News for 20 February 2016
All the news for Saturday 20 February 2016
Day 1 – EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup, Minsk
A fascinating start on the first day as the EuroHockey Indoor Club Cup got underway in Minsk.
Pool B:
The opening game was a close encounter between Club de Campo Madrid and Ginta, Club de Campo taking the 5 points on offer with a 3-2 win. Next up Sumchanka and Arminen shared the spoils with a 1-1 draw. In the afternoon session Arminen seem determined to make the pool interesting with another draw, this time with Gintra. Club de Campo are romping their way through te pool with another win, this tim 2-4 over Sumchanka. This puts them top of the pool overnight and all the 3 other teams still in contention for the semi-finals.
Ranking Pool B
| Rank | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club Campo de Madrid | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | SV Arminen | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Gintra Strekte Uni HC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 | MSC Sumchanka | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 3 |
Pool A:
In Pool A, Dusseldorf, resplendent in pink are leading the pool with 2 wins under their belts over night. They beat Kampong (featuring many Dutch internationals who won the EuroHockey Championships 3 weeks ago in Minsk) 6-0, they then went on to beat Slavia Praha but a narrower margin of 3-2. Kampong are struggling at the bottom of the Pool as they have yet to earn points on the board. Both the hosts Minsk and Slavia are tied on 6 points, so either can make the semi-finals and so tomorrow morning’s session is critical.
Ranking Pool A
| Rank | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Düsseldorfer HC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
| 2 | HC Minsk | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | SK Slavia Prague | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | SV Kampong | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 |
Links to LIVE STREAM:
EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, Minsk
EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy, Dundee
Day 1 – EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy, Dundee
A super start to the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy, Dundee, with 8 games and all still to play for tomorrow.
Game 1 – Iris Hockey Lambersart v HAHK Mladost HC
A fast paced first half began with an early goal from Iris Lambersart’s Femke Bijen which was quickly equalised by HAHK Mladost’s Maijana Franic. A penalty corner from Marina Abramovic gave Mladost a 1-2 lead but Iris fought back with three goals in succession from Salome Dain, Athena Richard and Justine Duby bringing the half time score to 5-2 Iris Hockey Lambersart.
HAHK Mladost tightened their defence in the second half but only managed to gain one more goal from Abramovic in the 30th minute bring the final score to 5-3 Iris Hockey Lambersart.
Game 2 – HC Rotweiss Wettingen v Highway HC
An evenly contested half with Highway HC dominating possession but had little to show for it. Just before half time the Rotweiss keeper made a great save to deny Highway the opening goal. Rotweiss then countered and took the lead with a penalty corner by Stephanie Walti to go in ahead at the break.
In the second half Rotweiss began to take the game by the scruff of the neck until Highway were awarded a penalty stroke which was converted to make the score 1-1. However, Rotweiss got themselves back on top in the 25th minute with a goal from Elena Trosch to make it 2-1 before grabbing a late double courtesy of Karin Bugmann and another from Stephanie Walti leaving the final score to be 4-1. An evenly contested game but Rotweiss ran out deserved winners.
Game 3 – Bowdon Hightown v Royal Pingouin HC
The game started at a very fast pace with the scores being level at 1-1 thanks to goals from Kayleigh Humphries of Bowdon and Linda Haussener for Pingouin. Pingouin then seemed to take control of the match with two quick-fire goals from Haussner again and Anouk Raes to take them 3-1 up. However, that was not the end of the first half action and three goals before half time from Bowden’s Sally Walton took them into a 4-3 lead at the break.
The second half was very tight with Pingouin grabbing an early goal to bring the scores level. The game seemed to be heading for a draw until Pingouin number 15, Marie Vassart, scored her 3rd goal of the match with a minute remaining to clinch the tie.
Game 4 – Dundee Wanderers v Ards Ladies HC
Wanderers were on the front foot from the first and were rewarded within the first 5 minutes when they found themselves two goals to the good thanks to goals from Vikki Bunce and Charlotte Watson. Watson then hit the post soon after. Another two goals, first from Amanda Maxwell and then another penalty corner from Emily Dark in the next five minutes saw them double their advantage and take a 4-0 lead with only a quarter of the game gone. They then added another two goals to go in 6-0 at the break.
In the second half Wanderers took their foot off the gas a little but still managed to find a way through the Ards defence and Vikki Bunce finished off a fine move to make it 7-0. Ards replied soon after with a goal but it would prove to be no more than a consolation as Wanderers finished off another slick move just before the end of the game to regain their advantage. The match finished with a convincing 8-1 victory for the hosts.
Game 5 – HAHK Mladost v Highway HC
After a tight first 7 mins or so Highway grabbed the advantage with a double from #16 Ugne Chmeliauskaite before HAHK’s Monica Vadic soon pulled one back. The first half was an edgy affair with few chances and Highway went in at the break 2-1 to the good.
Highway started the second half well and doubled their lead with a goal from Kotryna Kartanovic. HAHK then began to dominate play but had little to show for their efforts. Highway took advantage of HAHK not taking their chances and scored again with a penalty corner from Ayla Esen to all but put the game to bed. Dilek Askoy then caught HAHK on the counter attack to make it 5-1 to Highway with a cool finish. Marina Abramovic pulled one back for HAHK through a penalty corner but it was not enough to make a comeback. As HAHK were pushing to get back into the game Highway caught them on the counter once more and finished the game off with a goal from Emine Bahcivan leaving the final score 6-2.
