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News for 22 April 2019

All the news for Monday 22 April 2019


Vanasch and Waterloo shoot-out success yet again as Mannheim fall in FINAL4


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

FINAL4: Waterloo Ducks 1 Mannheimer HC 1, Waterloo win shoot-out 3-1
Waterloo Ducks and Vincent Vanasch added yet another shoot-out scalp to his list of successes as they beat Mannheimer HC 3-1 after the Ducks’ third successive draw.

It puts them through to their first ever EHL GRAND FINAL at the expense of the German side who remain unbeaten in normal time of the EHL, only being knocked out in each of their four campaigns by a shoot-out.

Most of the big action came in the very last minutes of normal time with William Ghislain finishing off a great counter-attack to give WatDucks the lead with just 86 seconds to go.

Gonzalo Peillat equalised, however, with only 35 seconds left on the clock in a remarkable finish to the tie, earning the German side a second chance.

But they found Vanasch almost impenetrable in the shoot-out, blocking out two while Teo Hinrichs flashed his chance wide. Waterloo were also struggling to score but went 1-0 up in the third round via Pieter van Straaten.

John-John Dohmen coolly clipped home the second for them before Guido Barreiros finally found a route by the Waterloo goalkeeper.

Romain Pennelle, though, kept his nerve to win the game for the Ducks and put them through to the GRAND FINAL.

Player of the match Dohmen hailed his side’s defensive rigidity: “From the beginning, we defended really well, especially in the first two games. We did exactly the same today; we conceded only three goals in three games which is excellent and we are so confident in the shoot-outs.

He added that it was tough not to see out the victory in normal time but his side kept their nerve well: “It’s not easy! It was the same against Dragons yesterday, conceding a goal at the end, but mentally we knew we could win in the shoot-out so it was ok.

“We have a great team and have been unlucky in the last EHL campaigns. We really wanted to do something special for the first time. We have to enjoy it now!”

Euro Hockey League media release



Rot Weiss corner prowess too much for Real Club de Polo in FINAL4 showdown


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

FINAL4: Real Club de Polo 1 Rot-Weiss Koln 3 (1-1)
Rot Weiss Koln’s penalty corner prowess saw them convert three from four set pieces to advance to the EHL GRAND FINAL to face Waterloo Ducks.

Incredibly, it was the first time in six games that an EHL game in this competition was not decided by a shoot-out as Rot-Weiss keep up their hopes of lifting the Alain Danet Trophy for the second time.

Polo won the first corner of the tie four minutes in but Victor Aly was equal to the task. At the far end, Marco Miltkau fired his first chance into the side-netting at the near post following a brilliant piece of control from a bouncing ball.

Before the end of the first quarter, the German club had their first corner chance and Christopher Ruhr took on the duties and he provided a perfect shot into the top of the goal with a short-drag effort that went in at serious pace.

Polo equalised in the 22nd minute when Guillermo Fortuno weaved an opening and crashed the ball into the circle. Lucas Baron missed the first chance but the ball bounced back up off Aly’s pads straight to him and he volleyed in for 1-1.

And so it remained into the second half, mainly due to a brilliant Tom Grambusch tackle on David Alegre, leaving the game perfectly poised.

Rot-Weiss returned to the lead two minutes into the second half when a Timur Oruz shot deflected off a foot onto the post. From the ensuing corner, Tom Grambusch scored his 10th EHL goal from the top.

Grambusch’s next drag was charged down well from their next corner but he added another in the 40th minute which ultimately put them out of range.

Polo battled all the way to the end with Roc Oliva forcing a great save from Aly and there were a number of lively chances from clever corner moves which caused plenty of panic.

But Rot-Weiss – with Tom Grambusch in particular along with Kai Aichinger – were not going to be broken down and they marched on to their second EHL final.

“I’m kind of surprised we don’t have any injured players at this stage because three matches in four days is a lot already," coach Andre Henning said about the health of his squad at this stage of a gruelling tournament. "The guys did a great job and we knew before we had to prepare athletically for it and our staff has done a great job – our two physios, our doctor – to make everything as comfortable as possible.

Before the tournament, he joked that the omens were in his side's favour should they beat SV Kampong in Eindhoven, the same route they had to negotiate in 2017 to glory.

“We like this stadium, we like being here. Two years ago, we were very successful in the KO16 and right now everything feels like its going well for us. But we can’t think the omen will work for us. We have to play for us but we are confident. Our run is so good that we have to be confident we can win it.”

