News for 26 March 2016
All the news for Saturday 26 March 2016
Rot Weiss, Atletic, Kampong, Leuven all through
KHC Leuven, Rot Weiss Köln, Atlètic Terrassa and SV Kampong took their place in the KO8 on a day of high drama at the Euro Hockey League KO16 in Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium.
In one of the most memorable games in the competition’s history, Rot Weiss beat fellow German side and three-time champions UHC Hamburg 5-3. Marco Miltkau and Christopher Rühr were the stars of the show, the former scoring a hat trick while the latter created the chances.
They led throughout after both players netted within the first five minutes. UHC got one back from a Florian Fuchs special. But Mats Grambusch and Miltkau kept pushing Rot Weiss further ahead to keep them out of range of their Hamburg rivals, leading at 3-2 at half-time and 4-3 at the end of the third quarter.
Miltkau’s brilliant third meant there was no way back for UHC, finalists last year, and Rot Weiss advance to the KO8 on Sunday.
There, they will play SV Kampong who were too strong for Racing Club de France who were taking part in the KO16 stage of the competition for the very first time.
Early goals from Bjorn Kellerman and Quirijn Caspers meant they were in a comfortable position and they were never truly troubled. Caspers, Constantijn Jonker and a delightful Philip Meulenbroek goal stretched the lead to 5-0 by the three-quarter mark.
Martijn Havenga added a corner goal before Jacinto Domingo-Perez drew the biggest cheer of the game when he tipped in for a Racing consolation goal.
Kampong’s match with Rot Weiss will take place at 2.30pm (CET) on Sunday.
In the other section of the draw, Belgium’s Leuven left it late before running out handsome 7-2 winners over Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan in the opening game. Incredibly, they did trail at three quarter time as Waldemar Rataj and Tomasz Dutkiewicz had nudged the Poles into the lead.
But an amazing run of six goals in ten minutes between the 46th and 56th minute saw Leuven run riot with Tommy Willems scoring twice in the madness.
They will face Atlètic Terrassa on Sunday after they stunned KHC Dragons in a dramatic finale in which Marc Calzada saved three times in a shoot-out. Dragons looked on course for the KO8 place when Florent van Aubel’s through-the-legs deflection had them a goal ahead.
But Marc Pujal just cleared the line with a corner rebound with the last play of the game to make it 1-1. His goalkeeper Calzada then took over with three brilliant saves to win out 3-2.
KHC Leuven’s KO8 date with Atlètic Terrassa is at 12.15pm on Sunday afternoon.
Saturday sees the other half of the draw lock horns. Russian side Dinamo Kazan face Harvestehuder THC at 10.30am before the all Spanish battle of Real Club de Polo and Club Egara takes centre stage at 12.45pm.
Wimbledon make their EHL debut against hosts AH&BC Amsterdam at 3pm while reigning champions Oranje Zwart complete the day with an enticing tie against Belgium’s Royal Leopold.
Euro Hockey League media release
Leuven hit Grunwald for six late final quarter goals
KO16 –KHC Leuven 7 (T Willems 2, T De Groote, G Garcia, G Deront, T Genestet, F Bourdeaud’hui) WKS Grunwald Poznan 2 (W Rataj, T Dutkiewicz)
Six final quarter goals saw KHC Leuven bounce back to beat WKS Grunwald Poznan and reach the KO8 on their return to the EHL after six years away.
They looked in trouble, though, as they trailed 2-1 at the three quarter mark to a spectacular Waldemar Rataj effort and a drag-flick from Tomasz Dutkiewicz after Guillermo Garcia’s brilliant opening goal.
It was a thing of beauty, twisting out of a tackle before unleashing a reverse stick shot to the top corner. Rataj equalised when Dutkiewicz launched a 70m pass to him in the circle and he guided past Julien Schoo Lans first time to make it 1-1 before Pozan went ahead with the last touch of the half.
