Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

All the news for Tuesday 26 September 2017

Diverse Men’s side named for Oceania Cup


Photo: www.photosport.nz

A diverse Vantage Black Sticks Men’s team has been named to compete at next month’s Oceania Cup in Sydney.

The Oceania Cup runs from 11-15 October at the Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre where New Zealand will be joined by hosts Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Held every two years, the Oceania Cup is the continental championship for the Oceania region with the winner of each gender automatically qualifying for the 2018 Hockey World Cup.

Both the Vantage Black Sticks Men and Women have already qualified for the World Cup, with the women’s event in London (July, 2018) and the men’s in India (November, 2018).

Each nation will play each other in the pool rounds before the top two ranked nations face off in the gold medal match for the Oceania Cup title.

Vantage Black Sticks head coach Darren Smith has named a talented side led by captain Arun Panchia who is the most experienced player in the group having played 227 international tests.

Goalkeeper Devon Manchester and midfielder Marcus Child are the only others to have played over 100 games but they are joined by some exciting young athletes.

Daniel Harris will make his New Zealand debut after impressing during the recent Ford National Hockey League where he scored five goals and helped North Harbour lift the Challenge Shield for the first time since 2009.

Harris will combine for a dangerous striker combination with Canterbury’s Sam Lane who is in hot form having finished top goal scorer at the Ford NHL with 13 goals from six games.

Rio Olympian James Coughlan returns to the side having taken a break earlier in the year and missing the Hockey World League Semi Final in Johannesburg.

“We have a number of players who are unavailable for selection due to European club commitments and injury, so this will be a test for this group to step up and make their mark,” Smith said.

“The Oceania Cup will be a tough challenge and we certainly know that Australia in particular pose a huge threat all across the turf.

“I’m looking forward to seeing our guys in action, in particular Daniel Harris who had a great Ford NHL tournament showing skill, work rate and form for the champion side North Harbour.

“There were a number of talented players not only with North Harbour but across the whole Ford NHL competition which was pleasing to see.”

A Vantage Black Sticks Women’s team for the Oceania Cup will be announced later this week.

CLICK HERE for more on the 2017 Oceania Cup

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS MEN – OCEANIA CUP
11-15 October - Sydney, Australia 

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks name one new cap for Oceania Cup men's hockey series


North Harbour's Daniel Harris (right) celebrates one of his goals during the NHL in Wellington last week. MARTY MELVILLE/PHOTOSPORT

North Harbour's Daniel Harris is the sole new cap in Black Sticks men's hockey team to play in Sydney at the Oceania Cup in Sydney next month.

Coach Darren Smith has gone for a young side with several players missing due European club commitments for the week-long tournament against hosts Australia and also Papua New Guinea.

Arun Panchia, who has been named captain, is the most experienced in the group, having played 227 internationals.

Harris will make his debut after impressing during the recent National Hockey League where he scored five goals and helped North Harbour lift the Challenge Shield for the first time since 2009.

He will combine with Canterbury striker Sam Lane, who is in hot form, having finished top goal scorer at the NHL with 13 goals from six games.

"I'm looking forward to seeing our guys in action, in particular Daniel Harris who had a great NHL tournament showing skill, work rate and form for the champion side North Harbour," said Smith.

Goalkeeper Devon Manchester and midfielder Marcus Child are the only others to have played over 100 games.

Rio Olympian James Coughlan returns after taking a break earlier in the year and missing the Hockey World League Semi Final in Johannesburg.

"We have a number of players who are unavailable for selection due to European club commitments and injury, so this will be a test for this group to step up and make their mark," Smith said.

"The Oceania Cup will be a tough challenge and we certainly know that Australia, in particular. pose a huge threat all across the turf."

Held every two years, the Oceania Cup is the continental championship for the Oceania region with the tournament winner qualifying for the 2018 Hockey World Cup.

Both the Black Sticks men and women have already qualified for the World Cup, with the women's event in London (July, 2018) and the men's in India (November, 2018).

