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News for 18 September 2019

All the news for Wednesday 18 September 2019


Canada go on their travels to get ready for Tokyo challenge



Continuing our series of video interviews with the teams that will participate in the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers, Canada’s (FIH World Ranking: 15) captain and stalwart defender Kate Wright looks ahead to her team’s two-match clash with World Cup silver medallists Ireland (WR:8), with a place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on the line. The crucial matches will take place in Dublin, Ireland on 2/3 November 2019, with timings to be confirmed in the coming weeks. A transcription of the interview can be found below.  

What are you expecting of your opposition. And how will you counter their strengths?

Kate Wright: Ireland is an extremely competitive side and one that we really respect. They have achieved some amazing results recently, including  a second place finish at the World Cup last year. We have had the opportunity to travel to Dublin a handful of times and know how supportive their home crowd can be. We are hoping that our friends and family from Canada will be able to make the trip to cheer us on.

How are Canada preparing between now and the qualifiers?

Kate Wright: As the Canadian team, we will return to Belgium for centralised training and to compete in the club leagues in both Belgium and the Netherlands. We are very excited to be going back for a second season because we have seen some great results as the national team and have really enjoyed representing our clubs.

What is the feeling in the camp at the moment ahead of the Olympic qualifiers?

Kate Wright: As a team we have been tested mentally, physically, emotionally and financially this year and unfortunately those issues continue. In order to be fully prepared for the two game series we have to gather support to off-set training competition and travel costs.

What would it mean for Canada to get to the Tokyo Olympic Games?

Kate Wright: As a team we are so excited for the opportunity to compete and qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We have a group of very dedicated, resilient and hardworking athletes and we are ready for the challenge. This will mean so much to us and for the future of Canadian field hockey.

Each qualifier consists of two back-to-back matches which will be played in the same venue. The winners of these FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers will qualify for the 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments which will be staged in Japan’s capital city from 25 July to 7 August next year and involve 12 Men’s and 12 Women’s teams.

#Tokyo2020
#RoadToTokyo
#GiftOfHockey

FIH site



Winds of change are blowing across field hockey in Canada

Sarah Juggins


Jenn Beagan / Hannah Haughn   

If Argentina are the royalty of hockey in the PAHF region, then their northern neighbours, Canada, are the young prince and princesses seeking to overthrow the rulers.

While Argentina men and women have booked their places in Tokyo for an assault upon the Olympic title, both Canada men and women have one more hurdle – the Olympic Qualifiers – to overcome in order to join them in Japan.

But, even if both teams make it to Tokyo, in a land where the ice version reigns supreme, there is still a long way to go before hockey becomes a widely-recognised sport across Canada.

To discover what the field hockey landscape looks like in Canada, we caught up with two people heavily involved in women’s hockey – experienced coach Jenn Beagan and national team player Hannah Haughn.

Jenn Beagan is a former provincial and national youth team player who recently became the first – and so far, only – certified Competition Development Coach, a course piloted and then ratified by Field Hockey Canada.

Multi-capped midfielder Hannah Haughn is currently playing for HC Victory in Belgium and will almost certainly be heading to Ireland to compete in the Olympic Qualifiers.

The coach’s story

Hockey has been a major component in Jenn’s life since she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia from Calgary at the age of 10. She played for provincial and regional teams and then earned a place on the junior national program before her progression towards the senior team took a sharp detour.

A group of the Canadian youth team, including Jenn, went on a hockey tour to Florida, where they were subsequently offered hockey scholarships to study in the USA.

“A whole bunch of us went to play field hockey in the USA. We couldn’t believe it – we were being paid to play field hockey while we studied, that was so cool,” says Jenn as she reflects back. “The issue was that it meant a whole lot of promising athletes were completely out of the Canadian system for a few years. Most of us stopped training with the national program.”