Poznan clung on to their narrow lead for the third quarter. But Leuven went ballistic in the final quarter with Tom Genestet finally equalising in the 47th minute. It start a run of six goals in ten minutes with Guillaume Deront thrashing in the third goal before Tom De Groote, two from Tommy Willems and one from Fabrice Bourdeaud’hui flipped the game on its head.
Euro Hockey League media release
Miltkau and RWK win epic battle of Germany
EHL KO16 – Rot Weiss Köln 5 (M Miltkau 3, C Rühr, M Grambusch) UHC Hamburg 3 (M Fürste, J Fürste)
Rot Weiss Köln won a simply stunning all-German tussle with Marco Miltkau scoring a hat trick in their 5-3 victory in the second KO16 game.
Rot Weiss got off to the dream start with Christopher Rühr in glorious form, playing on the pass for Marc Miltkau to score a glorious first goal. Rühr doubled the lead in the fifth with an impudent finish on the run for 2-0 but any chance this would an easy tie was wiped out quickly.
Florian Fuchs, with an audacious turn off the baseline, pulled one back for UHC barely a minute later. Mats Grambusch and Moritz Fürste traded goals to move the half-time score up to 3-2 in Rot Weiss’s favour.
Miltkau’s brilliant second goal on the backhand extended the lead to 4-2 but, once again, UHC responded with Jonas Fürste with a mid circle bunt. Miltkau completed his hat trick in the 46th minute when Rühr, once again, placed a perfect cross into his path and the forward touched home at the near post.
And they held that lead in a frantic final quarter, eliminating three time champions UHC and advancing to a KO8 date with either SV Kampong or Racing Club de France.
Euro Hockey League media release
Calzada the Atlètic shoot-out king
KO16 KHC Dragons 1 (F van Aubel) Atlètic Terrassa 1 (M Pujal), Atlètic win 3-2 in a shoot-out
Marc Calzada made three superb shoot-out saves to send Atlètic Terrassa through to a KO8 date with KHC Leuven, stunning KHC Dragons after normal time had ended 1-1.
The first half was one of few chances with Dragons creating the best of them. Van Aubel managed to get away from goalkeeper Marc Calzada but could not fire his shot past the clutches of Jorge Carrera on the line who saved well.
Jeffrey Thys shot over while Thomas Verheijen hit the side-netting from an excellent team move. They were being controlled well from the back by Arthuer van Doren but the killer move was not there just yet.
Atlètic, meanwhile, improved as the game on and forced Loic van Doren into some key saves in the third quarter as time went on. Ignasi Guerrero latched on to a missed overhead pass but the goalkeeper came out brilliantly to limit the danger and, two minutes later, van Aubel gave Dragons a crucial lead.
Arthur van Doren strode forward but, while his shot was saved, it fell for Shane O’Donoghue. His upright effort was heading wide but van Aubel improvised to deflect the ball between his legs at waist height to net.
Atlètic came out of their shell from their shell, especially when Louis Rombouts was in the sin-bin, but they could not find a way beyond the Dragons’ defence until the very last moment.
They won a corner which was shut down initially but a close range rebound was just scrambled in by Marc Pujal – it was judged just over the line by umpire Marcin Grochal and the video review backed him up, sending the game to a shoot-out.
There, Calzada was the king, saving shots from Felix Denayer, Arthur van Doren and Jeffrey Thys to see his team win out 3-2 in the shoot-out.
Euro Hockey League media release
De Wijn looking for Kampong to step up
SV Kampong’s Sander de Wijn says his club are ready to take the last two year’s EHL experience to hopefully make a big impact on this year’s competition, starting with a KO16 date with Racing Club de France.
Speaking to the EHL website, the Dutch star is looking for a big step up from their runs to the KO16 two years ago and the KO8 last time around, saying: “The last years weren’t a big success for us.
“Hopefully we will do better this year and will reach at least the FINAL4. We will take the experience of our last two years with us to prepare as well as possible.
“The first time we were beaten by real cup fighters, Dragons. Everything was new for us and that made a lot of impact. Last year, we were beaten by really strong side UHC Hamburg who won the tournament three times. Now we expect to do better and perform well!”