Each nation will play each other in the pool rounds before the top two ranked nations face off in the gold medal match for the Oceania Cup title.

AT A GLANCE

The Black Sticks' Oceania Cup men's squad
Cory Bennett, David Brydon, Marcus Child, James Coughlan, Nick Elder, Daniel Harris, Richard Joyce, Sam Lane, Devon Manchester, Harry Miskimmin, Leo Mitai-Wells, George Muir, Arun Panchia (c), Jared Panchia, Hayden Phillips, Brad Read, Nick Ross, Mac Wilcox

Stuff

Asia Cup will be a fresh start for me as well as team: Sjoerd Marijne

BENGALURU: Newly-appointed hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne says the upcoming Asia Cup will be a fresh start for him as well as for the senior Indian men's team.

Marijne, who replaced legendary Roelant Oltmans recently, feels next month's Asia Cup, to be held in Dhaka, will give him a fair bit of idea about what needs to done in the next 15 months, which will witness some high-profile tournaments like the Hockey World League Final, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the World Cup.

"The Hero Asia Cup 2017 is a fresh start not just for me but also for the team who are mentally prepared to return home with the title," Marijne said on Monday.

"There is a difference between training sessions and playing tournament matches. While I am convinced with the efforts the team puts in training, the Hero Asia Cup is where I will get to see how the team reacts in match situations and where we are lacking and need immediate improvement," he added.

At the national camp that is underway in Sports Authority of India centre, it is usual sight for the senior players like Sardar Singh, SV Sunil and skipper Manpreet Singh to stay back after every training session to give their feedback to Marijne, who has never coached a senior men's international team prior to his current assignment.

Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who is back in the camp, too is often seen having long animated conversations with the coach about areas that require improvement ahead of the major event.

This exercise is a part of the team's new mantra -- "player-driven and coach-assisted process" where seniors are expected to give their critical analysis on specific areas of the game.

For the 43-year-old Dutchman, this process is of huge significance as the team enters an important cycle with major tournaments coming up in the next 15 months.

"I believe this process initiated by the Hockey India and the High Performance Director David John will help bring a better understanding on how the team wants to play.

"My first few days with the team has been about understanding each one of them. Of course, I already know all of them by name and I was aware of the immense talent and energy they bring as players," Marijne said.

"I am now focusing on understanding how the team wants to play so I can set goals for the training sessions on where they want to improve," the coach said after officially taking charge of the team last week.

Under Marijne, there will be a lot of emphasis on the development of junior players.

"It takes time for the junior players to get to the level of the seniors and that requires good match exposure to reach that level. But what I like is the internal competition.

"The junior players are pushing the seniors for a spot in the team and I believe it will work for the best," said the Dutchman, who was the coach of the Indian women's team before taking up his current role.

India have been placed in Pool A in the Asia Cup and will open their campaign against Japan on October 11 before taking on hosts Bangladesh on October 13 followed mouth-watering clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 15.

The Times of India

Malaysian Hockey coach Stephen ropes in five youngsters to add depth

By S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: Five youngsters have been called up to join the expanded men’s national hockey team.

Norsyafiq Sumantri, Mohd Na­­jib Abu Hassan, Mohd Ami­rol Aideed and Mohd Ashran Hamzani – who steered Malaysia to the indoor hockey gold at last month’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games – and national junior goalkeeper Mohd Zaimi Mat Derus are the new inclusions.

With the five, coach Stephen van Huizen now has 28 players in training for the Asian Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from Oct 11-22.

“We have more options now with the new inclusions. These youngsters will benefit from playing and training with the seniors. The bigger pool of players will also allow us to rotate the players for various invitational tournaments,” said Stephen.

The Asia Cup is not a priority for Malaysia as they have already qualified for next year’s World Cup Finals in India.

But Malaysia are keen to collect valuable world ranking points to have a better seeding at the World Cup.

The matches will be competitive as South Korea, China and Japan are eyeing a World Cup berth.

