News for 22 May 2016
All the news for Sunday 22 May 2016
Chile scores late goal to secure win in nailbiter against Canada
Tight game between Chile and Canada ends in Chile capturing last minute goal, giving them another 3 points to put them ahead in the competition
Kaelan Watson
Photo: Yan Huckendubler
A cloudy day-two opened up with a morning match between Trinidad & Tobago and Puerto Rico. Keeping in theme with yesterday’s matches T&T came out firing and sunk a goal against the Puerto Ricans in the first fifteen seconds of the match. They proceeded to maintain possession almost exclusively in Puerto Rico’s defensive half which allowed for an easy additional six goals leading into halftime. Puerto Rico played a gritty style of defense but Trinidad managed to execute seven goals in the second half of the game, finalizing the score at 14-0. The game’s score-line is evidence that T&T’s ability to solve their issue seen in yesterday of maintaining focus throughout the entirety of the game. They were unrelenting inside the circle and scored an equal number of goals in each half.
Argentina faced the USA in the second match of the day. They snagged a very lackluster goal in the sixth minute of the game by way of a sweep hit from the stroke spot. The two teams took turns outpacing each other, though the play had a tendency to stay in the USA’s defensive end which eventually led to Argentina’s second goal resulting off a penalty corner in the thirty-first minute. The Argentinians had one final exciting opportunity when a young Tomas Domene shaved the ball of an American defender and released a quick shot on goalkeeper Nathanial O’Lari. A rapid fire shot-save routine was carried out between O’Lari and Argentinian attackers, requiring O’Lari to make three consecutive saves before the ball eventually exited the field of play, keeping the score at 2-0 going into halftime. Argentina continued to frequent the American’s side of the pitch in the second half and made began to make a habit of putting points up on the board. They turned their game pace up a notch which allowed them to find the back of the net 6 more times before the match came to an end. Although the American’s displayed an elite skillset throughout the course of the match, they suffered an 8-0 loss to the classic smooth and speedy Argentinian style of hockey.
Guyana and Mexico took the field for the third game of the day. Guyana was first to score and nearly snuck in a second goal that would secured them would a two goal lead early in the game. Mexico remained patient in their attack and ended up retaliating with a spectacular goal that would top the charts of any sports highlight reel: Miguel Othon entered the circle and released a shot that was destined to sail wide of the far post until Raymundo Lemus flew in horizontally to deflect the ball, in midair, into Guyana’s net. The momentum from this superman style goal led Mexico to confidently pop in their second goal less than five minutes later taking them into the second half with a one goal lead. Mexico secured their lead with a third goal only twenty-six seconds into the second half. The majority of the game was played between the two 25 yard lines but where Guyana failed to capitalize was where Mexico seemed to excel: in the circle. Mexico obtained five more goals which brought them to a final score of 7-1 and earned them their second win of the tournament.
Both Canada and Chile were quick onto the pitch following the third game to prepare for what would turn out to be an evenly matched game. The game unfolded as one the most exciting of the day. There was plenty of back and forth play between the teams, but Canada and Chile struggled to finish inside the circle. Both teams adopted an aggressive style of play and animosity appeared to develop between the two sides as the scoreboard remained stagnant. The score remained nil-all making this the first match to enter into half time with no score and the first match to enter as a tie. The pace of the second half was remarkably fast and appeared only to increase as the game progressed. Canada finally found their break when a penalty corner in the forty-first minute resulted in Kabi Aujla finding the back of the net with a perfectly placed drag flick. Chile was not discouraged and managed to snag a goal for themselves in the sixty-fourth minute. Canada, under pressure to earn back their lead, turned over the ball in a critical play that provided Chile with the opportunity they needed to take the lead. Chile capitalized on Canada’s error and pulled ahead by one goal with only two minutes remaining in the match. Canada was unable to tie up the game with the limited time available and handed Chile the three points they were hoping for.
Today’s games were tough in all senses of the word. Each team played high caliber hockey, making no match a cakewalk despite what some final scores may suggest. Everyone seemed to feed off of each other’s grit and determination making for physical games that promise for some healthy rivalries when heading into the final rounds. Tomorrow is a rest day for the teams to prepare for Monday’s matches; which will determine team placements for the quarter final round.
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
Chile scores two late goals to get by Canada at Junior Men’s Pan Ams
Shaheed Devji
Canadian captain Brandon Pereira (middle) is surrounding by Chilean player at the 2016 Junior Men’s Pan American Championship May 21, 2016 in Toronto (Photo: Yan Huckendubler)
A late surge by Chile resulted in Canada’s Under-21 men being handed their second loss of the 2016 Junior Men’s Pan American Championship Saturday in Toronto.
Goals in the 64th and 68th minutes, largely against the run of play, secured the victory for the Chileans, who join Mexico at the top of Pool B. Each team has two wins and six points after two days of competition. Canada remains winless and pointless in the tournament after one-goal losses in both of its first two matches.
“In order to win you need to play 70 minutes of hockey, you can’t play 55 minutes,” says Canadian goalkeeper Iqwinder Gill, who started Canada’s first game against Mexico and played the first half against Chile. “The biggest thing is play consistent hockey and we should be fine.”
It looked as though the Canadians would be just fine on Saturday, as Canada was the team in control for the better part of the match.
After a slow start for both teams, the Canadians picked up the game’s first good scoring chance in the 12th minute when Brandon Pereira hammered a hard sweep into the circle and it was deflected on goal by Kabir Aujla, but Chilean goalkeeper Agustin Araya made the save.