His side’s season has been on the rise in recent weeks after a tricky start to the campaign saw the Utrecht club drop to seventh in the Hoofdklasse. Since the start of 2016, their form has improved a lot and they are closing the gap on the playoff places quickly.
It follows the return from injury of many top stars and de Wijn says their situation makes “every game like a cup final right now because of our bad results earlier in the first half of the competition.
“We had a good few days with each other in Marrakech as preparation for the second half of the season. We spent a lot of time together after a long winter break. Some guys were injured, some with the national team and some played indoor. Now everyone is in good condition, focused and really looking forward to every game.
“The first half of the season we had a lot of injuries for a long period. It was every week a question with how many players we would heva.
“Our goalie, penalty corner man and some other first eleven players. We had to appeal to young players from the under 18 squad to join the team; they did really well, but it was difficult to fit everyone into the right place.”
Since many of those players have returned, things are looking much rosier and they meet Racing Club de France in a confident state.
“They are a good quality team with some French international players so it's gonna be tough, but I have confidence in a good result and that we will make it to the next round!
“With a potential win, we could draw UHC Hamburg. Revenge is my opinion not the right word – it has something negative. It's more the eagerness to win this time.
“But if we win versus Racing it's gonna be a big clash against one of the two top teams in Germany. Both teams have international top players an could be an amazing clash for everyone to watch and to see skills at top level!”
Euro Hockey League media release
Kampong cruise into KO8
KO16 SV Kampong 6 (Q Caspers 2, B Kellllerman, C Jonker, P Meulenbroek, M Havenga) Racing Club de France 1 (J Domingo-Perez)
SV Kampong cruised into the KO8 with a big win over Racing Club de France, playing their first match ever in the knock-out stages of the EHL.
Early goals from Bjorn Kellerman and Quirijn Caspers meant Kampong were in a comfortable position and they were never truly troubled.
Caspers, Constantijn Jonker and a delightful Philip Meulenbroek goal stretched the lead to 5-0 by the three-quarter mark and a Martijn Havenga drag-flick stretched the lead even further.
The biggest cheer of the day, however, came from the sizeable Racing contingent when Jacinto Domingo-Perez tipped in at the right post.
Euro Hockey League media release
Day two promises thrills and spills
Euro Hockey League – KO16 Day two preview
After a day one full of thrills and spills, day two promises to bring more of the same with four cracking ties up for decision and four more tickets to Monday’s KO8 on the table. Here’s the breakdown of all the games.
- Dinamo Kazan vs Harvestehuder THC, 10.30am (CET)
Perennial Russian champions, Dinamo Kazan - along with WKS Grunwald Poznan - are one of only two ever-present sides to be playing in their ninth EuroHockey League. They top the Russian league but have not played outdoors since early October as the long winter kicks in for Kazan.
Pakistani star man Imran Warsi has moved on so Adnan Maqsood is their sole Pakistani representative. There is plenty of Russian international quality in Ilfat Zamalutdinov, Pavel Golubev, Marat Gafarov, Anton Kornilov, Alex Koroliev, Nikolay Yankun and Alexey Mayorov.
They meet the 2014 champions who are playing in their third EHL having swept past Austria’s HC Wien and Scottish representative Grange last October in front of a raptured home crowd in Hamburg. Since then, they have moved into third place in the German league.
Germany’s double Olympic gold medallist and 2010 FIH Young Player of the Year Tobi Hauke is widely regarded as one of the world’s finest players while Austrian international Michael Körper is a penalty corner expert of the highest quality with a knack for scoring crucial winners.
Benjamin Stanzl has moved to Oranje Zwart while Richie Dawson-Smith has returned to England. On the plus side, former English Under-21 players Brendan Creed, George Farrant and David Goodfield arriving.
- Real Club de Polo vs Club Egara, 12.45pm (CET)
Real Club de Polo come into the EHL in superb form, leading the Spanish league with only one loss on their record but that did come against their KO16 opponent Club Egara.