Game 6 – HC Rotweiss v Iris Hockey Lambersart
Lambersart started the better in this game and were rewarded for their early hard work when Fenke Bijen gave them the lead. Rotweiss began to pile on the pressure and were soon caught out by Lambersart who capitalised on a loose ball in the middle of the field which allowed Fenke Bijen to grab her second of the match. As the clock was beginning to wear down towards half-time, Rotweiss pulled a goal back through Stephanie Walti to make it 2-1 at the break.
The second half commenced with Rotweiss being the dominant team whilst they searched for an equaliser. Eventually they were rewarded after Tamara Trosch scored a great goal after good work from her teammates to set her up. The game was neck and neck and it looked like it was heading towards a draw until a mistake occurred in the Lambersart backline. Rotweiss were the quickest to capitalise on this and Tamara Trosch scored again to win it for Rotweiss. An entertaining game with Rotweiss showing great character to come back from two goals down to eventually win 3-2.
Game 7 – Royal Pingouin vs Ards Ladies
Royal Pinguoin made the most of early possession when they opened the scoring within 2 minutes with a goal from Anouk Raes. Ards responded well and equalised 4 minutes later with a good finish from the penalty corner by Chloe Brown. However, they were not level for long when Helene Delphee was on hand to finish off a slick move knocking it passed the stranded goalkeeper to make it 2-1. Linda Haussener then added to that lead with another fine finish to make it 3-1 before Pinouion added another before the break courtesy of an Alix Perrocheau penalty corner.
The second half began in similar fashion to the first with Royal Pingouin taking their chance early on when the ball fell to Marie Vassart who slotted home to make it 5-1. Vassart then added another quickly on the break which all but ended hopes of an Ards comeback. Ards did continue to fight but the Pingouin players outmatched them in almost every area. Anouk Raes added a double which put the final nail in their coffin with just over 5 minutes to play. A convincing win for Royal Pinguoin but Ards Ladies will be disappointed that they let Pinguoin take such control of the game.
Game 8 – Dundee Wanderers v Bowdon Hightown
Wanderers started well and had the majority of possession and made it count early on when Vikki Bunce converted a penalty corner to give them the lead after 3 minutes. Bowdon came back into the tie and piled the pressure on in what was an evenly matched half. In 8 minutes the pressure finally paid off when Sally Walton put home a penalty flick to equalise. Bowdon continued to press and again caught Wanderers on the break and Lisa Garbutt gave them the lead just before half-time.
The second half followed exactly the same pattern with plenty of Wanderer’s possession and Bowdon defending brilliantly to and attack quickly on the break. Bowdon gained a penalty stroke from one of these swift counter attacks and Sally Walton put it away giving Carmin Dow in the Wanderers goal no chance. The game continued end to end until the dramatic final minute. Firstly another break down field led to a field goal from Lisa Garbutt. Then a moment of indiscipline gave Wanderers the chance to salvage a vital point with penalty corner of the stroke of full time. The opportunity was not taken.
Links to LIVE STREAM:
EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, Minsk
EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy, Dundee
Eurohockey media release
Wanderers' promotion hopes hang in the balance
Wanderers' Vikki Bunce scored five goals on day one of the competition. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray
Dundee Wanderers' hopes of reaching the promotion pool stage of the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy hang in the balance after day one at the Dundee International Sports Centre.
Despite an emphatic 8-1 win over Ards HC, a 4-1 defeat at the hands of English champions Bowdon means Wanderers will need to beat Royal Pinguoin HC by four goals or more in tomorrow's final pool match.
A win or draw in the Ards-Bowdon match would also help the home cause.
A first half deluge, including six goals without reply, gave Wanderers an excellent start in their first match against Ards HC.
The Taysiders were four up inside eight minutes, Vikki Bunce, Charlotte Watson, Amanda Maxwell and Emily Dark registering on the scoresheet.
Bunce notched her second of the contest in the 15th minute, before Rachel Osborne's field goal on the stroke of the half-time hooter put Wanderers in a strong position at the interval.
In the 24th minute, Bunce completed her hat-trick with a well-taken first time shot right in front of goal.
Tamara McLeod opened Ards' goalscoring account for the competition four minutes later, only for Bunce to rub further salt in Irish wounds with her fourth goal, and the final goal of the match, sixty seconds after the re-start to round off an excellent team display at 8-1.
Becky Ward, left, battles for the ball against Ards. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray
Wanderers began the second Pool A contest where they left off earlier in the day with Bunce opening the scoring in the third minute with a penalty corner strike.
However, a penalty corner reply from England and Great Britain international Sally Walton levelled up the scores in the eighth minute.
The English side stole a march on the Dundonians shortly before half-time when Lisa Garbutt's field goal put Bowdon in front going into half-time.
Walton ensured further suffering for the home support in the 26th minute, converting a penalty stroke to increase her side's lead to 3-1.
As Wanderers pressed to get back into the match somehow, all hopes were extinguished on full-time when Garbutt's second field goal put a gloss on the result for the visitors, leaving Wanderers to ponder overnight on a must-win game tomorrow.
Full information about the event can be found on the EuroHockey Dundee 2016 website.
Day 2 Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IrWcbXMfss
You can also connect on the event's Facebook page.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Seahorses fly the flag for England
Sally Walton and Amy Tennant defend the Hightown goal
Bowdon Hightown have made the relatively short journey to Dundee in Scotland to compete in the Indoor Club Champions Trophy.
