Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

All the news for Tuesday 19 November 2019

FIH confirms venues and match timings of FIH Hockey Pro League 2020



Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) today confirmed the venues and match timings of the second edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League which will be played between 11 January and 28 June 2020.

The 144 matches of the 2020 season of FIH’s global home-and-away League involving the best national teams in the world will be played in the following stadiums:

Argentina
CENARD, Buenos Aires
Tucumán Estadio Hockey Club Natación y Gimnasia, San Miguel de Tucumán

Australia
Perth Hockey Stadium, Perth
Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney

Belgium
Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein, Antwerp

China
Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou

Germany
Hockeypark, Mönchengladbach
UHC Hamburg am Wesselblek, Hamburg
Ernst Reuter Sportfeld, Berlin

Great Britain
The Stoop, London
Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre, London

India
Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar

The Netherlands
SV Kampong, Utrecht
HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam
HC 's-Hertogenbosch, Hertogenbosch
Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amsterdam

New Zealand
Nga Puna Wai Hockey Stadium, Christchurch
North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland

Spain
Estadio Betero, Valencia

USA
Karen Shelton Stadium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

The first match will oppose the 2019 winners of the Women’s league, the Netherlands, and China on 11 January 2020 (14:00 local time) at the Wujin Hockey Stadium in Changzhou.

Re-live the first edition of the FIH Pro League on www.fihproleague.com and www.fih.live!

#FIHHockeyProLeague
#MyProLeagueMoment

FIH site

Hockey returns to the Twickenham Stoop bigger and better in 2020


Great Britain Hockey at the Twickenham Stoop

Hockey will be even bigger and better at the Twickenham Stoop in 2020 as Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams return to the home of Harlequins for Hockey’s Big Weekend.

After hosting two matches at The Stoop on June 23 of this year, as part of a new three-year deal, Great Britain Hockey is delighted to announce that we will play four FIH Pro League games there in 2020 across the weekend of 16 and 17 May.

Argentina’s men and women will be the opponents for both days next year. Their men are reigning Olympic champions, and their women have won four medals in the last five Olympics so a fantastic two days of hockey are in store. So, with Great Britain women’s gold medal heroics in Rio 2016, this will be the only occasion that fans will be able see both reigning women's and men's champions in the same place before the Tokyo Olympics.

Hockey’s Big Weekend will showcase all that is great about our sport, bringing both our women’s and men’s teams together on the pitch as they bring to life the energy and spirit of hockey. Great Britain Hockey have been at the forefront of this new drop-in pitch technology and helping to grow the sport in a number of ways.

Men’s Head Coach Danny Kerry said, "It’s fantastic that we are returning to The Stoop next year and continuing to grow the sport. I’ve been involved in hockey for a long time and we are making strides that never seemed possible. On the pitch it will be an important weekend of FIH Pro League matches and Argentina will be strong opponents."

Women’s Head Coach Mark Hager commented, "Since I came to Great Britain earlier this year I’ve seen how the sport is growing and how popular our events have become. We are very lucky in this country to play at places like The Stoop and I’d encourage everyone in our sport to come out and get behind us on our journey to Tokyo."

The matches in 2019 were a huge success, with more than 11,500 people creating the biggest hockey crowd in this country since the London 2012 Olympics. The day of fixtures against New Zealand also ensured that more than one million hockey tickets have been sold in the UK since the beginning of the 2012 Games.

Individual tickets for 2020’s FIH Pro League matches will be available to members of our Hockey Family from 4pm on Wednesday 20 November.

Great Britain Hockey media release

Indian hockey team FIH Pro League matches full schedule, venues, timings

The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar will host eight of Indian men's hockey team's FIH Pro League matches beginning January 18, 2020.


The Indian team will leave for the away games in Germany (April 25 and 26) and Great Britain (May 2 and 3).   -  Getty Images

Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium will host Indian men's hockey team's FIH Pro League matches set to be played between 11 January and 28 June 2020. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Monday also confirmed the venues and match timings of the second edition of the league.

Indian men's hockey team, which pulled out of the inaugural edition last year, will begin its Pro League campaign at home against world no 3 Netherlands on January 18 and 19. India will then host World and European champion Belgium on February 8 and 9 followed by two more home fixtures against Australia on February 22 and 23.

Graham Reid's team will then leave for the away games in Germany (April 25 and 26) and Great Britain (May 2 and 3) and will be back on home turf on May 23 and 24 against New Zealand. World no 5 India will next travel to Tucuman, Argentina to play on June 5 and 6. India will play the last leg of the Pro League round-robin matches in Valencia, Spain on June 13 and 14.

India's FIH Men's Pro League Schedule, Timings (IST), Venues

Saturday, Jan 18 2020 - India vs Netherlands - 7 pm - Bhubaneswar
Sunday, Jan 19 - India vs Netherlands - 5 pm - Bhubaneswar
Saturday, Feb 8 – India vs Belgium - 5 pm - Bhubaneswar
Sunday, Feb 9 - India vs Beglium - 5 pm - Bhubaneswar
Friday, Feb 22 – India vs Australia - 7 pm - Bhubaneswar
Saturday, Feb 23 - India vs Australia - 7 pm - Bhubaneswar
Saturday, April 25 – Germany vs India - 5.30 pm - Berlin
Sunday, April 26 - Germany vs India - 3.30 pm - Berlin
Saturday, May 2 – Great Britain vs India - 2 pm - London
Sunday, May 3 - Great Britain vs India - 2 pm -  London
Saturday, May 23 – India vs New Zealand - 7 pm - Bhubaneswar
Sunday, May 24 - India vs New Zealand - 7 pm - Bhubaneswar
Friday, June 5 – Argentina vs India - 5 pm - Tucuman
Saturday, June 6 - Argentina vs India - 5 pm - Tucuman
Saturday, June 13 – Spain vs India - 1 pm - Valencia
Sunday, June 14 - Spain vs India - 1 pm - Valencia

Sportstar

Graham Reid to focus on individual development of Indian Hockey team's players

After securing a 2020 Olympics berth in the qualifiers against Russia, the team is currently undergoing a three-week training and conditioning camp.