“We will use the tournament to build our playing structure and test the young players. We cannot use the same 18 players in all the tournaments. Next year will be hectic for us with several major tournaments,” said Stephen.

Besides the World Cup, Malaysia will also compete in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The priority for Malaysia is the Asiad in Indonesia in August.

“The Asian Games will be a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. We are targeting the gold to earn automatic berth,” said Stephen, who added that he would name his final 18-man squad for the Asia Cup on Friday.

“We will leave for Dhaka on Oct 6 and play a friendly against Japan prior to the tournament.”

Malaysia are in Group B with South Korea, China and Oman. Group A has India, Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh.

The Star of Malaysia

Scotland has four officials appointed to Gold Coast 2018


Ged Curran was an Umpire at the London 2012 Olympic final.

Scottish Hockey is delighted to have Sarah Wilson, Victoria Truesdale, Ged Curran and David Sweetman confirmed as officials for the upcoming Commonwealth Games – Gold Coast 2018.

It is a tremendous achievement for Scottish Hockey and only Australia and New Zealand have more officials appointed than Scotland for Gold Coast 2018.


Sarah Wilson was an umpire at the Rio Olympic bronze medal match

We’d like to congratulate Sarah, Victoria, Ged and David on this great success. They are terrific ambassadors for Scottish Hockey and we are delighted to see their hard work and commitment to the sport rewarded.

Hockey in Scotland is naturally equitable, fun, friendly and exciting, and is growing. It is a welcoming sport where anyone can get involved and take part. Scotland is a world leader in producing international class umpires and officials, as signified by the appointment of Sarah, Victoria, Ged, and David.

Sarah Wilson is currently the Scottish Women in Sport Official of the Year and umpired the Olympic bronze medal match at the Rio Olympic Games. She is also on the FiH Road to Tokyo list. Sarah has just umpired the European Nations Final in Amsterdam and is also appointed to the World League Finals in New Zealand in November, as well as the Indoor World Cup in February.

Victoria Truesdale was a Judge at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and was appointed to Tournament Director Level (Level 5) in 2017. Closer to home, Victoria was the TD for the U16 and U18 Boys Notts Sport Inter District event at the weekend.

Ged Curran umpired the Olympic Final in London in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games Final in 2006. He was also an Umpires Manager at Glasgow 2014. Ged is a World Panel Umpire Manager, the highest level, and is a mentor as part of the Scottish International Appointments Panel, and the FIH Road to Toyko Project.

David Sweetman’s last major appointment was the Junior World Cup in India, where he umpired a semi-final and the bronze medal match. David is the CEO of Scottish Hockey and with over 40 international umpire caps is a member of the Road to Toyko development Panel.

Please join us in congratulating Sarah, Victoria, Ged, and David on their great appointments.


David Sweetman

Scottish Hockey Union media release

RM1.89 million boost for SO Johor Cup


FEELS GREAT...Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at the sponsorship ceremony.

THE Seventh Edition of Sultan of Johor Cup on Oct 22-29 received a RM1.89 million sponsorship pledge in cash and kind yesterday.

In hand to receive the sponsorship was Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

The tournament received another boost as reigning world junior champion India will make a return after sitting out the Sixth Edition.

India will be joined by defending champions Australia, 2015 champions Britain, crowd favourites Japan and debutants United States of America at the Taman Daya Stadium.

Malaysia, who finished fifth last year, will face an uphill battle again.

“We anticipate a keenly fought tournament this time around and hope that the fans will take this opportunity to watch budding youngsters of the hockey world in action,” said Johor HA President Datuk Jais Sarday.

“This tournament is a much sought after event and although many more countries were keen, we want to keep the number at six teams.”

Leading the contributors was the Johor State Government with RM500,000, official broadcaster RTM with RM200,000, and Astaka Padu Sdn Bhd with RM200,000.

