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All the news for Tuesday 27 September 2016

Hockey World League action gets underway in Salamanca

Men's and women's teams compete for automatic qualification for HWL R2



It’s Hockey World League (HWL) Round One time in Salamanca, Mexico, as four men’s teams and three women’s teams from across the Pan American region take to the pitch and resume old continental rivalries.

In the men’s competition, USA, Mexico, Barbados and Guatemala are all competing for a coveted place in HWL Round Two later this season. The women’s competition comprises Guatemala, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.The winning team from each event will get automatic qualification to HWL Round Two.

Head coach to the USA men’s team (world ranking 29), Chris Clements, has a relatively inexperienced squad, with five players on less than 10 caps and only captain William Holt on more than 100 caps. However, many of his team played in the Pan American Games in 2015 – where they finished fifth – and that experience can only serve as great preparation for this event.

Mexico (world ranking 33) was the team the USA beat in the fifth/sixth play-off, so the team led by Edgar Garcia, will be looking for revenge. Mexico’s coach Marco Molina has put his faith in youth as 10 of his team are under 21 and two players – Jorge Gomez and Max Fimbres are still both 15.

Barbados (world ranking 54) and Guatemala (world ranking 60) are the unknown quantities in this competition. In the Central American Games, two years ago, Barbados finished in fourth place, ahead of their Guatemalan rivals, who were seventh, but Guatemala hockey has been growing apace in the past few months and in 2015 won the Pablo Negre Trophy which goes to an association that is working to develop the game. This will be a great opportunity for the Guatemala Hockey Association to demonstrate how far it has come in a short while.

The women’s event is a three-way event featuring Guatemala, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago. Like the men, Guatemala, led by Otto Rivera, will be looking to get results from the development work that has gone on with the country, but with a world ranking of 67, captain Kristal Cuevas and her team will need to be on top form to take the coveted qualification spot to the next round.

Arely Castellanos is coach to Mexico, who go into this event as favourites. Mexico finished sixth in the Pan American Games in Toronto, losing out to Uruguay in the play-offs on shoot-out. They are the only team of this trio to have experienced a higher level of competition and are currently ranked 33rd in the world rankings. In the play-off game in Canada, Castellanos would have been delighted with the way her side held their own against the higher ranked Uruguay team and will hope they carry that form forward.

Trinidad and Tobago come to Mexico with the highest ranking (32). A fourth place finish behind Mexico in the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games was their most recent foray into a higher level of competition, but within their team ranks are players with a lot of experience. At 40, Mindy Charles is the oldest competitor at this event followed by goalkeeper Petal Derry and Yesenia Luces – both in their mid-30s. In a competition where most of the players are in their teens or early-20s, this could be a case of making experience count.

Both the men’s and women’s competitions get underway this week. The men’s opening day of action on 27 September sees USA take on Barbados, followed by host nation Mexico versus Guatemala. The women’s event starts on September 29, with the opening match seeing Mexico take on Guatemala.

FIH site

NZ Under 21s set for Sultan of Johor Cup


Photo: www.photosport.nz

The New Zealand Under 21 Men have been named for the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia next month.

Thirteen of the 20 players heading to the Sultan of Johor will also be competing at the Junior World Cup in December.

There is plenty of talent in the team, with two of the country’s best Under 18 players Reuben Andrews and Dylan Stevenson set for their first taste of international representative hockey.

Head coach Bryce Collins said the Sultan of Johor Cup was a great development opportunity, especially with the Junior World Cup looming.

“This is ideal preparation and development ahead of the Junior World Cup and taking 20 players allows us to expose a greater number of players to international hockey,” he said.

“All of these players have performed to a high standard through various high performance tournaments this year with Reuben and Dylan selected thanks to excellent Under 18, Under 21 and Rankin Cup tournaments.”

New Zealand will go up against Australia, England, Pakistan, Japan and hosts Malaysia at the tournament which runs from 31 October - 6 November.

NEW ZEALAND UNDER 21 MEN
SULTAN OF JOHOR CUP – MALAYSIA

Hockey New Zealand Media release

PHL is the future of SA hockey

by Ken Borland



The Milo Maropeng Cavemen, who mixed a core of the triumphant Southern Gauteng interprovincial team with bright talents from elsewhere in the country, claimed the inaugural Premier Hockey League title at the weekend in what captain Rassie Pieterse said was a sign of the future direction South African hockey needs to take.

