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All the news for Wednesday 24 May 2017

England women off to winning start in Spain

England women got their three match series with Spain off to a winning start as they came from behind to win 2-1 in Madrid.

Maria Lopez put Spain into the lead but goals from forward Alex Danson and defender Giselle Ansley saw the visitors battle back to claim victory.

Lopez’s strike from a penalty corner fired the hosts ahead into a second quarter lead after 22 minutes but England fought their way back into the game.

Firstly Danson grabbed the equaliser two minutes before half-time as she notched up her 99th international goal.

Then just before the final break it was Ansley who put England into the lead for the first time as she finished with aplomb from a penalty corner.

The match saw the welcome return of Susannah Townsend after nine months out with a knee injury and there was further good news as goalkeeper Miriam Pritchard made her senior international debut.

England are stepping up preparations in Spain as they face both Argentina and the Netherlands in the Investec Internationals at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre this summer.

Tickets for the match with the Netherlands but you can still secure your seat for the clash with Argentina on Saturday 10 June! Click here for more!

Starting XI: Amy Tennant (GK), Laura Unsworth, Giselle Ansley, Hollie Webb, Sarah Haycroft, Anna Toman, Susannah Townsend, Sophie Bray, Shona McCallin, Nicola White, Alex Danson

Subs (Used): Zoe Shipperley, Joie Leigh, Jo Hunter, Emily Defroand, Miriam Pritchard, Grace Balsdon, Erica Sanders

England Hockey Board Media release

Scotland women set to take on Wales in Glasgow


Photo by John Preece

Scotland’s women’s hockey team will take on Wales this weekend in a three-match test series at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

The matches are part of the team’s preparations for competing at the World League Semi-Finals in Brussels next month, where the Scots will have the chance to qualify for the Hockey World Cup in 2018.

Scotland has been drawn in Pool A for the tournament in Brussels where they will face The Netherlands, China, Italy, and Korea for places in the later stages in the competition.

The matches against Wales on home turf will provide tough opposition for the Scots as they prepare for their opening match in Brussels, to be played on June 21, where they face the number 1 ranked team in the World – The Netherlands.

It is also a great opportunity for fans to come along and see the team in action for free with the matches being played on Friday 26 May (19:00), Sunday 28 May (13:00), and Monday 29 May (11am).

Scotland women’s Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said: “It’s an exciting time and we are all looking forward to the games against Wales. We are using the matches to give all players an opportunity to show the coaches why they should be selected for the World League Semi-Finals in Brussels.

“We will be looking for the players to show confidence and take into the games what we have been working on in training. Wales are coming to us as a much improved side from the last few times we have played them, and under a new coach as well, so we are expecting three very tough games.”

The squads for the three games are as follows:

Game 1 – Friday 26 May – 19:00

Nikki Cochrane
Amy Gibson
Kaz Marshall
Becky Ward
Bex Condie
Emily Newlands
Amy Costello
Sarah Robertson
Nicola Skrastin
Katie Robertson
Heather Howie
Mairi Drummond
Amy Brodie
Fiona Burnet
Millie Brown
Heather Lang
Charlotte Watson
Sarah Jamieson

Game 2 – Sunday 28 May – 13:00

Nikki Cochrane
Amy Gibson
Kaz Marshall
Becky Ward
Bex Condie
Emily Newlands
Amy Costello
Ali Howie
Sarah Robertson
Katie Robertson
Kate Holmes
Mairi Drummond
Amy Brodie
Fiona Bruce
Emma McGregor
Millie Brown
Heather Lang
Lucy Lanigan

Game 3 – Monday 29 May – 11:00am

Nikki Cochrane
Amy Gibson
Kaz Marshall
Becky Ward
Robyn Collins
Amy Costello
Nikki Lloyd
Ali Howie
Sarah Robertson
Nicola Skrastin
Heather Howie
Kate Holmes
Becky Merchant
Fiona Bruce
Fiona Burnet
Charlotte Watson
Lucy Lanigan
Sarah Jamieson

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Fans Near and Far Can Enjoy Top Hockey with the Citi USWNT vs Ireland Series Live Stream



LANCASTER, Pa. –  From the comfort of your home and the convenience of your mobile device, carry the U.S. Women’s National Team wherever you go this week by watching USA Field Hockey’s live stream. This free service will showcase the three matches of the Citi USWNT vs. Ireland Series at Spooky Nook Sports, the Home of Hockey, in Lancaster, Pa. from May 24 – 27.