Canada had another chance five minutes later when Thomson Harris flipped a ball over a defender’s stick and fired a shot on goal from the baseline. His attempt was also stopped.
The Canadians kept coming waves throughout the first half and in the 19th and 23rd minutes had their best chances to score, both off the stick of Amrit Sidhu.
First, Sidhu showed off his stick-handling skills by going through three Chilean defenders and putting a backhand on goal. It was turned aside. Then, Sidhu was all alone in front and fed a pass but his first-time shot went over the goal.
After Gill made two saves – one a diving effort on Chile’s first penalty corner near the end of the first half – the teams went into the half-time break scoreless.
The second half was slow to start, but in the 41st minute, Canada picked up its first corner of the game.
Brandon Pereira, who scored on a dragflick Friday against Mexico, took the ball and tried to replicate his effort from the previous night. His attempt was stopped, but the ball popped up and standing at the doorstep was Aujla, who batted it out of the air and into the net for the game’s first goal.
After Nicolas Renz hit the post on a Chilean penalty corner in the 64th minute, it looked as though Canada was on its way to victory and the three points. But only moments later, a strange play resulted in the tying goal.
From outside the circle, Juan Amoroso played a bouncing ball into the Canadian area and it ended up in the Canadian goal. The ball was slightly redirected by Nicolas Bravo before going in and the game was tied. Goalkeeper Cameron Bonney – who came into the game at the start of the second half – was slow to react, looking like he didn’t pick up the deflection.
To add insult to injury, only four minutes later in the 68th minute, Canada was outnumbered in front of its own goal and Jose Hurtado put the ball by Bonney after a cross-goal pass to put Chile ahead 2-1.
Much like its first game against Mexico, Canada would rue not converting on its early opportunities as time would run out and Canada suffered its second loss in as many games.
Canada now has a day off before facing Guyana on Monday at 2:30pm PT/5:30pm ET. Guyana is also winless and both teams will be looking to pick up the three points and finish in third in Pool B, to avoid playing the top seed in Pool A in the quarterfinal.
Monday’s match can be watched live online here.
Field Hockey Canada media release
U-21 USMNT Continue Jr. Pan Am Pool Play Against Argentina
Photo courtesy of PAHF
TORONTO - May 21, 2016 - Today’s match-up between the U.S. U-21 Men's National Team and Argentina saw 35 minutes of disciplined hard-work undone by a second half display that the Team USA were left to rue.
Sitting deep against one of the top teams in the world at both senior and junior level, the USA contained their South American opponent limiting them to speculative efforts that looked for deflections. On the forward line Casey Walker (Ventura, Calif.) and Javieer Singh (Hayward, Calif.) worked hard to limit space, while Nick Richardson (Kents Hill, Maine) in defense had arguably his strongest game in a USA jersey.
Offensive opportunities were hard to come by but that didn’t stop the USA from looking to get back in the game after finding themselves two goals down. Regardless of the score the USA didn’t stop working as they tirelessly pressured the ball. It was a tactic that served them well.
The second half, however, was a different story. And change in tack from Argentina saw an increased attack including far more one-on-one situations and the compact USA structure began to fray. In goal, Nate O’Lari (Orange, Mass.) was exceptional preventing both penalty corner and field efforts from finding the back of the net on numerous occasion. Too many times though he was powerless to prevent his goal being breached as the Argentina team started to show their experience and talent as the game wore on. The final score was 0-9.
“It was a tough lesson for this young team, but one that is crucial for their development," Rutger Wiese, U-21 USMNT Head Coach. "We played one of the top teams in the world and if you switch off for one second you’ll get punished. We saw that today, but if we use this experience going into our next game against Trinidad and Tobago I think it will be of benefit in the long-run. We will come together, regroup and I’m looking forward to seeing our response on Monday.”
Game three of pool play for the USA continues Monday against Trinidad and Tobago. Watch it live by clicking here.
USFHA media release
T&T clobbers Puerto Rico 14-0
T&T’s Teague Marcano, left, is congratulated by his older brother Tariq Marcano after scoring the opening goals versus Puerto Rico in their Pool A match of the 2016 Junior Pan American Hockey Championship at the University of Toronto, Canada, yesterday. T&T won 14-0.
Kristien Emmanuel scored a beaver-trick as T&T national Under-21 hockeymen rebounded from a 5-0 loss to ten-time reigning champions Argentina on Friday with a 14-0 clobbering of Puerto Rico when the 2016 Junior Pan American Hockey Championship continued at the University of Toronto, Canada, yesterday.
In addition to Emmanuel, Teague Marcano and Dylan Francis scored two goals each for the Darren Cowie-coached T&T stickmen to move into second spot in the four-team pool with three points from two matches behind the Argentines who swept past USA 9-0 in yesterday’s second match. USA defeated Puerto Rico 8-0 on Friday.
Coming off the loss to Argentina, T&T led by goalkeeper Kwasi Emmannuel was eager to put up a big total against Puerto Rico, and within a minute of the flick off Marcano had T&T ahead 1-0.
T&T then had to wait until the tenth minute for its second goal via Francis before Eammnuel got his first some seconds later for a 3-0 cushion while Jarryon Paul made it 4-0 in the 16th minute with another field goal.
The “Calypso Stickmen” then showed they had done their home work on set plays, when the trio of vice-captain Jordan Reynos (20th), Kieron Emmanuel (24th) and Marcus Pascal (27th) all scored from penalty-corner plays for a commanding 7-0 lead at the end of the first 35-minute half.
