Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

Daily Hockey news updated @ 10:00 GMT

News for 11 July 2019

All the news for Thursday 11 July 2019


2019 Test matches: SGP v HKG (M) - 2nd Test
Singapore

9 Jul 2019     SGP v HKG     2 - 1
10 Jul 2019     SGP v HKG     3 - 0

Upcoming (GMT +8)

12 Jul 2019 20:15     SGP v HKG
14 Jul 2019 09:00     SGP v HKG

FIH Match Centre



Graham Reid keen to work on ‘collective defending’

Wants to establish his style of attacking hockey

Shreedutta Chidananda


New ideas: Graham Reid feels Indian needs to get better on the conversion rate. Photo Credit: K_MURALI_KUMAR

If Graham Reid’s first three months in his role as India’s Chief Coach have been about familiarizing himself with the job, the next four will be slightly more crucial. India will have to be in top form going into November’s Olympic qualifiers, and Reid is aware that there is no room for slip-ups.

First on the agenda, as the Indian men’s hockey team reconvenes for the National camp at the SAI here this week, is defence.

With the assistance of former Australia defender Fergus Kavanagh, Reid will hope to work on ‘collective defending’ — something that has become a catchphrase of his. “I have talked about the collective defensive mindset that we need,” he said.

“Irrespective of whether you are a midfielder or a striker or defender, you have to tackle, get the ball off the opposition, and put pressure on them. That is what we are focusing on in the first week. Later on, we will look into the attack and what we do with the ball bit more.”

The next six weeks, leading into India’s Olympic Test event in Tokyo, will be an opportunity for Reid to firmly establish his style of play.

Attacking game

“I love attacking hockey and high-pressing and getting the ball off the opponent, which is the smartest way to defend. I would like to have a passing game, which we need to work more on. We need to know when to dribble as well. The great thing is that these players have great skills, but now the question is how to get them to do it when required,” he said.

If defence is the current area of focus, there is much to work on at the other end of the pitch too. “We need to get better on the conversion rate,” said Reid. “We are getting into the 25 and the circle pretty well; now, we need to convert those opportunities into more quality scoring chances. That is the key.”

Communicating with his players has not been a problem for Reid.

“There are players who can speak English, those who can only understand it, and those who can’t speak or follow the language,” he said. “Whatever I have to say gets translated. Communication has to be always clear; so I would like to get some English lessons started as well. But it’s not been hard to get my message across to the team.”

The Hindu



Squad named for Indoor Asia Cup Hockey

Farhad Ahmed Shitul was named the captain of the side for the six-a-side tournament
 

A press conference was held at the capital’s Falcon Hall Wednesday where the squad was declared, along with the unveiling of the jersey. Dhaka Tribune

The Bangladesh Hockey Federation announced a 12-man indoor hockey squad Wednesday ahead of their first-ever participation in the Indoor Asia Cup, which will be held in Chonburi, Thailand from July 15 to 21.

The team are scheduled to fly for Thailand Thursday.

A press conference was held at the capital’s Falcon Hall Wednesday where the squad was declared, along with the unveiling of the jersey.

Farhad Ahmed Shitul was named the captain of the side for the six-a-side tournament.

Bangladesh were placed in a tough group of Pool A along with reigning champion Iran, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines while Pool B comprises Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Myanmar and Nepal.

Bangladesh begin their campaign against a strong Malaysia side Monday.

Shitul talked about their target for the week-long event.

“As we are going to participate in the indoor hockey tournament for the first time, we are looking forward to gathering new experience. We worked hard in the last few days and want to put up a positive performance there,” said Shitul.

In order to guide the indoor team, the BHF earlier brought in Iranian coach Hamidreza Bokharaei, who is currently at his home country and will fly for Thailand from there.

Assistant coach Zahid Hossain Razu said the indoor game was a new experience for the players but they have adapted to the new conditions fast under the guidance of the new coach.

BHF president and Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat was also present on the occasion, along with BHF general secretary AKM Mominul Haque Sayeed.

Squad

Asim Gope, Abu Sayeed Nippon, Imran Hassan Pintu, Russel Mahmud Jimmy, Ashraful Islam, Khorshedur Rahman, Farhad Ahmed Shitul, Fazle Hossain Rabbi, Sarwar Hossain, Mainul Islam Kowshik, Milon Hossain and Rumman Sarkar.