Last year, Polo fell to Rot Weiss Köln 2-1 in the KO16. Alex Casasayas, Salva Piera, Manel Terraza and Xavi Lleonart have plenty of top level experience while Borja Llorens offers a corner threat. They will miss the experience of Roger Padrós though, following his retirement while Ramon Alegre has returned to Kampong.
Argentina super star Lucas Vila is a brilliant additions and they will look to reach the FINAL4 for the first time since 2010.
For Egara, they have reached the KO8 in three of their four previous EHL experiences and will be hoping to edge out their local rivals. There is plenty of experience to hand with Spanish legend Edi Tubau the catalyst for their attacking prowess while they have an excellent goalkeeper in Quico Cortes.
- Wimbledon vs AH&BC Amsterdam, 3pm (CET)
The surprise package in England, they won the Premier League in breathtaking fashion in April 2015 with an 8-5 win over East Grinstead to win their first national crown.
It owed a lot to Australian rising star Blake Govers who scored five times in the final. He has returned to his home nation and will be missed but there is plenty of international experience in their line-up. Ian Sloan is a rising star while Alistair Brogdon, Henry Weir, Michael Hoare, James Bailey and Phil Roper bring plenty of England international experience.
Belgian Loic Cerulus, former Kampong man Pieter Wiegman and ex-Amsterdam man Steven Ebbers bring a cosmopolitan vibe. They have earned an English league playoff place with a fourth place finish.
They face an AH&BC Amsterdam side looking to finally win the title having claimed three medals in four previous EHL attempts.
They bring plenty of star power with drag-flicker Justin Reid-Ross at the head of their corner options while Valentin Verga, Mirco Pruyser and Billy Bakker will create the chances. Scottish sharp-shooter Kenny Bain has added to their options after a few strong seasons with Hurley THC. It has helped them to the top of the Dutch Hoofdklasse with four rounds remaining.
- Oranje Zwart vs Royal Leopold, 5.15pm (CET)
The reigning champions, Oranje Zwart enter their fourth Euro Hockey League campaign at the KO16 stage at Easter 2016 as one of the sides to watch.
Bob de Voogd was the hero last Easter at Bloemendaal, scoring the critical shoot-out effort against UHC Hamburg. He is one of their key men once again along with the likes of Sander Baart, Rob van der Horst, Niek van der Schoot, goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch and drag-flick artist Mink van der Weerden.
Of their winning panel, Gabriel Dabanch has departed for Royal Leopold while Thomas Briels returned to Dragons but they will still be one of the key contenders in the ninth edition of the EHL. They sit second in the Dutch Hoofdklasse.
Leo are making their second appearance in the Euro Hockey League having reached the KO16 in their debut season in 2012/13.
Leo currently are third in the Audi Hockey League and have strengthened their hand significantly from last season with the return of Elliot van Strydonck from last year’s champions Oranje Zwart while Spanish star Gabriel Dabanch has made the same move.
With Agustin Mazzilli also in situ along with Dimitri Cuvelier, Dorian Thiery and Max Plenneveaux, the Brussels-based side has plenty of quality. They reached the KO16 with a 9-3 win over Italian debutants SG Amsicora and 3-0 against Russia’s Dinamo Elektrostal.
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Hashtags: #EHL #EHLhockey #KO16
Euro Hockey League media release
U-21 USMNT Begin Europe Tour to Prepare for Pan American Championship
EUROPE – The U.S. U-21 Men’s National Team traveled to Europe to contend in a five match series to prepare for the 2016 Pan American Championship in May located in Toronto. From March 25 to April 1 the team will play against top European clubs.
“The opportunity that the junior team has to be playing in one of the strongest hockey nations is fantastic,” said Chris Clements, U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach. “Having the experience playing against men’s and boys team while on the tour will create a lot of learning moments for the players in staff while putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the Pan American Championship. Couple that with watching the EHL 16 team knockout showcasing the best clubs in Europe as an entire package, this will be a great tour!”
Schedule:
Friday, March 25 - USA vs KZ A1 at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 26 - USA vs Breda A1 at 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 29 - Naarden H1 at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30 - Xenios H1 at 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 1 - Reigers H1 at 8:45 p.m.