The result was that Jenn didn’t play for Canada again but she did spend a wonderful four years playing at the highest level of US college hockey at Kent State while qualifying as an architect. The intensity of both the architecture course and the demands of fulfilling a hockey scholarship meant that Jenn was known to spend occasional nights sleeping under her college desk before rolling onto the pitch first thing in the morning.

Once Jenn graduated she returned to Vancouver and took up position with an architecture firm that specialised in sports structures and facilities. “A perfect match of my two passions,” she says.

At the same time, she was playing hockey in the Canadian women’s league and had just started coaching through the Field Hockey BC provincial organisation. She found the coaching filled a gaping hole that had been left when she stopped playing college hockey.

“Once I had stopped playing at a high level, I hit this patch where I just didn’t know what to do. My whole life had been so structured around hockey. As a player I knew I was training at this time, had to be at this place at that time. Coaching filled that need in me and allowed me to reframe.”

What the newly-recruited coach discovered on her return to Vancouver was a coaching system with very little development within it. The need for coaches meant that people were running hockey sessions who either had very little knowledge – they were often parents who were just invited to take on a team – or they were coaches whose ideas and habits hadn’t changed in years.

This was certainly not Jenn’s way of doing things. She enrolled on the National Coach Certification Program and took a heap of courses to develop her own knowledge of coaching - both technically, tactically and in the ‘soft skills’ such as communication, leadership and personal organisation.

As Jenn became more immersed in coaching, so her love of architecture began to diminish. By 2008 she had started her own sports company which was running alongside her career in architecture and her time as a hockey coach. It was just a matter of time before the architecture got the boot and coaching became the focus.

It was a brave move as Jenn was leaving a potentially lucrative career and stepping into an area that was unstructured and not greatly resourced.

However, through a combination of self-education and some guidance from other, senior coaches, Jenn began to develop her own coaching philosophies and, importantly, to recognise the gaps in the coaching pathways available to aspiring leaders.

She also tapped into the world of business, quickly learning that leadership skills that work in the boardroom can, with a little imagination, be equally applicable on the sports field.

Jenn joined Field Hockey BC and was appointed head coach at a high school academy. It was the perfect job. She was running the program alongside the school academic program and also undertaking all the other tasks that surround a coaching role – such as administration, logistics and timetabling. It also meant she was financially stable in a world where paid, full-time work was a rarity.

The beauty of this course, says Jenn, was the amount of student contact time she was able to have. Where most programs allow for 30-40 hours/per year, this one allowed for 140 hours. It meant Jenn could test her coaching skills and outcomes over a long period. Within the course, the students didn’t just learn hockey skills, they were also taught, nutrition, strength and conditioning, mental preparation and a host of other skills.

While this was a great challenge, Jenn was never someone who was going to settle into a role without pushing herself further. In 2015 she enrolled on the Advanced Coaching Diploma, run by the Canadian Sports Institute. It was a two-year program and it was the highest level of certification available in Canada.

She finally gets her Diploma in October but already she has finished the Competition Development Certification. As mentioned earlier, she is the first and only person in the country to have received full certification at this point.

Coaching in Canada

While Jenn has gone out of her way to make sure she has pushed her coaching career as far as possible, she identifies a lack of structure and a clear pathway as an obstacle to developing home grown coaching talent. A common trend in elite coaching in the country has seen overseas coaches, mainly from Europe. These coaches take on a head coaching role, get some great results and then depart. This means they take all their knowledge with them and the next group of players has to start from scratch.

It is this situation that Jenn and others within Field Hockey Canada are seeking to change.

“We want to provide pathway for coaches in Canada who want to make coaching their career,” says Jenn. “Take my own case as an example: My goal is to become a top coach. I was a national athlete, I bleed red and white and I want to grow a good foundation of athletes and coaches. To that end, I have been looking for a strong hockey mentor to guide me.”

She says there are a handful of really top coaches in the country who are potential mentors but a system is needed to make sure that aspiring coaches can tap into their knowledge in a structured way.

Field Hockey Canada is working to address the issue but, as anyone working in hockey development knows, it is a slow process.

