden Whistle’ and only the second English umpire to do so after Gill Clarke reached this milestone back in 1997.

Since becoming an international umpire in 2004, Frances has officiated at many world level events, her highlight being the London 2012 Olympics.

She has also officiated at two Hockey World Cups – in Rosario, Argentina in 2010 and also The Hague, Netherlands in 2014 as well as the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India in 2010.

In addition to those events, she umpired at four Champions Trophies – Monchengladbach, Germany in 2008; Nottingham, England in 2010; Amsterdam, Netherlands in 2011 and Rosario, Argentina in 2012, and two Indoor World Cups – Poznan, Poland in 2011 and Leipzig, Germany in 2015.

Speaking of her award, Frances said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have achieved my Golden Whistle. I was very lucky to have been able to achieve it in London with my family there to watch. It is an honour to represent my country so I am extremely proud to have reached this milestone. The most memorable experience was of course umpiring at the London 2012 Olympic Games but to be honest umpiring in Bermuda is not far behind!”

Looking towards the future she said: “If I am selected for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio then that really will be the icing on the cake but I am also looking forward to England hosting the women's World Cup in 2018.”

Frances has dedicated a considerable amount of her life to hockey and now she has got to the point where she wants to give a little back to the sport that has given her so many happy memories. She said: “I hope I can play a part in inspiring young people to get involved in umpiring. I would like to work with England Hockey to encourage schools to promote officiating within the PE curriculum and I will look to take up a coaching role in the future.”

Whether it’s umpiring international matches or inspiring the next generation, Frances is a role model in many ways. The ‘Golden Whistle’ is recognition of her commitment and dedication to the sport of hockey and acts as an inspiration to many other up and coming umpires around the world.

For more information about the FIH ‘Golden Whistle’, click here.

FIH site



Different takes on backyard battles

By Adrian Seconi

Dual representative Polly Inglis must have learned something during those family backyard cricket tests and indoor hockey games.

But if you ask, the multi-talented 19-year-old will tell you she spent most of the time fielding while her brothers, Hugo (24) and Henry (26), slugged it out for sibling supremacy at the family home in Roslyn.

''They wouldn't let me bat,'' she complained.

''I was always fielding. But yeah, nah, there were a few fights over who got to bat first.

''They were a big influence. I guess I just followed them into whatever sports they were playing.

''We even played some hockey inside even though Mum hated it because we broke a few things.''

Hugo remembers being more magnanimous about who batted first.

The Black Sticks striker has played 153 games for his country and was a very handy age-group cricketer before giving it away to concentrate on hockey.

''We had her as a fielder when she was pretty young,'' he said.

''But once she could hold a bat, we gave her a fair chance. We'd chuck her in under the lid and bowl seamers at her.

''We had a hell of a strip. It was perfect - a nice long rectangle.''

''As soon as Polly starting showing me up with all the centuries she was scoring when she was about 13 or 14, I thought I better give it up,'' he joked.

The pair have remained close. Hugo lives in Auckland and works at a bank.

Polly has also moved up and is studying commerce at the Auckland University of Technology.

The pair share a car, although Polly said she was the one who had to bus over to Hugo's place to collect it.

It is not all one-way traffic, though. Hugo bakes a roast for his sister on Sundays and the conversation inevitably turns to sport.

''We often have chats about hockey and how things are going for her and what she is working on and stuff like that,'' Hugo said.

While they live in Auckland, they still play their hockey for Southern and were in action during the weekend.

Polly also plays for the Otago Sparks and will return again this summer.

There is just something special about the culture in the South, she said.

Polly has no plans to choose between cricket and hockey unless she is put in a position where she must.

''She is doing pretty well with both and I'd hate for her to throw one away for the other,'' Hugo said.

''I just encourage her to make sure she is not taking on too much but to go for it if she is happy with the commitment.''

The Inglis are a competitive lot and when the questions turn to the results from the weekend, Hugo lets out a long sigh.

The Southern Dogs lost 2-1 to North Harbour in Dunedin on Sunday and Hugo was none too pleased about it.

''It was pretty gutting, more so than last weekend because we played really well and dominated for the better part of the game. We gave them limited opportunities but just weren't able to convert ours down the other end.''

Polly also exhaled a little when questioned about the Southern Storm's 5-1 loss to North Harbour.

''I think there is heaps we can build on and there is some positive stuff. We played a lot better against Canterbury but we'll have to see how the tournament goes.''

The National Hockey League resumes in Whangarei on Saturday with both Southern sides playing Capital.

Otago Daily Times



Penn field hockey splits weekend road trip

The Quakers kick off season in Virginia

By Tom Nowlan


Freshman back Selena Garzio scored her first collegiate goal Friday in the Quakers' 5-2 win against Longwood.

