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All the news for Monday 3 September 2018

Hockey Series Open - Gniezno 2018 (Men) - Day 5
Gniezno (POL)

Results 2 September

LTU v CYP (RR)     2 - 0
CZE v UKR (RR)     2 - 9
POL v ITA (RR)     0 - 0

Final Pool Standings

FIH Match Centre

Hosts Poland win home Hockey Series tournament in Gniezno

By Dan Palmer

Hosts Poland and Italy qualified for the Hockey Series Finals as the latest men's leg of the season concluded in Gniezno ©FIH

Hosts Poland and Italy qualified for the Hockey Series Finals as the latest men's leg of the season concluded in Gniezno.

The home side won the round-robin tournament and Italy finished second to also book their place.

It means each side has kept their hopes of Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualification alive.

The two countries met each other on the last day and a 0-0 draw was enough to give both the result they needed.

Poland topped the pile but they lost their 100 per cent record, finishing with four wins and a draw.

Italy also ended unbeaten with three wins and two draws.

Ukraine needed to win to keep their hopes alive and they duly delivered by seeing off Czech Republic 9-2.

But the draw in the match between the top two ended their chances as they ended on three wins, a draw and a defeat.

Lithuania beat Cyprus 2-0 in a battle between two previously winless countries.

Tournaments are being held across the world as part of the Hockey Series.

The event is a second-tier tour below the new top-tier Hockey Pro League.

Places are available at the Hockey Series Finals which in turn offer a route to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Inside the Games

Kookaburras Team Named For Darwin International Hockey Open

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today announces the 20-member Kookaburras team for the upcoming Darwin International Hockey Open (DIHO) and two Tests against Argentina.

The world number one Kookaburras will compete against Argentina (ranked second), Malaysia (12th) and Japan (16th) in the DIHO from Tuesday-Saturday 18-22 September at Marrara Hockey Centre.

Australia will also play 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallists Argentina in two Tests on Friday 14 September and Sunday 16 September at the same venue.

The matches are all crucial preparation for the Kookaburras leading into the 2018 Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, starting in November where Australia will defend their world title.

Tickets are available for the DIHO matches via Ticketbooth from $10 for children and $15 for adults.

Uncapped 22-year-old Victorian defender Josh Simmonds, Queenslander Jacob Anderson and Tasmanian Jack Welch have all been called up to make their Kookaburras debuts.

Forward pair Anderson, 21, and Welch, 20, both come from outside the National Senior Men’s Squad.

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch said: “Every selection has its challenges and this one is no exception.

“We’ve had a number of injuries with our strikers so we’ve had to look beyond the National Senior Men’s Squad and we’ve selected Jacob and Jack from our National Development Squad.

“Both played recently in the National Under-21’s Championships and also in the Australia A Series in Malaysia. They performed well and their selections are based on their performances at those two events.

“They happened to be in good form when this selection opportunity came along and we’re excited for them to make their debuts.

“Likewise Josh Simmonds, who was added to the National Senior Men’s Squad earlier this year, gets his opportunity in defence.

“He’s a really dedicated athlete, who is well prepared and it’ll be nice to see him get his debut.”

From the Kookaburras team which won the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands in July, goalkeeper Andrew Charter and defender Matthew Dawson both return from injury, while Darwin local Jeremy Hayward retains his spot and will play in front of his home crowd.

Wollongong forward Kieran Govers, who has 121 caps and scored 58 goals for Australia, earns his first call-up since November 2016 having been added to the National Senior Men’s Squad in May.

“Kieran has worked very hard to get back into the squad,” Batch said.

“We’re happy to test him again at international level and see if he can stake a claim for World Cup selection.”

The Darwin matches will lead into the Australian Hockey League and an October training camp as Batch and the National Selectors home in on selection for the World Cup later this year.

Batch added: “We’re narrowing towards the World Cup and, even though we’ve gone outside the squad, we’re still trying to find our best group of players for the World Cup.

“Our performances in Darwin will be taken into consideration but we’ve got further opportunities for players not selected in Darwin to impress during AHL and our October national camp.”

The Kookaburras are due to arrive in Darwin on Wednesday 12 September.