Euro Hockey League media release



Waterloo Ducks and HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim to contest ABN AMRO EHL U14 final


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

It will be a Belgium-Germany final in the ABN AMRO EHL U14 in Eindhoven on Monday morning as Waterloo Ducks and HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim reach the decider following their exploits on Sunday.

Both sides emerged from Pool A where the Ducks nicked an initial win over Surbiton 2-1 before Uhlenhorst impressed in an 8-1 win over the English side.

With both sides through to the semis, Uhlenhorst won the final group match against the Ducks 8-2.

In Pool B, SV Kampong topped the table with a 5-0 win over Saint Germain and a 2-1 win over Spain’s Junior FC. Junior earned a 5-0 success against the French representative.

That led into two closely fought semi-finals played out in the main EHL stadium with DJ Marij and stadium announcer Howard Bentham adding to the atmosphere.

Waterloo were first up against SV Kampong and the Belgian side got off to a great start with Antoine Callewaert opening the scoring in the ninth minute.

They forced several good saves from goalkeeper Philip Hoyng before moving two clear via Larry Fauchey with 14 minutes to go via a neat deflection.

Kampong stormed back into contention in the closing minutes and got one back from Hugo van Beusekom. They also hit the bar in a rousing finish with the two crowds cheering them on but Waterloo held on for the final spot.

In the second semi, HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim enjoyed a purple patch between the 10th and 12th minutes as they scored three times to put them in an almost unassailable position against Junior FC.

All three were scored by Jannik Enaux, the first two from play and the next from a stroke. Junior brilliantly got back into the game when Arnau Masclans reduced the gap before half-time to 3-1 and Lucas Abad cut the gap to a single goal with six minutes to go.

But Mülheim and Enaux replied almost immediately with a fourth goal to give them extra breathing room and a 4-2 success.

It leaves the Sunday schedule starting off with Surbiton and Saint Germain playing for fifth place 09.00 CET, SV Kampong and Junior for third and fourth at 10.15 CET and HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim and Waterloo Ducks contesting a rematch of their group game in the final at 11.30 CET.

ABN AMRO EHL U14 2019
21-22 April 2019 at HC Oranje-Rood, Eindhoven (NED)
Pool A: SV Kampong (NED), Junior FC (ESP), Saint Germain (FRA)
Pool B: HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim (GER), Waterloo Ducks HC (BEL), Surbiton HC (ENG)

Pool A: Surbiton 1 Waterloo Ducks 2; HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim 8 Surbiton 1; Waterloo Ducks 2 HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim 8
Pool B: SV Kampong 5 Saint Germain 0; Saint Germain 0 Junior FC 5; Junior FC 1 SV Kampong 2

Semi Finals: Waterloo Ducks 2 SV Kampong 1; HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim 4 Junior FC 2

Monday 22 April
5/6 EHL U14 09.00h pitch 2 – Surbiton v Saint Germain
3/4 EHL U14 10.15h pitch 2 – SV Kampong v Junior FC
Final EHL U14 11.30h pitch 2 – Waterloo Ducks v HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim

Euro Hockey League media release



Sukri: China wall hard to crack

By Aftar Singh



KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian hockey team’s bid to win the FIH Series Finals might be hampered by the Great Wall of China.

China, coached by South Korea’s Kim Sang-ryul, made heads turn at their first-ever World Cup in India last December when they finished 10th among 16 teams.

The world No. 14 team held world No. 7 England (2-2) and world No. 11 Ireland (1-1) in their group matches.

National skipper Muhd Sukri Abdul Mutalib (pic) said China are now a formidable side who do not fear taking on the top teams.

“They proved this in the World Cup where they came very close to upsetting England and Ireland.

“They have certainly come a long way and are now ranked a rung below us.

“We have high respect for them. They play a fast attacking game and are dangerous once in the semi-D,” said Sukri.

“The Korean coach has transformed them into world beaters. We have to tread with caution and watch out for their penalty corner drag flicker, Du Talake.

“Our hopes of reaching the semis will depend on the match against them,” added Sukri who missed the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh last month due a broken finger.

Eight teams will feature in the tournament which starts on Friday at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Malaysia open their Group B campaign against world No. 27 Brazil on April 26.

Malaysia’s other matches are against China on April 28 and world No. 37 Italy on April 29.

Group A comprises Austria, Belarus, Canada and Wales.

The group winners will enter the semi-finals while the second and third-placed teams will play in a crossover to qualify for the last four.