Other sponsors are Yayasan Harmoni (RM100,000), Genting Berhad (RM100,000), UM Land (RM100,000), Johor Corporation (RM100,000), JBB Builders (M) Sdn Bhd (RM 100,000), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (RM100,000), SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), SP Setia (RM 100,000) Global Tobacco Manufacturers (International) Sdn Bhd (RM40,000), Iskandar Waterfront Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), Berjaya Times Square (RM50,000) and Kumpulan BCB Berhad (RM50,000).

“We are thankful to all the sponsors who have stepped forward to help us finance the tournament,” added Datuk Jais.

Two others, Kukreja Sdn Bhd and 100 Plus contributed attire and prizes for special awards as well as refreshments for the tournament.

Several teams are expected to arrive in Johor Baru early with Britain, Australia, Japan and Malaysia setting camp on Oct 17.

All the matches will be telecast live by RTM and will also be available on live streaming.

In terms of title distribution, India won twice (2013,2014), Malaysia (2011), Germany (2012), Britain (2015) and Australia (2016)

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

MHC urged to send strong team to Sultan of Johor Cup

JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) have been urged to send a strong team for the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) Under-21 International Junior Hockey Tournament.

Johor Hockey Association president Datuk Md Jais Sarday said that the SoJC should not be taken for granted as the national hockey team would get good exposure by playing against some of the top teams in the world.

The six-nation SoJC will feature are defending champions Australia, India, England, Japan, United States and Malaysia. It take be held at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here from Oct 22-29.

Malaysia won the inaugural tournament in 2011, followed by Germany (2012), India (2013 and 2014), Britain (2015) and Australia (2016).

“It’s not easy organising this tournament. To the MHC, please take it seriously,” Md Jais said after the launch of the SoJC at the Johor International Convention Centre (Persada) yesterday.

Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was also present at the event.

Md Jais said the SOJC would be an opportunity for the Under-21 teams to experiment before taking part in the Asian Junior Hockey qualifiers in 2019.

“Since they may meet again in 2019, the MHC should send strong teams to the SoJC,” he said, adding that the US will be participating for the first time “as they want to strengthen their team”.

“The US hockey team, who are ranked 26th in the world, requested to be involved in the SoJC.

Md Jais thanked sponsors for pledging a total of RM1.89mil in cash and kind. Among the sponsors are the Johor state government (RM500,000), Astaka Padu Sdn Bhd and RTM (RM200,000 each); Yayasan Harmoni, Genting Berhad, UM Land, Johor Corporation, SP Setia, JBB Builders and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (RM100,000 each); and SAJ Holdings, Iskandar Waterfront, Kumpulan BCB Berhad and Berjaya Times Square (RM50,000 each).

The Star of Malaysia

Schiffer lifts Mülheim to victory over UHC


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics

Jan Schiffer’s 51st minute goal got Uhlenhorst Mülheim back on the winning trail in Germany as they beat UHC Hamburg 3-2 on Sunday, bouncing back from a defeat to Harvestehuder THC.

German Under-21 international Schiffer (pictured) opened the scoring in the eighth minute for the only goal of the first half. Julius Schmid levelled early in the second half before Thilo Stralkowski restored the Uhlenhorst lead.

Hannes Müller – another German Under-21 – equalised for UHC before Schiffer’s corner won the day. They rode their luck at times but eventually got the win, one which coach Omar Schingemann said certainly “came with a bit of luck today”. They are now in the final two weeks of preparation for the EHL ROUND1 in Barcelona.

On Saturday, Mülheim fell 3-0 behind against HTHC in the first half before Benjamin Becker got one back while Stralkowski also netted a penalty stroke to make the game exciting. Finn Köhler, though, settled the tie for HTHC.

At the end of the weekend, Uhlenhorst ended in fifth place after five matches while Harvestehuder THC went top on Sunday courtesy of an excellent 2-1 win against Rot-Weiss Köln.

The base was set by goals from Michael Korper and Nick Spooner in the first 20 minutes. Christopher Ruhr got one back in the second half but HTHC held on.

Christoph Bechmann described it as the “perfect season start” adding: “We are, of course, happy with it and want to continue our form next weekend. We were very good in the first half; Köln dominated the second where we were thankful to Tobi Walter."