It took T&T five minutes to add to its tally after the restart with Kristien Emmanuel scoring his second of the match from the outfield quickly followed by items from Jovan Wren (42nd) and Marcano (43rd) for a handsome 10-0 advantage.
With goal-difference likely to come into play ahead of its final round-robin match with USA on Monday, T&T continued to pile on the pressure and despite a brief period of some resistance from Puerto Rico added four more goals through Francis (58th), Che Modeste (59th), and Kristien Emmanuel, in the 62nd and 65th to complete his beaver-trick and the team’s resounding victory and ahead USA which also has three points but a goal-difference of minus-one to T&T's plus-nine.
Argentina improved to maximum six points from two matches after it defeated USA and will face Puerto Rico in its final round-robin match on Monday from 12.30pm On Friday in Pool B, Chile whipped Guyana 7-1, and Mexico stunned host Canada 3-2 while yesterday, Mexico met Guyana and Chile faced Canada.
At the end of round-robin play in both pools on Monday, all eight teams will advance to the quarterfinal stage followed by the winners and losers semifinals and final day playoffs for the lone spot to the Junior World Cup to be he;d in India, in December.
T&T has a best ever finish of fifth spot four years ago in Guadalajara, Mexico as well as in 1985 in Orlando, Florida, USA; while it also placed sixth in Barbados (1996) and Chile (1981), seventh on home soil in 2008 and 2000 in Santiago, Chile, and eighth in 2005 in Havana, Cuba.
Tournament schedule
Tomorrow (Monday May 23):
Pool A:
Argentina vs Puerto Rico, 10am
T&T vs USA, 12.30pm
Pool B:
Mexico vs Chile, 3pm
Guyana vs Canada, 5.30pm
Wednesday May 25: Quarterfinals
Friday May 27: Winners & Losers Semifinals
Saturday May 28: Final Day playoffs:
The Trinidad Guardian
Kookaburras and Great Britain draw in match one
The score ties in Narrogin
By Holly MacNeil
The Kookaburras took on Great Britain today in the first of a three match series held in Western Australia. The game took place in regional WA at the Narrogin Hockey Stadium, with shocking weather conditions delaying the beginning of the game by half an hour.
Kiel Brown went in for an early attempt at goal, putting pressure on Great Britain. Matt Gohdes then went in to score the first goal of the match with a deflection, thanks to an excellent pass from Fergus Kavanagh.
Great Britain fought back early into the second quarter with a field goal from Simon Mantell in his 200th cap for the team. The Kookaburras stayed in the game taking possessions near their scoring circle, however the Great Britain defense was confident after Mantell’s goal, holding the Kookaburras at bay.
The score remained deadlocked at half time with both teams sitting on a single field goal; Australia having had only two shots at goal and Great Britain, one.
Into the third quarter and Jamie Dwyer drilled the ball down to goal, deflecting to Tom Craig before the attempt was reflected by GBR goalkeeper George Pinner. Great Britain followed up by getting their first attempt on a penalty corner, and scoring to take the lead thanks to the goal conversion by Iain Lewers.
The Kookaburras followed up with a penalty corner attempt of their own, with Chris Cirello and Matt Dawson lining up only to narrowly miss the shot on goal.
Jamie Dwyer fought back for the Kookaburras, tying the score up at 51 minutes into the game with a penalty corner coasting into the net.
Kookaburras Head Coach Graham Reid said: “There were tough conditions today. I thought the first quarter and a fair bit of the second we just lacked a little bit of polish. I mean both teams suffered, you could see there were some skills errors from both teams due to the weather – cold hands you know. I thought in the second half we started to move the ball better and we started to move the ball more quickly.
“I thought we created more opportunities in the second half, we didn’t create enough in the first half. It was a very tight game, Great Britain are a very good team and they also played very well.”
KOOKABURRAS 2 (1)
Matt Gohdes 11 (FG)
Jamie Dwyer 51 (PC)
GREAT BRITAIN 2 (1)
Simon Mantell 19 (FG)
Iain Lewers 35 (PC)
Kookaburras’ squad v Great Britain
Started
Kiel Brown (Toowoomba, QLD) 172/6
Jamie Dwyer (Rockhampton, QLD) 358/239
Matthew Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 151/51
Fergus Kavanagh (Geraldton, WA) 224/15
Mark Knowles (Rockhampton, QLD) 283/23
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA) 65/0
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA) 86/33
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, Tasmania) 270/64
Andrew Philpott (Melbourne, VIC) 22/1
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD) 134/6
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 74/3
Used Substitute
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD) 74/15
Joshua Beltz (Hobart, Tasmania) 8/2
Chris Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 185/114
Tristan Clemons (Bunbury, WA) 25/0
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW) 24/9
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW) 40/6
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW) 195/55
Hockey Australia media release
Honours even between Great Britain and Australia
Simon Mantell scored on the occasion of his 200th international cap. Credit Ian MacNicolGetty images
A goalkeeping master class from George Pinner secured Great Britain a share of the spoils in the opening match of the three test series with Australia. In conditions more akin to those seen in England, Great Britain led 2-1 thanks to goals from Simon Mantell and Iain Lewers after Matt Gohdes had given Australia the advantage. Jamie Dwyer levelled things up with nine minutes to go before Pinner and the Great Britain defence withstood a late Australian barrage to secure the draw.