The Dhaka Tribune



How field hockey stars Erin Matson and Margaux Paolino blazed their trail from high school to college teams

by Jackson Satz


UNC Athletic Communications.

One in an occasional series about how athletes view their college recruiting experience.

Unionville’s Erin Matson chose North Carolina field hockey because it ‘feels like home.’

Even though the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a long history of field hockey success -- seven national titles since 1989 -- 2018 Unionville High School graduate Erin Matson said the determining factor in her decision to attend the school was the “feel” of the place.

“It comes down to where you’re most comfortable and where it feels like home,” said Matson, who in 2017 became just the second 16-year-old to be named to the U.S. women’s field hockey national team. Katie Bam was the first, in 2005.

"Taking away all the external factors of who you’re playing, where you are, the weather, all that stuff, it’s where it feels like home for you,” Matson said.


Matson (center), then a star at Unionville, plays against Downingtown East in the 2014 District 1 playoffs.

At Unionville, Matson made all-America and all-region teams, was the Ches-Mont League player of the year as a sophomore and made the all-state, all-area and all-league teams as a freshman and sophomore. Then, as the midfielder from Chadds Ford concentrated on playing for various national teams and her club team -- the Spring City-based WC Eagles -- she graduated early from high school.

At North Carolina, Matson said she can be herself both on and off the field. So far, both experiences, she said, have been great. En route to winning the NCAA championship as a freshman, she posted 59 points in 23 games -- all wins -- and qualified for the Atlantic Coast Conference academic honor roll. She was the ACC rookie of the year and offensive player of the year and a first-team all-American.

What should high school players ask when they are considering college offers?

“Where is going to make you the best player that you can be?" Matson said.

Episcopal Academy’s Margaux Paolino waited a bit before committing to Duke


Paolino waited until she was a high school junior to seriously consider attending Duke. Duke Athletics

Many star high school athletes make their college commitments early. They excel in one sport, target their favorite school and commit sometimes by their sophomore year.

Episcopal Academy graduate Margaux Paolino did not do that. A senior at Duke University, the striker for the U.S. women’s national field hockey team tried two sports other than field hockey and waited until she was a junior in high school to commit to the Blue Devils.

“I was older, and I knew what I wanted at that time,” Paolino said of why she waited to make a serious college commitment. “School-wise, I was kind of all over the place, from state school to private school. But I eventually narrowed it down to Duke.”


Paolino (left) plays defense against Eastern's Nicole Santore.

Paolino said she didn’t even begin to look seriously at college field hockey opportunities until her sophomore year because of her investment in basketball and track. Across those three sports, she won five Pennsylvania high school state titles.

A Villanova native, Paolino said it was important for her that Duke embodied the values that her family had already instilled in her. That familiarity made it the place where she felt most at home.

Paolino certainly seems comfortable at Duke. Going into her final college season, she is a two-time all-American and two-time member of the ACC academic honor roll.

To future recruits, Paolino said it was important to keep the experience “fun.”

"You should enjoy it and embrace everything that comes your way,” she said.

The Philadelphia Inquirer



Hockey One League Teams Release Memberships

Mitch Wynd



Teams competing in Australia’s new national hockey competition, the Hockey One League, have today released memberships, giving fans the chance to support their favourite team.

Seven new teams, each with a men’s and a women’s playing squad, will be competing in the League with home teams from all states and territories aside from Northern Territory.

Featuring Australia’s best players, including players from national teams the Kookaburras (men) and Hockeyroos (women), the new teams are anticipating strong support from local fans, both in attendance at home games and other via exciting member-exclusive events and offers in each region.

Hockey One League has been created to give hockey fans around the country a chance to see world class hockey, with at least three games played in each of the team’s home cities of Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.

A total of 48 games will be played during the season, including 21 home & away double headers that give fans the chance to see men and women play on the same day. The first games are played on September 29 with the grand finals on November 16.

The membership sale follows the release of the fixture earlier this week. Individual ticket sales will be released in August.