Graham Reid (left) said that they will do a detailed analysis and review of of last season's performances including the Olympic Qualifiers. (File Photo)   -  K. MURALI KUMAR

With no international assignment till next year, the Indian men’s hockey side will focus on individual improvement rather than team tactics during the ongoing national camp, chief coach Graham Reid said on Monday.

After securing a 2020 Olympics berth in the qualifiers against Russia, the team is currently undergoing a three-week training and conditioning camp which will conclude on December 8.

“Given there is no tournament immediately following the three-week camp in Bhubaneswar, it is a perfect opportunity for us to change focus from team tactics to more about individual improvement,” Reid said as the national camp of 33 core probables which began at the Kalinga Stadium on Monday.

“We will do this through detailed analysis and review from our performances last season including the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Odisha. This will provide a good road-map for us in our quest to squeeze as much improvement as we can in the next nine months,” the 53-year-old Australian added.

The Indian team recently secured its place at the 2020 Olympic Games by defeating Russia 11-3 on aggregate at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers here.

India’s next assignment will be the twin home leg matches of the FIH Pro League against the Netherlands in January next year.

Core Probables:

Goalkeepers: P R Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera, Krishan Bahadur Pathak

Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Varun Kumar, Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurinder Singh, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Jarmanpreet Singh, Dipsan Tirkey

Midfielders: Manpreet Singh, Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma, Jaskaran Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Ashis Kumar Topno, Sayyad Niyaz Rahim, Raj Kumar Pal

Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Gursahibjit Singh, Shamsher Singh, Simranjeet Singh, S V Sunil, Gurjant Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.

Sportstar

Canada Junior Development Squads close out 2019 with California training tour

Thirty-two junior athletes retreat to Moorpark for training tour and test matches



The calendar year is coming to a close and much of the yearly excitement is behind us. But for the Canadian men’s Junior Development Squad, there is still work to do. Two Canadian squads (U17 & U21) will be heading to Moorpark, California for warm-weather training and competitive matches against the United States’ junior programs.

According to NextGEN High Performance Manager, Hugh Purvis, the opportunity to get international competition is extremely valuable for setting these young athletes up for what’s coming next.

“The Men’s National Team have had a fantastic year in 2019, winning the Hockey Series Finals and qualifying for Tokyo 2020,” Purvis said. “We need to ensure we’re providing the next generation of athletes. It’s important to offer international match opportunities and a quality daily training environment to ensure they’re ready to transition into the men’s program in the next 1-3 years.”

Not only are the competition repetitions important for the developing athletes, the USA are also one of the top teams in the Pan American region. The 2020 Junior Pan American Championship is being held next fall in Chile and Purvis said getting some early understanding of the USA side will be valuable as well. Each team (U17 &U21) will play four matches during the training tour. See the match schedule below.

“USA junior programs have been active participating in European opportunities and it’s great for us to evaluate our athletes at the end of the year, recognize gaps and prepare for 2020,” he said.

The 2020 Junior Pan American Championship is Canada’s gateway to the 2021 Junior World Cup. Canada finished second at the 2016 Junior Pan American Championship, qualifying them for the Junior World Cup in 2017.

Even though this tour marks the end of the 2019 programming, it can very easily be seen as the start of the build towards the Junior Pan American Championship next year at this time.

SQUADS

U21 Team

Touring Staff
Head Coach: Geoff Matthews
Manager: Alison McGillvray
AT: Ayesha Koome

U17 Team

Touring Staff:
Head Coach: Nick Hignell
Manager: Hugh Purvis
Physio: Guy Robertson

Schedule

U21 Team

November 24 – CAN vs USA – 3pm
November 25 – CAN vs USA – 3pm
November 27 – CAN vs USA – 3pm
November 28 – CAN vs USA – 830am

U17 Team

November 24 – CAN vs USA – 1pm
November 25 – CAN vs USA – 1pm
November 27 – CAN vs USA – 1pm
November 28 – CAN vs USA – 7am

Field Hockey Canada media release

Surbiton and Hampstead set for seasoned rivalry

Rod Gilmour


Surbiton and Hampstead served up quality encounter Credit: Mark Clews

Hampstead's Lily Owsley beat her stick in frustration on the Sugden Road astro as the final whistle went. Yet, here was a moment which suggested that the domestic women's game has a rivalry to savour in the coming seasons.

Champions for the last six seasons, Surbiton extended their lead at the top of the Investec Premier Division with a 3-1 win over top flight newcomers Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday.

It has, however, taken a decade for these two quality sides to meet, with Surbiton last playing Hampstead at home in a league fixture in 2009 - the South Clubs League Division One no less. For now, the question is who can stop Surbiton in the regular season after nine straight wins and an eight-point gap opening up ahead of Hampstead.

"That's probably the best game of hockey in the league for a couple of years," said Brett Garrard, Surbiton's coach. "It was a tough game of hockey, Hampstead are equipping themselves really well in the league and will only get better."