“We are still in such early stages,” says Jenn. “Even being able to provide the opportunity is still lacking. There are a lot of coaches would love to get more education and move up the coaching ladder.”

One area that has not been fully explored is that of funding. With women’s sport high on the agenda at the moment, Jenn says there are grants and funds out for coach education in women’s sports – it is just a question of knowing how to go about accessing it.

To that end, Field Hockey BC recently ran a hockey camp in which a group of under 16 hockey players were matched to a roster of coaches who wanted to be mentored on the field. After the sessions the coaches were all given feedback, as well as advice on the next steps they should take to progress their coaching. Jenn says this was the first time many of the coaches had been given advice on where they currently are and where and how they can move up. But this is the way coaching needs to develop.

Looking purely at her local area of Vancouver, Jenn says there are definite signs that things are changing. Clubs willingly work with schools to develop grass roots hockey. Parents are being offered coaching courses so they can run more structured sessions, rather than just being handed a whistle and asked to ‘get on with it’.

At high school level in the province, it is a mixed bag. There is a league but it is largely recreational. The standard of coaching depends upon the personnel involved. If a teacher has an interest in field hockey or there is a connection with a club through parents, then the standard of coaching and the opportunities to play will be greater. But says Jenn, it is the case that most schools are starving for qualified coaches.

Jenn Beagan is a pioneer in field hockey coaching in Canada. She is one of a team of people building foundations so that aspiring coaches can get on a pathway that will, one day, lead to Canada’s hockey coaching network being sustainable and no longer needing to take its lead from Europe and beyond.

The player’s perspective

When Jenn Beagan talks about where Canada’s coaches of the future will come from, one obvious source is the current national squad. The team that is currently preparing for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers is awash with talent and they have experienced some top coaching over the course of their playing careers.

The squad has had the benefit of South African Giles Bonnet leading the coaching programme for the FIH Series Finals campaign and he is continuing in this role for the Olympic Qualifiers. The players have also been experiencing European coaching as they have all been representing clubs in Belgium and the Netherlands. That is a lot of experience that could be fed back into the Canadian system.

Hannah Haughn is one of those players and she shared her thoughts on coaching at home and abroad.

“Over the years, I’ve had a number of good coaches, each bringing their own philosophies and expertise. I would say early on in my career, there was a heavy emphasis on tactical awareness, and the importance of structure. This made us a difficult team to play against because we defended as a unit.

“However, in the last several years, with the introduction of Australian, South African and European coaches, there has definitely been a large shift in a focus to technical skills and decision-making. I believe it has been these changes that have given us the confidence we need to play a more attacking and spontaneous style of hockey. Of course, to a be top team, you need a high degree of technical as well as tactical ability which is why we have been seeing more positive results recently.”

In line with Jenn Beagan’s comments, Hannah’s coaching experience includes a veritable United Nations of coaches. Giles Bonnet is a South African based in Belgium and over the past year, while centralized in Belgium, the Canadian squad had sessions with coaches from South Africa, Belgium, the Netherlands, Argentina and Italy.

At the beginning of their careers as hockey players, most of the Wolf Pack squad learnt the basic foundations and tactics from their Canadian club coaches. The European and South American influence added a lot of flair, and creativity to trainings.

Observers of the game in recent months will testify it has transformed the way Canada play hockey.

“Many of the skills they introduced us to we hadn’t either seen or used before while growing up in Canada,” says Hannah. “These skills can be used in unlimited game situations and have allowed us to improvise and play more freely.”

But, she adds, there is no doubt that the basic tactic, such as the concept of 2v1s and identifying where space is on the pitch is something that is taught well in Canada.

And in a nod to the changes taking place within Canadian coaching, Hannah says: “While the amount of female coaches I have had so far in my playing career can be counted on one hand, I think this trend has been changing. This is exciting because female role models are vital to inspiring the next generation of Canadian hockey players. I know this as the few female coaches I did have, including Andi Shannon, Sarah Saddler, and Steph Andrews, became, and continue to be examples of strength, confidence and leadership.”