Bowdon qualified by virtue of winning the indoor title last season and find themselves in a group with Royal Pingouin of Belgium, Ards HC of Ireland and hosts Dundee Wanderers. The other pool contains sides from France, Croatia, Switzerland and Turkey.
The Seahorses begin their campaign today at 12:20 against Royal Pingouin with another game at 19:30 this evening against Dundee. They face Ards tomorrow at 11:20 with the classification matches to follow after that.
Despite missing out on the Super 6s title in England this time out, Bowdon will be undaunted by their opponents, boasting as they do some fine indoor exponents including the experienced Michelle Liptrot and Tina Cullen alongside rising stars Amy Tennant and Holly Hunt. With Sally Walton set to continue the form that fired her to the top of the goalscoring charts in the domestic competition Bowdon will be confident of making their mark on the competition.
For full details of the competition visit the tournament website: http://www.eurohockeydundee2016.com/
To watch live coverage of the matches, click here.
England Hockey Board Media release
Double dreams in sight for Wimbledon
Wimbledon's Ali Brogdon. Credit Simon Parker
AFTER beating them back in November, Wimbledon will be aiming to do the double over Surbiton as they battle to reach the play-offs in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division.
Sunday’s match is crucial for both sides, with last season’s champions Wimbledon having climbed into fourth place following their win over Cannock last weekend, while Surbiton are second and looking to keep the pressure on leaders Holcombe.
“We were pleased with our performance last weekend,” said Wimbledon Director of Hockey Ben Marsden. “We feel that, after a couple of disappointing games before the Christmas break, we’ve turned a bit of a corner.
“But Surbiton are an organised team and have been consistently strong so we’re looking forward to it, but we are very aware that we need to bring our very best game.
“It’s very close between ourselves, Brooklands and East Grinstead, and every point will count. Every game will be difficult in the run in to the end of the season, Different teams will face different pressures so it’s going to be unpredictable. But we feel like we’re in a good place and our preparation has been good throughout the season.”
Elsewhere, Holcombe head to East Grinstead on Sunday in search of three points after having to settle for a draw against Reading last weekend.
Having held the leaders to a 3-3 draw, third-placed Reading hosts bottom of the table Canterbury as they bid to keep the pressure up.
For their part, Canterbury scored a shock 4-2 win over Surbiton last Saturday, and will be aiming to secure more points as their battle for survival continues.
And in the top flight’s other match, Beeston host Hampstead and Westminster. Both sides are still within reach of the play-offs, but could also get dragged into the relegation scrap.
In the Men’s Conference East, second-placed Richmond will be looking to keep pace with leaders Southgate when they hosts fourth-placed Cambridge City. Meanwhile, Southgate re also at home, against Teddington.
Leaders Loughborough Students head to Wakefield on Saturday in the Men’s Conference North, while Bowdon host Lichfield. And the University of Durham could move up to second if they beat Preston and Bowdon lose.
Team Bath Buccaneers moved up to second in the Men’s Conference West following last weekend’s win over Guildford, and they will want another three points as they host Isca on Sunday.
Leaders Cardiff and Met are back in action with a match at the University of Exeter, while the University of Birmingham are also in the mix, and travel to Fareham.
FIXTURES – Saturday, February 20
Men’s Hockey League
Men’s Conference North
Wakefield v Loughborough Students 13:30
Men’s Conference East
Brighton and Hove v West Herts 14:00
FIXTURES – Sunday, February 21
Men’s Hockey League
Men’s Premier Division
Reading v Canterbury 14:30
Beeston v Hampstead and Westminster 14:00
East Grinstead v Holcombe 14:00
Wimbledon v Surbiton 14:00
Cannock v Brooklands Manchester University 14:00
Men’s Conference West
University of Exeter v Cardiff and Met 12:30
Indian Gymkhana v Cheltenham 14:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Isca 13:00
Fareham v University of Birmingham 13:30
Guildford v Chichester Priory Park 14:00
Men’s Conference North
Olton and West Warwicks v Sheffield Hallam 13:30
Bowdon v Lichfield 14:30
Deeside Ramblers v Doncaster 13:30
University of Durham v Preston 14:00
Men’s Conference East
Bromley and Beckenham v Harleston Magpies 13:00
Richmond v Cambridge City 13:30
Southgate v Teddington 14:30
Sevenoaks v Oxted 15:00
England Hockey Board Media release
EG face Holcombe as play-off push heats up
East Grinstead's Emily Thorpe has a shot on goal but it is saved by a diving Sarah Ellis. Credit RSK Ghowry
Rivals East Grinstead and Holcombe are preparing for battle in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division, as the push for a play-off spot heats up.
The pair are level on 18 points alongside Clifton, and with five matches left it looks like it will be a close fight to make it into the top four.
“It’s a classic six-pointer!” said East Grinstead coach Mary Booth of Saturday afternoon’s game.
“Holcombe are a very fit team and we have a lot of injuries. But if we can weather the storm and hold them for the first ten minutes we will settle in to it and who knows what can happen?
“We’re the new girls in the league this season and have probably flattered to deceive. We don’t feel under pressure because our aim this season was to stay up and learn from the experience, so all the pressure is on Holcombe for this match.”