Both sides took a while to get into the game. Australia had more of the ball in the opening exchanges but clear chances were hard to come by. The only real half-chance in the first five minutes fell to Kiel Brown but his shot flashed wide of the near post. Four minutes before the end of the quarter the hosts took the lead. Fergus Kavanagh played a hard hit pass into the circle and Gohdes ghosted in to apply the finishing touch making it 1-0 at quarter time.
Great Britain had the better of the second quarter, enjoying long spells of possession and pushing Australia back into their own half. Four minutes in it was all square. Alan Forsyth played in Ashley Jackson down the left and his pinpoint cross on the backhand was beautifully deflected in by a sliding Mantell. It was a great way to mark the occasion of his 200th international appearance. There were no more goals in the quarter and it was 1-1 at the half time interval.
The sun came out for the third quarter and Australia came out strongly. Jamie Dwyer fed a sliding Tom Craig but Pinner did brilliantly and blocked the chance. Great Britain won the first penalty corner of the match five minutes into the quarter. It wasn’t trapped cleanly but Jackson calmly played the ball across to the back post where Lewers applied the finish to give Bobby Crutchley’s side the lead.
Moments later the Kookaburras won their first penalty corner. Chris Ciriello stepped up but Pinner got down superbly to his right to get a stick on the ball with Dwyer’s rebound going wide. Great Britain exerted more pressure on the hosts but couldn’t find another and it was 2-1 heading into the final quarter.
Australia showed their intent immediately at the start of the final quarter. Gohdes drove forwards from the re-start but some sterling defensive work from Michael Hoare and Barry Middleton kept the hosts at bay. Dwyer had a chance on the turn for a snapshot but once again Hoare bravely intervened, blocking from the Kookaburras’ legend to preserve the lead.
Tristan Clemons was forced into action at the other end but Australia were soon back on the offensive, winning another penalty corner with ten minutes remaining. On the third re-award Trent Mitton’s pass was deflected in by Dwyer. Crutchley’s side countered and Clemons had to be alert to beat away Chris Grassick’s deflection with a fine save.
The Kookaburras showed no signs of letting up and forced another penalty corner with six minutes left. Ciriello went for goal again and Pinner did well to keep it out before making a stunning stick save from Mark Knowles’ follow up. Ciriello had another penalty corner effort but again Pinner was equal to the task, making a superb save and clearing the danger in the ensuing melee. In the final minute, Gohdes had a gilt-edged opportunity to win the match for his team. The No16 found himself clean through with just Pinner to beat but the goalkeeper was out quickly once more, making a fine block to ensure it was 2-2 at the final whistle.
Head Coach Bobby Crutchley:
"The conditions made hockey very difficult early on. We played our best hockey in the third quarter when we controlled the game, but then performed poorly in the final stages with the ball. However, our deep defending was strong throughout."
Simon Mantell:
“It was a tough game in tough conditions. It rained pretty hard and the pitch was a bit slow. It was a competitive match and it was always going to be. 2-2 was probably a fair result and both teams could have won it but neither could get over the line.
It’s always important to match Australia physically because they are such a strong side. That’s an area where we’ve improved over the last few years. We’re a much more physical side now and we can run hard and use our skills to try and finish games off. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite do it today. The weather doesn’t affect our plans. We go out and try to do our jobs and hopefully it’s enough to win the game.”
The second test in the series is tomorrow at 730am UK time. Matches are being streamed live via Epicentre.tv. For full details on how to watch click here.
These two sides face off again at the Hockey Champions Trophy in London in June. For more details including ticketing information click here.
Australia 2 (1)
Matt Gohdes 11 (FG)
Jamie Dwyer 51 (PC)
Great Britain 2 (1)
Simon Mantell 19 (FG)
Iain Lewers 35 (PC)
Great Britain team vs. Australia
Starting XI
Name, Club
George Pinner, Holcombe
Henry Weir, Wimbledon
Ashley Jackson, Holcombe
Simon Mantell, Reading
Harry Martin, Beeston
Alastair Brogdon, Wimbledon
Mikey Hoare, Wimbledon
Phil Roper, Wimbledon
Barry Middleton, Holcombe
Iain Lewers, Holcombe
Dan Fox, Holcombe
Substitutes used:
Alan Forsyth, Surbiton
Mark Gleghorne, Beeston
Adam Dixon, Beeston
David Condon, East Grinstead
Chris Grassick, Surbiton
David Ames, Beeston
England Hockey Board Media release
Saint Ger join Racing as French Euro representatives
Saint Germain and Racing Club de France will be the two French sides to play in Europe in 2016/17 with the former confirming their place in the national final this afternoon with a 2-0 win over Lyon.
William Jeammot opened the scoring for St Ger in the 20th minute in an intense battle, keeping them just in front at the half-time break.
Jean-Baptiste Pauchet added the second from a penalty corner early in the second half and while Lyon threw themselves forward, they could not get on the scoreboard.
Racing swept to a 4-0 win against Lille with Jean-Laurent Kieffer scoring a hat trick with Eduardo Campuzano scoring the other game.
The results mean that, even with a game to spare, Racing win the Top 4 group with St Germain assured of second place, qualifying for the grand final next week – the two clubs meet in a dress rehearsal for the final tomorrow in the last round of Top 4 games.
Both clubs were also position one and two in the Top 8 earlier in the season, showing their dominance and means they will be France’s representatives in Europe for a third successive season.
Euro Hockey League media release
Razie, Baljit rescue Police
By Jugjet Singh
DEFENDING champions Malacca got off to a good start in Division One of the 54th Razak Cup when they beat Pahang 3-1 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
And in another Division One match, newly promoted Police edged Johor 3-2, with a brace from national skipper Razie Rahim who joined Police training on May 8.