Rot-Weiss dropped to second in the table as a result. Mannheimer HC are third alongside Berliner HC on 10 points. Mannheim beat Club an der Alster on Saturday before drawing 1-1 with Berlin on Sunday.

Euro Hockey League media release

Campo make big statement with win over Egara


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics

Club de Campo produced a superb performance to beat Club Egara 5-1 in the big match of week one of the Spanish league in Madrid with Atlètic Terrassa, Real Club de Polo and CD Terrassa also winning.

For Campo, they raced into a 3-0 lead via an Alvaro Tello opening goal, a Leandro Tolini penalty corner and a further effort from Gonzalo Lasso.

Siso Ventalló’s side did get a lifeline just before half-time when Marc García-Chicote scored with one of the last touches of the period.

But a second Tolini corner and another goal from Alvaro Iglesias stretched out the lead further. Egara had plenty of chances but during the second half but could not convert in a rough opening date to the season.

Dani Martin’s reigning champions Atlètic Terrassa were big winners 8-2 against RS Tenis. The Santander side did take a second minute lead and it was 2-2 on the half hour mark.

But two goals from Marc Bolto (pictured) and Marc Salles – the latter ending with a hat trick – along with strikes from Santi Ibanez and Dani Malgosa made for a comfortable day out in the end.

Polo were 3-0 winners over newly promoted Atletico de San Sebastian. New Belgian arrival Max Plennevaux scored just six minutes into life with Polo to start the ball rolling with Manu Bordas grabbing the second. Borja Llorens – back after a spell with Wimbledon – completed the victory from a corner.

CD Terrassa won their date with Junior FC 3-2 while FC Barcelona and SPV Complutense drew 1-1 at the Pau Negre Stadium.

Euro Hockey League media release

Kenya Police open 13 point lead

By BRIAN YONGA


Kenya Police's Robert Masibo passes the ball during their Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League match against Strathmore University Gladiators at the City Park Stadium on September 23, 2017. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya Police opened a 13-point lead at the top of the Kenya Hockey Union’s men’s Premier League after another impressive performance at the weekend.

The law enforcers crushed champions Strathmore University Gladiators 6-1 at the City Park Stadium to maintain their unbeaten run this season.

Two matches into the second leg, the 2013 champions have clearly replicated their first leg form and have certainly shown that they mean business as they bid to reclaim the title.

And with a mid-week fixture against struggling Chase Sailors on Wednesday, Police coach Kenneth Kaunda has called for consistency and urged against any form of complacency.

“We are in good form at the moment and that is down to teamwork and everyone enjoying their match. Yes, we have a big lead and we are taking a game at a time and see how it plays out in the end,” Kaunda said on Monday.

Forward Amos Barkibir, a periphery figure in past seasons, is clearly enjoying his hockey this season. Three goals in his last two matches have seen him take his tally of the season to 14 goals this season. He hit a brace against Gladiators, showing why Kaunda has started with him ahead of talismanic striker Moses Chepaliti in the last two matches.

Kaunda lavished praises on the young forward.

“I think his game has come of age and he has learnt a lot from the senior players in the team and his goals are definitely helping our title push,” the coach said.

Police can open a 16 point lead if they beat Chase Sailors in their mid-week tie. A win will move them to 49 points.

There is no change in the top five places with Butali Sugar Warriors occupying second spot with 33 points, three ahead of Greensharks. Sikh Union missed the chance to move to third spot after they were uppset 4-3 by Kenya College of Accountancy University. (KCA-U).

The 2012 champions remain fifth on 28 points, one behind fourth placed Wazalendo. On the other side of the table, KCA-U’s shock result against Sikh saw them enhance their chances of avoiding the cop.

The second from bottom club are now on 14 points, 10 ahead of bottom placed TUK and one behind Western Jagaurs, who occupy 13th spot.

The last two teams at the end of the season will be relegated to the men’s National League. In the women’s top flight league, JKUAT‘s two wins this weekend saw them dethrone Amira Sailors from fourth spot.