And they’re off.

Penn field hockey started its 2015 campaign this weekend by splitting a pair of games during a three-night, two-town trip through Virginia. After dropping their season opener to Liberty, 4-3, on Friday, the Red and Blue bounced back to take down Longwood, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon.

Friday’s tilt against the Flames (3-0) was eerily reminiscent of the two teams’ 2014 meeting, which Liberty won, 3-2, in Philadelphia. In both contests, Penn (1-1) surrendered two unanswered goals towards the end of the game, allowing the Flames to tie it up before taking the lead.

Last season’s defeat was also one of five one-goal losses suffered by the Quakers throughout the year. After going 9-2 in games decided by one goal in 2013, Penn has since dropped six of its last nine one-goal contests in the past two seasons, including on Friday.

“Field hockey is a close game," coach Colleen Fink said. "It’s a game of chance sometimes. But there’s obviously a big conversation within our staff about taking that next step.”

After Friday’s matchup was delayed 40 minutes due to inclement weather, Liberty quickly scored the game’s first two goals. However, sophomore standout Alexa Hoover scored a hat trick in the span of 23 minutes, giving the Red and Blue a 3-2 lead.

Liberty, however, responded by scoring twice in under two minutes to claim a lead it would never relinquish.

The Quakers rebounded quickly after Friday’s loss, taking down Longwood (0-3) in convincing fashion on Sunday. Four different players found the back of the net for Penn, including freshman standout Selena Garzio, who notched the team’s second goal, the first of her young career.

But Hoover was the star of the weekend. The reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year scored all three goals in the loss to Liberty before adding two more to go along with an assist on an Elise Tilton goal on Sunday.

After winning the Ancient Eight scoring title a year ago, Hoover’s five goals in the early going this season once again lead the conference.

“It wasn’t surprising,” Fink said of her star attacker’s 2015 debut. “She worked really hard in the offseason [and] we’ve seen a much broader range from her offensively.”

This weekend’s games also featured sophomore goaltender Liz Mata’s first action as the team’s first-string goaltender. The Severna Park, Md., native struggled in very limited action in 2014, allowing four goals on seven shots during the Quakers’ Oct. 9 game against Monmouth, her only start of the year.

Mata showed improvement in her first pair of games of 2015, registering seven saves against Liberty before adding two more versus Longwood.

“I think Liz had a really good game against Liberty. She had some stellar saves,” Fink said. “She’s shown some really good leadership, and she’s going to continue to work on all aspects of her game.”

The weekend’s games — both on the road against Virginia opponents — provided the Quakers with a rare chance for a multi-night road trip. The squad left Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon, heading to Liberty’s campus for two nights and then Longwood’s for one.

“It was a great experience, it’s always nice to get off campus for a couple days,” Fink said. “The girls were obviously rooming together, we went to see a movie, we ate lots of team meals together. To be honest, I think those are the moments that really define a team. We learned a lot from this road trip.”

The Quakers will next be in action Friday, when they host Saint Joseph’s at Vagelos Field. They will then make a short cross-city trip to take on Temple on Sunday.

The Daily Pennsylvanian



Second chance on penalty stroke lifts BU field hockey team by Maine

By Larry Mahoney.   

ORONO, Maine —- For a moment, Boston University’s Dutch junior midfielder Hester van der Laan thought she had squandered a golden opportunity to supply the nation’s No. 20-ranked team with a win over Maine when she rattled her penalty stroke off the post to the right of Maine goalie Emily Corbett.

But referees Donna Chung and Judith Strong ruled that Corbett had moved before van der Laan took her stroke, so she received a second chance and converted by flicking her seven-yard stroke to Corbett’s right with 3:26 left in the first overtime for a 2-1 BU win.

Both teams are 3-1.

According to the rules, goalies must have both feet behind the goal line and they can’t move until the stroke is taken.

“I was a little surprised [to be given another chance],” said van der Laan. “I was so focused on the ball. But, in the end, I think it was a good call.”

“I’ll have to look at the footage again,” said Corbett. “I don’t think I moved forward. I was just rocking my feet.”

It was the reigning Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week’s team-high third goal of the season.

“I practice them a lot. I always put it to the same spot,” said van der Laan, who created the stroke by racing free into the penalty circle off a perfect feed from Bea Baumberger Altirriba and being hauled down by a sliding Corbett.

“She had a really good pull around me,” said Corbett, who felt she had no choice but to take down van der Laan.

The Black Bears had the better of the play in the first half but couldn’t transform that dominance into a lead because of junior goalie Cammy Jensen, who made three important saves including one on a re-direction by Cassidy Svetek.

The rebound came back to Svetek, but the senior rolled the rebound wide of the half-empty cage.