The Cavemen beat the Every Sun Addo Elephants 2-0 in the final, which was tightly contested, proving that they had the best mix of experienced wisdom and youthful talent and energy.

“Experience does help in a final because when we were two-up we were able to play out the game, keep calm and not get frantic, but experience is just one thing and if you have young talent that listens and learns quickly then that makes your team click.

“We had a good mix and everybody bought into our plan. The younger, fitter players bring a lot of energy and that’s important when they’re coming off the bench. For some of the guys from the smaller centres like Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Stellenbosch, Pinetown and East London, it was the first time they’ve ever won a gold medal because they play for minnows. Hopefully they can take knowledge back to their clubs because now they’ve experienced what it takes to win a tournament.

“I hope the PHL grows because I believe it is the foundation of our future hockey. For the national selectors, it provided them with a lot of games at good intensity and pressure. The games were close and this was probably one of the best tournaments SA hockey have ever staged,” Pieterse said.

The veteran international goalkeeper was one of the Cavemen’s stars and Pieterse said that it was in defence that they had won the title.

“When you’re getting a team together on a draft system then the hockey is bound to be a bit loose, but the one thing I think we really got right was that we defended well as a team. From the start we said we would defend to win, so I was chuffed after the final that we did not concede a goal.

“We will always score goals because we have some very talented players up front and a very good short-corner, but the spine and experience of the team through defence was crucial. Tommy Hammond set the whole defensive tone in midfield with Clinton Panther being a bit more attacking, while Ricky West and Lance Louw were absolute pillars at the back,” Pieterse said.

“In the first half we were under the cosh and we did well to absorb the pressure because we know that if the Elephants get their tails up by scoring early then it’s going to be a tough game. We knew from the start that we would be under pressure because the Elephants have Julian Hykes, Ignatius Malgraff and Richard Pautz in attack and we know they are brilliant.”

In the women’s tournament, the Nestle Pure Life Blyde River Bunters beat the Ezee Tile Madikwe Rangers 3-1 and coach Lindsey Wright said she was delighted with the growth of her team, which had an average age of just 21.

“When I had to draft players, I looked specifically at picking youngsters who had an open mind, the next generation of players in South Africa who really want to be successful. Through my coaching life, I’ve loved working with potential.

“I wasn’t really looking at winning the PHL, I just wanted to make sure that the players were better than they were before. Fortunately it was a great group, they allowed themselves to be coached and were open in their thinking. The players’ contribution means they are the true heroes of the triumph,” Wright said.

The Bunters conceded the least goals of the whole tournament – just six in seven games – but the attack took a little longer to gel, before springing to life in the final with three goals.

“We played better and better, but I was very aware that we weren’t creating enough circle entries. But we really upped those and I felt we improved in attack, without always getting the rewards. So we had to battle through and I was really happy that we scored twice in the semifinals and then to score three in the final – I wasn’t too sure that would happen,” Wright said.

The combination of coach Wright and her captain Nicolene Terblanche now hold both the IPT and PHL trophies and the former national women’s captain praised the efforts of her skipper.

“Nicolene led from the front and provides such encouragement, she’s a true leader by rights because she plays from the front and draws the youngsters in behind her.

“But I have to highlight all the other marquee players as well, they were consistently good in every game. Phumelela Mbande was outstanding in goal and it really helps when the goalkeeper keeps you in the game. Christine Roos and Jessica De Bruyn-Smith made stunning tackles at the back and Izelle Verster was brilliant the whole tournament in the midfield,” Wright said.

Wright reflected the unanimous feeling of all involved when she said the introduction of the PHL was a crucial step forward for the embattled game of hockey in South Africa.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time, when hockey was searching for something the players could believe in. The PHL has been really refreshing and creative, providing a high level of competition. We need to continue providing a profile like this for the sport otherwise we won’t produce the calibre of players I know we can, we need more events like the PHL.

“It’s the solution for us going forward, creating lots more enthusiasm, especially among the younger players,” Wright said.

Supersport

England Hockey League leaders remain unbeaten

By Mike Haymonds

MARK Gleghorne scored a hat-trick in Beeston’s 3-2 win over Brooklands Manchester University which kept his side in third place in the Premier Division as all the top teams earned victories on the second day of the season.