Several Surbiton players stood out, but Erica Sanders stole the show with a brace. Opening the scoring in the ninth minute, her second came in a crucial second-half period as she found the ball on the baseline, rounded Rochelle Gianfrancesco and calmly slotted home at the second attempt after menacing circle work from Darcy Bourne.

In between, Giselle Ansley scored from a penalty corner, but the goal had been made in the build up when Hollie Payne produced an outstanding pass to pick out an on-running Hannah Martin, who then won the corner. Her form continues to be of the highest level for club and country.

Hampstead were still a threat at 3-0 down and Owsley netted a minute later to keep up their record of scoring in every game thus far in their debut season. But the damage had already been done.

"We let them back in it in the second half but we stuck at it," added Garrard. "It's amazing what fatigue and extra pressure does for you, but it was good for us to experience that. We haven't had a game like that all year and we will be better for it."

Where the game was won

"I enjoy these games more when it's more of a fight." So said captain Georgie Twigg, who again impressed for the champions. As did Sanders, while the press of Eloise Stenner in attack left Hampstead working out ways to free the ball out from defence to their fast counter-attacking threats, with the likes of Owsley and Sarah Robertson at the helm. Surbiton had better movement off the ball while a disciplined defence, in front of returning goalkeeper Sabbie Heesh, also kept its shape as Hampstead accrued eight penalty corner chances to no avail. Overall, this was a fine Surbiton team performance ahead of their trip to Bowdon on Saturday.

East Grinstead in sync


East Grinstead's players pose for a photo Credit: ANDREW SMITH

East Grinstead were seemingly caught off guard in this team image taken on the day they entered the play-offs courtesy of a fine 4-1 win over Buckingham on Saturday. However, it's the first time they've looked out of kilter in several weeks, during a resurgent run from the foot of the table to third place, unbeaten in seven games now following a 1-1 draw against Bowdon on Sunday. Further, Sophie Bray form continues and she is now the league's leading scorer, with nine. The former GB international notched three more goals over the weekend from their two games.

Floods hinder Belper's season


You aren't playing any hockey on these pitches

Swansea women’s bid to strengthen their grip at the top of Investec Division One was curtailed by an away postponement as Belper, bottom of the table, continue to feel the effects after recent flooding. The River Derwent burst its banks last week, which left Derbyshire-based Belper's pitches under water and the club seeking to raise upwards of £8,000 to cover industrial clean-up costs and repairs. Belper has helped nurture the likes of Great Britain captain Hollie Pearne-Webb.

Investec Women's Premier Division results

Buckingham 1 East Grinstead 4
Clifton Robinsons 3 Loughborough Students 2
Holcombe 1 Bowdon 2
Beeston 3 University of Birmingham 1
Surbiton 3 Hampstead & Westminster 1

What's on this weekend

November 23: University of Birmingham v Clifton, 1:15pm Bowdon v Surbiton, 1:45pm Loughborough Students v Buckingham, 2pm East Grinstead v Beeston, 4:30pm

November 24: Hampstead & Westminster v Holcombe, 12pm

The Telegraph

Garvey extend lead as Monkstown make big statement


YMCA’s Sam Hyland in action in their win over Annadale. Pic: Annadale HC

Lisnagarvey extended their lead at the top; Monkstown moved up to second with big win over Three Rock while YM continued their upward curve at Annadale; UCD vs Pembroke and Glenanne vs Corinthian ended in draws

Banbridge 1 (E Magee) Lisnagarvey 2 (P McKibbin, J Lorimer)

James Lorimer’s 60th minute drag-flick propelled Lisnagarvey to a fifth successive win of the men’s EYHL season, extending their lead at the top of the table to four points.

As in their Irish Senior Cup win at the same venue, they came from behind to get the result. After a scoreless first half, Bann went in front in the 37th minute via a Eugene Magee penalty corner strike when Troy Chambers was in the sin-bin. They held that lead for just five minutes as a Garvey corner was initially well saved by Gareth Lennox but Peter McKibbin fortuitously picked up the rebound and found the net.

Bann had a string of corner chances to go back in front but the visitors remained resolute and they took their chance when it came with Lorimer continuing his fine start to the season.

Glenanne 4 (S Boucher 2, S Brownlow, N Byrne) Corinthian 4 (P Caruth 2, I Stewart, D Howard)

Glenanne and Corinthian shared a wild eight-goal battle at St Andrew’s, moving them both up a notch each in the table. Corinthian got off to a great start with Ian Stewart nicking in at the back post in the fourth minute for the first and a Peter Caruth stroke.

Shannon Boucher, however, made the game level by half-time when he whizzed home a reverse in the 25th minute and then backed that up with a push-shot that found its way into the backboard.

Caruth restored the Corinthian lead early in the second half but that advantage only lasted a couple of minutes with Stephen Brownlow’s drag-flick making it 3-3. Glenanne went in front for the first time when Caruth was in the sin-bin for a physical tackle with Neil Byrne the man to profit.

Davy Howard, however, levelled the game with six minutes to go from a corner before the Glens held on for the last three minutes with nine men with Brad Venter and Brownlow taking yellows while coach Kieran Bolger was shown a red card for dissent.

Annadale 1 (W Aston) YMCA 3 (B Campbell, S Ruttle, B Chadwick)

YMCA made it back to back wins to rise another few places in the league with Annadale remaining rooted to the bottom. YM started swiftly with two corners in the first five minutes before Dale got into the game with two corners of their own but both Ben Campbell and Ryan Burgess saw their efforts repelled.

