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News for 11 March 2018

All the news for Monday 12 March 2018


Men's Asian Games Qualifier 2018 - Day 4
Muscat (OMA)

HKG v BAN (Pool A) 1 - 5   
THA v AFG (Pool A) 23 - 0

Pool Standings

Pool A

 
Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Bangladesh 2 2 0 0 10 1 9 6
2 Thailand 2 1 0 1 23 5 18 3
3 Hong Kong China 2 1 0 1 20 6 14 3
4 Afghanistan 2 0 0 2 1 42 -41 0

Pool B

 
Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Oman 2 2 0 0 9 4 5 6
2 Chinese Taipei 2 1 0 1 11 7 4 3
3 Sri Lanka 2 1 0 1 7 5 2 3
4 Kazakhstan 2 0 0 2 3 14 -11 0

Upcoming 12 March (GMT+4)

18:00     TPE v SRI (Pool B)   
20:00     OMA v KAZ (Pool B)

FIH Match Centre



Indian Women's Hockey Team play out 1-1 draw with South Korea; win the series 3-1

Seoul: The Indian Women's Hockey Team played out a 1-1 draw against hosts South Korea in the last match of their five match series here at the Jinchun National Athletic Centre on Sunday. Both the teams scored a goal each in the final quarter of the match which saw them locked at a goal apiece at the full-time whistle. It was Vandana Katariya who found the net in the 48th minute for India but the visitors' joy was cut short when South Korea's Bomi Kim (50') scored an equalizer two minutes later. The draw in the last match sees India end their impressive South Korea Tour with a 3-1 victory in the five-match series.

It was a very well matched first quarter in the match as both the teams looked to be patient and attack at the right time. Players from both the teams defended well as a unit but failed to produce much going forward in the final third of the pitch. The lack of attacking intent from either side in the opening 15 minutes saw the scoreline remain 0-0 at the end of the quarter as South Korea focused on keeping their shape to not allow the Indians to find an opening.

The second quarter saw the hosts create better chances going forward and the World No. 9 team made some attacking forays into the Indian striking circle. South Korea's forwards earned themselves two Penalty Corners in the second quarter but Indian goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu was up to the task as she made two great reflex saves on both the occasions to deny the hosts of taking the lead in the match. The visitors were unable to produce the same attacking display that saw them take a 3-1 lead in the series as the match remained goalless at half-time.

The Indian team came out after the half-time break with a rejuvenated spirit as they focused on quick and precise passing, and were threatening the hosts' defense on the counter as well. It was an impressive phase in the match for the visitors as they created a few chances but could not be efficient in their finishing. It was in the 41st minute that the World No. 10 side were awarded their first Penalty Corner of the match, however South Korea's Mijin Han made a crucial save to deny the Indians as the scores remained locked at 0-0.

In the last quarter, both the teams looked to finish off the series on a good note as they looked to create more chances, and were pressing their opposition, winning back the possession, and making quick forward passes to hit their opposition on the counter. It was India who benefited first from their tactics as a well-waited forward pass from skipper Rani was shot into the goal by Vandana Katariya in the 48th minute to give their team a crucial lead. However, the lead could only last for two minutes as South Korea also displayed some crisp passing and scored a field goal in the 50th minute through Bomi Kim to equalize. The last 10 minutes of the match saw a similar story as both the teams looked to find the winner. It was the hots who had a great chance of scoring the winner in the 54th minute when they were awarded a Penalty Corner, but the drag-flick was shot wide and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

The Times of India



Sardar Singh shows sparks, but heat to remain in fray multiplies

By Rutvick Mehta


Veteran Sardar Singh had a mixed outing in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

During the frantic final quarter in India's 5-1 win over Malaysia in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Sardar Singh ran with the ball from just outside India's D into the midfield area. Tackled by a Malaysian defender, Sardar fell, and yet somehow passed the ball to Ramandeep Singh while on his way down. Ramandeep then passed it on to Sumit Kumar, who applied the finishing touches to score India's third goal.

As soon as the ball went into the Malaysian box, almost every Indian player went up to Sardar to celebrate. They knew it was their captain who set up the goal, who was at the heart of that skillful piece of hockey.

Sadly for the former India captain, though, such moments were few and far between.

Labelled as the make-or-break tournament for the 31-year-old, Sardar showcased a few glimpses of his old self in his favourite midfield position, at times creating masterful passes to feed his forwards and at times making key interceptions to block the opposition's forwards.

However, they were more cases of sparks than a story.

The moment Sardar was picked to lead a bunch of youngsters in this tournament after being axed for a few before, it was clear he needed an extraordinary performance to remain in the scheme of things for bigger events later this year – the Asian Games and FIH World Cup.

Having failed to come up with that exceptional show consistently in the Azlan Shah, his dream of playing on till the 2020 Tokyo Games – or even the World Cup in November-December, for that matter – now looks increasingly bleak.

With the think-tank set to get the regular players who were rested back for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) next month, it'll be a huge surprise if Sardar gets a ticket for that event.