Last season’s unbeaten league winners Holcombe claimed top spot with a 3-0 success against Reading while Hampstead & Westminster could only manage a 2-2 draw at Surbiton. South African Matt Guise Brown’s first half penalty corner double for Hampstead was countered by strikes from Alan Forsyth and a late corner goal by Matt Daly, on his final game for Surbiton before his transfer to Conference East side Teddington.

In the women’s Premier Surbiton extended their unbeaten league run to 42 games with a 4-2 win over University of Birmingham with Rio Olympian Georgie Twigg returning to club action.

Clifton Robinsons are the only team with a 100 percent record after a 4-1 victory over Slough.

Holcombe moved into second place with a 5-2 win at Reading, who are bottom without a point, while East Grinstead are third after a 1-1 draw with Canterbury.

Daily Express

Jackson returns to East Grinstead from Holcombe



English Olympian Ashley Jackson will return “home” to East Grinstead from Holcombe this week following a year with the Kent club but he never fully settled in the new environment.

Commenting on the move, Holcombe chairman David South said: “Ashley stepped away from his boyhood club last season and found it difficult to be away from family and friends.

“We have amicably agreed with Ashley and East Grinstead Hockey Club for him to rejoin and hopefully enjoy his hockey once again.

“The club would like to thank Ashley for being an #incredibleholc for a season, and wish him well on his return to East Grinstead. See you on November 6!”

For Jackson’s part, he told the East Grinstead Courier: “I would very much like to thank David South and the Holcombe team for the opportunity of playing with them last year.

"David's enthusiasm and commitment to both hockey and Holcombe is inspiring and great to have experienced. Finishing the regular league season undefeated last year was a great achievement and testament to his passion and I was proud to be a part of their team.

"Moving away from my home club was a big decision but one I needed to do for my own development. My heart has always remained with East Grinstead and the personal draw back was one that I could not ignore.

"I am looking forward to wearing the number seven shirt once more and helping in any way I can as we work towards moving back up the league table.”

EG coach Karl Stagno added: “I am personally looking forward to working with Ashley again and building on from where we left off, I am also looking forward to seeing Ashley working with the team as we look to improve on last year's league position."

East Grinstead sit fifth in the English table with a win and a draw after two games; Holcombe are equal top on six points alongside Wimbledon and Beeston.

Euro Hockey League media release

Bees buzzing after Friday Night Lights


Beestons Esme Burge celebrates scoring the first goal Credit David Kissman

Beeston ran out 4-0 winners over Belper in the Investec Women’s North Conference in front of a bumper crowd under the lights at the Nottingham Hockey Centre this past Friday night.

The Bees moved their game to the Friday evening with the intention of drawing a larger crowd than usual for what proved to be an absorbing league clash with their midlands rivals.

“We were delighted with how the event went.” said 1st XI manager Chris Glover. “We were able to get treble the usual crowd we normally do for our Ladies 1st XI fixtures, well into triple figures, and it proved to be a great spectacle and a good game of hockey.”

“We were pleased to see so many new faces down watching who normally wouldn't be able to as they would be playing their own games on a Saturday.” Glover added.

The event was one that had been planned for quite some time with the cooperation of opponents Belper and the support from sponsors Whirlowdale and One Health Group, Glover and the rest of the Beeston club were able to put on a Friday night spectacular for the first time.

In his programme notes, Glover spoke of the importance of raising the profile of women’s sport, and in particular the “fantastic local women’s hockey teams.” Since Beeston first mooted the idea, the success of Great Britain’s women at the Olympic Games ensured the excitement for hockey in the local area had really heightened, hence the larger crowd who arrived to watch the home side secure their second win from two this season.

Esme Burge set the hosts off and running with the opener. A double strike from Bees’ goal machine Sophie Robinson either side of a goal from Rebekah Walker secured the three points for Beeston sending the majority of the bumper crowd home happy.

A delighted Glover told England Hockey:

“We are very grateful to Belper for giving it a go, and while we came out on top on the pitch this time, they have given us some really positive feedback and I am hopeful we might be able to run a similar event next year if the chance presents itself.”

A big crowd, a win and a good spectator experience, it’s safe to say Beeston enjoyed their first experience of Friday Night Lights!

England Hockey Board Media release

Newcomers Amira oust Orange from league lead

By Elizabeth Mburugu


KENYA HOCKEY UNION LADIES PREMIER LEAGUE Amira Sailors' Jedida Zawadi and Grace Wangari, left, of Kenyatta University during Kenya Hockey Union Premier Women's League at City Park on Saturday, July 23, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

New kids on the block Amira Sailors leaped to the summit of the Kenya Hockey Union women’s league table following their 5-0 victory over Daystar University.