Tickets are available for the DIHO matches via Ticketbooth from $10 for children and $15 for adults.

The matches will not be streamed. Fans can follow @Kookaburras for live updates.

Here is your side for #DarwinIHO! Get excited folks, we've got three athletes making their debut! Will you be in @AusOutbackNT to watch the match?

Kookaburras team for DIHO & Tests vs Argentina:
Athlete (City, State)
Jacob Anderson (Mackay, QLD)
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD)
Josh Beltz (Hobart, TAS)
Timothy Brand (Chatswood, NSW)
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT)
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW)
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW)
Kieran Govers (Wollongong, NSW)
Jake Harvie (Dardanup, WA)
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT)
Tim Howard (Wakerley, QLD)
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA)
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS)
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW)
Joshua Simmonds (Doncaster, VIC)
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD)
Corey Weyer (Biggera Waters, QLD)
Jack Welch (Hobart, TAS)
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)

Australia v Argentina Fixtures (all fixtures in local time/ACST):
Friday 14 September 7pm – Australia v Argentina
Sunday 16 September 7pm – Australia v Argentina

2018 DIHO Fixtures (all fixtures in local time/ACST):
Tuesday 18 September 5:15pm – Argentina v Japan
Tuesday 18 September 7pm – Australia v Malaysia
Wednesday 19 September 5:15pm – Malaysia v Japan
Wednesday 19 September 7pm – Argentina v Australia
Friday 21 September 5:15pm – Malaysia v Argentina
Friday 21 September 7pm – Australia v Japan
Saturday 22 September 5pm – 3rd Place Final
Saturday 22 September 7pm – 1st Place Final

Hockey Australia media release

Better Strike rate and best in defence Japanese won the gold medal in both categories

By B.G.Joshi(Sehore- Bhopal, India)

When it matters-Samurai (Japan-Men) and Sakura (Japan-Women) team scored and defended.

Japanese won first ever Gold medals in the annals of Asian Games Hockey. Here are statistical highlights:

How they fared in crucial matches in Asian Games

 FIeldhockey.com

Coach Stephen will take the stick for hockey teams final meltdown


Sad finale: The Malaysian hockey team posing with their silver medals after losing to Japan in the final.

AN Asian Games silver is not the 60th birthday gift that men’s hockey coach Stephen van Huizen had wished for.

And yesterday, Stephen apologised to the fans after his charges missed out on the gold after the 1-3 penalty shootout defeat to Japan at the Gelora Bung Karno Hockey Stadium.

Malaysia squandered a 4-1 lead and then allowed Japan to level the score at 6-6 in regulation time. With the heart-breaking defeat, Malaysia also blew their chance of winning an automatic ticket for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Stephen said he would take full responsibility for the team’s loss.

“I’ll take the responsibility as a coach. It’s my job. I’ve failed. The players gave their everything and I can’t blame them,” said Stephen, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday.

“We were confident we had the gold and the Olympic ticket in our hands (after taking the lead) but we gave it away. We’re very disappointed and are truly sorry.

“The Malaysians are disappointed but just imagine the pain the players are going through right now.

“A silver would have been good any other time but this time, this achievement is a bitter pill to swallow.”


Coach Stephen van Huizen.

The Malaysian team led by Stephen also suffered the same fate eight years ago when they were beaten by Pakistan in the final of the 2010 Guangzhou Games.Stephen said he would do his best to lift the players’ morale ahead of the next Olympic qualifier at next year’s World Hockey Series Finals.

“The players set a high standard for themselves and worked hard to achieve it – but they failed to win the Olympic spot. It’s not easy to recover from this painful episode,” he said.

“It’s harder to qualify through the next qualifier but I don’t want the boys to give up hope.

“We’ve good players. I believe the team can qualify for the Olympics if they put their minds to it.

“Our performance will be reviewed after this and I hope the decision makers will come up with a good plan so that we can move forward from here,” added Stephen.

The Star of Malaysia

Heartbroken van Huizen takes the blame for Malaysia's defeat

By Azidan Nahar, Azlan Muhammad Zain


Malaysia's players react after beating by Japan during the medals ceremony for the men's field hockey final match between Japan and Malaysia at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on September 1, 2018. AFP Photo

JAKARTA: Coach Stephen van Huizen has accepted the blame for Malaysia’s heartbreaking loss to Japan in the Asian Games men’s team hockey final on Saturday.