The Malacca goals were scored by Nur Asyraf (38th) and Amirullah Zainol (53rd, 60th). Skipper Ismail Abu scored for Pahang in the 59th minute.
As for Police, they were down 0-2 before Baljit Singh Sarjab scored in the 39th minure, and Razie gave them the three points off penalty corner attempts in the 40th and 41st minutes.
The johor goals were scored by Izzwan mohamed in the 23rd and Azammi Adabi in the 33rd minute.
Meanwhile in Division Two Group B, Sabah began their campaign in the TNB Razak Cup with a convincing 5-0 win over Armed Forces.
And in the other men's Division Two matches played yesterday, Selangor thrashed Kedah 8-0 while Penang beat Perlis 7-3 in Group A. In the other Group B match, Kelantan trounced Sarawak 6-2.
In women's Group A, Selangor defeated Sarawak 5-2 and Johor edged Police 2-1 while in Group B, Sabah were 4-1 winners over Negri Sembilan and Armed Forces walked away with a 3-1 victory over Terengganu.
Sabah started the match on a cautious note, but began to assert themselves as the half progressed and raced to a 3-0 lead before the break as their speedy forward line began to dominate the Forces defence.
They went ahead through a Dodi Musa field goal in the 21st minute and were 2-0 up a minute later when Forces keeper Khairul Afendy Kamaruzaman's poor clearance allowed Shello Selverius to pick up the loose ball and smash it into the back of the net.
Captain Maxhans Christi made it 3-0 with a well taken penalty stroke in the 26th minute. Dodi got his brace in the 36th and Shello wrapped the win in the 54th minute.
Sabah coach Hasrul Jidih, who drafted seven players from Sabah's Junior Hockey League squad, was happy with the result and the way his young team performed.
"The boys played well and performed much better than expected because a 5-0 win against a strong opponent like Armed Forces is something to cherish.
"We have a young squad and the target is to make the semi-finals," added Hasrul whose charges will play Sarawak next on Monday.
RESULTS: Division One: Group A: Malacca 3 Pahang 1, Johor 2 Police 3.
Division Two: Group A: Selangor 8 Kedah 0, Perlis 3 Penang 7; Group B: Kelantan 6 Sarawak 2, Armed Forces 0 Sabah 5.
Women: Group A: Sarawak 2 Selangor 5, Police 1 Johor 2; Group B: Negri Sembilan 1 Sabah 4, Armed Forces 3 Terengganu 1.
TODAY: Divison One: Group B: Perak v Negri Sembilan (8pm, Pitch I), Kuala Lumpur v Terengganu (8pm, Pitch II).
Division Two: Group A: Kedah v Penang (6pm, Pitch I), Selangor v Perlis (6pm, Pitch II).
Women: Group C: Malacca v Perak (7.30am, Pitch I), Penang v Kedah (7.30am, Pitch II); Group A: Sarawak v Johor (9.30am, Pitch I), Pahang v Selangor (9.30am, Pitch II); Group B: Negri Sembilan v Terengganu (4pm, Pitch I), Kuala Lumpur v Sabah (4pm, Pitch II).
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Malacca open Razak Cup title defence with victory over Pahang
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions Malacca opened their Razak Cup campaign with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Pahang at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
In another Group A match, last year’s Division Two champions Police defeated Johor 3-2.
Malacca took the lead in the 38th minute with Mohamed Nur Asyraf scoring from a penalty corner attempt. They extended their lead when Amirullah Zainol scored a field goal in the 53rd minute before Pahang reduced the deficit four minutes later through former international Ismail Abu.
But Amirullah was back on target the next minute to ensure they took home the three points.
Malacca coach Azrul Effendy Nistamann said he was relieved his players managed to get through the first game despite a slow start.
“The players were a little jittery in the first two quarters. But they managed to settle down and play much better in the final two quarters,” said Azrul.
“There were still areas we were not too good and we need to ensure that the mistakes are not repeated. It is a good start considering the first game is always tough,” he said.
Debutants Police had a game to remember as they clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit to snatch the win.
National skipper Mohamed Razie Rahim scored two goals in the 40th and 41st minutes while Baljit Singh Sarjab was on target in the 39th minute.
Mohamed Nur Hafiq Ghaffar and Mohamed Azammi Adabi scored for Johor in the 23rd and 33rd minutes.
In Division Two Selangor, last year’s runners-up, started off impressively with a thumping 8-0 win over Kedah in Group A.
In another Group A match Penang overcame a one-goal deficit to thump Perlis 7-3.
In the women’s category, Sabah set the tone for their title challenge with a 4-1 win over Negri Sembilan while Armed Forces defeated Terengganu 3-1 in Group B.
In Group A, Selangor was a big winner when they defeated Sarawak 5-2 while Johor edged Police 2-1.
The Star of Malaysia
Dalefield teams win big at home in Wellington premier hockey
Todd Foster
Harbour City's Jared Jones scored for his side against Hutt, but it wasn't enough for them to get the win. MAARTEN HOLL/FAIRFAX NZ
Wairarapa-based Dalefield's men's and women's team each had a pair of impressive wins at Clareville over the weekend.
The men trounced Indians 6-2 to go top of the table and the women beating front-runners Eastern Hutt 5-2.
In a replay of last year's men's final, Dalefield put away four goals in the first half and countered their opponents' quick-passing raids.
Before a big crowd Indians fought back in the second spell and scored again but Dalefield added a couple more and proved too strong overall.