Speaking to DNA on Sunday, chief coach Sjoerd Marijne refused to analyse just Sardar's show in the Azlan Shah, but said that the senior members in the team including captain Sardar did well in some matches, and not quite in the others.

"I don't speak about individuals, and I won't speak about Sardar. It's about the whole team performance," Marijne said.

"He (Sardar) was not the only leader, there were more leaders in the group. Experienced players must lift the levels of the team. Some matches they did well, and some matches they could've done better.

"I will speak to players individually by myself. There were good things he (Sardar) did, and there were things he could improve upon," the Dutchman added.

With Marijne deciding to cut the size of the core group from 33 to 24 after the CWG with an eye on the two big events this year and the 2020 Games, Sardar will feel he has a monumental mountain to climb in front of him to get into that list.

And, the Azlan Shah show did little to make that climb a tad easier.

Disappointed at No. 5 finish: Marijne

India head coach Sjoerd Marijne said he was disappointed at India's fifth-place finish in the Azlan Shah but added that the objectives from this tournament were largely met. "This tournament, we wanted to improve ourselves. And one of the improvements was in defending. I feel we're becoming better with every passing day in that," Marijne said. "Yes, to come No. 5 is always disappointing as coach. But I'm happy in the improvements we made, happy that a few young players did well in their first international outing."

Team for CWG out on Tuesday

Hockey India will announce the Indian men's hockey squad for the Commonwealth Games slated next month on Tuesday. Sjoerd Marijne confirmed that the experimentation with different players and combination will now stop. "We'll take the best team to the CWG. We saw different teams for the previous four tournaments, and almost every player in the core group played two tournaments each. With that knowledge from the four tournaments, we'll pick the best team and the best combination.

Daily News & Analysis



Quick fix needed

By Aftar Singh


Good effort: National chief coach Stephen van Huizen (right) consoling his players after losing to Australia 3-1 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last week. — RONNIE CHIN / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team need quick-fix solutions to avoid being the whipping boys at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4-15.

In the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Malaysia finished fourth in a six-team tournament in Ipoh that saw the good and ugly sides of the team in just one week.

They defeated Ireland 4-1 and stunned Olympic champions and world No. 2 Argentina 2-1 but the Malaysian defence – led by skipper Muhd Razie AbdulRahim – conceded 12 goals in two matches against India (1-5) and England (2-7).

Leaking 12 goals in only two games is the worst- ever defensive record for Malaysia in a tournament.

The Podium Programme players were at fault for poor defending and marking. Their goalkeeping and penalty corner conversions were also a letdown.

Malaysia’s two goalkeepers, Muhd Hafizuddin Othman and Muhd Hairi Abdul Rahman, failed to impress in the absence of the experienced S. Kumar, who was named best keeper in the World League Semi-finals in London last year and helped Malaysia to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Bhubanes­war, India, from Nov 28 to Dec 16.

The 38-year-old Kumar has been provisionally banned for two years after failing a doping test in the Asia Cup in Dhaka last October.

The team’s shortcomings are a wake-up call for national chief coach Stephen van Huizen. His side need to buck up or they’ll face ano­ther beating in the Common­wealth Games.

India and England are in the same group with Malaysia in the Gold Coast Games. The other two teams are Pakistan and Wales.

Stephen admitted that there were weak areas but vowed to strengthen the team.

“Our defence made mistakes against India and England. It’s difficult to accept the fact that we conceded three goals in five minutes in the first quarter against England,” said Stephen.

“We need to rectify these areas as the Commonwealth Games is just three weeks away.”

He said playing six tough matches in eight days was physically tough for his players, who also played in last month’s Malaysia Hockey League (MHL). Malaysia also missed the services of injured skipper Muhd Sukri Abdul Mutalib, Mohd Izad Hakimi and Muhd Shamsul Haziq.

“We were the lowest ranked team in Ipoh but we did well against Argentina. We need to be more consistent,” said Stephen, who is looking forward to the team returning to training on Wednesday.

The Star of Malaysia



NZ Women set to shine on Gold Coast


Kelsey Smith (L) and Pippa Hayward (R). Photo: www.photosport.nz

The New Zealand Women’s hockey team has been named to compete at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next month.

Players were welcomed to the New Zealand team at an announcement event co-hosted by the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Hockey New Zealand on Monday.

The team is spearheaded by the vastly experienced duo of captain Stacey Michelsen and Anita McLaren, who will both be competing at their third successive Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next month.

Michelsen, recently named a finalist for World Player of the Year, carries immense talent and experience having amassed 248 test caps for New Zealand while McLaren (252 caps) brings genuine firepower as the women’s all-time leading goal scorer, currently just one shy of her 100th goal.

Both players will be hungry to complete their set of Commonwealth Games medals having won silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014.

Northland striker Madison Doar is the youngest player named in the side at 18 years of age, earning selection thanks to her performance over the past 12 months.

Head coach Mark Hager said confidence is high within the group that they have what it takes to bring home a medal.

“We know all teams will arrive well prepared at the Commonwealth Games and we certainly aren’t taking anything for granted, but our expectations on ourselves are very high,” Hager said.