The Star of Malaysia



2019 Women series NAM v ZAM
Windhoek

20 Apr 2019     NAM v ZAM     5 - 1
21 Apr 2019     NAM v ZAM     3 - 1
22 Apr 2019     NAM v ZAM     6 - 1

FIH Match Centre



USMNT Presented with More Scoring Chances in Third Loss of Series to Korea



SEOUL, South Korea - The U.S. Men's National Team was met by a relentless high tempo and pace from South Korea in game three of the four-match series. Played at the Korea National Training Center in Seoul, No. 25 USA had multiple chances but it was the No. 17 hosts who made the most of scoring opportunities as the game finished 0-3.

Knowing their opponents, USA came out with a good game plan to counter Korea's tempo and pace. Plenty of opportunities came USA's way, with more circle entries and shots on goal than in their previous match-ups. Deegan Huisman (Almere, The Netherlands), Sean Harris (Moorpark, Calif.), Mike Barminski (Ventura, Calif.), Kei Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany) and Will Holt (Camarillo, Calif.) all had great chances, narrowly missing the goal.
Korea opened the scoring in the first quarter with a low hard drag flick into the right side off their first penalty corner. The second quarter remained scoreless, as USA was still down 0-1 at halftime.

The third quarter saw a little more pressure from Korea which resulted in two more goals for the hosts, despite USA having numerous chances of their own. The red, white and blue applied pressure in the fourth frame and pressed more to try and cut the lead. Shots went by the right and left post and even over the cross bar, but USA was unable to cut the deficit as the game finished 0-3.

The U.S. Men’s National Team has one more training session before their final match of the four-game series Monday, April 22 at 2:00 a.m. ET.

USFHA media release



Adjustments Made as U-21 USWNT Narrowly Loses to Great Britain in Second Tour Game



MONCHENGLADBACH, Germany - Another beautiful afternoon of field hockey for the U.S. U-21 Women's National Team, as they played their second match of the international tour against Great Britain today.

“I’m really happy with the adjustments we were able to make," said Jarred Martin, U-21 USWNT Head Coach, post-match. "I thought we brought really great energy and we were able to sustain it throughout the game. In the second half of the match we increased the intensity with good pressure and we managed to maintain that momentum against the GB defense for the whole half. Our focus point going into the third game will definitely be capitalizing on opportunities.”

Although the outcome of the game was 0-1, USA was able to make clear adjustments allowing them to play their style of field hockey. The ability to move off ball, and press Great Britain with more intensity and purpose, helped USA control the momentum and tempo of the game.

In the first half, both teams had equal chances to score on offense. In the 28th minute, Great Britain capitalized on a strong sweep off a penalty corner for the only goal of the game. After halftime, USA increased their intensity, energy and press organization, which allowed them to play in Great Britain's defensive half for majority of the second half.

Despite the offensive effort, USA was not able to finish. Great Britain's goalkeeper ended the game with a stellar performance and shut down USA’s goal scoring opportunities.

The last two minutes of the game were thrilling as Great Britain was awarded a stroke but the British player hit the post. Seconds later, USA broke away with a quick counter attack and earned two penalty corners with minimal time left on the clock. Unfortunately, despite their valiant efforts to put one away, USA could not capitalize and the game ended with a score of 0-1.

The U.S. U-21 Women's National Team has tomorrow off before returning to the pitch on Tuesday, April 23 to play Great Britain again at 10:00 a.m. ET.

USFHA media release



U-19 USWNT Finishes Tour with Close Win Over Germany



DUSSELDORF, Germany - In their final game of their tour, the U.S. U-19 Women's National Team labeled it as their “Championship Game”. All the valuable lessons of top international field hockey that they learned had to be applied in this game against Germany's U-18 team. After a 60-minute hard, fought battle USA can look back on a successful campaign, winning the final game 4-3.

In the first quarter, the game did not look to go in USA's favor. Germany applied high pressure on the outlets and the team could not get the ball out of their own half. Die Danas were able to get into the circle a few times and got two penalty corners, which led to no goals.

After being reminded that they were playing for their “Championship”, USA came out strong in the second quarter.  Two minutes into the quarter Peyton Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.) found herself in space on the right side of the field. Wirth accelerated and eliminated her opponent after which she crossed the ball into the circle toward the wide open Kathryn Schneider (San Diego, Calif.). Schnieder finished the opportunity in true forward fashion with a high and dry one time shot on goal to give USA a 1-0 lead. This first goal seemed to give the team more confidence and only a minute later Hannah Miller (Malvern, Pa.) fired a shot on Germany goal that was saved by the goalkeeper. Another combination between Wirth and Schneider led to a dangerous tip, while Charlotte De Vries (Wayne, Pa.) fired a ball to the far post where M. Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) was close to a tip. After a goal and various chances, USA went into halftime holding the lead, 1-0.