Hutt came from a goal down to beat Harbour City 3-2 in an open, if sometimes testy, encounter.
The energetic Jared Jones had Harbour ahead at the break, but Hutt drew level then went ahead through Ollie Logan and Michael Jenness.
Harbour's Josiah Wood grabbed an equaliser, before Scott Barnett pounced on an attempted clearance to score with five minutes remaining.
Northern United beat Victoria 2-1 with a late goal sealing the issue.
The students scored first through Kieran Whitmore, and Ethan Kerruish equalised after intercepting an overhead clearance.
Northern had an edge in territory in the second half but couldn't get past Black Sticks goal-keeper Kyle Pontifex, until Steve Crossett's low hit following a penalty corner.
Naenae won the battle of the newly promoted teams with a 3-1 defeat of Karori.
It was Karori who scored first when Adam Wrigley notched their first goal of the season.
Playing the more enterprising hockey, Naenae gained the lead by half-time when Brad Collins scored from a penalty stroke.
They scored again after the break to gain their first competition points.
Dalefield's women had their best performance of the season against previously unbeaten Eastern Hutt.
Eastern brought plenty of skill and energy, but could not put away their chances, whereas the home side were deadly in front of goal.
Karori continued to show improvement with a meritorious 1-1 draw with Harbour City. In a repeat of last year's women's final neither side could get an edge until Karori's Philippa Eastman scored early in the second spell, only for Charlotte Eastman to equalise two minutes later.
Indians welcomed back captain Sophie Devine who helped them to a 1-1 draw with Victoria in an even contest.
Amanda Franks converted early Indians pressure from a penalty corner after eight minutes and Emily Wallace equalised for University early in the second.
Toa won their encounter against fellow premier newcomers Kapiti with a deserved 4-1 victory.
A goal in just the second minute to Bronie Edwards paved the way for Toa's second win of the season and they were three up at half-time.
After Emma Thomas put Kapiti on the board, it was the long-serving Lisa Bishop who scored Toa's fourth.
On Sunday, Dalefield women beat Toa 3-1, while their men beat Harbour City 3-1.
RESULTS
Men
Dalefield 6 (Nick Finlayson, Ben van Woerkom, Joe Robertson, Hamish Finlayson, Rowan Yeo, Morgan Taylor) Indians 2 (Jainesh Sukha, Jaylin Dayal) HT 4-1
Hutt 3 (Ollie Logan, Michael Jenness, Scott Barnett) Harbour City 2 (Jared Jones, Josiah Wood) HT 0-1
Northern United 2 (Ethan Kerruish, Steve Crossett) Victoria 1 (Kieran Whitmore) HT 1-1
Naenae 3 (Tom Pavitt, Brad Collins, Travis Speakman) Karori 1 (Adam Wrigley) HT 2-1
Dalefield 3 Habour City 1
POINTS TABLE after seven rounds
Dalefield 20, Indians 16, Northern United 15, Hutt 13, Harbour City 11, Victoria 10, Naenae 3, Karori 0 (Victoria and Hutt have a game in hand)
Women
Dalefield 5 (Emma Smith 2, Kristy Anderson, Kelsy Smith, Michael O'Connor) Eastern Hutt 2 (Tara Hegarty, Teresa Warner)
Indians 1 (Amanda Franks) Victoria 1(Emily Wallace) HT 1-0
Harbour City 1 (Charlotte Eastman) Karori 1 (Philippa Plummer) HT 0-0
Toa 4 (Bronie Edwards, Paige Metekingi, Meg Vogel, Lisa Bishop) Kapiti 1 (Emma Thomas) HT 3-0
Dalefield 3 Toa 1
POINTS TABLE after seven rounds
Eastern Hutt 21, Dalefield 19, Harbour City 15, Karori 8, Indians 8, Toa 7, Victoria 6, Kapiti 0
Dominion Post
U-19 USWNT Complete Tour in Germany Gaining Further International Pitch Experience
The U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team returned from a weeklong trip to Bad Kreuznach, Germany where they competed in a three-game test series against Germany’s U-18 Women’s National Team. After a series of four training weekends throughout the year, the team was looking forward to putting what they had learned to the test against Germany, who is in the process of preparing for the European Championships being held at the end of July in Ireland.
After two days of training at the Bad Kreuznach Hockey Club, the young women were ready and eager to take the field and face their German opponent. Germany started off the series with a lot of pace and energy that allowed them to have two early goals. The Americans were able to settle into the game and keep the score 2-0 going into the half. When the whistle blew for the second half to begin, the US came out with a lot of fight and put the German backs under a lot of pressure. Mayv Clune (Quakertown, Pa.) was able to come up with the ball in the press and give a pass up field to Jen Bleakney (Columbia, Md.) who had a 1v1 with the German goalkeeper. Bleakney displayed composure and strength on the ball to put it into the back of the net. With the score being 2-1 you could see the spark in the US’s play. However, the German’s were able to capitalize on their opportunities and the game finished with the German’s coming out on top with a final score of 7-1.