Elsewhere, the battle for top spot has seen Surbiton and the University of Birmingham swap places twice in the last two weeks. The University of Birmingham heading to Clifton on Saturday, and could extend their lead to four points as Surbiton are without a game due to Bowdon Hightown’s participation in the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy.
Leicester Grammar School is the venue for a crucial match between Leicester and Buckingham. Bottom of the table Buckingham are desperate for points to avoid the drop, while Leicester could also get drawn in to the relegation scrap, but could also make a late push for the fourth play-off spot.
Finally, on Sunday Reading will host Canterbury and will be looking to avenge the 5-0 defeat they suffered at Polo Farm in September.
Slough’s defeat of St Albans last weekend puts them nine points clear at the top of Investec Conference East and looking like they only need two wins from the remaining five games to secure the title. They entertain Sevenoaks on Saturday. At the other end of the table bottom club Ipswich will surely need to beat ninth placed Maidenhead to retain any chance of avoiding relegation.
In the Investec Conference North, Whitley Bay and Tynemouth climbed off the bottom with a win over Springfields last weekend, and they could climb further if they beat hosts Beeston on Saturday.
Meanwhile, leaders Wakefield go to Loughborough Students, while second-placed Brooklands Poynton head to the UCLan Sports Arena in Preston, the home of Springfields.
And leaders Sutton Coldfield have a home game against Trojans in the Investec Conference North, while Stourport could go top if they beat visitors University of Bristol and Sutton Coldfield lose.
FIXTURES – Saturday, February 20
Investec Women’s Hockey League
Investec Premier Division
Clifton v University of Birmingham 13:00
East Grinstead v Holcombe 13:30
Leicester v Buckingham 14:00
Investec Conference East
Chelmsford v Hampstead and Westminster 12:00
Cambridge City v Wimbledon 12:30
St Albans v Harleston Magpies 13:00
Slough v Sevenoaks 13:00
Ipswich v Maidenhead 14:00
Investec Conference North
Belper v University of Durham 12:00
Loughborough Students v Wakefield 12:30
Beeston v Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 12:00
Ben Rhydding v Liverpool Sefton 13:30
Springfields v Brooklands Poynton 14:00
Investec Conference West
Swansea City v Isca 12:00
Oxford Hawks v Gloucester City 12:00
Olton and West Warwicks v Bristol Firebrands 12:00
Sutton Coldfield v Trojans 14:00
Stourport v University of Bristol 18:00
FIXTURES – Sunday, February 21
Investec Women’s Hockey League
Investec Premier Division
Reading v Canterbury 12:30
England Hockey Board Media release
Telkom Orange on course to seal 18th league title
By BRIAN YONGA
The women's Telkom Orange Hockey team on arrival at the JKIA from the Africa Hockey Club Championships in Lusaka, Zambia on December 20, 2015 where they retained their Africa Hockey Club title. The team will retain their Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s national league crown with a win in either one of their two league games this weekend. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Champions Telkom Orange will retain their Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s national league crown with a win in either one of their two league games this weekend.
Orange take on Mount Kenya University (MKU) on Saturday at City Park Stadium before playing Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) on Sunday at the same venue.
Orange are on 42 points, five ahead of second placed Strathmore University Scorpions who have two matches left compared to Telkom’s four.
The defending champions have dominated the league winning their last 14 matches and only conceding once, scoring 97 goals in their quest for an unprecedented 18th league crown.
Scorpions 1-0 loss to United States International University of Africa (USIU) Spartans last weekend ended their dim hopes of catching the 17 league time champions.
UNBEATEN RUN
A confident Orange coach Jos Openda believes his team can end the season unbeaten and has called on his charges to rise to the occasion this weekend.
“It has been a good run, we have played the best hockey in the league this season and our position is fully justified, we want to end on a high and keep breaking more records, ”Openda told Saturday Nation Sport.
The African club champions hammered MKU 22-0 in the first leg fixture last year and will be favourites to complete the double against their opponents who are bottom of the league with two points and yet to win a single match.
Kenyan International Lilian Aura scored four times during the encounter with Captain Betsy Omalla grabbing a hatrick.
MKU coach James Waruta wants his team to forget the first leg loss and focus on getting a good result in the encounter.
“It is a big match for them (Orange) as they go for the title, we need to be alert and avoid any mistakes that will give our opponents any sort of advantage," Waruta said.
MEN'S LEAGUE
In the men’s premier league, Greensharks will be looking to reclaim third place with victories in their two weekend league assignments.
Sharks take on 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi on Saturday afternoon at City Park Stadium before playing Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCAU) on Sunday.
With the top two clubs not in action this weekend, victory in both matches will see Sharks move eight points behind second placed Butali Sugar Warriors.
In other men’s premier league matches, KCAU play Parkroad on Saturday evening while on Sunday Parkroad will be up against Sikh Union with all matches being played at the City Park Stadium.
In the men’s national league, league leaders Chase Sailors take on third place Kabarak University Saturday afternoon while Sunday Daystar Falcons welcome Kabarak.
Daily Nation
SSTMI-Thunderbolt are the champions again!
by S. Ramaguru
Thunderbolt players celebrating as they thumped Pahang Sports Schools 3-1. - NIK NAIZI / The Star
KUANTAN: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt are Division One champions again – for the sixth time.
They sealed the title with a game to spare, defeating nearest challengers Pahang Sports School (SSP)-MSP-Thunderbolt 3-1 at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium.