The Juja-based side are on 22 points, 11 points behind leaders Telkom.

Daily Nation

Men’s AHL State-By-State Form Guide

Author: Ben Somerford



It’s hard to know who the favourites are for this year’s Australian Hockey League (AHL) men’s title in Perth from September 28 to October 8, but there’s plenty of contenders.

After winning the tournament last year, the Victorian Vikings will be gunning to take the title again. With Chris Ciriello winning Top scorer and Player of the Final last year, they are looking for another good year.

The WA Thundersticks will be looking forward to going that little bit further this year in the AHL tournament after finishing with silver in the last three years but they have lost some experience.

The NSW Waratahs haven’t won the tournament since 2005. After finishing third last year and finishing the top of their Pool they will be coming into the tournament hoping for gold.

The Queensland Blades have finished with gold three times in the last five years during a dominant period and after last year’s performance, finishing fifth, they will be hoping to be back among the semi-finals at least.

Tasmania won their first AHL tournament in 2014 and with Eddie Ockenden receiving Player of the Tournament four times from the last six years, they’re a dark horse but will likely aim for the semi-finals.

The Canberra Lakers haven’t had the chance to make it to into the grand final since 1998. This year they will be anticipating making it into the semi-finals. Andrew Charter won Goalkeeper of the Tournament in 2015 and will be hoping to bring his team to finals.

The NT Stingers are yet to win a medal at the AHL tournament. They will be striving to make it to the semi-finals and hopefully make it in the top three, led by Kookaburras forward Jeremy Hayward.

The SA Hotshots are yet to make it to the grand final. They will be hoping to spring a few surprises and make it into the semi-finals this year.

India and New Zealand Development sides will also compete in 2017, with the former reaching the semi-finals in 2016.

Hockey Australia media release

Irish EYHL Matches To Go Ahead This Weekend

EY Hockey League matches will take place this weekend, September 30th, as the IHUA will appoint umpires to the EYHL fixtures.

Hockey Ireland and the IHUA released a joint statement saying “Hockey Ireland and the Irish Hockey Umpires Association (IHUA) have been in positive discussions about a number of topics.

Significant progress has been made and both organisations are very happy that the EYHL competition will commence on 30 September. The Boards of Hockey Ireland and the IHUA will meet on October 1 to continue the good work that has been done over the last week.”

A full preview of the start of the EYHL will follow in the coming days.

Men's EYHL Fixtures:

Women's EYHL Fixtures:

 Irish Hockey Association media release

Maryland field hockey pulled its goalkeeper with 5 minutes left due to struggling offense

By Scott Gelman


Forward Sabrina Rhodes dribbles the ball in Maryland Field Hockey's game against Northwestern at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Sep. 24, 2017. (Matt Regan/The Diamondback)

Maryland field hockey coach Missy Meharg called a timeout after Northwestern took a 3-2 lead in the 55th minute Sunday. The veteran coach was upset with her team's struggling offense.

Meharg pulled goalkeeper Sarah Holliday, giving Maryland an extra offensive weapon, while leaving her net empty.

The tactic initially proved beneficial as the Terps dominated possession, but the decision didn't produce a game-tying goal.

"We have to be very cautious and always keep possession of the ball," midfielder Madison Maguire said. "It's more of an attacking mindset, which is good."

Meharg said for the first time this season, the Terps planned to take Holliday out of the game and leave the net open because they were trailing. Shortly after the move, forward Melissa Wilken fired off one of Maryland's best opportunities of the second half.

The ball struck the post, and the crowd's sudden anxiety was evident as it sighed.

Still, the Terps were in control. The presence of an extra offensive player all but ensured the ball would remain near their offensive zone for the remainder of the game. An often-aggressive attack reset frequently, feeding defender Bodil Keus the ball near midfield — a cycle Maryland turned to when the circle became crowded.

"We just have to go out there and do it," midfielder Brooke Adler said. "You're getting another person in the circle. We kind of get the attack going with that extra player up there."