The victory also saw the first-timers remain unbeaten after four outings. Susan Oketch was in a sublime form as she sounded the boards twice, while Margret Macharia, Leah Omwandho and Pauline Ochieng scored one goal each for the big win.

Amira top the table with 10 points from four rounds of matches and have scored 15 goals. They are yet to concede a goal. Amira coach Linet Onyango said despite their impressive start, they will remain cautious as they approach the homestretch.

“So far, so good, but we can’t consider ourselves as favourites in the title race because this is our first time. Until we make that happen, our strategy is to play with extra caution, then see how it will unfold in the end of the season. We hope to have a good finish,” Onyango said.

United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) are second with nine points from five rounds of matches. They have won three and lost twice. Strathmore University Scorpions, whose match ended 1-1 against last year’s league runner-up Sliders over the weekend, are third with eight points from two wins and two draws.

Sliders are fourth, tied on seven points with defending champions Telkom Orange, who have an inferior goal difference after three rounds of matches. At the wrong end of the table are Daystar, who remain without a point after four straight losses.

In the men’s premier league, Greensharks top pool B with 10 points from four outings. Former champions Kenya Police, who were not in action at the weekend, dropped to second place with seven points. Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCAU) and debutantes Chase Sailors, who all suffered their first defeats of the season at the weekend, occupy the third and fourth places.

KCAU lost 1-0 to Greensharks, while Chase, who, caused a major upset at the beginning of the season when they defeated Police 3-2, lost by the same margin to Wazalendo. The top four are still in contention for a playoffs slot, while chances of the bottom three -Western Jaguars, Parkroad and Wazalendo -hang in the balance.

Defending champions Butali Sugar Warriors top group A with 15 points, while 2009 and 2010 champions Strathmore Gladiators are second with 10 points after five rounds of  matches. USIU-A are third with seven points, while Nairobi Sikh Union are fourth and Nakuru fifth.

In the men’s national league, Parkroad Tigers lead with 15 points.

The Standard Online

Field Hockey Freshman Bente van Vlijmen Nets Three of Five Weekend Scores

By Sophia C. DiCara

Freshman forward Bente van Vlijmen had a stellar weekend for the field hockey squad, scoring three of Harvard’s five goals to lead the group over Yale by a 2-0 score and No. 19 Maine by a 3-1 count.

Bente’s strong play against the Bulldogs (4-4, 0-1 Ivy) and the Black Bears (7-3) came as no surprise to her coach.

“Bente is a fantastic field hockey player,” Crimson coach Tjerk van Herwaarden said. “She’s from the Netherlands, where people get a stick put in their hands when they’re three years old, so she has those skills.... The goal today and the goal on Friday show her quality.”

If van Vlijmen was experiencing freshman jitters, she certainly did not show it in the weekend opener at home against Yale. The forward made her mark just seconds into Crimson’s first Ivy League contest of the year. Sophomore forward Kathleen Young intercepted an errant Bulldog pass and relayed the ball onto van Vlijmen.

With the composure of a seasoned veteran, the freshman forward dodged and weaved past two Yale defenders in the circle. Staring down the Bulldog goalkeeper, van Vlijmen did not hesitate and scored with a backhand shot to put the Harvard up, 1-0.

After the fast start, the Crimson dominated, maintaining possession and testing Yale senior goalkeeper Emilie Katz often. Yet with less than 10 minutes to go in the half Harvard had failed to capitalize on any more of their chances.

“We had a great start with a goal in 31 seconds, and then it became a typical Ivy League game,” van Herwaarden said. “Balls can be fought for, and it’s going to be a matter of who works the best and who wants to put in the most work.”

The Crimson continued to grind and generate opportunities. In the 26th minute on the team’s fourth penalty corner of the game van Vlijmen came up big again. Senior midfielder Kyla Cordey passed up the ball to junior midfielder Ellie Cookson, who stopped it at the top of the circle for van Vlijmen to strike. The forward blasted the ball off Katz and into the cage for her second score.

“I just did my thing,” van Vlijmen said. “But it’s amazing to score two goals in your first Ivy League game as a freshman…. I couldn’t believe it.”