Goals from Mohd Amirul Hamizan (28th) Mohd Luqman Hakim (32nd) and Mohd Akhimullah Anuar Essok (56th) were enough to give SSTMI their eighth straight win in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League and an unassailable 24 points.
The Pahang side got their consolation goal through Mohd Izham Azhar in the 63rd minute.
SSTMI have one more match to go – against Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) on Sunday – but that’s of academic interest only.
SSTMI coach Wan Mohamed Roslan was purring with delight after the win, adding that they used the right strategy to beat the Pahang side.
“Credit to the players for following instructions and staying focused,” he said.
“The early stages were even, but we had the upperhand when they played defensively. We wanted to win the game to prove that we are worthy champions.
“I’m proud of my players’ commitment.”
Pahang Sports School’s challenge basically ended on Wednesday, when they could only draw 3-3 with Olak-Tigers.
They had to win against SSTMI to take the title race down to the wire.
Even with Division One top scorer Mohd Idris Samad – with 10 goals to his name – in their ranks, the Pahang side failed to spark into life.
Pahang Sports School team manager Wan Mazlan Isa acknowledged their lack of quality to challenge SSTMI.
“It wasn’t a good performance. We had chances to score in the early stages ... and we should have. That would have put some pressure on them,” he said.
“We didn’t ... and they scored. They were the better team.
“We will shift our attention to the knockout stage. But first, we want to win our last match against Politeknik Malaysia.”
The Star of Malaysia
Squads named for weekend
Squads named for Hockeyroos’ remaining two tests against GB in Perth
With the final two matches of the Great Britain series being played at the Perth Hockey Stadium this weekend, Australia has named their final two playing squads ahead of Saturday and Sunday.
The series is currently tied between the friendly rivals, recording a win each in Bunbury and two draws in Perth earlier this week.
Tickets for the matches are on sale from ticketmaster.com.au and at the gate on the day of the match.
Fixtures & Results
Friday 12 February: Bunbury & Districts Hockey Stadium (4-3 AUS)
Sunday 14 February: Bunbury & Districts Hockey Stadium (1-0 GBR)
Tuesday 16 February: Perth Hockey Stadium (3-3)
Thursday 18 February: 9:00pm AEDT / 6:00pm AWST, Perth Hockey Stadium (2-2)
Saturday 20 February: 6:00pm AEDT / 3:00pm AWST, Perth Hockey Stadium
Sunday 21 February: 6:00pm AEDT / 3:00pm AWST, Perth Hockey Stadium
Live streaming
The Hockeyroos' Great Britain series is being live streamed via Epicentre.TV in Perth.
Hockeyroos' squad v Great Britain
Saturday 20 February 2016, Perth Hockey Stadium
Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD) 221/10
Laura Barden (Kew, VIC) 10/3
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD) 322/70
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 96/2
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 83/9
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD) 95/2
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) [QAS athlete] 15/3
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 160/93
Rachael Lynch (Melbourne, VIC) 142/0
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW) 28/4
Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW) [SASI athlete] 22/2
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC) 169/34
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 197/68
Georgie Parker (Berri, SA) 89/26
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 77/13|
Kathryn Slattery (South Stirling, WA) 39/11
Ashlee Wells (Moe, VIC) 68/0
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW) 36/5
Hockeyroos' squad v Great Britain
Sunday 21 February 2016, Perth Hockey Stadium
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD) 322/70
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 96/2
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 83/9
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD) 95/2
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 159/34
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 160/93
Rachael Lynch (Melbourne, VIC) 142/0
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 87/9
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW) 28/4
Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW) [SASI athlete] 22/2
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 197/68
Georgie Parker (Berri, SA) 89/26
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 77/13|
Casey Sablowski (South Coast, NSW) 235/44
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 141/57
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW) 5/1
Ashlee Wells (Moe, VIC) 68/0
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW) 36/5
Hockey Australia media release
Women’s National Team named for New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay Cup
Shaheed Devji
Eighteen athletes have been named to the Canadian women’s field hockey team which will play in the 2016 edition of the Hawke’s Bay Cup in Auckland, New Zealand from April 2nd-10th.
The eight-team tournament features five of the top women’s field hockey teams in the world: Australia (World No.3), New Zealand (No.4), China (No.5), Korea (No.9), and Japan (No.10). India (No.13), Ireland (No.15), and Canada (No.19) round out the eight.
Prior to the Hawke’s Bay tournament, the Canadian women will play two test matches against the New Zealand Blacksticks women.
The Women’s National Team touring roster is led by active cap leader Thea Culley (Rossland, BC) and fellow team captains Kate Gillis (Kingston, ON) and Danielle Hennig (Kelowna, BC).
Culley, Gillis and defender Abigail Raye (Kelowna, BC), are all expected to play in their 150th senior international matches for Canada during the New Zealand tour.
Coming of a series against the United States in San Diego during which three athletes – Alexis de Armond (Victoria, BC), Nikki Woodcroft (Waterloo, ON), and Rowan Harris (Ottawa, ON) – made their senior international debut, Vancouver’s Thora Rae will do the same during in New Zealand.
The Canadian women last travelled to New Zealand for training and test matches in January 2015.
This year’s test matches with the Blacksticks will be played on March 27th and 28th. Canada will open the Hawke’s bay tournament against Korea on Saturday, April 2nd at 11:00am local t ime.