“We’ve put our faith in the majority of players who played and finished second at the World League Final in December, and are confident we have the necessary talent in this side.

“Given our performances over recent years there will rightly be an expectation on us to win a medal and I think it’s healthy to have that pressure, but also knowing we have great support from everyone cheering us on at Gold Coast and back home.”

New Zealand Olympic Committee CEO Kereyn Smith passed on her congratulations to the women’s side as their inclusion now boosts the New Zealand team on the Gold Coast to 188 athletes.

“We're thrilled to name a strong women's hockey team for Gold Coast 2018,” said Smith.

“This is a team bristling with talent and the games will be a must watch as these athletes take on the best in the Commonwealth.

“Well done to all of the athletes selected and I'm looking forward to watching this group of talented women represent New Zealand with pride and honour in just over three weeks.”

Sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the 10 competing nations for both men’s and women’s competitions are divided into two pools of five based on their FIH World Rankings.

The hockey competition runs from 5-14 April at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre and sees each side play all other pool opponents before the top two from each pool progress to the semi-finals and medal matches.

Each team consists of 18 players, with a total of 360 athletes participating in the GC2018 hockey competition.

Pool B is headlined by the New Zealand Women along with trans-Tasman rivals Australia, Scotland, Canada and Ghana while Pool A includes England, India, South Africa, Malaysia and Wales.

The Kiwis open their Commonwealth Games campaign against Scotland at 1:30pm (NZ time) on Thursday 5th April.

The New Zealand Women have won three medals at past Commonwealth Games including bronze at Kuala Lumpur 1998, silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014.

For more information on hockey at Gold Coast 2018, click here to visit the official website

NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S TEAM
GOLD COAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES
5-14 APRIL, 2018

PLAYER NAME

REGION

POSITION

AGE

CAPS

Sam CHARLTON

Midlands

Defender

26

213

Tarryn DAVEY

Midlands

Defender/Midfielder

22

20

Frances DAVIES

Midlands

Defender

21

39

Madison DOAR

Northland

Striker

18

11

Shiloh GLOYN

Midlands

Midfielder

28

56

Ella GUNSON

Northland

Defender

28

179

Sam HARRISON

Auckland

Striker

26

137

Pippa HAYWARD

Canterbury

Defender

27

152

Tessa JOPP

Southern

Midfielder

22

17

Rose KEDDELL

Midlands

Defender

24

164

Anita McLAREN

Capital

Midfielder

30

252

Olivia MERRY

Canterbury

Striker

25

186

Stacey MICHELSEN (capt)

Northland

Defender

27

248

Brooke NEAL

Northland

Defender

25

135

Grace O’HANLON

Auckland

Goalkeeper

25

28

Sally RUTHERFORD

Midlands

Goalkeeper

36

155

Kelsey SMITH

Capital

Striker

23

69

Liz THOMPSON

Auckland

Defender

23

160

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Black Sticks Women's team named for Commonwealth Games


Anita McLaren has scored 99 goals for the Black Sticks Women. Photo / Photosport

Black Sticks stalwarts Stacey Michelsen and Anita McLaren have been named to lead the team into the Commonwealth Games.

With 500 international caps between them, the pair were named for their third consecutive Commonwealth Games when the squad was announced on Monday.

Michelsen, was recently named a finalist for World Player of the Year, and brings a wealth of talent and experience into the squad, while McLaren will be looking for her 100th career goal in the Black jersey – with 99 to her name currently.

The pair will be on the hunt for an elusive gold medal at the Games to complete the full set. They won silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014.

Head coach Mark Hager said the squad were confident that had the ability to bring home the gold.

"We know all teams will arrive well prepared at the Commonwealth Games and we certainly aren't taking anything for granted, but our expectations on ourselves are very high," Hager said.

"We've put our faith in the majority of players who played and finished second at the World League Final in December, and are confident we have the necessary talent in this side.

"Given our performances over recent years there will rightly be an expectation on us to win a medal and I think it's healthy to have that pressure and it's great to know we'll have support on the Gold Coast and back home."

Black Sticks team for the Commonwealth Games:

Goalkeepers: Grace O'Hanlon, Sally Rutherford

Defenders: Liz Thompson, Brooke Neal, Rose Keddell, Ella Gunson, Sam Charlton.

Midfielders: Stacey Michelsen (c), Anita McLaren, Tessa Jopp, Pippa Hayward, Shiloh Gloyn, Maddie Doar, Frances Davies, Tarryn Davey.

Strikers: Kelsey Smith, Sam Harrison, Olivia Merry.

The New Zealand Herald



Stacey Michelsen and Anita McLaren to lead Black Sticks at Commonwealth Games


Anita McLaren is part of the Black Sticks Commonwealth Games squad.

Stacey Michelsen and Anita McLaren will lead the women's Black Sticks for a third successive Commonwealth Games.

The experienced duo were named in the 18-strong squad for the Gold Coast Games on Monday, with Northland striker Madison Doar at the other end of the spectrum as the youngest player in the team at just 18 years of age.

Michelsen was named as a finalist for World Player of the Year recently and will captain the side. Her 248 test caps are bettered only by McLaren in this squad, who has 252 to her name and is the team's all-time leading scorer with 99.