The last meeting between the two teams at Spooky Nook Sports was in late May 2015. The three-series format filled stands in record time with thrilling end line to end line play. Team USA edged out Ireland with a clean sweep. The teams met just a month later at the FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in Valencia, Spain. Ireland took the pool play match-up but Team USA was resilient in the semifinal round and won by a score margin of 6-1. Looking to turn the table, Ireland will be on the hunt to rewrite the storyline. 

 Citi USWNT vs. Ireland Schedule     Date      Time
 Match One: USWNT vs. Ireland      Wednesday, May 24      6:30 p.m. EST
 Match Two: USWNT vs. Ireland      Friday, May 26      6:30 p.m. EST
 Match Three: USWNT vs. Ireland      Saturday, May 27      6:30 p.m. EST

Visit usafieldhockey.com for live streaming information on Wednesday, May 24.

USFHA media release

Second Round of Athletes Selected to the 2017 National Futures Championship Announced



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Field Hockey is pleased to announce the second round of athletes selected to attend the 2017 National Futures Championship (NFC) at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. from June 20-29. The Citi National Futures Championship, presented by Harrow Sports, is the premier championship event for USA Field Hockey's Futures and Olympic Development Pipeline. Held annually in late June since 1990, NFC brings together the top female field hockey players selected from more than 5,000 athletes across nine regions. These athletes were selected based on their performance at their respective region’s Regional Futures Tournament held this past weekend, May 20-21. The regions that have selected their athletes are Regions 6, 7, 9 and 10.

USA Field Hockey would like to congratulate the following athletes selected to the 2017 National Futures Championship! Click the links below to review the selected athletes in each region. 

• Region 6 Selected Athletes
• Region 7 Selected Athletes
• Region 9 Selected Athletes
• Region 10 Selected Athletes

The U-16 and U-19 Age Division athletes are placed on Regional Teams and take part in a weekend-long training camp in preparation for the National Futures Championship in late June. This training camp is a great opportunity for these athletes to advance their skills before competing as a regional team at the NFC.

The U-14 Age Division athletes compete as mixed teams at the National Futures Championship. Team announcements will be posted in early June on the NFC Event Page.

Congratulations to all the selected athletes and we will see you all at the 2017 National Futures Championship!

USFHA media release

Need to improve goal-scoring skills: Roelant Oltmans

Manuja Veerappa

BENGALURU: The Indian hockey team will face its sternest test of the season at the World Hockey League Semifinal in London next month. By virtue of being the hosts of the final, to be held in Bhubaneswar, their spot in the December event is sealed but the London event will be a reality check for Roelant Oltmans' boys.

While the fitness of the team has been on the upswing in recent times, on more than one occasion they have been found wanting in the areas which are elementary - ball control, passing and taking a shot at the goal.

As the team's preparation for the month-long European sojourn hit the home stretch, chief coach Oltmans told TOI on Tuesday that he is looking at the players upping their show inside the striking circle.

Speaking about the team's performance, the Dutchman said, "I'm very happy with our ball possession and the goal scoring opportunities we have created, but I can't say the same thing about the final conversion of chances. That is something that needs to be improved."

Oltmans believes the improvement is more mental than physical. "We are now specifically working on decision-making once we have a goal-scoring opportunity. I believe scoring depends a lot on decision-making. They have to make the right decisions on when to take a shot at the goal; what is the position of the forward and which skill you need to use at that moment," the coach pointed out.