Canadian Women’s National Team Roster – 2016 Hawke’s Bay Cup
| Name | Position | Hometown |
| Abigail Raye | Defender | Kelowna, BC |
| Amanda Woodcroft | Midfielder | Waterloo, ON |
| Brienne Stairs | Forward | Kitchener, ON |
| Danielle Hennig | Defender | Kelowna, BC |
| Hannah Haughn | Forward | North Vancouver, BC |
| Holly Stewart | Forward | North Vancouver, BC |
| Kaitlyn Williams | Goalkeeper | White Rock, BC |
| Karli Johansen | Defender | North Vancouver, BC |
| Kate Gillis | Midfielder | Kingston, ON |
| Kathleen Leahy | Midfielder | Victoria, BC |
| Maddie Secco | Midfielder | Victoria, BC |
| Natalie Sourisseau | Midfielder | Kelowna, BC |
| Rowan Harris | Goalkeeper | Ottawa, ON |
| Sara McManus | Defender | Tsawwassen, BC |
| Shanlee Johnston | Defender | Vancouver, BC |
| Stephanie Norlander | Forward | North Vancouver, BC |
| Thea Culley | Forward | Rossland, BC |
| Thora Rae | Forward | Vancouver, BC |
Canadian Women’s National Team Staff – 2016 Hawke’s Bay Cup
Head Coach – Ian Rutledge
Team Manager – Nancy Mollenhauer
High Performance Manager / Video Analyst – Stef Sloboda
Athletic Therapist – Rachel O’Brien
Field Hockey Canada media release
Junior Men's Pan American Championship Roster Established by Clements
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – During the course of four intense days of performance evaluations consisting of training, conditioning and lifting, the coaching staff of the U.S. U-21 Men’s National Team has established their Junior Men's Pan American Championship roster.
“The weekend’s camp built upon the performance against Canada and the end of year training camp,” said Chris Clements, Head of the U.S. Men’s National Program. “The athletes have been progressing well from a performance standpoint from tactical, technical, physical, psychological and nutritional standpoint as well as getting closer as a group. The performance behaviors and habits are increasing allowing athletes to make the necessary gains. The constant extension that these opportunities provided the players is much needed. An exciting next few months awaits this group.”
Coming off of their first competition of the year in January against Canada, the Junior High Performance squad aspires to succeed in the Junior Men's Pan American Championship in Toronto in May to earn their way to the 2016 Junior World Cup in New Delhi, India. At the training camp, all facets of hockey were examined including nutrition, maintaining the healthiest lifestyles possible, strategy and cohesiveness.
“From the video tower, you can see the development of this group every session,” said Chris Pothier, U-21 USMNT Performance Analyst. “These training camps have allowed this group of young men to learn team cohesion on and off the field. We are looking forward to this continued growth over the next few months.”
Rutger Wiese, U-21 USMNT Head Coach, commented that playing international hockey and representing the country are what these men are striving to do. It is a high standard to bear and a process that takes consistent commitment. He went on to say the continued improvement in all areas show that the players understand that.
“I am very excited to see where we stand next month when we travel to Europe to compete,” said Wiese. “The next few weeks are crucial for each player as they will train with their high performance centers.”
"In general, this camp was the most positive and productive, in terms of player output, of all the junior camps in the past I have ever been apart of," said U-21 USMNT athlete Sean Cicchi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.). "This group of juniors seem very hungry for a result in Toronto and I do believe that we have the discipline to achieve this result if we continue to make strides in the forward direction, as we did during the camp. Over the weekend we played a series of inter-squad games, however, one side was bolstered with Men's National and Development caliber players. The opposition was a difficult match up and the standard was held high, but the juniors proved that with strong discipline we can achieve results, despite the opponent before us."
To better prepare for the Pan American Championship, the team will travel to Holland from March 23 to April 2 where they'll be competing against various Dutch Senior Men’s and U-21 Men’s club teams in five matches as well as six trainings. These games and trainings are crucial in the buildup to May.
Team USA’s 2016 Junior Pan American Championship Roster:
Doug Allison (Westlake Village, Calif.), Sean Cicchi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Alex Cunningham (Bad Kreuznach, Ger.), Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.), Jaspreet Gill (Placentia, Calif.), Gabriel Herbrechtsmeyer (Hamburg. Ger.), Graeme Jackson (Moorpark, Calif.), Grayson Javins (Paihia, NZ.), Stuart Kentwell (Spring City, Pa.), Amar Khokar (Valencia, Calif.), Ethan La Sala (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), George McGuigan (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Nathaniel O'Lari (Orange, Mass.), Ajit Parmar (Freemont, Calif.), Nicholas Richardson (Kents Hill, Maine), Javieer Singh (Hayward, Calif.), Ruben van Dam (Valkenswaard, Netherlands), Casey Walker (Ventura, Calif.) and Trent Warren (Moorpark, Calif.).
Our team needs your help to make their way to the international stage. Their countless hours of training and undeniable dedication has been for this one moment, this one goal: to excel on a global scale. Please consider supporting Team USA as they prepare for the 2016 Junior World Cup.
Without proper resources there are limitations to providing the U-21 USMNT with the opportunities needed for success. Many of these players are the future of men's field hockey in the United States and could potentially one day represent our country on a larger international scale at the 2020 or 2024 Olympic Games. Please consider making a donation by clicking here.
Keep up with the U-21 USMNT athletes as they pursue gold and glory this year by visiting usafieldhockey.com and following @USAFieldHockey on Twitter.