The message at halftime was simple: "stick to the game plan and keep the high intensity up". In the beginning of the third quarter, Germany answered this intensity with their own pressure. This awarded them a penalty corner in the 34th minute. USA goalkeeper Gabrielle Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) was able to save the initial shot, but on the rebound Die Danas scored to make it 1-1. After this disappointing start of the second half, Kathryn Peterson (San Diego, Calif.) took the time by the hand. In the 36th minute, Peterson intercepted a ball in the middle of the field, threatened to pass right and pulled left. Once she entered the circle she hit a low and hard reverse shot in the corner to put USA back on top, 2-1. This renewed confidence gave the team a boost and USA kept the pressure on resulting in a penalty corner after skill by Miller in the Germany circle. Peterson delivered the ball with a deceptive sweep to Schneider who tipped the ball behind the German goalkeeper to extend USA's lead to 3-1. Germany really stepped up their game after this goal and applied pressure on every pass and reception, this resulted in multiple penalty corner opportunities. Meghan Reese (Center Valley, Pa.) blocked several as a flyer.

The start of the fourth quarter was balanced with no chances on either side until the 49th minute when Megan Connors (San Diego, Calif.) made her way forward and found herself with space to shoot on goal. Her shot hit a German foot and resulted in the second penalty corner for USA. On the chance, Madison Orobono's (Macungie, Pa.) hard sweep went just wide of the post. After that opportunity Germany took possession the other way and stormed USA's goal. A total of three penalty corners were saved by the defensive corner unit led by Barraco. In the 54th minute, De Vries snagged the ball from one of Germany's attackers and started a fast break. Josie Varney (Smithfield, Maine) used her speed to join the counter and found herself in space in the circle. With a precise push pass she placed the ball outside of the Germany goalkeeper's reach to make it 4-1. Victory was close for the team but the last 5 minutes of the game Die Danas' pressure became almost too much for USA. Germany was able to convert on two outlet errors by USA and within 2 minutes decreased the deficit to 4-3. A strong tackle in the last minute of the game by Orobono secured the win.

The team has made progression from day to day, from quarter to quarter. Today, the intensity and game plan were rewarded by converting in the attacking circle.

"I’m very pleased with the development of the team during the tour, " said Ole Keusgen, U-19 USWNT Head Coach. "Every player has shown growth in both technical and tactical aspects of international hockey. The team was able to lift their performance against the competition today. Being able to execute and finish our opportunities in the circle was the last piece of the puzzle that we completed today. I’m proud of the girls performance, finishing a week of hard work with a W against Germany is a great reward”.

Up next for the U.S. U-19 Women's National Team is a training camp at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. from May 10 to 12.

USFHA media release



Kookas Team Named For First FIH Pro League Away Trip

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today announces the travelling Kookaburras team to play New Zealand and Argentina in the Pacific leg of the FIH Pro League.

The Kookaburras return to FIH Pro League action after a five-week break with an ANZAC Day encounter with Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Auckland on Thursday. The side faces Argentina next in Buenos Aires on Saturday 4 May.

The world number two Kookaburras, who are second in the men’s FIH Pro League standings, have selected an 18-member team for the matches.

Co-captain Eddie Ockenden and experienced defender Matthew Swann have been left out of the team for personal reasons, presenting opportunities for others.

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch said: “We’re giving players an opportunity but also those who we think are in good form. That’s first and foremost what we’re trying to do.

“We don’t have Swann and Ockenden for this trip, two significant players. Both are out for personal reasons.

“Eddie and his partner have just had their second child so we’re leaving him at home for this trip but he continues to train and we hope he’ll return for the European leg.”

World champions Belgium have leapfrogged Australia at the summit of the men’s FIH Pro League standings since the Kookaburras last game.

Batch said the matches against New Zealand (currently eighth on the standings) and Argentina (fourth) would be tough as they aim to reclaim top spot.

“We’re going there to win,” Batch said. “It’s our first road trip. It’s good competition against them.

“We did well against New Zealand and Argentina last time in Sydney. We’ve got to duplicate that.”

The team flew out of Perth for New Zealand on Easter Sunday. The matches will be televised live by Kayo Sports and on FOX SPORTS 506.