The Times of India

Playing as first goalkeeper is a big responsibility: Chikte

Tushar Dutt

PUNE: It has been 13 months since goalkeeper Akash Chikte made his India debut in Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Malaysia, but a lot has changed for the Yavatmal boy since he earned his India cap.

Akash, who went to Malaysia as No. 3 goalkeeper last year, will play as the first keeper for India in the three-nation tournament in Germany and later Hockey World League Semifinals in London.

Although Akash's promotion has come after India No.1 goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is out due to a knee injury, the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) recruit feels it will be a tour full of responsibilities for him as any lapse from his side would cost the team dear.

"Things were different till now, as I was playing as a reserved keeper. Playing as first goalkeeper is a big responsibility and the pressure is completely different," Akash told TOI from Bangalore.

Akash admitted that expectations of his teammates will be high since this is his fourth international tour.

"So far, my mistakes were pardoned by everybody since I was considered chhota. But now I have been in the camp for almost two years and have played many international matches. I am sure no one will take my mistakes lightly, even I wouldn't do that."

The goalie, 24, said that a custodian's job is a double-edged sword. "A mistake can jeopardise team's chances of winning the game. Mistakes made by goalkeepers are crucial for any game. But the rewards of playing in such pressure situations are endearing. If a goalkeeper makes good saves, he walks away with all attention," he said.

Talking about his game, Akash said he has improved a lot since making his debut.

"I never got a chance to attend India junior camp, so my basics were not clear. Spending time with Sree bhai and our goalkeeping coach Bharat Chhetri has helped me a lot. I have worked a lot on my basics and that has boosted my confidence of playing at international level," he said.

Akash said his aim would to give his best and not think about the selection, even when Sreejesh is back to the Indian side.

"We have the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and World Cup next year. My aim is to give my best and work as hard as I can. I don't want to think about the selection process as of now."

The Indian team will leave for Germany on May 29. In Germany, India will play the hosts as well as Belgium, while in the World Hockey League Semifinals, they are clubbed with Canada, Pakistan, Scotland and The Netherlands in Pool B.

The Times of India

Junaid confident of good show at World Hockey League


Photo: Grant Treeby

LAHORE: Pakistan hockey team’s head coach Khawaja Junaid has claimed that the new-look side will throw a decent challenge at the World Hockey League, scheduled to be held in England next month, to qualify for the World Cup.

“Our team is a blend of youth and experienced players. Though we have nine new players, I am quite confident that we qualify for next year’s World Cup, to be played in India,” former Pakistan captain said while talking to APP here on Tuesday.

“Some people term our team “underdogs” because of presence of young players who are without much international experience but I can firmly say that these players are in the process of learning and will rise to the occasion in the World League,” he added.

In all, ten teams will be featuring in the World League and six will qualify for the World Cup.

Pakistan will launch its campaign in the event by taking on mighty Holland on June 15, followed by a clash against Canada on June 16.

The green-shirts will face India on June 18 and Scotland on June 19.

“All the teams other than Scotland have superior rankings than Pakistan’s. We are currently at number 14 and have to work hard to be at the World Cup,” he said.

“We will be playing against Ireland on June 1, 3 and 4 in Belfast and two against their U-21 team to warm up for event. Even the Irish team is far better being the world number nine.

“The way our team performed on recent tours of New Zealand and Australia it indicated young players were justifying their presence in the team and learning with each passing day by putting in hard work and maintaining top physical fitness,” said Junaid.

He added that formation of junior team and Pakistan Development Squad will produce players for the national side.

Dawn

Macleod announces international retirement


Hannah Macleod

Great Britain gold medallist Hannah Macleod has announced her retirement from international hockey with immediate effect.

Macleod made 153 international appearances for GB and England and was instrumental in GB women’s success at Rio 2016.

She also racked up 13 international medals in her career including gold at the 2015 EuroHockey Championships in London.

However she now feels the time is right to step away from the international game, 14 years after making her debut on 23 October 2003.