Harvard had a quick turnaround in play, facing regional powerhouse Maine less than 48 hours after the Yale game. The Crimson didn’t show any signs of weariness, however, jumping out to a 2-0 lead, following goals from freshman forward Maddie Earl in the 19th minute and senior forward Marissa Balleza in the 38th minute.

After such a dominant showing against Yale, it would have been easy for van Vlijmen and the rest of the Crimson team to take their foot off the offensive gas pedal. The group did just the opposite, and van Vlijmen delivered another goal in the 43rd minute for Harvard’s third and final goal of the day.

The play was strikingly similar to her second goal of the Yale game. Off a penalty corner, Cordery delivered to Cookson, who settled it at the top of the circle. Again, the freshman forward unleashed on the ball with smooth swing. This time it went un-touched, flying into the cage past Maine junior goalkeeper Emma Cochran.

Van Vlijmen has started in six of eight games this year and is already ranked second amongst a talented Crimson squad with six points on the year. Her performance has earned her the high praise from her teammates early in the season.

“She’s awesome. She’s dynamite,” Balleza said. “Especially on the forward line, she has an unreal shot...it’s fun to play with her.”

The Harvard Crimson

Maryland field hockey overcame a slow start at Iowa but didn’t recover two days later

By James Crabtree-Hannigan

After No. 6 Maryland field hockey's 4-2 win at No. 15 Iowa on Friday, coach Missy Meharg was happy with the result but didn't feel her team played its best.

The Terps started slow and had some defensive lapses, which also occurred in their 3-2 loss to Northwestern two days later.

The Hawkeyes and Wildcats took early leads against the Terps. Iowa forward Natalie Cafone scored in the 11th minute, and Northwestern forward Pascale Massey found the net in just the second minute.

Meharg said she hopes her team can look back at this weekend and prevent any similar problems going forward.

"If you look at the two games this weekend, we didn't play our brand of hockey that we want to play and that we're used to playing," forward Welma Luus said.

Lethargic starts aren't always an issue for the team, however. Even though Meharg thought her squad started slow in its 2-1 win over No. 13 Princeton last Tuesday, they got on the board in the first two minutes of the game.

"It's about being ready," Meharg said. "The last two or three games, we've been pretty slow to start and had goals scored early on us."

They also scored within the first three minutes in a 4-1 loss to Syracuse on Aug. 28. The 29-year head coach was even happier with her team's start of its 4-1 win against Indiana last Saturday.

"Against Indiana, we stepped on the field ready and we played how we want to," Meharg said.

But this weekend, the Terps (7-3, 2-1 Big Ten) couldn't find an early spark.

They trailed against Iowa (6-4, 0-3) after a long pass from the Terps' attacking circle went to Cafone at midfield. There were a couple of Maryland defenders near her, but none could keep pace. Her shot beat goalkeeper Sarah Holliday, who came charging out of the net.

"We were just disorganized," Meharg said. "We let there be chaos. We have to fill the gaps."

For the rest of that game, the Terps fixed their defense en route to the win. But against Northwestern (8-2, 3-0), defensive issues continued in the back-and-forth affair, allowing the Wildcats to come out on top.

In the 53rd minute, midfielder Lein Holsboer rolled a short pass toward midfielder Brooke Adler. The junior didn't see Wildcats midfielder Isabel Flens running upfield into the ball's path.

Flens picked it off, turned around and sprinted down the field on the counterattack. She dished it to midfielder Saar de Breij who had a one-on-one with Holliday. De Breij scored to take a 2-1 lead.

"We kept trying, and everyone really wanted to come back, but it wasn't in the books for today," Luus said.

Then with the game tied 2-2 seven minutes later, defender Grace Balsdon passed the ball across the top of the circle to defender Courtney Deena. The senior couldn't handle the pass, and Wildcats forward Pascale Massey stole possession.

Massey carried the ball toward goal and met Holliday at the post, where she jammed the ball into the net for the game-winning goal.

"The goals were on Maryland errors in the back third," Meharg said. "We need to take care of the ball taking it out."

The Terps almost matched Northwestern statistically, only being out-shot, 10-9, and earning one more penalty corner than the Wildcats. They tied the game twice in the final 25 minutes and had a chance to send it to overtime on a penalty corner with no time remaining.

But Northwestern's three goals — one as the Terps struggled in the early stages, and two on passing miscues — were enough to snap the team's six-game win streak.

"It was kind of a tough day for us, we didn't play our best hockey as a team," Luus said. "And I think individually, too, it was tough on us."