USFHA media release
Back-checking a Forgotten Legend in field hockey
Burnaby man was an officer and a gentleman — and one of the world’s greatest players
By Mike Beamish
Burnaby’s Balbir Singh Sr., age 92, is the subject of an upcoming book -- The Forgotten Hero -- by Vancouver writer Patrick Blannerhassett. Singh is a three-time Olympic gold medalist in field hockey, playing for India 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne, where he was team captain).
On Friday, Race, a feature film about Jesse Owens — the American track and field athlete who smashed records, racial stereotypes and infuriated the Fuhrer at Adolf Hitler’s 1936 Berlin Olympics — opened in theatres across North America.
Four years ago, as part of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Owens was one of 16 “iconic” athletes celebrated in an exhibition at the Royal Opera House in London, individuals whose remarkable achievements and personal stories shaped the history of the Games beyond simply winning medals.
One of the 16 is perhaps the world’s greatest living field hockey player. You could run into him during one of his daily constitutionals on the sidewalks of North Burnaby, of all places.
Balbir Singh Sr., now a sprightly nonagenarian, is a B.C. resident, when not visiting his only daughter (he has three sons who live in the Lower Mainland) in Chandigarh, India.
He doesn’t appear at card shows to autograph memorabilia, participate at ceremonial faceoffs or speak on the rubber-chicken circuit. To the consternation of Vancouver journalist and writer Patrick Blennerhassett, Singh is the Forgotten Legend, not only in Canada, where men’s field hockey is a fringe sport, but in his native India, where he belatedly was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hockey India annual awards last year.
It was about time. Singh is 92 — a New Year’s Eve baby at the tail end of 1923.
‘His story needs to be told’
The book launch of A Forgotten Legend: Balbir Singh Sr., Triple Olympic Gold & Modi’s New India, is Saturday, March 5. That same day, Blennerhassett and Singh will give a talk on his extraordinary life at Westminster Savings Lecture Theatre, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Simon Fraser University Surrey campus.
“Why does he have to explain to people who he is?” asks Blennerhassett, who went to India two years ago on a fact-finding mission. “Obviously, the book is about him, a factual accounting of Balbir’s life, within the context of what’s happened to his country (over the past eight decades). It’s interesting to see how anonymous he is. ... I just think his story needs to be told.”
Owens’ rise from Ohio State to Olympic hero endures on YouTube clips from Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda film, Olympia, a cinematic legacy of the ’36 Games, where the possibility of Slav, Jewish, black and South Asian athletes challenging Aryan superiority repulsed the Nazis.
In Moga, a city in the Indian state of Punjab, Balbir Singh watched newsreel footage of Owens’ rebuke to the Fuhrer projected onto a tarp in the town square. But the flickering images which most intrigued the young Sikh were those of Dhyan Chand, the slick star centre forward for British Raj India. Chand graduated into legend after leading his country to an 8-1 win over Germany in the men’s field hockey gold-medal final 80 years ago.
“That was a chance for me to see how he (Chand) played as a centre forward,” Singh recalls, impeccably turned out in striped shirt, red tie, red turban and blue blazer for an interview at his son’s home in Burnaby. “I got a chance to play the position and I started scoring goals.”
Singh didn’t become the Indian Roy Hobbs, the fictional baseball hero in Bernard Malamud’s novel, The Natural, but “natural” certainly describes him. He played in three Olympics, the first for India in 1948, a year after the subcontinent gained its independence from Britain, and won two more gold medals in 1952 (Helsinki), where he was team captain and India’s flag bearer, and in 1956 (Melbourne), where he carried the flag for a second time. He scored eight of India’s nine goals in the semis and finals of the ’52 Games, including five in a 6-1 win over the Netherlands in the final. It remains a lasting Olympic record.
He was deprived of a fourth Olympic appearance in 1960, however, when a selection committee left him off India’s team, even though Singh was in the best shape of his life. Conspiracy theorists contend the thought of a minority Sikh surpassing the great Chand, a Hindu hero in a Hindu-dominated society, influenced the decision to drop him before the Rome Olympics.
That theory first raised its contentious head at the ’48 Games, also held in London, when Singh was benched for the next game after scoring six times in a 9-1 win over Argentina. Indian medical students living in England petitioned Krishna Menon, the first Indian High Commissioner to the U.K., to get him back in the lineup.
Singh scored the first two goals in a 4-0 win over Great Britain, then watched the tricolour flag of his newly independent country raised at the Olympic medal ceremony for the first time.
“It was really great, beating our former rulers, our former masters, on their hockey field,” Singh recalls. “They (the British) were very cruel rulers. But, as (Olympic) hosts, they were very nice and very sporting. Very, very sporting. I have many good friends in Britain now.”
Forced to be an officer
His father, a teacher who fought for India’s independence, spent time in and out of prison for his efforts. Police work, therefore, was the furthest thing from Balbir’s mind as a career choice. After refusing entreaties from Sir John Bennett, the British inspector-general who wanted him to play for the Punjab police field hockey team, Singh literally was dragooned into the service.
“I left college quietly, and went off to play in Delhi,” he says. “Sir John Bennett found out. They brought me back in handcuffs and fingerprinted me. I couldn’t run away. My father didn’t want me to be a police officer. When I told him, he said, ‘OK. Be honest and help the poor and the needy, When people are in trouble, help them.’”