From talking to both Jenn and Hannah, it is clear that the winds of change are blowing when it comes to coaching. But progress is frustrating slow at the moment and there is little doubt that a triumph for Canada in their Olympic Qualifier matches against Ireland would be a game changer in the drive to develop a coaching network fit to serve this hard-working hockey community.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Final preparations in place for Olympic qualifiers for both sides as China visit Dublin this weekend

By John Flack


Shirley McCay could reach the 300-cap mark in the lead-up to the Olympic qualifiers. Pic: Inpho

Ireland’s men are to play recently-crowned European and reigning world champions Belgium in an away international next month after two games with France in Bordeaux to prepare for their upcoming Olympic qualifying double-header with Canada in Vancouver.

The women’s build-up to their double-header with Canada at Donnybrook has also been finalised, with three games against China taking place over this week and two in Germany in October ahead of their Tokyo bid.

The second game in Mannheim will be a proud occasion for Pegasus player Shirley McCay, who will reach a memorable milestone by winning her 300th cap, provided she stays injury-free in the interim.

The men’s game with Belgium will take place there on October 15 with the venue to be confirmed as the host country awaits expressions of interest from its constituent clubs in staging the fixture.

Before that, newly appointed Ireland interim coach Mark Tumilty will have his first opportunity to see his squad in competitive action in two games against France on October 1-2.

The three matches should provide an ideal build-up to the showdown with Canada, scheduled for the last weekend in October, according to Ireland captain Jonny Bell.

The Lisnagarvey defender said: “It will be excellent preparation, playing probably the best team in the world at the minute in Belgium.

“That’s obviously going to be a really tough game but it’s always good to test yourself against the best.

“France have been one of our big rivals over the years and a team we’ve had a lot of tough battles with and they have gone from strength to strength so, again, that’s going to be tough but it’s good preparation going into the Canada matches.”

Bell has welcomed the appointment of  Ulster man Tumilty to replace Alexander Cox, who quit after a year in the job following a disappointing European Championship campaign in Antwerp last month.

The 31-year-old added: “Mark is a highly respected coach and somebody I’ve played under and thoroughly enjoyed playing under, he’s an excellent motivator and man-manager and has a really good knowledge of the game.”


Jonny Bell is looking forward to working with Mark Tumilty. Pic: Adrian Boehm

“I think there’s no better man to come in at this late stage and try to ignite something and create a spark so I am really delighted he’s going to be involved and I’m looking forward to working with him.

“With his personality and the sort of character that Mark is and the traits that he has as a person and as a coach, I know that he’ll be a good fit for us.

“I think he’ll get the best out of the players and I think that’s all he can really do in this short six-week period, get the guys playing to the best of their ability.”

“He doesn’t have a lot of time to come in and put his own imprint on things and he doesn’t have a development phase coming into the job with a short window to try and make a difference.

“I think that’s all he can really do in this short six-week period, get the guys playing with a smile on their faces again.

“So it’s a matter of getting everyone maximising their potential, we have an incredible opportunity ahead and there’s no reason why we can’t grasp that opportunity.”

Ireland’s women will have five matches to prepare for their home Olympic qualifiers with Canada on November 2 and 3.

The build-up starts with three fixtures against China in Dublin on Saturday, Sunday (4.30pm, Belfield) and next Tuesday at UCD although the final game may be switched to the new national training centre at Abbotstown which is almost ready.

Then Ireland are off to Mannheim for two internationals against Germany on October 23/25, the second of which should see the country’s most-capped sportswoman McCay reach the 300 mark.

The Hook



Olympic Qualifier Venue Formally Announced

Hockey Ireland formally launch Olympic Qualifier Venue, announcing Big Stadium Hockey partner and broadcast information.