The second quarter saw YM convert a corner from Campbell, picking out the bottom left corner, but Annadale were back on terms when Will Aston got a final touch from a baseline pull-back for 1-1 at half-time.

The third quarter became a feisty affair with yellow cards shown to Annadale’s James Clark and Jamie Livingstone and greens to Adam McAllister and YM’s Ross Henderson. The final quarter shifted momentum when YM’s Sam Hyland and Grant Glutz both receiving yellow cards.

Neither side capitalised on their numerical superiority but once back to 11, YM found the breakthrough with a baseline entry finding Scott Ruttle – lining out against his brother Cameron – open in the circle, scoring from close range in front of the keeper.

Dale went to 11 outfielders but were caught cold when Campbell ran the length of the pitch and found an unlikely scorer in left-back Ben Chadwick, sliding in on the back post to score the killer goal.

UCD 2 (G Sarratt 2) Pembroke 2 (A Sothern 2)

Alan Sothern’s last minute goal saw Pembroke snatch a 2-2 draw at Belfield, denying UCD a fourth win of the campaign from five outings. Guy Sarratt got the only goal of the first half from a corner in the 27th minute.

Sothern equalised at the start of a feisty fourth quarter which saw the cards begin to fly with both sides seeing two yellows. Sarratt restored the students lead with five minutes left from another corner before Sothern got his and Pembroke’s equaliser.

Monkstown 6 (G Watkins 2, D Carson 2, G Cole, R Nichols) Three Rock Rovers 0

Monkstown cruised to a hugely impressive win over Three Rock Rovers to rise to second place, continuing their unbeaten start to the season.

Player-coach Gareth Watkins opened the scoring from a stroke following good build-up play with Watkins finding Davy Carson at the top of the circle where he was blocked with a back-stick. Carson fired home the next from a narrow angle after Shane O’Brien had made two initial saves, catching it sweetly to squeeze it in.

The third was a good solo effort from Geoff Cole right on half-time, picking up the ball on the right touchline, getting inside two players before reversing in at the near post.

In between, Rovers did draw a number of good saves from David Fitzgerald while they could not make full use of their five penalty corners. Town, though, kept taking their chances and broke out via Cian Speers and Ross Quirke, the latter finding Carson who reversed in over O’Brien’s shoulder.

Carson and Watkins combined with Quirke to create the next for the player-coach to score and Rory Nichols completed the rout with a low drag-flick.

The Hook

Pegasus flying high on dramatic double weekend


UCD’s Niamh Carey (r) scored their crucial goal on Sunday. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Pegasus are the last side standing with a perfect record in the women’s EY Hockey League after three rounds following a double weekend packed with late drama across the 10 games.

Women’s EY Hockey League – day two and three round-ups

Saturday

Belfast Harlequins 2 (J Dennison, S Barr) Cork Harlequins 2 (M Barry, A O’Grady)

Belfast and Cork’s Harlequins shared a dramatic 2-2 draw with the Munster side fighting back in the closing quarter to earn their point. Julie Dennison’s cool finish in the first quarter had the Deramore Park hosts leading for a long time as they welcomed Bethany Barr into their line-up for the first time.

Cork pushed hard toward the end of the half, winning a number of corners but Nicola Stoddart saved the best of their chances off the line. It remained at 1-0 until Serena Barr got her first goal for the club from a corner.

Michelle Barry, however, got Cork back in the mix with a set piece goal and they got back on terms via Alex O’Grady’s penalty corner rebound. Belfast had the ball in the net in the final minute but the goal was ruled out and the draw remained.

Loreto 1 (A Meeke) UCD 0

Ali Meeke’s 33rd minute goal was all that separated Loreto and UCD in a close-fought battle in what was the first EYHL game to be played on the new turf at Beaufort. She finished off after a quick one-two with Sarah Torrans for the lead slightly against the run of play.

Indeed, UCD had the best of the general play but Loreto defended immaculately. There was only one corner in the game but the students could not make full use of it.

“Very happy with that today, a very important three points,” said Loreto assistant coach Ian Clarke. “Just one corner in the whole game shows the quality of the defence in the circle from both teams. It was something we worked very hard on in training this week to make sure we didn’t give anything away and we had vital defensive touches all around the pitch.”

For UCD coach Miles Warren, he added: “It is completely frustrating. We have completely dominated the match in possession but they took their one chance in the first half.

“They defended brilliantly in the first half; we didn’t get corners and their keeper made several great saves. But holding that possession doesn’t mean points and that’s what we have got to learn. We played some magnificent hockey but if you don’t put the ball in the goal, you don’t get anything.”

Muckross 1 (A O’Flanagan) Old Alex 2 (O Bools, A Roopnarinesingh)

Old Alex made it two wins from two as goals from Orna Bools and Anna Roopnarinesingh saw them come back from 1-0 down. Muckross started the stronger with a couple of corner chances ending with Anna O’Flanagan finding the backboard for her second goal in two games for the club.

The lead lasted just a minute, however, as Orna Bools – in just her second EYHL game since moving from Three Rock Rovers – picked out the top corner with a reverse-stick shot. It stayed that way into half-time amid a thrilling end-to-end contest. Roopnarinesingh fired home a lovely goal 11 minutes into the second half for 2-1 and it proved the vital moment as Alex held on for the points.

Pegasus 4 (P Glass 2, A Speers 2) Catholic Institute 2 (R Pratt, L Foley)

Two goals each from Alex Speers and the out-of-retirement Pamela Glass saw Pegasus hold off the challenge of Catholic Institute in a cracking encounter at Belfast High School. Speers opened the scoring in the 17th minute.