The extra congestion earned midfielder Lein Holsboer one final penalty corner in the game's waning seconds. The shot was saved, though, as Maryland lost its fourth game to a ranked opponent this season.

Meharg said the Terps would consider using an extra attacker when trailing in the coming weeks, but it's not a situation she wants her team in.

"We put ourselves in a position to tie the game," Meharg said. "Hopefully we're not in this position again, but if we are, we'll be ready."

The Diamondback

Hockey setback

Pravin Narain

THE Marist hockey men's team is facing difficulties ahead of the 2017 Geotech Drilling Services International sponsored 2017 Marist Eastgate Memorial Tournament in Fiji.

Tournament director Paul Fraser said the preparations were well on track.

"Marist men's side was hit with a major blow to their preparations to try and take out their own tournament," Fraser said.

"Zane Ah Yuk and Owen Smith who are currently in Auckland on a hockey scholarship with Kelston Boys High were scheduled to take part in the tournament are both injured and going in for surgery this week,"

The tournament will have 20 teams competing.

"The preparations almost completed for the competition which starts this Friday. Players will be out to showcase their talents and a few development players will be out to make an impression with the national coaches.

"Marist side will be fielding a strong side to win their own tournament and Ventures and Stingers are in very good form after a 1-all draw in their last challenge cup match Geotech Marist will have a task on hand."

The tournament will start on Friday at the National Hockey Centre at Laucala Bay, Suva.

The Fiji Times

Another tremendous U16 & U18 Boys’ Notts Sport Inter District comes to a close


Photo by Mark Pugh

It was a fantastic weekend of Scottish youth hockey at the Notts Sport Inter District 2017, held at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

In the U18 Boys’ event first place went to East, with West coming second; the BYTE most Valuable Player was awarded to John Stephen.

The U16 Boys’ event saw another victory for East with West again coming in second spot. The BYTE Most Valuable Player was awarded to Dan Pearson of East.

Day 2 got under way with a West versus North clash that saw West come out on top 3-2 in the U18 boys’ Inter-Districts. The opening goal was scored by West in just 2 minutes and it was Fraser Moran who struck to make it 1-0.

North equalised on 14 minutes when Christopher Moon scored a field goal to make it 1-1. West retook the lead on 16 minutes when Moran struck his second goal to make it 2-1. Moran was at it again when he finished off a penalty corner to bag his hat-trick and make it 3-1.

North pulled one back on 36 minutes when Moon struck for a penalty corner, but North couldn’t find an equaliser and West held on for a 3-2 victory.

East defeated Highland 10-1 in the U16 boys’ first game of the day after a storming opening to the match. East blitzed the Highland goal with the opener coming in 3 minutes through Jake Inglis. East then made it 2-0 in 4 minutes through Kit Mackenzie, then 3-0 on 7 minutes through Luke Morris.

Highland pulled one back in the early goal-fest on 12 minutes when Iain McFadden struck a penalty corner to make the score 3-1.

East struck again a minute later when Joel Davenport made it 4-1 before on 18 minutes Jake Inglis struck a fifth. Strikes by Oliver Pateron, Drew Dickson-Murray, a double for Charlie Jack, and a second for Morris made a final score of 10-1.

West beat North 4-0 in the U16’s competition in an impressive performance. The opener was struck on 8 minutes by Ben Carroll to put West 1-0 up. Then on 22 minutes Matthew O’Toole finished off a penalty corner to make it 2-0.

West secured the victory on 36 minutes when Louis Gardner struck home a penalty corner to make it 3-0.

West put the icing on the cake in the 45th minutes when Euan Menzies scored to make it 4-0.


Boys’ Inter District 2017, photo by Mark Pugh

Midland beat Highland in a close match finally taking the game 2-1 in the U18 event.

The opening goal went the way of Midland when in 7 minutes – Jamie Golden was a Captain leading by example when he made it 1-0 from a penalty corner.

Midland doubled the advantage in the 19th minute when Alex Wilson struck to make it 2-0 and put his side in the driving seat.