At the formal venue announcement this morning in Energia Park, Donnybrook, Hockey Ireland detailed plans of the roll-out carpet to be used for the upcoming Women’s Olympic Qualifier against Canada this November. The announcement of these plans to use a roll-out Polytan carpet with Big Stadium Hockey in Energia Park has garnered substantial interest both at home and abroad.

Attending the event this morning in Energia Park, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross said, “I am delighted to support the launch of the Olympic Qualifier, in particular I am excited by the collaboration of Leinster Rugby and Hockey Ireland to put in place the structures for what is a unique event. I would be hopeful that this collaboration will be an encouragement for other sports to follow in hosting major events by making full use of existing stadia.

“I wish the athletes and all supporters an exciting weekend in November and wishing for every success in achieving the goal of a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.”

Speaking today from Energia Park, Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels said: “Through our partnership with Big Stadium Hockey, the Polytan pitch which will be used in Tokyo will also be used in Energia Park. This Polytan pitch is identical to both the one being laid at the Sport Ireland Campus, and the one which will be used in Tokyo, ensuring a smooth transition and maximising home team advantage with the benefit of a huge and noisy home crowd.

“An Olympic Qualifier on home soil is a unique event – the only one in Ireland this year. We are delighted that Leinster Rugby share our excitement and ambition about the potential for bringing Big Stadium Hockey to Energia Park and exploiting the benefits of existing infrastructure to raise the profile of women’s sport. 

“We are also grateful to the partners in Big Stadium Hockey, particularly England Hockey and Polytan, for all their support on the journey so far and we are delighted to be working with them on the delivery of this unique event.”

Big Stadium Hockey Lead, Paul Kamphuis, Polytan, commented on the announcement, “The first Big Stadium Hockey event at The Stoop this year provided an atmosphere not seen at a hockey event in a long time. With an opportunity for Ireland’s women’s team to reach a first ever Olympic Games, maximising home support at the venue will provide the atmosphere to help make this dream possible. Big Stadium Hockey enables the match to be played in a bigger stadium with more fans, more noise and a better atmosphere. We are excited to be involved in this historic event and look forward to bringing Big Stadium Hockey to Ireland.”

After the success of this summer’s two FIH Pro League matches in The Stoop in front of 12,000 fans, Royston Hoggarth, Chairman of England Hockey, was quick to congratulate Hockey Ireland “on their ambition and vision to play their FIH Olympic Qualifiers in November at the Energia Stadium in Dublin. These critical games deserve big crowds and ‘Big Stadium Hockey’, with its temporary overlay pitch will create a unique atmosphere. We wish Hockey Ireland every success with the event and qualification.”

Also speaking at the event, Head of Commercial with Leinster Rugby, Kevin Quinn said, “This is another hugely positive step for us in Leinster Rugby to showcase our ability to offer a facility like Energia Park to other governing bodies and organisations.

“To be able to host international sporting occasions in any code and at any level is something we take huge pride in and I know our two partners in Energia Park, Old Wesley and Bective Rangers, feel the same way.

“We have worked very hard with our contractors SIS to ensure that the surface will be as good as any surface the players have ever played on and we take huge encouragement from the example last year at The Stoop in London which undertook a similar project for English Hockey to great success.

“Hockey Ireland and ourselves share offices on the same campus up in UCD and it is brilliant that we can now share a home stadium together for these two games and we can’t wait to host them, and to fill out Energia Park, in November.”

Adding to the unique nature of the event, Hockey Ireland are also delighted to announce that both matches will be broadcast on RTE this November. With matches scheduled to take place at 19:00 on Saturday the 2nd and 19:10 on Sunday the 3rd, the live broadcasting of these matches is invaluable to growing the sport of hockey here in Ireland.

Tickets for the Green Army’s Olympic Qualifier will go on sale on October 1st.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Details released on pop-up pitch for Olympic qualifier

The Ireland women’s team will attempt to reach Olympics for the first ever time

Johnny Watterson


Ireland’s Emily Beatty, Leinster Rugby’s and Megan Frazer of Ireland at the media announcement in Donnybrook. Photo: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Ireland formally rolled out details of the pop-up pitch to be used in Energia Park, Donnybrook, confirming that it will be the same surface to be used in the Olympic Games next summer.