"I am fully responsible for the defeat, as my players gave everything they had in the match,” said van Huizen.

"There were also some decisions (by the umpires) which did not side us.”

On Malaysia squandering their big lead, van Huizen said such cases do happen in sport, when the opponents raise their game, those with a comfortable lead keep making mistakes.

"It is very painful, it (the pain) will be with me forever, it (gold) was in our hands but we let it go," said van Huizen after the final.

Malaysia were leading 5-2 at one stage, but allowed Japan to fight back and draw 6-6 before winning the shootout 3-1.

Van Huizen said everybody in the squad was shattered, as they had come so close to qualifying for the Olympics.

"If the Malaysian fans are disappointed we failed to win gold, imagine our feelings. We know the silver is still precious, but we wanted the gold.”

On the match, the coach said he had reminded the players not to go for a big win, as a one-goal victory would be enough. But due to certain reasons and nervousness, everything fell apart.

New Straits Times

Kumar left heartbroken following defeat to Japan


S. Kumar was left heartbroken following Malaysia’s failure to win the Asian Games men’s hockey gold medal. Bernama Photo

JAKARTA: National No 1 goalkeeper S. Kumar was left heartbroken following Malaysia’s failure to win the Asian Games men’s hockey gold medal and the 2020 Olympic ticket.

World No 12 Malaysia were edged 3-1 via penalty shootout to Japan after a 6-6 draw in regulation time on Saturday.

In the match, Malaysia allowed Japan to claw back from 5-2 down for a 6-6 draw to force a penalty shootout.

Japan had no pressure going into the game as they have already qualified as hosts for the 2020 Olympics.

"What else can I say? I am heartbroken. We played so well to take a 5-2 lead and at that juncture, I already started thinking that we will win gold and qualify for the Olympics.

"We (all the players) need to accept the defeat and be happy with the silver medal.

“We should have killed off the game with our early lead, but we allowed Japan back into the match," he said when met after the sizzling final.

It was Japan’s first Asian Games gold medal in hockey.

New Straits Times

Losing the final twice forces Tengku Ahmad to rethink future with team


No way through: Japan goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa (left) stops Malaysian Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin’s attempt during the penalty shootout in the hockey final on Saturday.

STRIKER Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil may consider his future with the men’s hockey team after losing the Asian Games final twice.

“It’s disappointing to be the second best for the second time. I’ll consider my position in the team,” said the 32-year-old Tengku Ahmad.

The team led by Tengku Ahmad blew a chance for an Asiad gold and Olympic Games ticket after they were beaten 3-1 by Japan in the penalty shootout after the final ended 6-6 at the Gelora Bung Karno Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

He was also in the team who lost to Pakistan in the final at the 2010 Guangzhou Asiad.

“Everyone gave what they were capable of to deliver the goods but it was not good enough,” he said.

Meanwhile, skipper Sukri Talib said he would do his part to put his team back on track in the chase for an Olympic spot.

“Winning and losing is part of the game. As an athlete, we need to bounce back although everyone in the team is affected by the loss,” said Sukri.

“I’ll talk to the players and find ways to lift their morale. We still have a mission next year – to qualify for the Olympic Games. It’s not over yet.

“We missed an easier passage to qualify for the Olympics via the Asian Games. We’ve to accept the defeat and move on.

“We will fight harder in the other qualifiers to make it to the Olympics. I’ll play for the team as long as I’m needed.”

The Star of Malaysia

Pakistan captain blames ‘luck’ for India loss

By Nabil Tahir


DOWNARD SPIRAL: Pakistan won all of their five pool matches in a dominating way, conceding only one goal and scoring 45 before losing the semi-final against Japan and the bronze medal match against India. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team, which returned with empty hands from the 18th edition of the Asian Games, losing the bronze medal match against India, are still satisfied by their improved performance.

Men in Green won all of their five pool matches in a dominating way, conceding only one goal and scoring 45 before losing the semi-final against Japan and the bronze medal match against India.