Both players won silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014. McLaren took time away from the game after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but returned to the Black Sticks setup for their February series against Argentina.

Head coach Mark Hager said his team was confident of bringing back another medal to add to their collection, with a bronze also won at Kuala Lumpur 1998.

"We know all teams will arrive well prepared at the Commonwealth Games and we certainly aren't taking anything for granted, but our expectations on ourselves are very high," Hager said.

"We've put our faith in the majority of players who played and finished second at the World League Final in December, and are confident we have the necessary talent in this side.

"Given our performances over recent years there will rightly be an expectation on us to win a medal and I think it's healthy to have that pressure and it's great to know we'll have support on the Gold Coast and back home."

New Zealand will play in Pool B on the Gold Coast. They will meet trans-Tasman rivals Australia, Scotland, Canada and Ghana. Pool A includes England, India, South Africa, Malaysia and Wales.

Monday's team announcement also coincided with the release of the women's team uniform for the Commonwealth Games, which is black, white and grey.

Women's Black Sticks Commonwealth Games squad: Sam Charlton, Tarryn Davey, Frances Davies, Madison Doar, Shiloh Gloyn, Ella Gunson, Sam Harrison, Pippa Hayward, Tessa Jopp, Rose Keddell, Anita Mclaren, Olivia Merry, Stacey Michelsen (capt), Brooke Neal, Grace O'Hanlon, Sally Rutherford, Kelsey Smith, Liz Thompson

Stuff



Egara the Copa del Rey champions for 17th time



Club Egara are the Spanish Copa del Rey champions thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over Real Club de Polo in the final,capping a great weekend for the club.

They did it the hard way, beating Club de Campo 5-1 in their opening tie before eliminating Atletic Terrassa 2-1 in Saturday’s semi-final. Polo’s route saw them edge by CD Terrassa in a shoot-out in the quarters before knocking out FC Barcelona 4-1.

In the final, after an event start, it was scoreless at the end of the first quarter before Egara took charge in the second period via Pau Quemada’s corner in the 26th minute.

After the break, RC Polo produced plenty of attacking hockey but they were stunned once again when Lluís Mercadé extend the lead in the 40th minute.

Manu Bordás gave Polo a lifeline in the 56th minute from a corner and with six minutes ahead, the team of Carlos García Cuenca had another penalty corner, which Quico Cortés saved to keep the lead in tact.

Egara held on and grabbed their 17th cup title, celebrating in style with their blue and white fans. Franc Dinarés (Club Egara) was later named player of the tournament with Cortés the best goalkeeper.

Roc Oliva (Atlètic Terrassa), Marc Miralles (Terrassa CD) and Álex Gil (Junior FC) were the joint top scorers.

Euro Hockey League media release



Rotterdam frustrated by three Amsterdam goals in six minute spell


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics

While Jeroen Hertzberger’s late penalty stroke salvaged a controversial 3-3 draw, it felt like a defeat for HC Rotterdam after they let a 2-0 lead slip to three AH&BC Amsterdam goals in the space of six second half minutes.

It leaves them with six points to make up on the top four if they are to chase down a playoff place.

Hertzberger had opened the scoring from the penalty spot following a Klaas Vermeulen foul. Hertzberger then combined beautifully with Thijs van Dam who applied a delightful backhand lob for a 2-0 advantage.

But for a Justin Reid-Ross intervention, Nick Catlin was in for a third goal from Seve van Ass’s pass and that let off allowed Amsterdam a way back into the game.

Billy Bakker slipped in a push from the right of the circle and then Boris Burkhardt added two close range finishes to turn things around from 2-0 to 2-3 between the 42nd and 48th minute.

At the end, Hertzberger snuck in from the left wing to create a chance which eventually ended in a stroke though Amsterdam argued long and hard that the ball hit his back stick in the process.

The Rotterdam striker drove home his second stroke of the day for a share of the spoils but it felt like a missed chance to close the gap to the top four.

Coach Albert Kees Manenschijn admitted enough afterwards when speaking to hockey.nl: "This affects me very much. Amsterdam has one period where they played all or nothing. Then we made mistakes; we lost the race there.

“Maybe we have not been good enough all year round. We have just had a difficult season.”

SV Kampong remain top after their 3-2 win over Pinoke with goals from Philip Meulenbroek, Jip Janssen and Quirijn Caspers.
HC Bloemendaal crushed HGC 5-0 with Xavi Lleonart, Tim Swaen, Roel Bovendeert, Jasper Brinkman and Jamie Dwyer sharing the goals.

Two Mink van der Weerden goals saw Oranje-Rood win 2-1 against Den Bosch for them to remain in third place.

Euro Hockey League media release



Beeston go top as Surbiton suffer


Beeston scorer Richard Lawrence in action against Sevenoaks. Credit David Kissman

The battle for play-off places was blown wide open in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division as long-time leaders Surbiton lost twice, allowing Beeston to move top.

In a dramatic turn of events Hampstead & Westminster scored three goals in the final three minutes of their game against Surbiton to take a 5-4 win at home on Sunday.