Memberships are available for purchase by clicking on the links below:

Adelaide Fire                     

Brisbane Blaze

Canberra Chill                               

HC Melbourne                 

NSW Pride                         

Perth Thundersticks        

Tassie Tigers

For more information on Hockey One League, and to register for updates, please visit www.hockeyone.com.au

Hockey Australia media release



Junior USMNT Drops Final Friendly Against Houten A1


Image Taken by Katherine Hennessy

HOUTEN, The Netherlands - Eight days of training, fitness tests, meetings and three friendly matches against local Holland club teams concluded yesterday for the Junior U.S. Men's National Team. The team played their final match against Houten A1 at the HC Houten in The Netherlands. Despite a strong performance in the second half, Houten was able to get off to a fast start as USA went on to lose 0-3.

“It is disappointing to end the week in a loss, but the guys made significant progress throughout the tour,” said Shannon Taylor, Junior USMNT Coach. “We identified some key areas to focus on in our next training camp and I am looking forward to seeing them in a week.”

Houten displayed their attacking intent from the start and USA struggled to regain composure after an unfortunate own goal in the 4th minute. Two subsequent penalty corners earned by Houten went unconverted and USA was able to rally toward the end of the frame with an attempt on goal by Colin Hennessy (Marlboroguh, Mass.). The first quarter ended, USA 0, Houten 1.

The opening game struggles of the red, white and blue drifted into the second quarter against the host’s fast attacking game. Houten took their first shot on goal within the opening minute but USA goalkeeper David Kristof (Darien, Conn.) came up with saves on two subsequent attempts. With two minutes remaining in the half, Houten extended their lead on a penalty corner conversion. The halftime score saw USA trailing 0-2.

At the start of the second half, the pace of both teams picked up. Houten earned a penalty corner in the 7th minute but was unable to get a result. USA’s Cameron Spach (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Dean Schiller (Alexandria, Va.) and Hennessy all took shots and USA earned back-to-back penalty corners but still came up short. The score line was kept relatively close due to lively presence of USA’s defensive line.

USA felt the full pressure of their opponent’s frenzied press in the final quarter as they successfully defended three penalty corner attempts in the first few minutes. In the final seconds of the game, Houten succeeded in adding one more goal to end the game at USA 0, Houten 3. 

After a short break, the Junior U.S. Men’s National Team will have a training camp at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H. starting on Thursday, July 18.

USFHA media release



England U21s squads named for European Championship


England's U21 Boys at the 2017 Euros

With under a week to go until England begin their European U21 Championship campaign, the squads for the men’s and women’s teams that will be competing in Valencia have been announced.

Both teams feature players who have already gained senior international caps with Zach Wallace, who appeared in all 16 of Great Britain’s men’s FIH Pro League matches, the most notable inclusion.


Zach Wallace The Pride

Two others with senior international caps are Alex Malzer, who made two GB appearances in the FIH Pro League, and goalkeeper Miriam Pritchard, who has three England caps to her name.


Miriam Pritchard

The women’s squad share a group with Germany, Belgium and Belarus, with the first match to be played on July 15 against Belgium.

Women’s Head Coach Paul Revington commented: “The announcement of the England U21 team to travel to Valencia concluded a really enjoyable ten-month journey with a vibrant and hard-working squad of English athletes. We travel to Valencia in the knowledge that our team is as strong as the squad who have helped get us to this point.

“The team has an interesting mix of a sprinkling of experience, several high potential youth and several athletes representing England at a major age group level again or for the first time. Only Holly Munro (captain) and Miriam Pritchard remain from the England U21 team who claimed a bronze medal in 2017 – giving an indication that any success in 2019 will rely heavily on a collective team effort over the course of the event.

“The squad has enjoyed good preparation despite the expected challenges involving university exams, injuries and senior team call ups. The final preparation phase has our team based in Valencia for a short holding camp where we play warm up games against Ireland and the Netherlands.”


Captain Holly Munro

The men’s squad will face Belgium, Spain and Poland in the group, with their opening game of the tournament to also be played on July 15 against Poland.

Men’s Head Coach Jon Bleby commented: “There are some really high-quality teams in the tournament so it’s a good chance to test yourself against the very best teams in Europe. It’s also a tournament where the players are under pressure to perform, in terms of getting them ready for what they’ll face in equivalent senior competitions, so it’s great preparation for them.