*Games are listed in local time
U-21 USMNT European Tour 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.).
USFHA media release
U-21 USMNT Fall Against Klien Zwitserland in Back-and-Forth Battle
The U.S. U-21 Men's National Team landed in Holland together as a team Wednesday afternoon and settled into their accommodations safely and with great excitement of the development and matches that are on the schedule throughout the 10 days abroad.
Thursday was a day that consisted of just one-night training session at the practice facility, Naarden Hockey Club. This will be the home of all of the U-21 USMNT training sessions this tour. Working out the travel in the legs and getting touches on the ball was a great start to the tour. Friday morning was their second training session and this carried a bit more intensity but was shorter in duration to make sure they were well prepared for their first match against Klien Zwitserland at 3:00 p.m. local time.
A mixed side of their first U-19 Team and their first Men’s Team, Klien Zwitserland was a formidable opponent who certainly demonstrated how top hockey is to be played. In the early minutes of the match, USA earned a penalty corner where Sean Cicchi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) was able convert the team's first penalty corner opportunity. Klien Zwitserland was able to turn the momentum of the match quickly in their favor and within 25 minutes, they were able to capitalize on almost all of their goal scoring opportunities from counter attacks on the outside channels of the field to take the lead 4-1. Before the first half ended, Cicchi was able to convert his second penalty corner with another drag flick into the lower left corner.
“After today’s match, gaining confidence in all aspects of our hockey needs to happen sooner than it has," said Cicchi. "With a disappointing start to our five match stretch, we need to use this tour to gain key confidence in our ability. We understand this will require extreme discipline and a change to how we approach international hockey moving forward. Our ability to earn corners and put pressure on Klien Zwitserland’s defense was a great improvement from when we played Canada in January and I am excited to see our continued growth will be on this tour.”
The second half of hockey was more controlled by the USA who put on considerably more pressure in Klien Zwitserland defensive end. Cicci was able to convert on two more drag flicks off of well-earned penalty corners along with a stroke in the tail end of the second half. By the end of the match, the execution of Klien Zwitserland’s goal scoring opportunities had the final in their favor at 7-4.
With a travel across the Atlantic, and two sessions leading into their first match all within 30 hours, this was an abrupt awakening to what lies ahead in the remaining four matches of this Holland tour in preparation for the 2016 Junior Men's Pan American Championship to be held in Toronto. The top two teams will qualify for the Junior Men's FIH World Cup in December being held in New Delhi India.
“We had a good start in the early minutes, resulting in a couple penalty corners and subsequent goals," said U-21 USMNT Head Coach Rutger Wiese. "The remaining half saw a lack or discipline in key areas of the field where Klien Zwitserland were able to capitalize on all of their opportunities. Discipline and gamesmanship will be an area of focus in the next couple of days training sessions and matches. We are looking forward to the next game tomorrow as these experiences are invaluable to our growth as a team.”
Tomorrow, Saturday, March 26 Team USA will play Breda A1 at 12:30 p.m. local time. Visit usafieldhockey.com more details.
USFHA media release
Dharmaraj's women show improvement
By Jugjet Singh
THE Malaysian woman's senior team have played three matches against the China national juniors in Changzhou, and coach K. Dharmaraj feels his charges are gearing up well for the World League Round Two.
The women lost 4-0, 2-1 and again 2-1 Friday; and will play two more matches in preparation for the WL which Malaysia will host at the end of the year.
Friday, Hanis Nadiah scored off a penalty corner attempt, while in the other 2-1 defeat, Nurul Nabihah scored a field goal.
"In the first match we lost 4-0, but it was fiercely fought, as we had four penalty corners but failed to convert while China had three corners and scored two.
"The girls are here to learn and develop, and they did just that in the next two matches," said Dharmaraj.
"In the second match, I fielded all my players to give them a run-in so that they could put into practice what we learned in our sessions back in Malaysia.
"Some of them adapted to the changes quickly, while some weren't as flexible. Nevertheless, I am happy with the attitude and enthusiasm of the team."