Kwan Browne opened the scoring for Hampstead from the penalty spot on 12 minutes before Surbiton pulled one back through Luke Taylor and then took the lead through Chris Grassick.

Matt Guise Brown levelled the scores for Hampstead just two minutes later before Alan Forsyth scored twice to give Surbiton a 4-2 lead.

With three minutes remaining Surbiton looked home and dry, but Kwan Browne tucked home his second stroke of the game on 68 minutes and a quick-fire double from Guise Brown saw him complete his hat-trick and claim three points for Hampstead.

This followed another loss for Surbiton on Saturday when a Richard Mantell hat-trick condemned them to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Reading, with Alan Forsyth scoring the consolation.

Surbiton, having lost several players on international duty with England at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, are now second while Reading and Wimbledon are both just two points behind with a game in hand.

Beeston went top after a 3-1 win over Sevenoaks with Richard Lawrence, Marius Gemmell and Chris Proctor all on target.

Reading made the most of their two games in two days. After their win over Surbiton on Saturday they went on to beat East Grinstead 7-3 on Sunday.

Tom Carson scored a hat-trick, while Ben Boon, James Carson, Owain Dolan Gray and Richard Mantell were on target, while Wesley Jackson, Simon Faulkner and Tony Wilson found the net for East Grinstead.

Simon Mantell’s goal kept Wimbledon in the hunt for a play-off berth in their 1-0 win against Holcombe.

Brooklands MU ensured their place in the top flight next season as they put six past Canterbury. Pete Cornell hit a brace with David Flanagan, Tom Russell, Oliver Clarke and Tom Lush also scoring.

Men’s Conference East

Leaders Oxted had to be content with a 2-2 draw at Old Loughtonians – and had Sam Driver to thank for a late goal which spared their blushes in the Men’s Conference East.

Harry Kempe and William Smith had put Old Loughtonians ahead following Robbert Schenk’s first half goal for Oxted, who now lead by just one point.

Second-placed Teddington were 4-3 winners over Chichester with Matt Daly scoring twice and Chris Seddon and Charles Bowren also on target.

Elsewhere Brighton & Hove were 3-2 winners over rivals Southgate, who missed a penalty stroke and hit the crossbar in a dramatic final four minutes.

Cambridge City drew 2-2 with Old Georgians in a match which saw both sides miss a penalty stroke. Richmond won 2-0 at home against West Herts who are now destined to finish bottom of the table.

Men’s Conference West

The University of Exeter fought back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 against Team Bath Buccaneers to stay top of the Men’s Conference West - but Cardiff & Met have a game in hand are now only two points behind.

Exeter took the lead through Conor Caplan after just eight minutes, but a goal from Matt Ming and then a double from Cameron Heald saw Bath go 3-1 up. However, late goals from Sam Hooper and Ed Matts saw the game finish all square.

Cardiff & Met now have the destiny of the title in their own hands after Jack Pritchard’s hat-trick saw them beat the University of Birmingham 3-2.

Team Bath Buccaneers were also in action on Saturday, winning 4-2 over Clifton Robinsons who also lost 8-0 to Olton & West Warwicks on Sunday.

Elsewhere Cheltenham beat Havant 3-2 and a Tom Brooks hat-trick saw Isca beat Fareham 4-3.

Men’s Conference North

Three goals in the last three minutes ensured a dramatic end to the Men’s Conference North clash between leaders University of Nottingham and hosts Deeside Ramblers, but it was the students who took the win 5-3.

They were 2-0 ahead with Mo Gandhi and James Hodgkinson scoring early on, but Deeside hit back with Chris Barber scoring either side of half time to draw level.

Hodgkinson’s second gave Nottingham some breathing space, and Luke Hudson’s 67th minute strike put them 4-2 ahead. But Ali Ghazanfar pulled one back for the Ramblers, while Tom Sorsby had the final word in the 69th minute for the leaders.

Elsewhere Andrew Webb’s last minute strike helped Loughborough Students to a 5-4 win over Leeds, while second-placed University of Durham were held to a goalless draw by Sheffield Hallam on Sunday.

Bowdon lost out 1-0 to the University of Durham in Saturday’s clash, but their 3-2 win over Doncaster on Sunday means Durham, Loughborough and Bowdon all have 31 points.

And in the clash of the bottom two, Preston threw themselves a lifeline with a 2-0 win over Cannock, both goals coming from Julian Lopez.

England Hockey Board Media release



Beeston take advantage of Surbiton travails at the top in England



The battle for play-off places was blown wide open in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division as long-time leaders Surbiton lost twice, allowing Beeston to move top.

In a dramatic turn of events, Hampstead & Westminster scored three goals in the final three minutes of their game against Surbiton to take a 5-4 win at home on Sunday.

Kwan Browne opened the scoring for Hampstead from the penalty spot on 12 minutes before Surbiton pulled one back through Luke Taylor and then took the lead through Chris Grassick.

Matt Guise Brown levelled the scores for Hampstead just two minutes later before Alan Forsyth scored twice to give Surbiton a 4-2 lead.