Macleod said: “After a few months away from the sport, I have made my mind up to retire from international hockey. I had never planned to make a formal announcement – I rather liked the idea of just stepping away quietly after the excitement in Rio – however, I feel it’s important to take the opportunity to thank publicly those who have had such a significant impact on my career.

“To teammates, both past and present, who invested all that they had, both physically and mentally, when no one was watching or cheering us on, these are the precious and most valued moments I will hold on to.

“We have hopefully made it very clear that it is possible to win Gold medals whilst still investing in the health and well being of athletes. We must never lose sight of this.

“I feel a great sense of content with what I have achieved alongside incredible friends, teammates, coaches and support staff. What I take forward is not a list of accomplishments but the inspiration I have gained from seeing my teammates endure, hurt, cry, thrive and roar with such joy and elation you will only ever witness in sport.

“It is seeing these emotions from individuals all striving to achieve a common goal that will live long in my memory.

“Now is the time for me to work on my other passions and embrace new challenges. I’m excited by the opportunity to join friends in the pub after work, order a takeaway when I can’t be bothered to cook and wear something other than a tracksuit and trainers!

“That aside, I’m looking forward to being able to continue to have an impact in the game through my coaching role with the England U21 squad and share my learning’s of high performing teams within business.

“Finally, I would like to thank Great Britain, England Hockey, the English Institute of Sport, the hockey community, friends and family for all the support and expertise you have provided both on and off the pitch. I am a happy, healthy and content person because of you all.

“Good luck to the new crop of players tasked with forging your own path forward to international success. I’ll be cheering you on all the way.”

England Hockey Board Media release

Punjab Whites meets UWHA in CM Cup FINAL

It was the last round of the league  phase of the 5th Chief Minister Women Gold Cup Hockey Tournament  at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore.

Wednesday would see
Final: Punjab Whites vs United Women Hockey Academy
3rd/4th position: Punjab Colours vs Islamabad
5th/6th position: KPK vs Sindh

FINAL POINTS TABLE AFTER THE LEAGUE PHASE

Ishrat' Fiver in Punjab Whites 6-0 win over Punjab Colours

The table toppers Punjab Whites didnt show any mercy to province's other string, Punjab Colours.

A close contest was expected between the teams occupying the first and third place in the points' table but the Whites' international star Ishrat Abbas was in a devastating mood scoring five goals.  Areeba Sarwar was the other scorer.

UWHA Trounces 8-0 win over Sindh

The second placed United Women Hockey Academy had an even bigger win.
Afsheen Noreen, sister of Pakistan's test cricketer Ehsan Adil, found the target thrice.

While Sidra Hakeem and Iqra Javed had a brace each. Sobia Idrees completed the tally.

Islamabad Routs Balochistan 6-0

Balochistan, the punching bag of the tournament, had another bad day.

For Islamabad, Ayehsa Rafiq had a hat trick, Sahil Malik scored twice and Hina Arooj found the target once.

Thus Balochistan ended 7th in the tournament. They didnt earn a single point and even failed to score a single goal in their six matches.

PHF media release

Hotbed for hockey

By Aravind Suchindran

The Kodava Hockey Festival is testimony that the game is still thriving in Kodagu, feels internationals Nikkin Thimmaiah and SK Uthappa

A crowd of 30,000 people turned out to watch the Kodava Hockey Festival final between Chendanda and Pardanda on May 14, an eye brow-raising statistic to the uninitiated. This wasn’t an international event, not even a national championship. The average spectator turnout for an Indian Premier League game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was 25,000 but this hockey contest — played between families in Kodagu district — beat even the IPL. Cricket, they say is religion in the country. In Kodagu district, it's hockey that gets the adrenaline pumping.

“Every player from Kodagu begins his career in this tournament, including me,” Nikkin Thimmaiah, India forward and a member of the Chendanda winning team, said.

“I watched my father play in this tournament as a six-year-old. That was one of the catalysts that spurred me to take up the sport.”