Rosie Pratt’s penalty stroke levelled matters in the 33rd minute but parity lasted only a matter of seconds as Glass’s corner goal made it 2-1 at half-time. She got her second six minutes into the second half from another corner but Laura Foley got the Limerick side right back in the contest with eight minutes to go.

Insta then had some big chances to equalise but were caught on the counter in the last minute when Speers netted with one of the last acts of the game for 4-2.

Railway Union 1 (L Lloyd) Pembroke 4 (O Macken 2, A Naughton, J Ringwood)

Pembroke recorded the biggest winning scoreline of the season to date as they overcame Railway Union in the Dublin 4 derby at Park Avenue. Railway took an early lead when umpire Julie Beamish played a great advantage in the third minute, allowing Lily Lloyd the chance to cash in and make it 1-0.

Five Railway penalty corners went unconverted as they had the best of the first quarter but they were made to rue those missed chances when Orla Macken – against her former club – nailed a corner goal for 1-1. It kick-started a run of three goals in six minutes for Pembroke to turn the game on its head.

Aisling Naughton finished off a well-taken counter-attack goal.

Jilly Ringwood got the third soon after from another good advantage for a 3-1 half-time lead. It remained that way until the closing minutes when Macken made it 4-1 and Pembroke’s second win.

Sunday – day three reports

Belfast Harlequins 2 (L Geddes, K Welshman) Catholic Institute 3 (L Foley, N Carroll, R Begley)

Roisin Begley’s final play goal gave Catholic Institute their first ever win in the EY Hockey League since promotion, nicking a 3-2 result at Deramore Park. Lucy Geddes tucked away at the back post for 1-0 to the hosts at the end of the first quarter but Insta had a good tranche of chances to get level in the second quarter with a cracking reverse-stick finish from Laura Foley.

Naomi Carroll put the Limerick side 2-1 ahead early in the second half but Harlequins equalised from a corner via Katherine Welshman. Chances flowed at either end but it was the visitors who finished the strongest, Begley snagging their goal with the last act of the game.

“It is a massive relief to get this first win. It has been a steep learning curve,” coach Dave Passmore said of how Insta have adjusted to their surroundings at the top level. “We have up to nine schoolgirls in the squad and it is a big jump for Munster schools games – it’s not just about the speed or the technical side. It’s adapting to the decision-making, the strategy and the game management.”

Loreto 1 (A Meeke) Muckross 1 (I Cotter)

Ali Meeke popped up with her second goal of the weekend four minutes from the final whistle to snatch a point for Loreto, denying Muckross their first win of the campaign. The visitors to Beaufort took the lead early in the second quarter with India Cotter on the mark, punishing the hosts who were down to 10 players with Caitlin Sherin in the sin-bin.

Loreto stepped up the pressure in the third quarter but could not breakthrough. Muckross, meanwhile, had a couple of corners by Lizzie Murphy which could have made the game safe. They were repelled and, in one last throw, Loreto swapped out their goalkeeper for an extra outfielder and it paid instant dividends with Meeke’s goal.

Old Alex 1 (D Duke) Railway Union 3 (H de Burgh Whyte, S Hawkshaw, N Sweeney)

Railway Union recorded their first win of the season, ending Old Alex’s 100% record with a 3-1 win in Milltown. They led from the outset with Hannah de Burgh Whyte smashing home a penalty corner in the opening five minutes.


Old Alex’s side who won on Saturday at Muckross

Alex equalised in the 22nd minute following super play by Sarah Robinson and while her initial shot was saved by Riona Norton, the deflection was slotted home by Deirdre Duke – her first goal for the club since hers and Nikki Evans’ move was announced on Thursday.

Alex, though, fell behind in the second half in odd circumstances as captain Emma Russell was sin-binned due to her side having an extra player on the field. Down a player, Sarah Hawkshaw scored to make it 2-1. Duke was proving a strong influence and she went close to getting her side back on terms before Railway set about killing off the game.

Hawkshaw was denied by Hannah Magnan while a corner came to nothing before Niamh Sweeney slotted the clincher following Hawkshaw and Emma Smyth’s approach work.

Pegasus 1 (N McIvor) Cork Harlequins 0

Niamh McIvor’s first senior goal for Pegasus with nine minutes to go continued Pegasus’s winning start to the season, making it three victories in a row. It gives them a three-point lead at the head of the table but they were made to work throughout by Cork Harlequins.

Pegasus skipper Michelle Harvey went close in the first-half when she saw her penalty corner saved at full-stretch by Kate Murphy.​

Early in the second half, Alex Speers shot narrowly wide and then had a goal disallowed 18 minutes later because the ball had struck her foot before she shot.​

But Belfast Royal Academy student McIvor sealed the deal with nine minutes remaining when she fired home from close-range.

UCD 1 (N Carey) Pembroke 0

UCD finally got the win their play deserved at the third attempt as Niamh Carey’s third quarter goal earned them a 1-0 win, breaking Pembroke’s winning run into the bargain. The students saw three first quarter penalty corners slip by as they ended the first half scoreless.

But the goal finally came after the big break from a counter-attack goal all the way up the pitch which fell to Niamh Carey who slotted home.

They produced some lovely, fast-paced stuff with Ellen Curran and the Carey twins Michelle and Niamh while Katherine Egan’s reverse stopped. Pembroke pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing minutes but Sarah Patton was excellent in defence to help carry the day.

The Hook

Scottish Cup weekend had everything

The weekend’s Scottish Cup programme had everything – Jack Frost was the key player at some venues, there was the odd shock, the occasional high score, but the highlight was at Peffermill where there was a cracker of a tie between Watsonians and Western Wildcats in the men`s competition.