The following day was game two of the series against the German team. The game started off similar to the day before, where the German’s scored a quick goal within the first few minutes. This set the tone for the rest of the half and the U-18 German team dominated the game. They had many attacking opportunities, however, the US was able to come out of the half only down by 2 goals. With the start of the 2nd half, it looked like it was a completely new American team. With great speed in the midfield from Brooke Deberdine (Millersville, Pa.) and Corinne Zanolli (Newtown Square, Pa.) on the forward line, the US was able to create many more scoring opportunities than they had in the first half. Bleakney displayed great skill along the baseline to score her second goal of the series. The score stayed 2-1 for a majority of the second half. Jillian Wolgemuth (Mount Joy, Pa.) and Haley Schleicher (Virginia Beach, Va.)played great defensively for the United States to drastically lower the amount of opportunities the Germans had. Amanda Hendry (Wilton, Conn.) also had some key saves in goal to keep the US in the game. However, towards the end of the half, Germany was able to capitalize on two opportunities that lifted their lead by 3 goals. The final score of the game was 4-1.
The third and final game of the series started with the US team controlling the tempo and energy of the game. They pressed well and played together and united. However, about 15 minutes into the game the German’s scored their first goal. US was able to come out of the half only down by 2 goals. However, once the second half started the Germans were able to score three more to eventually win the game 5-0. Four out of the five German goals were scored on corners, and the US could not get out of the hole that they were in.
Overall it was a great trip and experience for the young women of the U-19 National Team. They were able to play against some of the best players in the world in their age group. The Germans displayed great tactics and technical skills, especially under fatigue, but throughout the three games the coaching staff was able to see improvement from the American team. The team ended the trip better off then we started, which was ultimate goal.
USFHA media release
Field Hockey Set for South African Tour
Tour Includes Four Matches And Cultural Experiences In Cape Town And Johannesburg
BERKELEY – The tigers may not be included, but the lions and the Bears (oh my) are almost assured when California field hockey sets off on its South African tour on Sunday. The Golden Bears will play four matches on their international expedition, but the squad is set for so much more when they embark for the Rainbow Nation.
Cal will visit the major cities of Cape Town and Johannesburg as well as the surrounding areas on the tour, taking in everything from a wild game drive and a visit to Robben Island to a stop at a penguin beach and community service in an area affected by apartheid.
"I'm excited about delving into the culture, history and amazing sights of South Africa. Getting to play in a country where field hockey is huge just makes it that much better," said rising junior Emily Catan.
Under NCAA rules, teams are allowed to take international trips every four years for cultural and competitive experience. Field hockey began taking foreign trips nearly a decade ago, when Martha Jordan, mother of graduated senior Kristen Lee and former student-athlete Stacy Lee, helped to establish a private fund dedicated to giving the squad opportunities to tour internationally.
“We’re really fortunate at the foresight of Martha Jordan to establish a fund eight years ago that would serve to give us this opportunity once every four years. It’s a great legacy that would continue something beyond the attendance of her own two girls,” said head coach Shellie Onstead. “It’s so valuable to the program to be able to say this experience is part of their career here and that every player is fortunate to say they were able to do a foreign tour.”
Onstead took her first group to Argentina in 2012 and saw firsthand how profoundly the trip affected her team even beyond their athletic careers.
“Based on my experience touring with the USA program and the last time we did this four years ago, it’s immensely gratifying to see the group take in the world and the experience and take advantage of the fact that hockey is an international game and played all over the world – even some of the most remote. It’s a common community from Russia to Malaysia to South Africa,” Onstead said.
In addition to playing matches against four opponents – the Western Province Country Districts, Western Province Cricket Club, Stellenbosch University and University of Johannesburg – the Bears will also visit the Langa Township, a suburb of Cape Town and one of the areas designated for Black Africans before the apartheid era. There, the Bears will tour the township and learn about education, job creation and more before conducting a hockey clinic for the local students.
“I’m dedicated to taking the team to places they don’t typically go and giving them a look at life outside of what they know. A big piece to any tour we do is giving to the community we’re in,” Onstead said. “We’re not just going to vacation. We’re going to give back.”
Other highlights on the itinerary include a tour to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years, a visit to natural wonder Table Mountain and a safari tour at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.
"I'm looking forward to experiencing international hockey as well as learning about the culture of South Africa," said rising sophomore Janaye Sakkas.
The team began preparing for its international trip several weeks ago. Each student-athlete was assigned a specific topic from the itinerary to present to the travel group.
"It's going to be such a great experience for us on and off the field," Catan said.
Catch a glimpse into Cal’s trip by visiting CalBears.com and following the Bears on Facebook (www.facebook.com/CalFH) and on Instagram (@CalFieldHockey) for highlights.
California Golden Bears media release
And the winner is....
Sevenoaks HC
On the evening of the 21st May 2016, the great and the good of English hockey came from all corners of the country and all levels of the game to celebrate another successful year and to find out who takes home one of the 17 coveted prizes up for grabs at the England Hockey Awards.
Each and every person or team nominated has achieved something special in this last year. The awards are a great chance to find out about the talent and dedication on display throughout the hockey family and to celebrate everyone’s achievements. So without further ado, here are the winners:
MEN’S SENIOR PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: David Ames.
SENIOR WOMEN’S PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (sponsored by Investec): Susannah Townsend
MEN’S JUNIOR PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Luke Taylor.
INVESTEC WOMEN’S JUNIOR PERFORMANCE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Hannah Martin.
2XU PERFORMANCE COACH OF THE YEAR: Jon Bleby
PERFORMANCE UMPIRE OF THE YEAR: Dave Dowdall
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR: Wendy Russell
HOCKEY MAKER OF THE YEAR: Alex Bandurak
BARRINGTON SPORTS CLUB CHAMPION OF THE YEAR: Holly Lashford
YOUNG UMPIRE OF THE YEAR: Isaac Charles
CLUB OR HUA UMPIRE OF THE YEAR: Nick Burnett
CLUB COACH OF THE YEAR: Neil Gaskin
BEST LOCAL PROMOTION: Wapping Hockey Club (The Hockey Beer)
MEN’S TEAM OF THE YEAR: Tavistock Men’s First Team
INVESTEC WOMEN’S TEAM OF THE YEAR: Leeds Adel
NOTTS SPORT CLUB OF THE SEASON: Sevenoaks Hockey Club
PERKINS SLADE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Mike Denham
All of us at England Hockey would like to extend our sincere congratulations to all of the nominees and of course all of the award winners.