Singh is still troubled — “it was hell” — by events of nearly 70 years ago, when the Indian subcontinent was divided. A fifth of the territory and its people formed Pakistan, and Muslims and Hindus engaged in a bloodbath the Sikh police officer was powerless to stop. The delightfully modest Singh remains untroubled, however, by his lack of notoriety — in the land of his birth and in Canada, which he first visited in 1972.
“The entire credit goes to my parents, my coaches and my teammates,” says the triple Olympic gold-medal superstar, who went on to coach and manage India to its last World Cup title in 1975. “I played for India. I was just one of the players.”
Some player.
The Vancouver Sun
Supporting National Growth (SNG) in Split, Croatia!
HC Spartanac Split
Supporting National Growth (SNG) targets coaches and coach educators in our Developing nations. It helps get hockey started in new regions, or provides support to existing regional programmes.
In early 2015 the EHF Coaching group staged a Supporting National Growth (SNG) coach seminar in the Croatian cities of Zagreb and Sveti Ivan Zelina as part of the support package to grow hockey in Croatia. Croatia has a development project called “Hockey outside Zagreb”. 1 young PE student (Nikola Barbaric) from Split attended these seminars and got hooked on hockey.
Nikola Barbaric went back home and shared the knowledge that he had gained with Luka Androja and together they formed a new club, HC Spartanac Split, in May 2015. On 18th December 2015 their new hockey club became officially affiliated to Croatian Hockey Federation and their new team competed for the first time in the Croatian National Indoor Championships later in December.
The last time hockey was played in Split was in 1979 when the city hosted the Mediterranean Cup. So 36 years later hockey has again been introduced to this coastal region.
Croatian Hockey Federation has selected Split region to take part in a twinning project with EHF/KNHB during 2016/17 so we hope that such support will enable them to grow hockey and sustain several clubs in the future
EHF congratulates Croatian Hockey and especially Nikola and Luka for the energies they have shown to develop and grow hockey. Hockey club Spartanac are searching for some indoor hockey side boards. If any club has some used ones that they no longer use please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Eurohockey media release
Two years in, FIH West Africa Programme continues to inspire
Photo: Siegfried Aikman
The FIH Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) in West Africa is now two years into its existence and the results are there for all to see.
Real ambition to improve hockey in the region drove the stakeholders to set six desired outcomes – a tough ask of a four year programme, but a task that all the parties involved were prepared to work hard to achieve.
FIH, England Hockey, UK Sport, the African Hockey Federation and the Ghana Hockey Association came together to devise a plan to meet the outcomes in a real show of partner working.
Chief executive of England Hockey, Sally Munday, summed up her organisation’s commitment to the project when she spoke about the enthusiasm of the Ghana women’s team when they visited England and Great Britain’s headquarters at Bisham Abbey for a two-week training camp. “You can’t help but get swept up in the enthusiasm. If we can share knowledge and expertise to help develop hockey in West Africa, then that is the dream of this project.”
The six outcomes for the TAP programme were:
to improve the standard of coaching and umpiring throughout Ghana and neighbouring countries
for the Ghana women’s team to qualify for a World level tournament by 2022
to increase opportunities for high quality, international hockey across the West African region
to make available more equipment and resources for hockey delivery in the region
a chance to attract sponsorship and commercial opportunities surrounding hockey in Ghana and West Africa
to build at least one more artificial hockey pitch in Ghana.
Here is how some of those targets have been met over the last few months.
By June 2015, a team of FIH Coach Educators, led by Siegfried Aikman of the Netherlands and England’s Darren Cheeseman, had trained 21 Level One coaches and 18 Level Two coaches. The trainees hailed from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Togo, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. In the same time scale, 21 umpires were trained under the guidance of FIH Umpire Educator, Mark Jarvis.
At the EuroHockey Championships, held in London during the summer of 2015, 1,200 sticks were collected and sent to the TAP organisers. This goes a long way towards meeting the four-year target of 4,000 sticks. TAP West Africa is hopeful of achieving its target of 4,000 sticks, 4,000 balls and 20 goalkeeper kits by 2018. And with one of the biggest challenges – how to transport the kit to West Africa – answered by logistics company DHL’s offer to help with transport, that target seems less mountainous.
Of course, one of the most obvious measures of the success of the programme is how the teams perform. In October 2015, Ghana women finished second in the continental qualifier for the Rio Olympics, the African Hockey Championships.
Ghana will also be competing in the Hockey World League Round One, and if all plans come into place – will be hosting the event in September on a new artificial surface. England Hockey and FIH event staff will be working to help the local organisers to run the event to FIH standards.
Looking to the year ahead, the FIH Hockey Academy TAP Team of Cheesman, Aikman and Jarvis will be delivering Coach Education and Umpire Education courses, plus further elite training for the Ghana Women’s team and coaching clinics in Accra and Kumasi for youngsters. To support the French-speaking West African countries, Michel Kinnen from Belgium will deliver programmes in French.
“Many development projects across many sports will make a difference in the short term,” says Mike Joyce, FIH Sports Services Manager, who has responsibility for the TAP Programme. “We want to make this long term and sustainable. The expert help we are giving now means that the national associations will be able to continue the work in the future.”
The FIH Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) is our global initiative to support our Continental Federations and National Associations in the development of long-term sustainable development projects or programmes.
TAP provides funding and/or support in kind to our National Associations via their Continental Federations for specific projects that are relevant to our ten-year strategy for hockey - the Hockey Revolution.
For more information on TAP, click here.
FIH site