The Irish women’s team will face Canada in back-to-back matches on a hockey pitch laid over the current synthetic rugby pitch with the aggregate winner of the two games ensured of a place in Tokyo.

No Irish women’s field sport team has ever qualified for an Olympic Games.

With a number of partnerships named including Big Stadium Hockey and Sport Ireland, the pitch will take up to four days to construct in the week leading up to the games with tickets going on sale on October 1st via the International Federation website as well as on Hockey.ie.

Both matches will be broadcast by RTÉ at 7.00pm on November 2nd and 7.10 pm on November 3rd to avoid an potential clash with the men’s and women’s FAI Cup finals, also scheduled to take place on the Sunday of that weekend.

“In particular I am excited by the collaboration of Leinster Rugby and Hockey Ireland to put in place the structures for what is a unique event,” said Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport Shane Ross.

“I would be hopeful that this collaboration will be an encouragement for other sports to follow in hosting major events by making full use of existing stadia.

“I wish the athletes and all supporters an exciting weekend in November and wishing for every success in achieving the goal of a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.”

Leinster CEO Mick Dawson added that the Donnybrook stadium “was one of the busiest rugby grounds in the world” and has already been used for GAA, soccer, American Football and concerts. One of the conditions laid down five years ago when two pitches at the facility were put down was that they would be put to a number of uses.

Irish Hockey is renting the facility from Leinster Rugby following a feasibility study, which was conducted in August.

There was some optimism that the sport would attract over 6,000 fans needed to make the event a financial success given thousands turned out on Dame Street when the team returned to Dublin with unprecedented World Cup silver medals in August 2018.

“There was an upsurge in support for the Irish women’s hockey team,” added Minister Ross. “It was a great achievement, very special. This is a great period for Irish women’s hockey and a great period for women’s sport.”

The Irish men’s team were also draw against Canada and will similarly play in a two leg tie in Vancouver on the weekend before the women play.

The Irish Times



NZ's 2019 Ford NHL hits the business end of the tournament



With both sides having booked their place in the top 4 heading into the contest, Auckland and the Ricoh Capital Cobras looked to try some new things out as they were heading into the final leg of the 2019 Ford NHL. The Capital Cobras put themselves in front when they earned an early penalty corner, Ollie Logan flicked the ball that went just outside the left pad of the Auckland goalkeeper. Auckland tied the match up in the 18thminute when a well-placed crash ball was deflected and initially saved. Capital was unable to clean up the rebound and Nick Finlayson touched that home for Auckland. The Capital Cobras continued to stick to their game plan and were rewarded when a great attacking overhead resulted in a deft touch from Rown Yeo to send Capital to the half time sheds up 2-1. Leo Mitai-Wells got Auckland back level when the rebound popped up from the initial drag flick and he touched the loose aerial ball home past the goalkeeper. Auckland then pulled the goalkeeper and tried some combinations out; however it was Capital who in the 56thminute managed to put the ball into the Auckland goal for the win and the 4 points to take top of the pool.

Auckland 2 (Nick Finlayson 18 min, Leo Mitai-Wells 38 min)
Ricoh Capital Cobras 3 (Ollie Logan 8 min, Rowan Yeo 26 min, Harry Miskimmin 56 min)

Both Tasmania and the John Turkington Forestry Central Mavericks were looking for their first win of the 2019 Ford NHL. Tasmania have been looking more confident as each match has gone on and in the 12thminute hit the front through a ripper of a drag flick that had the goalie completely beaten. Central were struggling to make inroads against the strong Tasmanian defence, however in the 38thminute an incredibly fast counterattack from the Central side resulted in a diving Sean Findlay deflection. Tasmania would regroup from the set back and in the 46thminute their drag flicker put another one into the goal to seal the win for the Australians.