“We’ve picked an exciting squad. There’s strength in several areas, we’ve got good attacking skills, corner threat and two good goalkeepers so I think we’re a well-balanced team.

“We always try to take it one game at a time, that’s our ethos. Our first game is against Poland, they’re a bit more unknown to us compared to some of the other teams that we play against more regularly as they were promoted from the B division last year. They will be a tough challenge, we’re expecting them to be tight defensively and hard to breakdown. It won’t be an easy game but it’s certainly a challenge that we’re really looking forward to.

Both teams will be looking to build on their 2017 European U21 Championship performances when the men and women finished in 5th and 3rd place respectively. A top 5 place in Valencia will also guarantee qualification for the 2021 FIH junior World Cup.

Women’s squad:
Katie Birch – IOWA University
Hannah Bond – Maryland University
Nicole Bowen – ISCA/Exeter University
Louisa Bray – Durham University
Iona Campbell – Loughborough University
Meg Dowthwaite – Michigan University
Paige Gillott – Beeston/Nottingham Trent University
Sophie Hamilton – Bath Buccaneers HC
Catherine De Ledesma – Birmingham University
Pippa Lock – East Grinstead HC
Alexandra Malzer – Nottingham University
Vicki McCabe – Clifton HC
Lorna Mackenzie – Stourport HC
Holly Munro – Birmingham University
Jennifer Park – Loughborough University
Miriam Pritchard – Loughborough University
Lottie Ross – Beeston/Nottingham University
Lily Walker – Birmingham University

Support Staff:
Paul Revington – Head Coach
Sam Beveridge – Manager
Hannah Macleod – Assistant Coach
Lynn Booth – Physiotherapist
Keith Stone – Notational Analyst

Men’s squad:
Adam Buckle – Nottingham University
Tom Crowson – Loughborough Students
Josh Gravestock – Wimbledon
Gareth Griffiths – Beeston/Nottingham Trent University
Sam Hooper – Exeter University
Kyle Marshall – Beeston/Nottingham Trent University
James Mazarelo (GK) – Bowdon
Tim Nurse – Bath Buccaneers
James Oates – Hampstead & Westminster
Nick Park – Beeston/Nottingham Trent University
Josh Pavis – Nottingham University
Oliver Payne (GK) – Durham University
Matthew Ramshaw – Loughborough Students
Stuart Rushmere – Bath Buccaneers
Duncan Scott – Exeter University
Zach Wallace – Surbiton
Eddie Way – Birmingham University
Daniel West – Loughborough Students

Support Staff:
Jon Bleby – Head Coach
Paul Gannon – Team Manager
Kwan Browne – Assistant Coach
Laura Hanna – Physiotherapist
Emma Bird – Performance Analyst

Congratulations to all the players selected and our thanks to the huge team behind the team  - parents, coaches, clubs, schools and universities – who have supported the players to get to this point.

England Hockey Board Media release



It’s tough but junior hockey team must stick to it

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian junior hockey team will undergo a hectic schedule next year.

The 2020 development squad badly need more games under their belts ahead of the Junior Asia Cup in Japan (November next year) which is the qualifying tournament for the 2021 Junior World Cup.

Coach Nor Saiful Zaini said that next year is crucial for them as they need to finish in the top three in Japan to qualify for the World Cup.

“They need to play more to put up a strong challenge in Japan,” said the former international.

“I was thinking of letting them compete in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) in January next year.

“I hope the clubs will release them to play under the national junior team banner. I don’t see a problem as the national juniors had played in the MHL before.

“It will be good exposure as they get to pit their skills against the seniors. I will also be lining up some overseas stints to prepare for the Asia Cup.”

The juniors’ first assignment this year will be the six-nation Sultan of Johor Cup in Johor Baru from Oct 12-19.

The other teams in the fray are defending champions Britain, Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand.

Nor Saiful said he is not putting high hopes on his depleted side.

“I don’t have six of my key players. Four are with the national team while two are with the national indoor team. The boys have also not seen much action this year.

“How are we going to perform well?” lamented Nor Saiful.

The Star of Malaysia

Fieldhockey.com uses cookies to assist with navigating between pages. Please leave the site if you disagree with this policy.
Copyright remains with the credited source or author