Thursday 25 April 2019 – North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland
New Zealand v Hockeyroos – 12:30pm AEST
New Zealand v Kookaburras – 2:30pm AEST

Kookaburras 18-member team:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Jacob Anderson (Mackay, QLD)
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD)
Joshua Beltz (Hobart, TAS)
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT)
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW)
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW)
Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW)
Jake Harvie (Dardanup, WA)
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT)
Tim Howard (Wakerley, QLD)
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA)
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA)
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW)
Lachlan Sharp (Lithgow, NSW)
Josh Simmonds (Melbourne, VIC)
Jacob Whetton (Brisbane, QLD)
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)

Hockey Australia media release



Debutante & Returning Star Added For Hockeyroos

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today announces the travelling Hockeyroos team to play New Zealand, Argentina and USA in the Pacific leg of the FIH Pro League.

The Hockeyroos return to FIH Pro League action after a five-week break with an ANZAC Day encounter with Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Auckland on Thursday.

The team faces Argentina next in Buenos Aires on Saturday 4 May, before travelling on to Pennsylvania to take on USA on Friday 10 May.

The world number three Hockeyroos, who currently sit fourth on the women’s FIH Pro League standings, have selected a 21-member team for the Pacific leg.

Numerous athletes were unavailable due to injury, including Mariah Williams, Renee Taylor, Karri McMahon and Stephanie Kershaw.

Seventeen-year-old Victorian Amy Lawton is included to make her international debut, while 28-year-old Tamworth defender Kate Jenner earns her first recall in years.

Jenner, who was part of the Hockeyroos’ 2012 London Olympics team, has 116 caps to her name, the last coming in August 2015.

South Australian Mikaela Spano, who debuted in the Hockeyroos’ last round of FIH Pro League matches against New Zealand and Argentina, is also included from outside the 2019 National Senior Women’s Squad.

Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said: “Selection was pretty tough. We’re going to expose some new players.

“Kate Jenner is coming back after playing a few years ago. She had an excellent Australian Hockey League last year.

“She has performed well in our Visiting Athlete Agreement in Perth, so she gets an opportunity.

“Amy Lawton is a young girl at 17 but is an excellent player already. We look forward to seeing how she progresses.

“She impressed in her Visiting Athlete Agreement week in Perth and played extremely well for the Australian Under-21 team in New Zealand previously. She’s been on the radar for quite a while.”

Gaudoin added that injuries meant he had to look outside the 2019 National Senior Women’s Squad.

“There’s a couple that are injured who are reasonably close,” Gaudoin said.

“Mariah Williams is just a bit sore so she’s only just come back this year. We need to make sure we look after her, so we’ve been extra cautious with her.

“Renee Taylor was pretty close to selection but we need to get a few more weeks of training into her. Hopefully both of them will be okay for the China-Europe leg.”

The matches mark Australia’s first on the road in the FIH Pro League.

Gaudoin added: “It’s a big leg of matches with a lot of travel.

“We’ve had a good block of training here in Perth. We’re really looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

The team flew out of Perth for New Zealand on Easter Sunday. The matches will be televised live by Kayo Sports and on FOX SPORTS 506.

Thursday 25 April 2019 – North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland
New Zealand v Hockeyroos – 12:30pm AEST
New Zealand v Kookaburras – 2:30pm AEST

Hockeyroos 21-member team:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Kristina Bates (Port Melbourne, VIC)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Emily Chalker (Crookwell, NSW)
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Kalindi Commerford (Ulladulla, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW)
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD)
Amy Lawton (Emerald, VIC)
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Michaela Spano (Adelaide, SA)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Sophie Taylor (Melbourne, VIC)
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC)
Georgia Wilson (Mahogany Creek, WA)

Hockey Australia media release



Series wins for Scotland U16s and U18s boys’ and girls’ in Cardiff, while U21 women lose in Glasgow



All five three-match series’ between Scotland and Wales came to a conclusion today with Scotland winning four of the contests. 

Scotland U16 Boys’ and Girls’; Scotland U18 Boys’ and Girls’ all were victorious over their three matches, while Wales came out on top in the U21 Women’s series in Glasgow.

Wales U16 Girls 1-1 Scotland U16 Girls

Scotland U16 Girls finished their three-match series against Wales unbeaten with a 1-1 draw. It rounds up a successful weekend for the new squad with three competitive matches and good results. 

Scotland began the game with lots of forward momentum and had an opportunity to take an early lead through a penalty corner, but they couldn’t convert.

It was end-to-end at tempo throughout the first half with both teams evenly matched, and unable to break the deadlock.

Olivia Henderson and Georgie Yuille created some great attacking opportunities from the back with a successful high transfer, putting the Welsh front line under a lot of pressure. This resulted in numerous occasions where Eilidh Seedhouse and Ellie Rutherford picked some great lines in behind and attacked aggressively up the right side of the pitch.