At Peffermill Watsonians and Western Wildcats served up a seven-goal thriller with the latter finally emerging on top with only three minutes remaining.

Andy Crowe put the Edinburgh side ahead with a cracking reverse stick shot. However, Western Wildcats were level by the interval with a deflected strike from Fraser Moran.

Watsonians took the lead for the second time after the interval, Jamie Cochrane converted from the spot.   But up stepped Adam McKenzie to level again with a penalty corner strike.

It was then Wildcats` turn to take the lead with another deflected goal by Fraser Calder. That was not the end of the story as a Danny Cain drag flick at a set piece tied the score at 3-3 with a shoot-out on the cards.

However, with three minutes left McKenzie converted his second penalty corner of the afternoon to send his side into the quarter-final draw.

Dundee Wanderers won their first Premiership league encounter on Saturday, but the following day bowed out of the cup at the hands of second division St Andrews University at Dalnacraig. The tie ended 1-1 in normal time but the students advanced into the quarter-finals with an 7-6 win in the resulting shoot-out.

Grove Menzieshill were in rampant form with a 14-0 win over third division Granite City Wanderers. There were five goals each for Jamie Golden and Albert Rowling while Luke Cranney and Keir Robb picked up two each.

In the women`s tournament it was a good weekend for Watsonians, they beat Premiership leaders Clydesdale Western, and then in the cup they knocked Dundee Wanderers out of the competition with another single goal victory.

Wanderers had most of the early pressure, and it took a double save from Lucy Camlin to deny Vikki Bunce. Half way through the first half the Edinburgh side took the lead, it was a solo venture by Sarah Jamieson, the Scotland international beat three defenders in the circle, rounded the keeper, and calmly slotted the ball home from a narrow angle.

Watsonians` defence remained solid and were only challenged by a few Wanderers` penalty corners, in the end it is the Edinburgh side that will be in the quarter-final draw.

Grove Menzieshill were little troubled by second division Kelburne at Auchenhowie and came away with a comfortable 6-0 victory. There were two goals each for Lucy Murray and Ellie Stott while Lucy Smith and Lauren Kingston got the others.

Western Wildcats reached double figures in the 10-0 win over second division Grange. Ava Smith was top with a hat-trick with seven other scorers which prompted player-coach Kaz Cuthbert to mention “it was a team game for the Cats.”

Another big score for Edinburgh University, they overcame their Glasgow rivals second squad 13-0, top scorers were Amy Brodie and Louise Campbell.

In the all-second division clash Erskine Stewarts Melville overcame Inverleith 5-2.

Stirling University were 1-0 winners against Clydesdale Western`s second string.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Relegation battle intensifies in hockey league

By AGNES MAKHANDIA


Lameck Kibet of Strathmore University (left) vies for the ball with Abraham Mumo of Greensharks during their Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match at City Park Stadium, Nairobi on June 16, 2019.PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Three teams are locked in a battle to remain in the Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League.

Strathmore University, Sikh Union and Parklands who are in relegation dogfight are separated by one point at the bottom end.

Parklands, who are rooted bottom with seven points from 16 matches, posted identical 2-1 losses to Sailors and Kenya Police at the weekend to complicate their chances of survival.

Strathmore, who are third from bottom with 10 points from 15 matches, and Sikh, who have nine points from 16 matches, were not in action over the weekend.

Parklands captain Kelly Adolwa insists fate is still in their hands.

“We really wanted to win at least one weekend fixture and force a draw in the other but we now have to restrategise. We have two remaining matches against Strathmore and Sikh and the result can go any way. Therefore, we have to wait and see how this will pan out,” said Adolwa.

Strathmore coach Meshack Senge is hoping to capitalise on their three matches in hand starting with this weekend's fixtures against Sikh and United States International University of Africa (USIU-A).

“We just want to ensure we survive the drop. We transitioned this season and the move has not given us the results we envisioned but we hope for better in future,” said Senge.

The bottom two teams in the Premier League will be relegated to the Super league, while the top two teams from the second tier will be automatically promoted at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Butali Sugar Warriors retained the Premier league title thanks to a 2-0 win against second-placed Wazalendo on Saturday.

Butali have 42 points from 16 matches, while Wazalendo have 33 points from 17 matches. Kenya Police occupy third position with 29 points from 16 matches.

Daily Nation

BiiG hockey tourney ends Sunday



The stage is set for an exciting finals day of the 2019 Barbados Independence Invitational Games Hockey Champions Trophy, being played at the Wildey, St Michael Hockey Turf next weekend.

Now in its second year, the premier independence hockey event features the island’s top hockey players and clubs in one final test for the season.

As part of the Barbados Independence Invitational Games, or BiiG, hosted by the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), the Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) reintroduced its former Champion of Champions season opener clash, but in a post-season tournament format that includes the current Division 1 League champions and Knockout Cup winners, alongside a Combined Clubs squad and a Barbados Under-21 Junior National Development team.


U21 players (in green) led by captain Reshawn Greenidge (2nd left) converge on All Stars’ match captain Paul Gill (center, blue).

Qualifying for the men’s event, were the 2019 Division 1 League champions UWI Blackbirds and 2019 Knockout Cup winners All Stars. In the women’s event, Combermere School Old Scholars (CSOS) were the only qualified regular club side, having won both the Women’s Division 1 League title and the Knockout Cup.