With three minutes remaining Surbiton looked home and dry, but Kwan Browne tucked home his second stroke of the game on 68 minutes and a quick-fire double from Guise Brown saw him complete his hat-trick and claim three points for Hampstead.

This followed another loss for Surbiton on Saturday when a Richard Mantell hat-trick condemned them to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Reading, with Alan Forsyth scoring the consolation.

Surbiton, having lost several players on international duty with England at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, are now second while Reading and Wimbledon are both just two points behind with a game in hand.

Beeston went top after a 3-1 win over Sevenoaks with Richard Lawrence, Marius Gemmell and Chris Proctor all on target.

Reading made the most of their two games in two days. After their win over Surbiton on Saturday they went on to beat East Grinstead 7-3 on Sunday.

Tom Carson scored a hat-trick, while Ben Boon, James Carson, Owain Dolan Gray and Richard Mantell were on target, while Wesley Jackson, Simon Faulkner and Tony Wilson found the net for East Grinstead.

Simon Mantell’s goal kept Wimbledon in the hunt for a play-off berth in their 1-0 win against Holcombe.

Brooklands MU ensured their place in the top flight next season as they put six past Canterbury. Pete Cornell hit a brace with David Flanagan, Tom Russell, Oliver Clarke and Tom Lush also scoring.

Euro Hockey League media release



Irish EY Hockey League Weekend Round Up

Sara Twomey’s first goal of the season could prove one of their most important as she struck five minutes from time for UCD to beat Pegasus 1-0 at Queen’s, beating one of their nearest rivals to retain their four-point lead at the top.

She finished off after a series of penalty corners unlocked a close-knit battle in dramatic fashion and UCD coach Miles Warren was thrilled with the latest win in a nine-game winning streak.

“It was a game where both teams had phases of possession and both teams dominated for a while,” Warren said. “We just said we need to keep playing our game in the final quarter and that’s why we can get those late goals.We have a magnificent squad that we can keep rolling to eke out that little bit extra that was needed.

“In the last nine games, we have just conceded two times. Our goalkeeper [Clodagh Cassin] is playing brilliantly and she keeps organising her defence and she is leading the organisation from the back.”

The result leaves Pegasus pretty much out of contention for the title. Cork Harlequins are the last side remaining with an outside chance of chasing UCD as Cliodhna Sargent’s last minute goal snatched a 1-0 win over bottom side Hermes-Monkstown with barely 60 seconds left.

Trinity, meanwhile, made a big move with Ellie Noone and Niamh Sweeney scoring the goals in a 2-0 win over Ards. They are still in the relegation playoff place but the result lifts them five points clear of Hermes-Monkstown and within one point of Pembroke in eighth place.

Pembroke, for their part, were within two minutes of an important win of their own but conceded to a late Loreto penalty corner in a 1-1 draw with Hayley Mulcahy eventually cancelling out Sarah Quill’s first half goal.

Railway Union moved into a share of third place with a 2-0 win over Belfast Harlequins, securing their fourth successive clean sheet in 2018. Kate Lloyd scored in the first couple of minutes before Kate Orr made the game safe.

Women
EY Hockey League: Belfast Harlequins 0 Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, K Orr); Cork Harlequins 1 (C Sargent) Monkstown 0; Pegasus 0 UCD 1 (S Twomey); Pembroke Wanderers 1 (S Quill) Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy); Trinity 2 (E Noone, N Sweeney) Ards 0

Men
EY Hockey League: Three Rock Rovers 7 (L Madeley 3, H Morris, J Mullins, J Hosking, P Blakeney) Railway Union 2 (E MacArthur, M English)

Women EY Hockey League:

Pegasus 0 UCD 1 (S Twomey)

Sara Twomey’s first goal of the season could prove one of their most important as she struck five minutes from time for UCD to beat Pegasus 1-0 at Queen’s, beating one of their nearest rivals to retain their four-point lead at the top.

It was a hard-fought ninth successive win in the league and their fourth clean sheet in a row, putting them clear having played both of their current nearest rivals twice already.

The students had more circle penetrations but neither team had a clear chance on goal in the first quarter. Clodagh Cassin was the slightly busier of the two keepers in the second with a couple of clearances while Shirley McCay’s driving runs – for a Pegasus side without Michelle Harvey on the day – down the middle left defenders in her wake but no goals accrued.

In the second half, great work from Abbie Russell and Twomey won the game’s first corner which saw a Katie Mullan drag saved by Sammy-Jo Greer and a Lena Tice rebound-shot cleared. McCay earned Pegasus’s first corner which UCD defended well as they did for another set-piece in the fourth quarter.

The Dubliners then forged a series of corners from a goalmouth scramble and, at the third attempt, Twomey to find the goal. With Mullan ubiquitous, UCD saw out the win. The result mathematically sees them into the EY Champions Trophy with five games to spare.

Note: Pegasus would like to put on record their thanks and appreciation to UCD's Sarah Robinson for a lovely sporting gesture when Ruth Maguire suffered a nasty facial injury after she was accidentally struck in the third quarter of the game.