Pakistan team last displayed a similar performance at the 2002 Asian Games when after winning their three pool matches; they lost the semi-final to India and the bronze medal match to Malaysia.

However, captain Muhammad Rizwan Senior is satisfied with his team’s performance. “The performance of the boys and the game play was much better than before. They have improved a lot which is a good sign,” he told The Express Tribune.

“Although we didn’t win a medal despite winning the first five matches, which is disappointing, but we played well, however luck was not on our side in the last two matches,” he added.

Rizwan laid emphasis on the importance of scoring the opening goal, which he believes puts the other team under pressure. “The matches we lost, both the matches, we didn’t score the first goal, which we did in other matches and I think that was the point that built pressure on us and we were unable to manage it,” he said.

Meanwhile, former captain Muhammad Irfan said their last two opponents, Japan and India, also praised their improved skills. “The new coach has worked on us a lot and that is why we have improved in specific areas. We know our job now and are clear about the moves to execute during matches.”

“Indian team also praised our gameplay and said the combination of the players is much better than before, and also the head coach who has worked with team India, also received praise,” he said. “This tournament had much significance for the Summer Olympics qualification but we still have more important assignments ahead and I believe if we keep working with this coach, we can turn into a really tough team to beat.”

On the other hand former Olympians are not happy with team’s performance.

The director of domestic hockey and player development Naveed Alam said that blaming luck is not professional. “The team lost the last two matches by making mistakes and missing chances. They should have known that Japan and India are tough teams and will require a different game plan.”

“They played the same way and lost; they cannot blame their luck. They did simple mistakes which I believe will be pointed out by the head coach and the management once they are back in the country. They have the hockey World Cup coming up and now will have to play in the qualification rounds for Olympics and for that they will have to learn from their mistakes,” he said.

The Express Tribune

Shahnaz wants PM’s intervention to save Pakistan hockey

Kashif Abbasi



ISLAMABAD: Citing country’s disastrous show in the just-concluded Asian Games hockey event, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh has called for intervention from Prime Minister Imran Khan, whom the former requested to carry out “complete postmortem” of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) which completely failed to bring any worthwhile improvement to the national game during the last three years.

Former four-time World Cup winners Pakistan — once considered the world beaters in field hockey —were among the main contesting teams at the Asian Games hockey, but miserably failed to even win bronze at the continental gala staged in Indonesia. Losing 2-1 to arch-rivals India in the third-place playoff on Saturday was the last thing Pakistan wanted at Asiad from where Mohammad Rizwan Senior-led team returned empty-handed.

“It is a matter of great concern that Pakistan in recent past have been playing poorly against India, suffering defeat in five matches out of six with one draw during the period of our present hockey federation,” Shahnaz highlighted.

After failing to win the title at the Jakarta Asian Games, Pakistan have also lost the chance of getting direct entry into the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Article continues after ad

A disgruntled Shahnaz urged the prime minister to look into the hockey affairs, otherwise, he said, there was a slim chance for Pakistan to even qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

“The government during the last three years provided almost Rs500 million grant to the present PHF regime from the taxpayers’ money. But what has this [PHF] management produced? Our team could not win even a single mega event during its tenure. And I reckon the dismal situation warrants the prime minister’s intervention for bringing our hockey back on the right track,” Shahnaz said while talking to Dawn on Sunday.

He said Pakistan hockey, which has a rich haul of 55 medals – 23 gold, 17 silver and 15 bronze — under its belt in mega events such as Olympics, Asian Games, Asia Cup and World Cup, experienced a big blow in Jakarta where the national team could not even even reach the podium which he said explicitly signifies the efficiency of the team and the PHF management.

The Olympian, who helped Pakistan to win silver in 1972 and bronze in 1976 Olympics and several gold medals at the Asian Games, said the incumbent PHF management had fell well short of their target of revamping national team.

“What have they revamped? Rather, the national team’s performance graph has deteriorated further during the past three years,” he regretted.

“Now is the time for a complete postmortem of PHF’s performance and its finances. Because if the current situation persists, I think we will also fail to even qualify for the 2020 Olympics. And I am not expecting miracles in this year’s World Cup too,” he said.