In the surprising upset of the men’s tournament, neither of the 2019 club champions will feature in Sunday’s final. UWI Blackbirds HC, the 2019 League champions and the All Stars Club, the 2019 Knockout Cup winners, both failed to find enough points to qualify for the finals after finishing the round-robin stage in third and fourth respectively.

Barbados Juniors, the tournament underdogs in the men’s category, leaped over both club champions with a shocking 1 – 0 win over the All Stars, in a hard fought match where Juniors’ captain Reshawn Greenidge, managed to score the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, besting All Stars’ custodian and senior national goalkeeper Andre Boyce in the process.

The win propelled the U21 side into the men’s final with four points from a maximum of nine. They will face Combined Clubs 2019, who cruised to the final by picking up the maximum of 9 points. UWI Blackbirds ended their campaign on two points from two drawn matches, while All Stars finished up with one point.

In the women’s competition, double-crown champions Combermere School Old Scholars (CSOS) are set to meet Combined Clubs 2019, after the combined ladies side edged out Barbados Juniors 3 – 0 on Sunday to book their place. CSOS moved ahead into the final with the maximum of six points and Combined Clubs 2019 will join them with three points. The U21 ladies failed to pick up any points, but gave a strong showing to the fans over the course of the event.


CSOS captain Camille Pounder working past Combined Clubs player Alanis Clarke (orange, right)

The finals take place at the Wildey Hockey Turf on Sunday, November 24, with the women’s event touching off at 2:30 p.m., while the men take the field at 4 p.m.

Barbados Today

'On fire': Feline Guenther's late hot streak sends UNC field hockey to Final Four

The senior midfielder scored a 46th-minute game-winning goal to push North Carolina over Iowa.

By Chapel Fowler


UNC senior forward Feline Guenther (14) attacks against Iowa junior midfielder Nikki Freeman (8). The Tar Heels beat the Hawkeyes 2-1 at Karen Shelton Stadium on Nov. 17, 2019. Abe Loven

Feline Guenther, her coach will tell you, is a “type-A kid” — detail-oriented and highly dedicated to both her role as a midfielder on the North Carolina field hockey team and a student in the Kenan-Flagler Business School.

For most of this fall, she was juggling both in full force: starting and playing heavy minutes for UNC in the regular season while doing applications and job interviews whenever possible.

But now that Guenther’s accepted a postgraduate job at the Charlotte accounting firm GreerWalker, she’s been able to devote 100 percent of her physical and mental energy to field hockey — and the results have been eye-popping.

On Sunday, the senior scored a 46th-minute game-winning goal for the Tar Heels, who beat Iowa, 2-1, in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to their 11th consecutive Final Four.

It came on the heels of an impressive Friday performance, too: a goal and an assist in a first-round win over Stanford. Quite the contrast for a player who, as of two weeks ago, hadn’t scored once for North Carolina in the regular season.

“It really helped her focus on field hockey — not that she wasn’t focused before, but she was focused on a lot of other things as well,” head coach Karen Shelton said. “I think that was a huge stress reliever, to get a job, to know she’s going to be in Charlotte at a huge accounting firm down there. She’s just been on fire ever since.”

Guenther’s hot streak technically started on senior day. With her parents Cathrin and Michael in the crowd at Shelton Stadium, she scored twice against Saint Joseph’s — including an overtime game-winner — on Nov. 3 to preserve a second straight perfect regular season for UNC.

“People say it's because my parents arrived here — my mom is still here from Germany — and maybe that's the extra support," Guenther said with a laugh. "But going into postseason is just a great feeling. Every single game just means so much to me as a senior."

She scored her third goal of the season against Louisville in the ACC semifinals, her fourth against Stanford and her fifth, which set a career high for a single season, when her team needed it most.

North Carolina and Iowa played a scrappy first half Sunday, combining for just three shots in the first two periods. Both teams scored off penalty corners — the Hawkeyes’ Sofie Stribos in the 18th minute, and the Tar Heels’ Erin Matson in the 25th — to knot things at 1-1 entering the half.

UNC played with fire in the third period, allowing two penalty corners but ultimately stopping both. That set the stage for an intense final 15 minutes with a trip to Winston-Salem and next weekend's Final Four on the line.

“We looked at each other before the beginning of the fourth quarter,” senior Marissa Creatore said, “and just said, ‘This has been our quarter the entire season, so let's finish the game.’”

They finished the game in the next 26 seconds.

As soon as the whistle blew, UNC hit the gas pedal and executed a “series of two-touch passes,” as Creatore put it, that had Iowa’s sturdy defense scrambling.

Catherine Hayden made a long run down the middle and hit Creatore, who unleashed a no-hesitation pass from the left side of the goal to the right.

That’s where Guenther, in the final seconds of a dead sprint from midfield, caught it in stride and punched home a short goal past Iowa goalie Leslie Speight. Chaos ensued. Even a good 30 minutes later, in postgame interviews, Guenther said she was “still totally overwhelmed.”

“All I remember is I just threw my body in there and was just hoping that I scored,” she said. “It was unbelievable. The next second, I just got up and saw the whole team running toward me.”

Ironically enough, this game-winner was almost identical to her previous one against St. Joseph’s: an assist from Creatore on the left, a Guenther goal sent into the right corner of the net.

“I don't know, we have some kind of telepathy with her on the far post there,” Creatore said. “She's also just a hustler. Her coming out of the midfield is just a (flash) of lightning to that far post. Just incredible. I knew she'd be there.”

Guenther, who played a year of field hockey at the University of Hamburg in Germany before transferring to UNC, said her motivation this year has been simple. Shelton and the team have given her so much over the last three years. It’s only fair that she gives something back.