The tournament is unique in many ways. A team comprises members of a family and there is no distinction between either age or gender. The festival itself has been conducted annually since 1996. The game, though, goes on through the year as youngsters are encouraged to make it a career. “It’s the most talked about sport in Kodagu and even now, kids are still enthusiastic about the game,” Thimmaiah added. “Kids generally place hockey on a priority.”

Over the years though, the number of players from Kodagu making it to the international level has fallen. Currently, there are only three — Thimmaiah, SK Uthappa and SV Sunil — in the Indian squad. There’s no player from Karnataka in the junior team, but Uthappa insists hockey is not dead. The sport is now alive, more than ever, and tournaments like the Kodava Hockey Festival keep it ticking. “I began playing hockey seriously after watching my brother play,” Uthappa said. “I played badminton first, but in Coorg, everything is about hockey. Hockey is in our blood and that’s why we start playing. The next influential factor is your family. It depends on how they support and encourage you to play hockey as a child. Thanks to that tournament, it’s a tradition that everyone participates in it.

“Even now, that culture of developing the sport remains. You often hear that gadgets have taken the fun out of outdoor games. There are kids who use iPads in Coorg but they know how to balance it with the game. I think that love for the sport is influential in getting everyone to play it. Imagine you have to play this sport in every school. You will naturally be inclined to it.”

But it’s not just this tournament which gets Kodavas hooked to the sport. Uthappa says everyone is interested in playing some sport, but what cricket is to the entire country, hockey is to a Kodava. “We Kodavas follow, discuss and dissect hockey just as other people in the country do with cricket,” Uthappa said. “Families here are aware of everything that we do. Over the years, they have become more educated about hockey, thanks to the promotion and media exposure hockey is getting. Now, everyone’s involved in an educated discussion. For example, they tell me I played well in the first quarter, but my dribbling went awry in the third quarter and so on. Earlier, it was only the basic question of whether you won or lost and by what score.”

Bangalore Mirror

Finals spot at stake for SWD hockey schools

 
York High will be chasing a second title when the South Western Districts leg of the SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge is held at York in George on Saturday. Photo: Full Stop Communications

A spot in the provincial finals is at stake when the South Western Districts schools clash in the SPAR Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge in George on Saturday.

The tournament at York High is the penultimate in the series of events to decide the provincial winners, with three schools having already sealed their berths in the main finals at Woodridge, near Port Elizabeth, on August 12.

The qualifiers, so far, are Union High (PE Inland), Kingsridge (Border Inland) and Clarendon (Border Coastal).

Now five SWD schools will put their reputations on the line in the next qualifying event as hosts York aim to defend the title they won last year.

York director of sport Jason Slater said they were looking forward to another well-contested tournament with some of the top sides in the region targeting the title.

“York will definitely be among the favourites, but I have no doubt there will be good competition on the day because all the teams will be motivated to reach the finals,” he said.

“You cannot write off teams like Outeniqua and Point, while Oudtshoorn High and Glenwood House will also be in the reckoning.”

Slater said they were ready to provide a memorable occasion for the players.

“We have a top-class hockey astro facility at York and everything is set for another good day of schoolgirls’ competition.”

He added that the teams would play a round-robin format to decide the play-off contestants.

“The two teams with the most points will contest the final, while there will also be a play-off between the third and fourth-placed sides.”

Registration is at 8am and play will get under way at 9am. The final is scheduled to take place at 1.30pm.

SPAR Eastern Cape promotions and advertising manager Alan Stapleton said they were pleased to take this challenge to the South Western Districts.

“It is really good to have these schools on board and we look forward to this chance to interact with the local community,” he said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage a healthy lifestyle and to provide some support to our young consumers.

“There has been some terrific hockey as well as a lot of fun in the first three tournaments and we are sure the vibe will be the same this weekend.”

The final regional tournament will be the PE Coastal play-offs to be held at Pearson in Port Elizabeth on June 4.

SPAR Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge media release