“I just tried to stay as relaxed as I could,” said Jensen, who finished with four saves on 11 shots.

“Maine played an outstanding game,” said BU coach Sally Starr. “They’re a really good attacking team and they’re quick. When we were at a numerical disadvantage in the back, Cammy came up big. We managed the game a little bit better in the second half.”

BU took the lead midway through the second half when Rachel Coll slid the ball across the middle of the circle and Madeline McClain, one of three Terriers converging on goal, swept it into the empty net past Emma Cochran, who played the second half after Corbett had played the first half.

But the Black Bears equalized with 9:40 remaining when Danielle Aviani and Jessica Skillings worked a nifty give-and-go off a two-on-one, and Aviani chipped the ball over the helpless Jensen.

Aviani nearly won it with two minutes left in regulation, but her deflection off a Sydney Veljacic shot sailed inches wide of the far post.

“We had a lot of chances. It would have been nice to convert more of them. But we played unreal. It’s the best field hockey I’ve seen us play,” said Aviani.

BU also had 11 shots at goal with Corbett making three saves and Cochran stopping one shot.

Bangor Daily News



Life After College Field Hockey

by Warren Prestwich, USA Field Hockey Regional Development Manager, Region 7

I read with a touch of disappointment and sadness the article “The Truth About The First Preseason After Retirement”. It was written by a woman who had recently graduated from college. She was reflecting upon what the college field hockey team from her team was in the midst of doing. They were in their preseason, preparing for their upcoming college season. I am not sad or disappointed in her assessment and reflections. What I find upsetting and disappointing is that she talks of how she has retired. Wow! At a guess I would say she is about 21-22 years of age. And she has retired from playing field hockey?

She says that when she finished her field hockey playing career, she was ready to go. Her body was riddled with injury and she was mentally and physically exhausted. I imagine, she is a college graduate and now has begun her work career, full of its own challenges, both mentally and physically. She reflected through the article that looking back, while she didn’t miss the tough physical aspect of preseason with the mental strain that accompanied it, she did miss something. She missed the sense of team and camaraderie, and meeting new teammates. She expressed how it would be impossible to replicate those relationships.

I had my first game of my fall season a few weeks ago. I was excited leading up to the day. I knew I was going to be sore and tired afterwards. And my pre-match anticipations become a reality. I was exhausted and glad when the final whistle blew. But I was happy. Yes, my body aches now as I sit here. My back is sore, my legs, I am having trouble bending over to pick things up. But I will be back again next Sunday to do it all again. I am not in college nor going through preseason. I am 52 and play Masters Field Hockey for the U.S. Over-50 Men’s National Team. I wasn’t playing for that team yesterday, though I have very fond memories of the 2014 Masters World Cup in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where we came 5th out of 12 teams. I was playing for Motley, in the Baltimore Field Hockey Association Fall League. The players on my team are a mix. There are college players that have played in Divisions I, II and III, there are players that have only played in hHigh sSchool and are returning years later. Most of the players are women. There are men as well. Most of the men, like me played first played hockey abroad, having played the bulk of their field hockey when younger in the country of their birth. There are American born men that play. We all come together to form five 5 teams that play every Sunday in the fall, leading up to a Championship day.

None of these teams have a “preseason”. It is up to us as individuals to train ourselves physically for the season. We also don’t practice between weekly games, though I wish we did. But we do form a bond. And this bond is not limited to the players on our team, we also form a bond with the players from the other teams. Outside this fall season, we still play and these relationships we form help us create teams that play indoor in the winter and at various tournaments throughout the spring and summer. We get together for social events after the games are over. We travel to other places to play within the United States and outside America as well. We carry injuries, we hobble about, we laugh and we get frustrated and sometimes angry at what happens on the field. But when the final whistle is blown and the season is over, we limp and hobble away sad that the season is finished. We leave the pitch with plans to come back in better shape and better prepared next year.

That is what made me sad, that the woman that wrote the article felt that once she has finished playing in college, her career as a field hockey player was over. If anything, it had only just begun. She has so much more to look forward to, so many more opportunities to learn of the joy of playing field hockey without the mental and physical anguish of college preseason. There are so many more people out there for her to play with and against to form a bond, a camaraderie and to really enjoy the game. Our game doesn’t have an age expiration date, that’s the great thing about field hockey. It’s for everyone.

USFHA media release



National junior hockey team starts training

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has invited 63 top junior field hockey players from around the country here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium for training and trials for the upcoming Sultan of Johor Junior Invitational Tournament to be held from October 11 to 18 in Malaysia.