Pakistan hockey could be promoted had the PHF adopted a correct strategy, Shahnaz underlined.

“For revamping hockey, there was a need to increase the pool of players by holding competitive domestic tournaments and by focusing on grass-roots. However, rather than focusing on these areas,

the PHF arranged unnecessary tours to Canada and Australia for junior teams.”

He further said that after Pakistan team’s extremely poor performance at the FIH Hockey World League, Commonwealth Games, Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup where they stood third, the current PHF management kept on claiming that its “real target” is a medal in the Asian Games.

“Now, they have missed this target too,” he said, adding excessive changes in the team management was also a cause of the team’s decline.

“The team management was changed five times [during the present PHF set-up] and this proved a contributing factor in the team’s decline,” Shahnaz concluded.

Dawn

Big guns all win on day two of the Hoofdklasse


©: World Sport Pics

Thomas Briels scored twice in the last 16 minutes to earn Oranje-Rood a 3-1 win over Almere. Bob de Voogd gave the Eindhoven club a first-half lead but Stijn Jolie fired in a corner to equalise in the 47th minute.

Briels, though, restored the lead in the 54th minute and then was on the end of a corner for the third goal.

Amsterdam swept by the challenge of Den Bosch with a 3-0 win, Justin Reid-Ross scoring twice either side of a Boris Burkhardt corner goal in the success.

Bloemendaal scored three times in the first 14 minutes to beat Klein Zwitserland 3-1. Roel Bovendeert, Ingwer Wiese and Yannick van der Drift got them off to a flying start and while they did not score again, they didn’t need to as they were always well clear.

HGC for their first win of the campaign with a 3-1 success against Tilburg. Timothy Cross had given Tilburg a third minute lead but HGC quickly fought back with Ashley Jackson scored a pair of corners to swap the lead and Max Plennevaux grabbed the insurance goal in the 27th minute.

SV Kampong hammered SCHC in their derby game. Jasper Luijkx scored twice in the first half to build a 4-0 lead and while the Bilthoven club got a couple back, efforts from Pepijn Luijkx, Koen Visser and Silas Lageman made for a comfortable 7-2 win.

Rotterdam continued their fine start to the season with a second win, beating Pinoke 3-1. Matis Papa gave the Amstelveen club the lead but Jeroen Hertzberger levelled at 1-1 and Thijs van Dam and Albert Beltran completed the win in the second half.

Euro Hockey League media release

Oree upset Dragons on Belgian league opening day


©: @royaloree

The Belgian league saw a series of eye-catching results on opening day as reigning champions Dragons fell to a 3-2 defeat to Oree.

Tomi Domene was the star turn as he scored two penalty corners, cancelling out goals from Timothy Luyten and Henri Raes in addition to one from Phil Simar.

Dragons did have their chances to draw level but Arthur Thieffry – on debut – made a key glove save from Dominic Uher to retain the lead.

" It was sort of a logical continuation after the good preparation we have done for this season," said Oree captain Alex de Paeuw. “We were at least as strong as the Dragons. I recognise that it was a good time to face them but it was a very balanced game.

“But we need to be aware, this victory will be useless if we lose games later on against direct competitors. We have a team that is better than last year and we have to aim for the quarter-finals."

This season, the Belgian league is broken into two groups of six. Elsewhere, in Pool A, Racing Club de Bruxelles beat Beerschot 5-4, coming back from 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2 behind to get the win. Daring beat White Star 4-2 in the other tie.

The other game in this group saw Braxgata see off Antwerp 3-2.

In Pool B, the WatDucks beat their EHL rivals Leopold 5-2 in front of a large crowd at the Avenue Dupuich. Leo did take an early lead via Arthur Verdussen but the Ducks scored the next five goals.

William Ghislain tied the game at 1-1 in the 17th minute and Victor Charlet put the Ducks in front at half-time. Another Ghislain goal and one each from Gauthier Boccard and Renaud Pangrazio copper-fastened the win.

Herakles drew 2-2 with La Gantoise with Alan Sothern scoring a goal three minutes from the end for the visitors to snatch a point.

Euro Hockey League media release

Mannheimer HC make it three wins from three



Mannheimer HC continued their excellent start to the German league season with back-to-back wins over the weekend against Krefeld and reigning champions Uhlenhorst Mulheim.