Realising her opponent was in obvious pain and distress, Sarah was quickly on the scene to administer preliminary treatment and comfort Ruth for several minutes on the pitch.Fortunately Ruth's injury was not serous and she and her club would like to express their gratitude for Sarah's unselfish intervention when she could easily have ignored the Pegasus player's plight.

Belfast Harlequins 0 Railway Union 2 (K Lloyd, K Orr)

Railway Union continued their excellent form in 2018, moving into a share of third spot – albeit with an extra game played – with Pegasus as they continue their run of clean sheets to four in the EY Hockey League.

Kate Lloyd scored in the opening stages as Railway broke from defence and worked the ball up to the striker who was clean through on the left and she finished on her reverse into the bottom right corner.

Quins were threatening with Zoe Wilson always creating problems and Grace O’Flanagan made some good saves.

In the third quarter, Railway created some great chances but failed to put them away. The second goal came in the final quarter from a corner, won by Lloyd, with a drag flick from Kate Orr. Belfast Harlequins took their keeper off and Railway had two green cards at one stage, ensuring a few nervy moments but the Dubliners closed out the game well.

It was a win built on solid defence with Amy Elliott playing very well, playing a strong role in the first goal. It boosts their chances of securing a direct ticket to the playoffs but they do have a tough run-in with a game against UCD next and then two ties against Cork Harlequins.

Pembroke Wanderers 1 (S Quill) Loreto 1 (H Mulcahy)

Loreto finally made a series of penalty corners count in the closing minutes to earn Loreto a draw, denying Pembroke a crucial win in their bid to move clear of relegation trouble.

The Serpentine Avenue hosts had plenty of good early chances with Laura Noble, Jilly Ringwood and Emily Beatty denied by Alannah Carragher while Loreto had a number of corners.

Pembroke went in front on the half hour when Sara Quill netted a corner swept into the danger zone by Hayley McDonnell for a touch into the roof.

Loreto had the better of the third quarter with a few chances going wide and the Pembroke defence remaining strong. The Beaufort side switched to a kicking back in the closing six minutes and it paid dividends when they had a multitude of corners with Hayley Mulcahy eventually popping up with the equaliser.

The result means Loreto are in fifth at the end of the day’s action but now have seven points to make up on a potential Champions Trophy place. Pembroke are eighth but have seen their gap to Trinity reduced to one point.

Trinity 2 (E Noone, N Sweeney) Ards 0

Trinity picked up a hugely important second win of the season to move them five points clear of Hermes-Monkstown, giving them a big chance of avoiding the relegation playoff spot.

Ellie Noone gave them a very early lead when she managed to scoop into the net over Naomi McKnight from close range. The Dubliners created most of the promising chances in the early phases before Ards came into it in the second quarter with Carolyn Crampton making key saves from play and corners.

Jenny Long, Avril Dooley O'Carroll and Issy Delamer were also fantastic in the back line. The second goal came in the third quarter when Niamh Sweeney was passed a bouncing ball by Aine Ryan at the top of the D and fired home on the half-volley into the top of the net for a cracking goal.

Trinity stay in ninth place in the division but moves them within a point of eighth placed Pembroke who they will hope to overhaul to escape the relegation playoff match.

Cork Harlequins 1 (C Sargent) Hermes-Monkstown 0

Cliodhna Sargent’s 69th minute penalty corner strike saw Cork Harlequins snatch all three points and puts them within a point of following UCD into the EY Champions Trophy with plenty of games to spare.

With the play penned in the Monkstown half for the vast majority of the tie, Quins frustration was high as they could not break through a packed defence. Things got more fraught when goalkeeper Emma Buckley was sin-binned for some verbals. Quins decided to forego a padded keeper for the two-minutes and eventually forced their winner.

For bottom side Hermes-Monkstown, it was a tough outcome as they fought hard throughout the tie but the loss sees them fall five points off Trinity who occupy the relegation playoff place.

Men EY Hockey League:

Three Rock Rovers 7 (L Madeley 3, H Morris, J Mullins, J Hosking, P Blakeney) Railway Union 2 (E MacArthur, M English)

Three Rock Rovers moved back into second place in the men’s EY Hockey League with a comfortable 7-2 win over Railway Union at Grange Road in their refixed tie.

They were 5-0 up at half-time with Luke Madeley putting them in front after 10 minutes from a penalty corner – the first of a hat trick – before Harry Morris scrambled in a second a minute later.

Peter Blakeney added a third goal in four minutes for a commanding 3-0 lead at the quarter-time break. Madeley added a fourth from a corner rebound when his initial shot was well saved by Stephen O’Keeffe but fell back to him to shoot home.

He completed his treble from open play from Mitch Darling’s pass before the break and there was no change in the third quarter. Eoin MacArthur clawed one back early in the final period, slamming home a rebound with a powerful shot which saw the head of his stick break in the process.

John Mullins replied instantly for a 6-1 lead with a powerful. Mark English’s drag-flick got another back for Railway before Jody Hosking completed the day’s scoring with a powerful shot into the bottom corner.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Goal difference set to be decisive to divide UCD, YMCA and Corinthian



UCD fought back from 2-1 down to beat Corinthian 3-2, a result that looks set to send Leinster League Division One to the last day with three sides in the mix on goal difference.