And on Friday's match, Dharmaraj said the team performed well and have begun to adapt to the pace and level of play.
"The three matches have been of high standards. We have many players, like Hanis (Nadiah) for instance, who possess the potential to develop into a world class athlete.
"We have two more matches to play and snatching a win would be great, but our focus is to improve with each match," said Dharmaraj.
The next two matches will be played Saturday and Sunday.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Malaysia have Kiwi test in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup opener
by s. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will open their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey campaign against title-holders New Zealand.
The seven-nation meet at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh from April 6-16 will also see the participation of world No. 1 Australia, India, Pakistan, Canada and Japan.
New Zealand, Australia, India and Canada are using the tournament to prepare for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.
For Malaysia, they are rebuilding a team under new coach Stephen van Huizen in a bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Malaysians returned home on Friday after a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.
In New Zealand, Malaysia played against the hosts and South Korea.
The Malaysians lost twice (1-3 and 0-4), won one (2-1) and drew 0-0 against the Kiwis.
In the two clashes with South Korea, Malaysia recorded a win (3-1) and a draw (3-3).
Against Australia, Malaysia were thrashed in all the three games as they went down 1-7, 0-5 and 0-4.
Stephen said the 25-man team would take a short break before resuming training on March 30.
“It was a hectic tour but a good learning experience for the players, especially the youngsters. We had good quality practice matches against three strong teams.
“The matches showed we still have a long way to go. But I’m happy with their fitness level at this stage but more work needs to be done.
“The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be a good gauge as we embark on rebuilding the team,” added Stephen.
The Star of Malaysia
Scotland youth international results round-up
Fraser Moran, right, celebrates his second goal against Ireland. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray
Scotland's youth international squads were in action against Ireland and in the HDM tournament in the Netherlands today.
We round-up the results below.
Scotland U16 Boys v Ireland
A brace from Fraser Moran and Jacob Tweedie goal gave Scotland U16 Boys a winning start in their three match series against Ireland.
The visitors took the lead early on when Luke Adams' strike following a penalty corner set-play beat Scotland goalkeeper Matthew Taylor.
However, a fantasic solo run from Andrew McConnell set up Jacob Tweedie in front of goal right on the stroke of half-time, the youngster's strike giving the Scots an equaliser in the 35th minute.
Six minutes after the interval, a penalty corner award led to Fraser Moran unleashing a ferocious drag-flick into the top corner, giving Ireland shot-stopper Nick Judeg no chance.
Moran was on target in the 60th minute, this time collecting the ball on the right of the circle to dispatch a low shot past Judeg to put Scotland 3-1 up.
Ireland hit back immediately through Harry Morris, but Scottish determination to see out the match ensured a winning start for the home side.
Scotland U16 Girls v Ireland
Scotland U16 Girls and Ireland served up an entertaining 3-3 draw in the second match of the day in Glasgow.
Two goals from Milly Merry, right, featured in a 3-3 draw against Ireland. Photo Credit: Duncan Gray
Ireland took the lead in the 19th minute when Natasha Twomey was afforded acres of space at the back post to slip the ball past Scotland 'keeper Rachel Strachan.
Nevertheless, Milly Merry put the Scots back on level terms in the 27th minute with a well-taken field goal.
Merry was the heroine again a minute later, coasting into the box and shooting the ball high into the net.
Niamh Shaw puts the away side back on parity shortly after from a penalty corner.
With the two sides locked at 2-2 at half-time, it was the home side who grapsed the mettle, Emily Dark sweetly striking the ball low into the net from a penalty corner.
However, a Yasmin Pratt finish from close range in the 50th minute levelled up the scores at 3-3.
Both sides were unable to trouble the scorers for the remainder of the match, a 3-3 draw the final score.
Scotland U18s v Ireland
Despite a goal from Owen Jenkins-Garcia, Scotland U18 Boys were resigned to a 3-1 defeat by their Irish counterparts in Belfast.
Patrick Longmate, Ewan Mackie, Hamish Robson, Barry Platt, Rory MacDonald and Sean Mahony all made their debuts.