On Saturday, they came from a goal down to beat the former with Felix Schues, Gonzalo Peillat and Lucas Vila turning things around in a 3-1 success.

And they followed up with a Sunday 2-0 win at Uhlenhorst with Peillat scoring a fourth minute corner and then completing the success with a stroke in the third quarter. It was a feisty affair with six green and three yellow cards shown.

Speaking afterwards, Mannheim coach Matthias Becher said his team was : “incredibly happy with the result. That was a tough game against the German champions. Above all, it was difficult to keep the focus in this hectic, multi-card game.”

MHC captain Jan Philipp Fischer was similarly pleased:" We are super happy that we have won, that was a tough job. In the end we may have been lucky that Mülheim did not use their three consecutive corners."

Rot-Weiss Koln are the other side on nine points after three games following a 5-3 win over promoted Polo – who have impressed with two wins to date – and 4-2 against Club an der Alster on Sunday.

In the latter game, they built a 4-0 lead via Mats Grambusch, Christopher Ruhr, Ties Ole Prinz and Florian Pelzner before conceding twice in the last quarter.

Polo, UHC Hamburg, Club an der Alster and Harvestehuder THC are all on two wins from two so far.

Euro Hockey League media release

Maddie Hinch keeps clean sheet as SCHC romp to opening 8-0 Hoofdklasse win

By The Hockey Paper


Holland’s World Cup players were back in Hoofdklasse action PIC: SCHC

Four of Holland’s World Cup-winning squad carried on where they left off in London last month as the Dutch ladies Hoofdklasse got under way this weekend.

Skipper Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Xan de Waard, Caia van Maasakker and Laurien Leurink were all honoured by the club after SCHC’s 8-0 blitz over Bloemendaal on Sunday.

It came nearly a month after Holland’s almost peerless charge to the successful defence of their World Cup title.

Maddie Hinch, England’s goalkeeper, played her first match of the domestic season and kept a clean sheet before being taken off before the final quarter as coach Teun de Nooijer made changes.

Ginella Zerbo proved the match winner with four goals as SCHC scored three in the last seven minutes against hapless Bloemendaal.

Van Maasakker also scored, as did debutant Leurink, while Argentinian star Delfina Merino also played her part.

Elsewhere, Amsterdam also got in on the act with a 5-0 hammering over hdm. Kelly Jonker notched a brace while Maria Verschoor, left out of the Dutch World Cup squad, scored a welcome goal.

In the men’s top flight, Kampong underlined their status for the title with a 7-2 win over SCHC.

Orange-Red, Rotterdam and Bloemendaal also won as four sides remained unbeaten after two rounds of action.

The Hockey Paper

Mother and daughter line up for Belgium top flight side KHC Leuven

By The Hockey Paper


Mother Geraldine and daughter Marie celebrate 4-3 win PIC: KHC Leuven/Twitter

Former Belgium international Geraldine Chardome never thought she would have the chance to play elite level hockey with her daughter.

But on the opening weekend of the Belfius Women’s Hockey League, the 42-year-old managed to keep her emotions in check as she lined up alongside Marie Verdonck, her 16-year-old daughter.

The mother-daughter combination – Marie was born when Geraldine was 25 – played their part as KHC Leuven came back from 3-1 down to beat rivals Wellington 4-3.

“I was a young mam and I stopped playing hockey for a few years,” she told The Hockey Paper.

“I started to play again when I was around 32. I’m lucky to have a good physical condition. Marie joined my club this year. She’s only 16 so we never thought she would succeed to be selected immediately in the first team.”

As pre-season progressed, it became apparent that Marie could step up to the first team and was duly picked for the Wellington clash.

“I was focused on the game itself,” admitted Geraldine. “But when I saw that my husband was proud of his daughter and his wife and that we had so many nice comments I was very happy.

“And most of all, Marie performed very strong and we won the game.”

The Hockey Paper

Make that 9-1! Butali rout Nakuru
 
By AYUMBA AYODI

Talisman George Mutira sunk in five goals as Butali Sugar Warriors crushed visiting Nakuru 9-1 in a men’s hockey Premier League duel at City Park Stadium on Sunday.