Tasmania 2 (James Thomas 12, 46 min)
John Turkington Forestry Central Mavericks 1 (Sean Findlay 38 min)

Both sides entered this match knowing that their position in the top was was secure. Dominic Newman opened the scoring in the first minute off a good cross ball from Sam Lane that he touched in past the Tiger Turf North Harbour goalkeeper. Sam Lane then extended the Canterbury lead when he put a fast drag flick straight down the goal that beat the North Harbour side for pace. Canterbury made it 3-0 on a powerful Trent Summers flick just before the half that had the Canterbury team cruising. Tiger Turf North Harbour managed to claw there way back into the match when Robbie Capizzi managed to roll open in the circle and put a well-timed shot past the Canterbury goalkeeper. They got their second of the match when Kalyan Jeram was left open on the back post to touch in the loose ball. Unfortunately for Tiger Turf North Harbour they ran out of time and fell to Canterbury 3-2. The two sides will meet again later in the week in the top 4 of the Ford NHL.

Tiger Turf North Harbour 2 (Robbie Capizzi 37 min, Kalyan Jeram 42 min)
Canterbury 3 (Dominic Newman 1 min, Sam Lane 13 min, Trent Summers 24 min)

Both the Bayleys Midlands and Southern Dogs have had a tough 2019 Ford NHL campaign so far and were looking to get their campaigns underway. The Southern Men opened the score in the 19thminute when some loose marking left Dylan Thomas open on the back post for a deflection in. Thomas got his second goal after the halftime break when he managed to beak past the Bayleys Midlands defence for a diving reverse into the goal, he then completed his hattrick in the 50thminute when he was left open again on the back post for another deflection goal. Midlands got one back when Matt Rees-Gibbs converted the penalty stroke. While the score was 3-1 both sides had several opportunities and will be looking to be more clinical in the second half of the week.

Bayleys Midlands 1 (Matt Rees-Gibbs 57 min)
Southern 3 (Dylan Thomas 19, 42, 50 min)

Men’s Schedule 18th September

Bottom Four

5:30pm – Tasmania vs Bayleys Midlands
5:45pm – Southern vs John Turkington Central Mavericks

Top Four

7:30pm – Canterbury vs Auckland
7:45pm – Ricoh Capital Cobras vs Tiger Turf North Harbour

Women’s Schedule 18th September

Bottom Four

1:30pm – Auckland vs Ricoh Capital
1:45pm – Bayleys Midlands vs Southern

Top Four

3:30pm – Northland vs North Harbour
3:45pm – Canterbury vs John Turkington Central Mysticks

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Midlands' Black Stick Rose Keddell happy to be home

By Adyn Ogle


Tauranga Black Stick Rose Keddell says it is great to be playing at home as part of the Midlands women's squad during the week-long Ford National Hockey League tournaments. Photo / George Novak

The Midlands women's hockey team may have missed out competing for a top place but Tauranga players are relishing the opportunity to play at home.

The week-long Ford NHL tournaments enter the play-off phase at Tauranga Hockey Centre today and Midlands were denied a place in the top four after finishing level with Northland and Central in pool play. Each team had a win, a shootout win and a shootout loss. Midlands were determined the lowest-ranked with an inferior goal differential to Northland and the shootout loss to Central sealed their fate.

It means they will be in the bottom half of the competition for the second phase, which begins against Southern this afternoon. While disappointed with the loss, Tauranga Black Stick Rose Keddell said it was great to be playing at home.

"It was a bit hard to take, the girls played really well and we were a bit unlucky. You have to win your games and not rely on things like that to win tournaments," Keddell says.

"I love the game and I love the team environment. I am hugely proud of playing for my region, this is where I started my hockey career.

"This week is all about coming back and playing for the region that put so much into my development and learning some things from different coaches and players. It is about enjoying playing and doing the best we can.

"It is such a great place for the tournament and I think the teams are really enjoying it."