Against the run of play in the third quarter Wales opened the scoring by suckering Scotland on a swift counter attack.

Molly Byers was doing well, remaining calm throughout periods of high pressure and stole back the ball to eliminate a number of threats.

On the 50th minute Scotland were back on level terms. A well-worked short corner was delivered by Jess Thain and converted by Niamh Green to equalise.

In the end it was a draw but a strong team performance for Scotland to finish the series unbeaten.

Wales U16 Boys 1-3 Scotland U16 Boys

Scotland U16 Boys made it three wins from three when they beat Wales 3-1 to complete a series that saw 15 players get their first cap for Scotland.

Scotland flew quickly out the traps again and put Wales under lots of intense pressure from the start.

The opening goal came from a Charlie Jack penalty corner, finished well into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.

Scotland’s excellent first half continued, and Euan Menzies added his name to the score sheet with a calm and composed finish; the goalkeeper was big and aggressive, but Menzies calmly rolled the ball home for 2-0.

The third goal for Scotland had Menzies score an almost carbon copy of his first; another calm and composed strike to beat the goalkeeper and put Scotland 3-0 ahead at half time.

The three games began to take its toll on Scotland in the second half and tiredness gave the Welsh opportunity to apply pressure.

It went to 3-1 as Wales attacked and it was very nearly 3-2 but for an excellent goal line clearance by David Macrae. Jamie Croll and Macrae were excellent for Scotland in the second half under Welsh pressure, and the Scots held on for a 3-1 win to complete the series with a 100% win ratio.

Scotland U21 Women 1-5 Wales U21 Women

It was a tough day for Scotland U21 Women at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre as they were defeated 5-1 by Wales. The result sees the Welsh win the series with two victories and a draw in Glasgow.

Scotland started the game well and dominated the early play, winning a succession of penalty corner but they were unable to convert.

Then Wales had a couple of penalty corners of their own, the second of which was hammered home in a straight strike from the top of the D. 1-0.

A defensive mistake early in the second quarter allowed Wales to score their second, the ball was flicked into the far side of the goal for 2-0.

Scotland pulled one back when Cat Booth stepped up to coolly convert a penalty flick high into the net to make it 2-1.

Two minutes later and Wales made it 3-1; a free hit on the left saw the ball played into an open channel for the ball to be flicked goalward and then deflected high into the net for the goal.

Near the end of the third quarter it went to 4-1 through another direct strike from a penalty corner before a fifth strike in the final quarter.


Cat Booth scores for Scotland U21 Women – photo by Mark Pugh

Wales U18 Boys 1-8 Scotland U18 Boys

Scotland U18 Boys were on top form as they completed their three-match series against Wales with a very impressive 8-1 win. The result means Scotland win the series and rounded off a great weekend in style.

From the first whistle the Scots were in charge and the opening goal came midway through the first quarter via a Fraser Moran drag flick. 

The second quarter brought another two goals for Scotland with Andrew McAllister hitting the net before Archie Sweeting bagged his first goal for Scotland to make it 3-0.

Jake Inglis scored the first goal of the second half with a strike similar to a tennis smash; the ball was above his head and he powered it down and into the net for 4-0.

Another goal was scored by Moran and an excellent strike by Fraser Heigh; the ball was stolen in the Welsh press and the Scotland break was slick for Heigh to finish on the reverse.

Wales pulled one back to make it 6-1 before Ralph Weissen and Euan Burgess completed the scoring to give Scotland a tremendous 8-1 victory and a series win.

Wales U18 Girls 2–4 Scotland U18 Girls

Scotland U18 Girls’ defeated Wales 4-2 to win their three-match series with an excellent victory in Cardiff. A hat-trick from Ellie MacKenzie and a strike from Holly Walder gave Scotland their goals in a very warm Cardiff series finale. 

The intensity of the Scots play went up a notch for this match and it was an impressive hardworking performance from the team.

The game’s opening goal came in the second quarter and it was Ellie MacKenzie who struck. Scotland won the ball high up the pitch and Jenn Tait did well to set up MacKenzie at the top of the D to strike home for 1-0.

A few minutes later it went to 2-0 as Scotland won a corner on the buzzer and Holly Walder’s shot deflected off a Welsh defender and into the net for 2-0.

Scotland were well on top by this point and enjoyed lots of possession. They were playing hard and doing lots of running, covering a lot of ground on the pitch.

In the third quarter, however, Wales pulled one back as some brave Scots defending was not enough to stop the Welsh forcing the ball over the line for 2-1.