Wendy Russell - Unsung Hero of the Season Winner
'This is so overwhelming! When they were reading out the nominations I thought they were all incredible and they all do such a fantastic job for their club. I also thought there were many great ideas that I could pinch too! It is fantastic for the club especially for getting the disability side of the sport out there more so hopefully push it wider round England!'
Jacky Hudson - Unsung Hero nominee and part of Sevenoaks HC Notts Sport Club of the Season Winners
'I feel completely over whelmed, as a club we are just amazingly overjoyed. We have got a lot of amazing people who have put a lot of work in and are so committed to the family atmosphere of the whole club. This is amazing for our club and we couldn’t be prouder.'
Mike Denham – Life Achievement Award Winner
'I am delighted, I have dedicated my life to hockey I suppose, I have always taken the view of I haven’t had anything else to do due to retirement! I have been pleased to be involved in hockey as I have got enormous satisfaction from being part of the hockey community.'
England Hockey Board Media release
Successful AHF Executive Board Meeting in Dubai
On Wednesday, the Executive Board of the Asian Hockey Federation met in Dubai, UAE for one of the two annual board meetings.
The leadership of the AHF was welcomed by HE Ibrahim Malik, Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports UAE, and the UAE Hockey Federation.
The meeting was the formally opened by AHF President HRH Prince Abdullah Shah who expressed his gratitude to the UAE Hockey Committee for hosting the meeting and his satisfaction with the good progress made since the previous meeting, particularly highlighting the outstanding efforts in the areas of development and education and the progress made in the areas of events, communications and marketing.
The AHF President also called attention to the good work being done by Hockey India who hosted a successful World League Final, claiming bronze, and another fabulous edition of Hockey India League, and the efforts of the Singapore Hockey Federation who have been very active and successful with projects in a number of areas and recently hosted a magnificent World League Round 1 event for men and women. Congratulations were expressed to China and Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Kazakhstan for their teams successfully qualifying for World League Round 2.
A good exchange of presentations and fruitful discussions followed. AHF CEO Tayyab Ikram reported on the various activities and achievements of the past six months, with special reference to the big range of education and development projects, the extensive efforts in the area of International Relations and the development of the AHF office.
The progress made in the event allocation and delivery process was highlighted, and the Board Members were informed of the status of the visual identity and website re-launch projects. Both projects received strong approval from the Board and are expected to be presented in the coming weeks. The Board was also satisfied with the good audience growth and engagement across the AHF social media channels.
Finally, the CEO's presentation referred to plans for the construction of a UAE Hockey Center. The AHF has been providing ideas and advice to the UAE HF to develop the sport and create permanent facilities. The AHF assured the UAE Minister of Youth and Sport and the representatives of the UAE HF in attendance of its fullest support to realize such projects.
The Finance Report was well received and approved, and reports from various committees, including the Competitions and Umpiring Committees were equally well received.
The Executive Board Members also had the opportunity to hear from a number of invited guests. Hockey India CEO Elena Norman delivered a presentation about the successful latest edition of Hockey India League which included a number of learning points and insights. Representatives from the National Associations of Thailand, Iran and Qatar and the Raja Ashman Academy also provided the Board with information on their activities and achievements.
The meeting ended with the AHF President thanking all present for their attendance and contribution.
The next AHF Executive Board meeting will be held in November or December 2016.
Asian Hockey Federation media release
PHF refutes allegations of human trafficking
By Nabil Tahir
KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) yesterday moved swiftly to distance themselves from allegations of human trafficking.
Two weeks ago, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) forwarded a copy of a letter to the PHF which contained complaints against Tiger Club owners — former WAPDA hockey player Neelma Hussain and her husband Aamir Salman — for their alleged involvement in human trafficking.
According to the letter, sent by former national player Bilal Shabbir, the couple were involved in registering the club, an affiliate of the Islamabad Hockey Association (IHA), for tournaments in Europe and Middle East and then sending people, guised as players and officials, who would then disappear and never return.
Following the revelation, the PHF acted swiftly and condemned Tiger Club’s actions while distancing themselves from any involvement in the illegal activity.
“We have banned Tiger Club from all hockey-related activities and have asked the IHA to look into the matter and submit a report. The PHF has got nothing to do with this and we strongly condemn it,” said PHF Secretary Shahbaz Ahmed.
Earlier, Tiger Club had asked permission from the PHF to hold an indoor tournament which involved international players and Ahmed went as the chief guest and gave away the prize at a ceremony in Dubai.
“Yes, we allowed them to hold the event but did not issue any permission letter to allow international players to participate in the event,” said Ahmed. “I also went there to distribute the prizes, but I was only invited as a guest and had no involvement in the tournament or with the club whatsoever.”
Shahbaz also revealed that the PHF has now decided to not allow any hockey tournaments to take place in the country unless they are organised by the federation itself. “We wanted to revive the national sport and that’s why we allowed others to hold events,” he added. “However, now we have decided that no events will take place in the country unless they are being organised by the PHF.”
The Express Tribune