With all five of her 2019 goals in the last five games, she’s definitely done that.

The Daily Tar Heel

Northwestern ends their season with a 2-1 defeat to Boston College in the NCAA tournament

Gabriela Carroll


Kayla Blas runs through midfield against Maryland. The sophomore defender earned All-Big Ten second team honors this season. Daily file photo by Alison Albelda

With one minute remaining in the NCAA Tournament opener between Northwestern and Boston College, it seemed like the stars aligned for a Wildcats victory. NU had built up momentum after a shaky start and banked one in to tie it near the end of the game.

Then Boston College scored, and it all came crashing down.

The Cats (14-8, 5-3 Big Ten) were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after a 2-1 defeat to the Eagles on Friday. NU was outshot 14-9, although their shots-on-goal margin was a more even 7-5. Boston College had three more penalty corners than the Cats, including one that sparked the game winner.

NU looked a bit out of its depth in the first quarter — it allowed seven Eagles shots and couldn’t seem to force the ball out of their defensive circle. And while the Cats defense held firm and allowed no goals in the quarter, the offense struggled in transition.

NU struggled to take control of the game offensively in later quarters, but it did get stronger and more aggressive over the course of the match, and outshot Boston College 4-2 in the final quarter.

“I thought our team played a really good match,” coach Tracey Fuchs said. “Unfortunately they were able to score on that corner at the last minute, but I thought we had a lot of great performances, and I was really proud of how we as a team performed.”

In the final minutes of the first half, Boston College’s leading scorer Margo Carlin fielded a long transition pass off a Cats turnover, catching NU by surprise for a quick goal. The score left the Cats playing from behind for much of the second half.

Freshman forward Bente Baekers tied it up early in the fourth quarter with a penalty stroke after an Eagles defender hacked her stick and directly prevented her from scoring. The goal brings Baekers’ season total to 28, tied for second most in program history, and the most goals scored by any Big Ten player, since Chelsea Armstrong set Northwestern’s program record with 29 in 2012.
With the clock winding down, Boston College forward Elizabeth Warner deflected a penalty corner hit from the top of the circle and knocked it in to give them a 2-1 lead.

Despite the loss, NU improved remarkably from last season’s 9-10 campaign, and the play of its underclassmen gives coach Tracey Fuchs hope for the future.

“We have a good core coming back,” Fuchs said. “That’s always promising for a coach.”

In addition to Baekers, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, many underclassmen have seen significant time for the Cats this season. Freshman midfielder Alia Marshall was one of NU’s best players on the field on Friday, as she facilitated offensive transitions and consistently found holes to pass or dribble through to give the Cats offensive chances.

NU will lose only three starters next season: senior defenders Lily Gandhi and Kirsten Mansfield and senior midfielder Saar de Breij. Fuchs said that the Cats’ reliance on their bench throughout the season means a lot of their roster has playing experience.

NU has a lot of talent on their roster, especially with the emergence of Baekers and sophomore defenseman Kayla Blas, well positioned to either continue or top their success this season next year.

“We’re in the process right now of reflecting, and seeing what we have coming back and what we have coming in,” Fuchs said. “We want to take a look at the whole program and see what our strengths and weaknesses are, but we’re looking forward to the winter and the spring.”

Daily Northwestern

Sports Legend Jack Simonian leads tributes to Sindh

by Dil Bahra


Jack Simonian

The commemoration event started with a minute’s silence, remembering Sindh who passed away in Kenya on 6 November 2019. Jack Simonian, now 83, Kenya’s triple Olympian, Kenya’s former Motor Cycle and Rally Champion and  dashing goal-keeper paid a glowing tribute to Surjeet Singh Panesar (Jr), fondly known as Sindh, at the event held at Indian Gymkhana Club London on Sunday, 17th November 2019.
 
Jack recalled when he was first selected to represent Nairobi X1 in a match against India in 1959. His team mate in that match was Sindh and since that day he formed a lasting friendship. He recalled how he ended up joining Sikh Union Nairobi Club (he was formally with Parklands Sports Club) where his friendship with Sindh really grew. He recalled how they played in three Olympic Games and the many tours they went on together. He described with pride how they beat India 3 – 0 in Jabalpur on their tour of India in 1964.

Jack finished his tribute by saying “As we celebrated Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary, it is fitting that Sindh joins his maker. Wahe Guru Wahe Guru Wahe”


Olympians (L - R):Sibia; Marwa; Simonian; Rooprai; Rihal; Daved; Deegan

A power-point presentation, by sikhsinhockey.com, comprising 110 slides featuring the various teams Sindh played in, both Nationally and at Club level was shown with a lot of interaction from the Olympians attending.  The photographs sparked a cascade of anecdotes, with each Olympian sharing their own treasured memories of playing with Sindh.

The Olympians present were Jack Simonian (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968); Davinder Singh Deegan (Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972); Amarjeet Singh Marwa (Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972); Jagmel Singh Rooprai (Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972); Surjit Singh Rihal (Munich 1972); Brajinder Daved (Munich 1972 and Los Angeles 1984); Harvinder Singh Sibia (Munich 1972).

Sindh’s sister Sukwinder Kaur Bahra and brother Karnal Singh Panesar both attended the commemoration event. Sukwinder thanked everyone for the love and affection shown by everyone and said she will keep these fond memories with her forever.


Sukwinder Kaur Bahra

Former Kenyan captain Surjit Singh Rihal concluded with a toast saying “Raise your glasses, this is how Sindh would have finished the day’s proceeding”.

Sikhsinhockey