Wales then equalised; a shot from the top off the D deflected up into the air and over the goalkeeper to make it 2-2.

Scotland then showed good character to take hold of the game in the final quarter MacKenzie made it 3-2 when she rounded the goalkeeper after a good attack down the right for Scotland.

MacKenzie completed her hat trick towards the end when she volleyed from a penalty corner rebound to make it 4-2, and an excellent series win for Scotland in Cardiff.



Scottish Hockey Union media release



Mixed fortunes for Scots clubs in Europe



It was a day of mixed fortunes for Scottish clubs in Europe, Clydesdale Western will play for promotion in the EuroHockey Challenge 1 tournament after another victory, but Edinburgh University will attempt to avoid bottom spot after losing in the Trophy event.

Clydesdale Western marched to the top of their pool at the women`s EuroHockey Club Challenge 1 in Lille after a 1-0 victory over Lithuanian side Gintra.

Clydesdale`s pole position was helped when rivals Rotweiss Wettingen (Switzerland) were held to a 1-1 draw by Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), leaving the Glasgow side with an eventual three-point advantage.

A 12th minute open play strike by Emma McGregor was sufficient to give her side the narrow winning margin.

The Titwood-based outfit will now face either Braxgata (Belgium) or hosts Lille (France) in the play-offs, a win here would secure promotion.

In Rochester Edinburgh University succumbed 4-0 to hosts Holcombe (England) to finish bottom of the pool at the EuroHockey Trophy tournament, and will now compete against Ukrainian side Sumchanka to avoid the basement spot.

Leah Wilkinson gave Holcombe a one goal lead at the interval. There was no way back for the Scottish students as Beth Bingham, Emma Trunks and Sofia Viarango-Cervino added three more in the second half.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Loreto to battle for seventh as UCD still in gold contention



Loreto will battle for seventh place in the women’s EuroHockey Club Cup while UCD are right in the mix for a potential final place in the Trophy following Saturday’s action in continental competition.

The Beaufort side’s tough draw in Amsterdam continued as they came up against a very strong UHC Hamburg side in their fifth to eighth place playoff tie.

As they did against Den Bosch a day before, they put it up to the much vaunted opponent – who featured Nikki Evans in their line-up – but the German side did nick an early goal via Charlotte Stapenhorst in the fifth minute.

She peeled away beautifully from a long corner move and provided an accurate shot into the left corner.

Loreto went close when Caitlin Sherin cut back onto her backhand side and delivered a peach of a cross for Mia Jennings but her tough deflection went just wide.

Eileen Mavers extended the lead two minutes before half-time from a goalmouth scramble and Marie Mavers finished off the next in the second half.

Loreto kept coming with Sarah Torrans only denied by a brilliant save from Noelle Rother. Liz Murphy impressed between the posts but UHC completed their 4-0 win via Eileen Mavers with six minutes to go.

The Dubliners next go into the seventh-eighth place playoff against Belarus’s Ritm Grodno on Monday morning.

UCD, meanwhile, beat Edinburgh University 5-1 to sit top of their group going into the final set of group matches in the Trophy.

They led from the outset as Abbie Russell’s skipped in between a few tackles before her reverse was turned in by Sarah Young.

Nina Heisterkamp scored a brilliant second with a rising shot for 2-0 at half-time. Niamh Carey picked up the pieces for the third from a corner melee before Leah McGuire took a more direct route for the fourth.

Michelle Carey added a fifth from the near post following a right wing delivery and UCD went in search of boosting their goal difference. It backfired, however, as they removed the goalkeeper for the last six minutes but let one in to Hanna McKie.

With Holcombe beating Dinamo Moscow 5-2, UCD carry a slender single goal on goal difference into the last group game and so need to try and beat the Russians by a good margin for the best possible chance at a final berth on Monday.

** Full match pics from Chris McGuire here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mvcfr29jlbi2urv/AAAoyU4JDJ783sphXU2Z8tf9a?dl=0

Saturday, April 20
EuroHockey Club Cup: Loreto 0 UHC Hamburg 4 (E Mavers 2, M Mavers, C Stapenhorst
EuroHockey Club Trophy: UCD 5 (S Young, N Heisterkamp, N Carey, L McGuire, M Carey) Edinburgh 1 (H McKie)

Sunday, April 21
EuroHockeyClub Trophy: UCD v Dinamo Moscow, Rochester (England), 2.30pm

Monday, April 22
EuroHockey Club Cup, 7th-8th playoff: Loreto v Ritm Grodno, 8.30am (Irish time), Amsterdam

The Hook



Den Bosch and Hamburg prove too hot for Loreto

Irish side facing a playoff to avoid last place in EuroHockey Club Cup in Amsterdam

Mary Hannigan

Two 4-0 defeats, at the hands of reigning champions Den Bosch and a Hamburg side featuring Irish international Nikki Evans, have left Loreto facing a play-off to avoid finishing last in the EuroHockey Club Cup in Amsterdam, the quality of the opposition thus far proving too formidable for the Dublin side.