David Jennings, Matthew Nelson and John Guilfoyle were the home side's scorers.
Scotland U18 Girls suffered a similar fate, losing 3-0, with Abbie Russell scoring two goals for Ireland.
Scotland U16 Development HDM
Scotland U16 Girls were in action in the HDM tournament in the Netherlands, drawing 1-1 in their first match before going down to a 4-1 defeat.
Lucy Bliss and Christina Hawes scored for the Scots.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Junior hockey squad named
LAHORE: The national selection committee has also announced the junior squad for a three-match series against Pakistan seniors to be held in three different cities from March 29 to 31.
The selectors have already announced the senior team.
The series is scheduled to start from the first match on March 29 in Sargodha.
The second match, which was to be held in Khushab on March 30 has been shifted to the National Hockey Stadium, which will also host the third and last match on March 31.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Ali Raza, Roman, Hafiz Ali Umair and Usman Ghani5.
Fullbacks: Atif Mushtaq, Hassan Anwar, Zahid Ullah, Faisal Shah and Abid Bhatti.
Halves: Abu Bakar Mahmood, Faizan, M. Junaid Kamal, M. Usman, M. Qasim, Ali Raza, Tanzeem ul Hassan and Sohail Sheraz.
Forwards: Shan Irshad, M. Azfar Yaqoob, M. Dilber, M. Atiq, M. Bilal Qadir, Mohsin Sabir, Rana Sohail, Fahad Ullah, Sami Ullah, Amir Ali, M. Shehar Yar, M. Rizwan, Bilal Mahmood, M. Naveed, Saran Bin Qamar, Khair Ullah and Zeeshan Bukhari.
Dawn
Police aim to tighten grip on top spot
Willis Okeyo (left) of Kenya Police is challenged by Allan Odongo of Parklands Sports Club during their Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium on January 9, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Leaders Kenya Police will be seeking to cement their place atop the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men’s premier league table with victory in their two games this Easter weekend.
Police take on Parkroad Saturday evening at the City Park Stadium before playing Wazalendo on Monday at the same venue.
The cops, who last won the league title in 2013, lead the table with 57 points, two ahead of champions Butali Sugar Warriors who are set to play Greensharks Friday evening at City Park Stadium.
Police won the first leg fixture 2-1 with a brace from talismanic striker Moses Cheplaiti handing the law enforcers the three points. However, Saturday’s clash promises to be closely contested with both teams on form.
Parkroad are on a good run that has seen rise to fourth on the table with 42 points, 15 behind Police.
Police coach Kenneth Kaunda is confident his charges will collect six points in the two matches but warned it won’t be easy.
“These are two tricky matches and we therefore need to play well if we want to collect maximum points,” Kaunda told Saturday Nation Sport.
“At this stage of the season, every point matters and we don’t want to drop any points.”
His Parkroad counterpart Saeed Gakuria believes his charges are facing the league leaders at the right time and will be out to wreck Police’s title ambitions.
“We are having a good season and tomorrow’s (today) match will test how far we have come as a team this season. The lads are fired up to give their all,” he said.
In another encounter, third placed United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) face sixth placed Wazalendo at City Park in what is expected to be an explosive match. The students, who are chasing a top two finish this season, have vowed to vanquish their opponents.
“We dropped two points in Kakamega last week but we are eager to bounce back and claim the three points in our quest to finish second,” USIU striker Alex Kubasu said. 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi travel to Mombasa to face second from bottom Mvita XI at the Mombasa Sports Club.
Defeat for the home side will leave them with a mountain to climb as they battle to stay in the top flight. Mvita are on nine points, five ahead of bottom placed Mombasa Sports Club and six behind 13th placed Parklands Sports Club.
Sikh Union will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 4-3 loss to Kenya College of Accountancy University. The result left them languishing in ninth place, 23 points behind leaders Police.
Daily Nation
Marist hockey tour
Kalesi Mele
A development team from Fiji's Geotech Marist Hockey departed the country yesterday for Auckland for what will be the club's fifth tour overseas.