The training camp of national junior probables has commenced and the invitees have started training for preparation of a strong team for the event in Malaysia. Olympian Tahir Zaman, who has recently been appointed head coach of the team, is supervising the camp. Olympian Zeeshan Ashraf and former international Muhammad Irfan are officiating as assistant coaches. The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual international under-21 tournament being held in Malaysia since 2011. It is the only invitational junior hockey competition played at the international level. Pakistan have participated in all the previous four tournaments but failed to reach the final of any of the editions.

The Daily Times



PHF secretary Shahbaz likely to be replaced

By Mirza Iqbal Baig



KARACHI: Newly named Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary general Shahbaz Ahmad Senior is likely to be replaced with someone who is non-controversial and enjoys support of former PHF president Zafarullah Khan Jamali. Sources told Daily Times Sunday that former Prime Minister Jamali was not happy with the nomination of former Olympian and captain Shahbaz Senior. Last month Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who also chief patron of the PHF, appointed a former brigadier, Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, as the PHF chief after resignation of former Olympian Akhtar Rasool. Khalid later received vote of confidence from the PHF Congress. PM Nawaz wanted to appoint Jamali as the PHF chief but his age factor came in the way. Under the PHF constitution, a person above 70 years of age can not be appointed as the PHF president. “However, PM Nawaz told PHF chief Khalid that he should take all decisions of new appointments in the national federation after taking Jamali into confidence. But Khalid named Shahbaz Senior as new secretary general without consulting Jamali,” sources said. “This infuriated Jamali and he complained to PM Nawaz who directed Khalid to meet Jamali at once and take him into confidence regarding new appointments, and if Jamali disagrees, Khalid should appoint new persons at the helm,” sources added. A meeting in this regard is expected to take place in Islamabad on Monday (today). Both Khalid and Shahbaz Senior are in federal capital to meet Jamali. Shahbaz Senior has not taken vote of confidence from the PHF Congress yet.

Shahbaz Senior replaced former Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali who resigned from the coveted post after two years in office. Even after being given a three-year extension by the PHF Congress, Mujahid’s resignation was not a surprise after a probe committee constituted by PM Nawaz held the top PHF officials responsible for the national team’s dismal performance at the Hockey World League (HWL) in Antwerp where the greenshirts failed to qualify for the Olympics 2016 for the first time in the country’s history.

Mujahid’s resignation was on the cards after Akhtar was forced to resign and very ambitious Khalid became president of the national federation.

Shahbaz Senior was considered to be among the best forwards in the history of field hockey. He played in three Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 1992. He is the only player in history of hockey to win two consecutive player of the tournament awards in the 1990 World Cup in Lahore and in the 1994 World Cup in Sydney. Despite his excellent services for the national game of the country, Shahbaz, who works for Pakistan International Airlines, is not considered suitable for the coveted post by many in the country. His intriguing nature and the revolt he led before the Atlanta Olympics is still fresh in the minds of hockey lovers. Before the Atlanta Olympics 1998, a revolt of such magnitude was unprecedented in the history of Pakistan hockey. On May 26, 1998 as many as 24 of the 32 probables, who were to appear in the one-day Olympic hockey trials at the Karachi camp, rebelled against the team management and the selection committee, refusing to take part unless their demands were met. Shahbaz declared that he wanted the ouster of manager Col (r) Mudassar Asghar, coach Manzoorul Hassan and the disbandment of the selection committee. Since completing his overseas posting with the PIA, Shahbaz Senior, like his president, was ‘trying his level best’ to get hold of the PHF’s prized post. It is pertinent to mention that Jamali was the chief selector at that point of time and it seems he has still not forgiven Shahbaz Senior for his misdemeanours of 1998.

The Daily Times



Jamali unhappy with new PHF management


Former hockey president has called a meeting to review appointments. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who is also the head of the probe committee set up by the Prime Minister to uncover the reasons for Pakistan hockey team’s inability to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, expressed his discontent with the recent changes in the sport’s management.

According to a PHF official, newly-elected PHF president, Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, along with secretary Shahbaz Ahmed, met Jamali during their visit to Karachi where the former president expressed his dissatisfaction with the management’s overhaul.

Jamali also informed the duo that the Prime Minister is also unhappy with the new appointments.

“We have met him [Jamali] and he has some suggestions to ensure the placement of a foolproof system at the PHF,” informed Khokhar. “We will be discussing the matter before taking any further decisions.”

The probe committee was tasked with the responsibility of unearthing the reasons for the Greenshirts’ poor showing in recent events and the Prime Minister had asked Jamali to select the new management and give the PHF a new direction.

However, as the high officials were busy reviewing the report containing the findings of the probe committee, Akhtar Rasool resigned from his post as the president of PHF, thereby paving the way for Khokhar to be elected as the new chief of Pakistan hockey’s governing body.

Jamali has now called up both Khokhar and Ahmed to the next PHF meeting in Islamabad and, according to the official, major changes are expected in the management once again.

The Express Tribune

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