The Diamondback

Reviving hockey: PHF promises jobs to the jobless

By Nabil Tahir

KARACHI: In a massive step that was long overdue and would go a long way in reviving hockey in the country, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has asked unemployed players to contact them so that they could be accommodated with jobs in different departments.

As per PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, one of the main reasons for the declining interest in hockey among the youth is a lack of job opportunities.

And since taking charge, the incumbent regime, including Shahbaz and President PHF Brig (Retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar have taken it upon themselves to decrease unemployment in the current hockey fraternity.

“A job is the basic necessity for athletes so they can only fully focus on their game. And in the past, many departments used to offer jobs to hockey players on the basis of their playing prowess, but not anymore,” Shahbaz told The Express Tribune. “We have been in contact with quite a few departments to create jobs for the players and have been encouraged by their positive response.”

He continued: “Unemployed players who fall in the age bracket of 18 to 27 and have also attended a national hockey camp, either for the national senior team or any national age group team, are requested to contact PHF.”

Shahbaz added that for the players who fulfil the aforementioned conditions, the PHF will find suitable jobs so that they can devote themselves to the game and training.

The Express Tribune

Kampong JC1 win Dutch ABN AMRO Junior EHL qualifier



Kampong’s Under-14 “JC1” team kept alive the club’s hopes of retaining the ABN AMBRO Junior EHL as they won the Dutch qualifying rounds at Almere on Sunday.

They got the better of Amsterdam 2-0 in their first game before Oranje-Rood were 4-1 winners over Amsterdam. It meant an all-or-nothing showdown for Oranje-Rood and Kampong and the Utrecht side won out 2-1.

Kampong won the title last year from a four team competition last year with a 4-1 final win over Club Egara from Spain.

This year, the competition has been expanded to feature representatives from six countries with teams from France and England set to join Kampong along with German, Spanish and Belgian teams.

They will play out the ABN AMRO Junior EHL at Easter 2017 in tandem with the EHL KO16 and KO8, playing on the main pitch and getting the chance to meet some of their hockey heroes.

Euro Hockey League media release

Scottish U16 and U18 Boys Inter Districts



Glasgow National Hockey Centre played host to the U16/U18 Boys Inter Districts, the first event in the Youth Calendar for season 2016-2017.

The rain did not hamper the tremendous display of hockey over the course of both days with all players being a great credit to their district.

At both age groups there were five districts, West, East, Midland, North and Highland. Midland U18 and West U16 were hoping to do the double as they were the previous winners of the tournament in last season’s competition.

U16 Competition

East began the weekend with a dominant display over Midland winning 8 goals to nil. North defeated Highland 2-1 in what was a very close match between the sides. West’s first match was against a very impressive East side, however they proved to be clinical in front of goal and came out 4-1 winners with goals from Fraser Moran (2), Euan Cowan, Niall Taylor with Jake Inglis scoring for East.

The next match was an 8 goal thriller between North and Midland, but both teams could only share the points as it finished 4-4 in a very exciting end to end game. West finished off day one with a spectacular 16-0 win over Highland. Calum Douglas in the Highland goal was however one of the best players on the pitch with some terrific saves to deny West on multiple occasions.

The first match of day 2 was East v Highland with again young Douglas performing to the best of his ability to keep out a strong East side including saving 2 penalty strokes.  However East proved too strong for the Highlanders winning the match 8-0.

West once again upped their game and rounded off a 17-0 victory over North. Midland then claimed their first win of the tournament with a 3-0 victory over Highland with Lewis McKenzie scoring a brace and Struan Griffiths making it 3.

East finished off the competition with a superb 13-0 win over North. Both Fraser Heigh and Jacob Tweedie both getting hat tricks. This result meant that East claimed second place. West finished the competition off in style winning 10-0 over Midland with Fraser Moran and Finn Halliday scoring hat tricks.

West U16s proved too strong for all districts over the weekend and thoroughly deserved to claim the title.

Final Standings:

1st- West
2nd- East
3rd- Midland
4th- North
5th- Highland


U16 winners, West

U18 Competition

The first match of day one saw West and East compete against each other which in previous years has always been a very good match of hockey. East came out on top this time with a 3-1 win. Midland also got off to a strong start beating North 7-0 with Cameron Golden being the stand out player.

Highland displayed a very impressive performance against West and were leading 2-1 with 5 minutes to play. West grabbed a late equaliser and scored the winner after reverting to a kicking back. Three points were vital to staying in competition for 1st or 2nd place.