In the women’s Premier League, Jackie Mwangi and Audrey Omaido netted a brace each to spur defending champions Telkom to an effortless 6-1 victory against Amira Sailors in a one-sided women’s tie at the same venue.

Mutira had also scored once on Saturday when Butali Warriors weathered a battling Wazalendo to win 4-2. The bounty harvest saw the Warriors widen their lead at the top over second-placed and defending champions Kenya Police to nine points.

It’s a weekend that saw Greensharks blow up their slim title chances when they drew 2-2 with Kenya College of Accountancy-University (KCA-U) on Saturday, before squandering a 1-0 lead in the last five minutes to lose 3-1 to 2012 champions Nairobi Simba.

Warriors now sitting pretty at the top of the 12 team league with 39 points from 13 wins and one loss, while Kenya Police, who have not been in action for the last two weeks, are second with 30 points from 10 wins and one loss.

The pressure is now on Police, who have three matches in hand, to try and close the gap on the Warriors at the top, with Greensharks placed third with 24 points.

Police, who are facing financial difficulties, had requested Kenya Hockey Union to postpone their matches to a later date, have a date with USIU-A on September 23.

Against Nakuru, Mutira scored in the seventh, 27th, 37th 48th and 51st minutes in a duel, where Constant Wakhura opened the onslaught in the third minute from the spot for the Warriors.

Barnabas Odhiambo, Lawrence Okubau, and Zack Aura would later add more goals in 23rd, 54th and 56th minutes to confine the Great Rift side to more misery.

Gary Jean Loius netted the consolation goal for Nakuru in 39th minute.

On Saturday, its Frank Wanagwe’s second minute goal that put Butali 1-0 ahead against Wazalendo, before Barnabas Odhiambo’s penalty corner in the third quarter stretched their lead to 2-0.

Elly Mwanzi brought Wazalendo back into the match with a field goal in the 41st minute, but Emmanuel Simiyu and Mutira’s goals in 51st and 56th minutes, destabilised Wazalendo’s surge even as Eric Ochieng netted their second goal three minutes to time.

Telkom are on course for a record 21st title with Omaido and Mwangi’s double taking their tally to 24 points from a clean run of eight outings.

Barbara Simiyu and Maureen Okumu scored Telkom’s other goals.

Daily Nation

No. 4 Maryland off to best start since 2013 after holding off No. 3 Duke 4-3

The fourth-ranked Maryland field hockey team (5-0) held off a second half push by No. 3 Duke (3-1) Sunday for a 4-3 victory in the B1G/ACC Cup at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. With the win, the Terrapins are off to their best start since 2013.
 
Senior goalkeeper Sarah Holliday made 10 saves to preserve Maryland's top five win, and four different Terrapins scored.
 
"We're just feeling total excitement, and we're very proud," head coach Missy Meharg said. "These women, for the first time this season, for 70 minutes, played totally in sync with each other. Our energy, our counter-defense and counter-attack was connected with early communication. Our leadership was phenomenal. The hearts and the physical status of Linnea Gonzales, Brooke DeBerdine and Kelee Lepage in the midfield, I mean, that's what we worked on in the summer."

Maryland scored in the 14th minute of the match when two rookies connected for the opening score. Redshirt freshman Mayv Clune sent in a hard shot from the right side of the circle and fellow freshman Bibi Donraadt deflected it in for a 1-0 lead.
 
A minute and 37 seconds later, sophomore Bodil Keus made it a two-goal lead for the Terps when she banged in a shot off a penalty corner. Senior Sabrina Rhodes and sophomore Hannah Bond set up the play. The Terrapins led 2-0 at halftime.

The Blue Devils got on the board 10 minutes into the second half when they were awarded a penalty stroke. Haley Schleicher sent it in to make it a 2-1 game.
 
Eleven minutes later, Melissa Wilken, who celebrated her 22nd birthday Sunday, pushed it back to a two-goal lead for the Terrapins when she finished off Kelee Lepage's hard shot from the right side of the circle in the 56th minute.
 
Three minutes after Wilken's goal, Duke's Olivia Sahaydak scored off Leah Crouse's shot to cut into the Terps' lead once more at 3-2 with 12 minutes to play.