Keddell helped the Black Sticks secure Olympic qualification two weeks ago as they won the Oceania Cup in Australia along with fellow Tauranga Black Sticks Amy Robinson, Frances Davies and Sam Charlton. The Black Sticks have been on limited duty for the NHL and Keddell says she hopes to play in today's game against Southern.


Amy Robinson reaches for the ball against Northland on Sunday. Photo / George Novak

"The body is feeling fine, we had three games over there [Australia] and I have played tournament hockey my whole life, so I am pretty used to playing one game after the other. It is nice to be able to come back and be a part of it. I would love to play more regional stuff if the calendar allows, it is hugely important for development. You want to play, but you understand as well."

Keddell says she has enjoyed being in the Midlands set-up, a team that also includes former Black Stick Gemma McCaw.

"It is all hockey at the end of the day. We have played together growing up so there is a lot of familiar faces. When you are out there that hockey language is pretty universal."


Midlands' Gemma McCaw fights for the ball agains her Northland opposition. Photo / George Novak

Midlands will play Auckland on Friday before taking on Capital on Saturday and then play their classification match on Sunday.

The Midlands men's team lost their pool games against Canterbury, North Harbour and played Southern last night.

Ford NHL women's tournament"
Midlands vs Southern.
Wednesday, September 16.
Tauranga Hockey Centre, 1.45pm.

The New Zealand Herald



No. 6 field hockey defeats two ranked opponents, prepares for two more

By Molly Milligan


Hannah Davey celebrates a goal. Photo Credit: Beverly Schaefer / GoPrincetonTigers

This week, Princeton field hockey sits at sixth in the Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll. The ranking comes as the Tigers prepare for the final games of their non-conference schedule.

Princeton went 2–0 last weekend, defeating then-No. 20 Albany 4–3 on Friday, and posting an additional win over then-No. 17 Penn State on Sunday, 2–1.

Against Albany, sophomore midfielder Hannah Davey recorded her first hat trick, the fifth by a Princeton player in Head Coach Carla Tagliente’s tenure. The Tigers earned four corners in the first five minutes of play, but would not score their first point until a fifth attempt, when Davey’s shot trickled in off an Albany defender. Davey would take advantage of another corner later in the game for her third score of the day. She leads the team with four goals, two assists, and 10 points so far this season.

But in the meeting with Penn State, it was junior striker Clara Roth who would propel Princeton to the weekend sweep. With an impressive individual effort in the third quarter, Roth dribbled along the baseline and whipped the ball into the cage to tie the score at one goal apiece. She would also produce the game-winner with just 3:23 left to play, rebounding Davey’s failed shot off a corner and tapping it into the back of the net. 

Roth was named Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Week with two goals and three assists over the weekend.

Princeton now turns its focus to another pair of ranked opponents who will visit Bedford Field this week. No. 21 Rutgers will travel south for a Friday evening game. Last season, the Scarlet Knights shocked the Tigers in a 1–0 decision. This year’s edition will be available in the Philadelphia area on NBC Sports Philadelphia+.

Sunday afternoon, Princeton will face off against one of the nation’s strongest programs in a hotly anticipated meeting with No. 4 Connecticut.

In 2018, Princeton traveled to Storrs, Conn., and dominated the hometown Huskies, 5–2. It was the Tigers’ first road win against the University of Connecticut since 2002. In that game, Roth and Ali McCarthy, now a sophomore striker, stuffed the stat sheet with a goal and an assist from Roth and two goals from McCarthy. Both will be back on the field this Sunday, looking to build on Princeton’s 3–1 start to the season.

UConn sits at 5–1, with its most impressive win to date coming by a score of 3–0 on Sept. 8 against then-No. 6 Harvard. So far this fall, the Tigers and the Huskies each have one win over a Top Ten opponent.

Princeton will then travel to take on No. 3 Maryland early next week. With such a challenging non-conference slate, the Tigers will be well prepared for Ivy League play. Entering this season, Princeton was picked to win the league title over rival No. 14 Harvard.

Daily Princetonian

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