Less than five minutes later however and Highland pulled themselves back into the contest through a Ewan Oldroy penalty corner strike to make it 2-1.

The close match didn’t produce any further goals and Midland held on for the win.

East U18s defeated North 5-1 in another strong performance. East’s opening goal came in the first minute when Fraser Heigh struck to make it 1-0. Then on 5 minutes Heigh was at it again we he bagged his, and East’s, second goal to make it 2-0.

East was on the rampage and on 11 minutes Jamie Rintoul added his name to the score sheet to make it 3-0. On 23 minutes Richie McCluskey got in amongst the goals when he scored to make the score 4-0.

North pulled one back on 31 minutes when the impressive Christopher Moon scored to make it 4-1. The scoring was completed by East on 34 minutes when Jacob Tweedie struck to make it 5-1.

Midland U16 came out on top when they defeated Highland 3-0. The opening goal for Midland came on 28 minutes through a Samuel Knight penalty corner to make it 1-0. Midland doubled their lead on 31 minutes through a Keir Robb strike to make it 2-0.

The scoring was completed by Midland on 45 minutes when Robbie Alexander struck to make it 3-0.

East went on a scoring streak when they defeated North 11-0 in the U16’s competition. The goals were flying in from the start with the opener coming in 3 minutes through a Finlay Conroy penalty stroke. On 12 minutes Jake Inglis made it 2-0 and his strike was quickly followed up by goals from Charlie Jack and a double for Joel Davenport.

It was 5-0 on 31 minutes when Jack scored his second before Oliver Pateron added his name to the score sheet two minutes later.

A clinical final ten minutes for East saw Inglis strike before Jack scored another three goals, giving him five in total in the 11-0 victory.


Photo by Mark Pugh

West defeat Midland 3-1 before the final U18 game between East and Highland, which saw East win 11-0 to finish first in the Notts Sport U18 Boys’ Inter-Districts.

West defeat Midland 8-0 to take second place in the Nottssport Boys’ U16 Inter-Districts. A hat-trick from Euan Menzies, a double by Louis Gardiner and goals from Captain Gavin MacKenzie, Niall Taylor and Matthew O’Toole sealed the victory.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

PAHF Managing Director

Day-to-day management of the organization



Managing Director

The Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) is the governing body for the Pan Americas in the international Olympic sport of Field & Indoor Hockey and is one of 5 Continental Federations that report to and are funded by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

We are seeking an experienced, dynamic leader, passionate about sport and its’ development in the Pan Americas, and ready to take on the challenge of strategically growing the programs and resources of PAHF as its Managing Director.

Role Summary

Reporting to the President and Board of Directors, the Managing Director is responsible and accountable for the day-to-day management of the organization in accordance with its mission, goals and policies. The Managing Director is responsible for the planning and operations for PAHF.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

•     University degree in relevant discipline is preferred
•     5-7 years of applicable professional experience within the not-for-profit/social sector in a senior management/leadership position; and knowledge of the international sport community
•     Excellent organizational and project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects at a time
•     Experience developing and managing budgets
•     Highly client-focused and energetic, with a proven track record of success in managing key stakeholder relationships; including business leaders, partners, government agencies, volunteers and community groups;
•     Strong negotiation, conflict management and problem solving skills
•     Strong leadership skills with a strong focus on supporting and motivating professional consultant(s) and encouraging Board member engagement;
•     High level of honesty and integrity, discrete and ethical
•     Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a persuasive and passionate communicator with superb interpersonal skills.
•     Must be fully fluent (written and verbal) in English and Spanish.

The PAHF offers a rewarding work environment with a competitive salary and benefits program.  Salary will be commensurate with experience and track record of success. For a full job description please visit www.panamhockey.org.

Qualified candidates can submit their letter of interest, indicating their salary expectations and their resume in confidence to the Chair HR Committee at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by October 20, 2017.

PAHF is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. We thank all applicants, but only those considered for the positons will be contacted.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release