East then took on Midland which was always going to be a very competitive match. Midland again proved triumphant with a 4-2 win, this gave them the advantage and the double was in their sight. The final match of day one saw North claim a 1-0 victory over Highland.

Day 2 began with West defeating North by 2 goals to 1. West’s Alasdair Richmond scored the vital winning goal. Midland had one hand on the title after beating Highland 5-0 with Cameron Golden scoring 3, John Stephen and Cameron Banks netting the other two. East inflicted a heavy 9 goal shut out over North which almost secured 2nd place for the East coast visitors.

The penultimate game of the day saw West v Midland, Midland only needed a draw to secure the title and West were hoping to claim victory in order to compete for second place. In what was a highly competitive game of hockey, Midland went 2-0 up within 10 minutes through two goals from Lewis Pyke. West pulled a goal back right before half time through Dean Baber. Midland started the second half the same as they did the first, scoring very early through Cameron Banks to take the score to 3-1. West got back level through Calum Berry and Ryan Cummins with 10 minutes to play. However the score remained the same which meant Midland had secured the Inter District title for the second year in a row.

The final match saw East claim second place with a 9-1 win over Highland. This drew the Inter Districts to a close in what was a terrific weekend of hockey in a very rainy dark and gloomy Glasgow.

Final Standings:

1st- Midland
2nd- East
3rd- West
4th- North
5th- Highland


Cameron Golden Receives the Stand Out Player award


U18 winners, Midland

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Massey University preferred site for new hockey turf

GEORGIA FORRESTER


Palmerston North is to get a new hockey turf. Warwick Smith

A new internationally recognised hockey turf looks set to be built at Massey University, New Zealand, which is committing $1 million to the project.

The Palmerston North City Council announced on Tuesday the university was the preferred partner for the city's new hockey turf.

The council is chipping in with $500,000.

Hockey Manawatu operations manager Kevin Nicholson said the proposal would bring a new turf of international standard to the region.

The turf would likely be located alongside the Sport and Rugby Institute and existing tennis and netball courts.

Nicholson said the proposal would add to the twin turfs at Fitzherbert Park.

Hockey was one of the fastest growing sports in the region, with junior numbers up about 80 per cent since 2011.

"We are at maximum capacity in terms of turf accessibility."

The new turf was desperately needed to increase the chance of hosting major tournaments and gave the city room to stage the national masters tournament, New Zealand's biggest competition, Nicholson said.

Hosting a tournament of that size would benefit city hotels, motels and restaurants, he said. 

Massey's recently appointed director of sport advancement Dr Andrew Foskett said the turf was hopefully the first domino in a long-term development plan that would see another hockey turf and football and rugby fields also built.

He said the proposal was yet to be confirmed, but it would cater for all athletes, from olympians to students.

The total cost is expect to come in at $2.6m.

Vice-chancellor Steve Maharey said the turf would help Massey's plan to create New Zealand's pre-eminent hockey development centre, within the larger sport and recreational precinct on the campus.

"We aim to position Palmerston North as New Zealand's foremost centre of sporting excellence," he said.

"This announcement in relation to hockey, which is already extremely strong in the region, provides an opportunity for the city, schools, clubs, national and regional hockey organisations and the university to work together..."

Massey was selected over Palmerston North Boys' High School by a panel that included representatives from Hockey New Zealand and Sport Manawatu.

Hockey NZ community hockey manager Colin French said the panel received two strong proposals.

He said it was a robust and lengthy assessment process, but the panel recommended Massey University as the preferred partner based on its greater community access and vision to build on the existing sports precinct.

"This is an exciting development for our hockey community within this very strong and proud hockey region, and we wish them all the success as they continue to grow and develop our game."

Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith said the new turf would be a great asset for the city.

"Palmerston North is a sporting hub for the lower North Island and the hockey turf will be a fantastic addition to the raft of sporting facilities already on offer in the city."

He said the council would also be talking to Palmerston North Boys' High School to encourage and help it with its plans.

The council's parks and property manager John Brenkley said the new turf would "reinforce" Palmerston North's position as a top tournament location, bringing with it economic benefits for the city.

There was also potential for more facilities, such as clubrooms and space for media and referees, to be added, he said.

Negotiations between Massey, Hockey Manawatu and the council are under way to finalise a memorandum of understanding.

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