There was no shame in either loss, though, against two of the strongest clubs in Europe, Den Bosch having won 16 out of the last 19 tournaments. Loreto, then meet Belarus’s Ritm Grodno in Monday morning’s seventh-eighth place play-off.

UCD, meanwhile, were pipped to a place in the final of the second tier EuroHockey Club Trophy tournament in Kent, their 3-2 defeat by Russia’s Moscomsport on Sunday allowing hosts Holcombe to overtake them at the top of pool A when they beat Edinburgh later in the day.

An agonising defeat it was too for the students, two goals in two minutes from captain Leah McGuire and Sarah Patton drawing them level after they had trailed 2-0, only for Ekaterina Shaburova to get the winner for Moscomsport 60 seconds later.

The students had opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Holcombe, Ellen Curran levelling for them in the second half, before a fine 5-1 win over Edinburgh on Saturday, Sarah Young, Nina Heisterkamp, Niamh Carey, McGuire and Michelle Carey scoring a goal apiece. They meet Belgium’s Waterloo Ducks in the third-fourth place play-off on Monday afternoon.

The Irish Times



Qamar brace seals Pakistan Veterans Yellows hockey title


Qamar struck in the 12th and 24th minutes to put his team in pole position before Zafar Iqbal reduced the margin

KARACHI: Two goals by former Olympian Qamar Ibrahim helped Pakistan Veterans

Yellows win the Veterans Hockey League with a 2-1 success against Sherwani Motors in the final played at the Olympian Islahuddin-Dr. S.M.A. Shah Hockey Academy on Friday evening.

Right winger Qamar struck in 12th and 24th minutes to put his team in pole position before Zafar Iqbal reduced the margin in 32nd minute.

Earlier, the visiting Hyderabad Veterans claimed third position by getting the better of Dolphin Veterans 2-0 in the playoff match.

Tahir Habib and Irfan Shaikh netted once for the winners in the 13th and 40th minutes, respectively.

Commander 5 Corps Lt Gen Humayun Aziz, who graced the occasion as the chief guestm gave away the prizes.

Former Olympian Islahuddin, founder of veterans hockey in the country, and Dr Farhan Essa were notable among others who were present on the occasion.

Dawn



Birthday girl Audrey Omaido inspires Telkom past Scorpions

By AYUMBA AYODI


Telkom forward Audrey Omaido (left) vies for the ball with Amira Sailors defender Julie Koloni during their Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League match at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi on September 2, 2018. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya international Audrey Omaido celebrated her 29th birthday with a classic goal as champions Telkom Kenya sunk Strathmore Scorpions 2-0 in women’s hockey Premier League duel at City Park on Sunday.

Omaido intercepted a cross at Scorpions 16m zone, engaged fellow striker Jackline Mwangi in an exchange, before sending the past Scorpions keeper June Anyango eight minutes into the third quarter.

New signing Eleanor Chege put Telkom, who are chasing an unprecedented 20th successive title, ahead right before the end of the first quarter from another sizzling field goal.

The victory propelled Telkom to the top of the seven-team league standings with seven points and Omaido is quite ecstatic about it.

”It’s an amazing feeling and a good experience playing for the local and continental champions and particularly to score on my birthday, “said Omaido, who is into her 11th year with Telkom.

”We are a good team since everyone goes an extra mile to make sure we play good hockey and achieve our targets. We also try hard to keep fit and uphold discipline off the pitch,” said Omaido, the daughter of former Kenya rugby legend Jack Omaido.

Omaido advises upcoming hockey players to exercise patience and aim to go an extra mile that will differentiate them from the rest of the pack.

“They should always exhibit love for the game and aim for the growth and passion for the game,” said Omaido.

In the men’s Premier League match, Sailors forced former champions Nairobi Simba to a 2-2 draw at the same venue.

Johnstone Mulindi scored in the third minute to give Sailors the lead only for Shabaz Shah to level seconds later via a penalty corner, before completing his brace in the 27th minute from a field goal and hand Simba a 2-1 lead.

Then Mulindi fired home a beautiful field goal to also complete his double and level for Sailors three minutes to half time, as the second session yielded no goals.

Daily Nation

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