Jazze Henry’s thunderous reverse with seven minutes to go settled a toughly-fought but even battle, following up an initially blocked shot to shoot home past Ross Murray.

Early on, Corinthian put on a good press on in midfield and it led to plenty of turnovers from that area. The reds duly took advantage from one such situation, quickly working the ball to Jonny Bruton to score from play.

Andrew Meates equalised from a penalty corner deflection but Corinthian went back in front early in the second half via a great individual goal, finished by the prolific Ian Stewart as he rounded Ben Bradley.

UCD had a couple of one-on-one chances denied by the impressive Murray before Andrew Fogarty – one of UCD’s star men along with Henry and Andrew Tutty – finished ot make it 2-2.

Corinthian nearly took the lead again when a shot was saved off the line by Calum Morrow but they coughed up possession allowing UCD burst forward again for the killer goal.

UCD move top as a result with a goal in hand on goal difference over YMCA on 38 points – assuming that there is no further change to the reversal of their result against Dublin University from January.

The Y produced a first half blitz to move 5-0 up against Kilkenny before losing the second half 4-3, leaving an overall tally of a gung-ho 8-4.

Ben Campbell got a hat trick for YM but they may regret not making better use of the strong position at half-time to build their goal difference further but they could cut loose against Weston next time out.

UCD have Dublin University and Dublin North on their list. Corinthian can get back level with them if they win their game in hand but have 10 goals to make up on the differential. Their schedule includes Dublin North, Clontarf and Dublin University.

Elsewhere, Avoca held on to fourth with a 7-0 win over Weston; Clontarf are next thanks to a 3-0 win over Dublin North and Rathgar won a thriller 3-2 against Dublin University.

In the men’s EY Hockey League, Three Rock Rovers moved back into second place in the men’s EY Hockey League with a comfortable 7-2 win over Railway Union at Grange Road in their refixed tie.

They were 5-0 up at half-time with Luke Madeley putting them in front after 10 minutes from a penalty corner – the first of a hat trick – before Harry Morris scrambled in a second a minute later.

Peter Blakeney added a third goal in four minutes for a commanding 3-0 lead at the quarter-time break. Madeley added a fourth from a corner rebound when his initial shot was well saved by Stephen O’Keeffe but fell back to him to shoot home.

He completed his treble from open play from Mitch Darling’s pass before the break and there was no change in the third quarter. Eoin MacArthur clawed one back early in the final period, slamming home a rebound with a powerful shot which saw the head of his stick break in the process.

John Mullins replied instantly for a 6-1 lead with a powerful. Mark English’s drag-flick got another back for Railway before Jody Hosking completed the day’s scoring with a powerful shot into the bottom corner.

Pembroke II took full advantage of their Irish Junior Cup reprieve to beat Banbridge 4-0 in the semi-final, setting up a final clash with Glenanne.

They had initially been knocked out by Lisnagarvey only for the Ulster side to be ejected from the competition for fielding an ineligible player.

Men’s weekend results
EY Hockey League: Three Rock Rovers 7 (L Madeley 3, H Morris, J Mullins, J Hosking, P Blakeney) Railway Union 2 (E MacArthur, M English)

Leinster Division 1: Kilkenny 4 (H McDonnell 2, B McEnery, B Wallace) YMCA 8 (B Campbell 3, D Ellison 2, S Hyland, G Glutz, J Tobin); Corinthian 2 (I Stewart, J Bruton) UCD 3 (A Meates, A Fogarty, J Henry); Rathgar 3 (M Collins, S Malcolm, S Gould) Dublin University 2 (R Nichols 2); Weston 0 Avoca 7 (J McCormack 3, E Mellott, E Rankin, S Lowry, R Nolan); Dublin North 0 Clontarf 3 (A O’Malley, L Hayden, M Fulham)

Irish Junior Cup, semi-final: Pembroke II 4 (W Brownlow 2, S Furlong, G Garrett) Banbridge II 0

The Hook



States Ready For Under-18 National Championships

Ben Somerford



The 2018 Under-18 Boys and Girls Australian National Championships will get underway in Launceston, Tasmania on Tuesday.

Ten teams, including two teams from New South Wales and Queensland, will compete across 64 matches in the two divisions from March 13-21.

The matches will be played at the Northern Hockey Centre in St Leonards, thanks to the support of the City of Launceston, Events Tasmania, Hockey Tasmania and Hockey Australia.

Invitational side Pakistan won last year’s Under-18 Boys’ title after a 3-2 win over New South Wales State in the final in Hobart in April.

Queensland 1 defeated New South Wales State for last year’s Under-18 Girls’ title with a 2-0 victory in the decider and both states will again be contenders.

For details on how to follow the Championships head to http://www.hockey.org.au/u18.

For information on all the fixtures and the program guide head to http://www.hockey.org.au/Portals/2/U18-e-Program-2018.pdf.

Hockey Australia media release

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