The club's vice-president Paul Fraser said the ten players were comprised mostly of 19-year-olds that they hope would be able to move up to the senior squad by the end of the year.
"They are just going to learn more about the structure of the game and the basics which is an important part.
"Getting taught here is very hard because they usually follow what they see and we are trying to teach them the correct way which is the whole reason we held back the senior boys and sent in a development team.
"We are just trying to gauge where they are so we can be able to push them up to the senior side towards the end of the year," he said.
This will be the fourth year a team from the club has travelled to New Zealand with the first to Australia.
Fraser added the players had each paid for their own fare with the club providing additional support.
The team will play seven matches within the next 10 days
The Fiji Times
Sam walks the walk for fitness
Black Sticks star Charlton raise awareness of the dangers of obesity through the FABruary movement
Image: Diabetes New Zealand
Black Sticks defender Sam Charlton stepped up to the challenge of fighting obesity by signing up as a FABruary ambassador.
Charlton, who at just 25 has made more than 150 appearances for New Zealand’s women, is among a group of New Zealand sports stars who have joined forces to help raise awareness of the dangers of obesity and its associated by-product, type 2 diabetes.
The FABruary movement - FAB means Fight Against Bulge - started in Australia, but its New Zealand counterpart was founded by former New Zealand and Warriors rugby league representative Clinton Toopi. Other sports stars putting their names to the campaign include: rugby league player Ali Lauitiiti, rugby and sevens star DJ Forbes, former Warriors player Jerome Ropati and rugby union icon Malakai Fekitoa, a member of the All Blacks team that emerged triumphant at the Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.
This year’s FABruary campaign saw the ambassadors working hard throughout the month of February to help shine the spotlight on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle with the aim to encourage people to make healthier choices. Among their activities, the sports stars took part in an online fitness challenge, using Fitbit devices to track their steps and activities. As you would expect from a group of sports stars taking up a challenge, it all became very competitive.
In the race to record the most steps, hockey star Charlton was one of the frontrunners. As she stormed into the lead, one of the competitors sent the following message to her: “Wow, Sam ... what were you doing in the weekend? Some of us are going to have to do about 60,000 steps to catch up but DJ is still in the chase, that's for sure! This is going to be a walking week with only eight days of February left!”
As well as logging their steps and ensuring they walked a minimum of 10,000 steps every day, the group also pledged to give up their favourite treats for the whole of February. They also made other incidental improvements to their health such as taking the stairs rather than the elevator and, rather than driving, opting to either walk or cycle to work, training or college.
While the challenge was an entertaining way to highlight the dangers of obesity and the importance of both eating well and exercising regularly, there is no escaping the fact that it is a very real problem in New Zealand. Current statistics indicate that as many as 31 per cent of all New Zealanders are obese, with a further 35 per cent registering as overweight. This means New Zealand has the third highest adult obesity rate among developed countries.
Charlton, who has a tertiary qualification in nutrition, said it’s hugely important for all New Zealanders to be conscious of what they are putting into their bodies.
“Making healthier choices in what we are eating and drinking, along with being active can make a huge difference on rates of obesity and especially the prevalence of type 2 diabetes,” she said.
“Sugar in particular is an increasing issue and you would be surprised by the amount of sugar that we consume from food and drink. Even cutting out soft drinks for a month will lead to massive health benefits.”
As part of her commitment to FABruary, Sam has pledged to:
• Eliminate unhealthy fast food and takeaways, white carbohydrates, sweets, confectionary and sugary condiments
• Eliminate bottled fruit juices, soft drinks, beer and wine, energy drinks, sports drinks and milkshakes
• Go for a brisk walk before breakfast on an empty stomach, increase incidental exercise, and increase outdoor activities with family, friends or colleagues
To see more about the FABruary campaign click here.
A project such as FABruary is the perfect vehicle for a sports star such as Samantha Charlton to influence her supporters and followers. It is an initiative that very much aligns with the FIH's 10-year strategy - the Hockey Revolution, whose overall aim is to inspire the next generation. To find out more about this strategy, click here.
FIH site