In the 63rd minute, junior Nike Lorenz flung in a shot off a penalty corner for Maryland's fourth and final goal. Duke's Lily Posternak scored its final goal with 5:51 to play.
 
Maryland took 11 shots to Duke's 15 and both teams had four penalty corners.

No. 12 Northwestern beat No. 13 Boston College, 2-1, in double overtime in Sunday's first game. Maryland and Northwestern combined to go 3-1 in the B1G/ACC Cup on the weekend.
 
Lorenz was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Monday after scoring five goals in her first two games as a Terrapin.

Maryland was tabbed as the No. 4 team in the country in the Penn Monto/Division I Coaches Preseason poll released Aug. 21. The Terrapins have started the year in the top 10 in each of the last 20 years, since 1999.
 
Maryland will host No. 9 Delaware, No.15 Harvard and American in the Terrapin Invitational next weekend. The Terps take on the Blue Hens at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by Harvard vs. American at 1:30 p.m. ET. Maryland plays Harvard at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, then American takes on Delaware after.

NCAA

No. 1 UConn Field Hockey Beats No. 5 Michigan, Keeps 40-Game Home Win Streak Alive

The UConn field hockey team, ranked No. 1 in the country and the defending NCAA champion, beat No. 5 Michigan 2-1 Sunday afternoon in Storrs.

Lori Riley

After capping a perfect season by winning the NCAA championship last year, the UConn field hockey team lost six starters, including an All-American goalkeeper.

“We’re not used to being this inexperienced,” coach Nancy Stevens said Sunday. “Over 60 goals walked out the door with graduation.”

But the Huskies, ranked No. 1 in the country, are still winning.

Sunday, they rallied from a one-goal, first-half deficit to beat No. 5 Michigan 2-1 in a battle of two of last year’s Final Four teams at the Sherman Family Sports Complex.

The young UConn team, which starts six freshmen and sophomores, are keeping multiple winning streaks alive. The Huskies have won 27 straight (after going 23-0 last year) and have a 40-game home winning streak.
UConn Field Hockey Wins Fifth National Title, 2-1 Over Maryland

“We have a completely different look this year,” said midfielder Amanda Collins, one of three senior starters. “Which is exciting. But also our first scrimmage, we struggled a little. But we’ve morphed into a good team. If we can keep growing, it will be exciting to see what we can do in a season.

“We were down against Northwestern, too, but we came back and won it. That’s actually what we discussed on the field. We’ve been here before. We know we can do it.”

UConn (4-0) outshot Michigan 20-3, including 7-2 in the first half.

Still, Michigan (1-3) scored first. Emma Way made it 1-0 4:14 into the game, and UConn still trailed 1-0 at halftime.

“I think they had a really good defense,” Collins said. “They were good at blocking us from getting into the circle. We had opportunities to finish, but it was just a matter of getting it into the goal cage. Their goalie had a phenomenal game.”

The Huskies got onto the board with 23:10 left in the second half when Michigan goalkeeper Anna Spieker (11 saves) made a save and freshman Abby Gooderham took the rebound and put it in to tie the score.

UConn also had more penalty corners, a 9-1 advantage, with six in the second half.

The Huskies capitalized on a corner with 5:22 left, when sophomore Jessica Dembrowski scored off an assist from Gooderham.

“We had to come back from one-nil,” Gooderham said. “It was good to get the first goal, and we came back from there, really.

“We just needed to connect a bit better. And their goalie was really good.”

“It’s a Final Four team from last year, and their goalkeeper played great,” Stevens said. “She’s 6 feet, and she covers a lot of space. Let’s give credit to her. She covered the cage well.”

The Huskies have wins over No. 12 Northwestern and No. 15 Stanford, as well as a 5-0 win over Michigan State in their home opener Friday night.

“It’s more fun,” Stevens said of the season so far. “Last year, some of the games, it was just a matter of how many [goals] we were going to score. Now this year, we’ve had to work for all our victories. It was 4-2 against Northwestern, 3-0 against Stanford. Today was 2-1. Not that we didn’t [work] last year, but we were scoring so many.”

Hartford Courant