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News for 14 September 2019

All the news for Saturday 14 September 2019


Captain Rani determined to guide India women to Tokyo 2020



In the latest of a series of video interviews with the teams that will participate in the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers, India (FIH World Ranking: 9) women’s captain Rani looks ahead to her team’s crucial two-game clash against USA (WR:13). The all-important matches will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 1/2 November 2019, with timings to be confirmed in the coming weeks. The interview transcript can be found below.   

The FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers will be taking place very soon. How will your team prepare for these hugely important matches?

Rani: “We are very excited to play in front of our home crowd, and we are well prepared for these games, to play here in India. I think our crowd is also excited to see the women’s team playing in front of them. In the last couple of years, the women’s hockey has been growing, and in the last couple of months we have won so many tournaments. Recently we won the Tokyo Olympic test event. That gives us lots of confidence and we will carry forward that confidence into the Olympic qualifiers in Bhubaneswar. Our team is well prepared, and we are just looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd.”

What can we expect to see from your team in the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers?

Rani: “So far [it’s about] what we’ve changed in the training [sessions] and we just want to execute that in the Olympic qualifiers against USA, who are one of the best teams. We played them in the London World Cup [in 2018] and we played a 1-1 draw. But since then our team has improved a lot in structured hockey and in a physical way, so we will try to execute what we have [learned] in the last couple of years. We cannot beat them easily because every team wants to fight for every second to be in the Olympics.”

What are your thoughts about USA, and how is your squad feeling about these matches?

Rani: “When the draw came, we knew that [we would have to play] one of four teams. Everyone is excited that, firstly, we are playing in front of the home crowd, and secondly, we are playing against the US. The US are a good team, and we will try for every second and every ball to be in the Olympics. We know it will not be easy and USA will also fight for every second. We are looking forward to playing in front of our crowd, and that may be an advantage for the Indian team.”

Finally, what would qualifying for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 mean to you and your team?

Rani: “I think it is a dream for every player and every team to be in the Olympics, to represent your country and win medals for your country. It’s the same for us and our team is really excited to go to the Olympics. When we played our first Olympics in 2016 it was not a really good Olympics [for us, finishing 12th], but it was a good experience for the team, and we learned a lot from that. Now we are looking forward to the qualifiers. The first step is the qualifiers, then we will move onto the Tokyo Olympics.”

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

#Tokyo2020
#RoadToTokyo
#GiftOfHockey

FIH site



Oltmans has tricks up his sleeves

By Jugjet Singh


National coach Roelant Oltmans. - STR/OWEE AH CHUN

NATIONAL coach Roelant Oltmans has three contingency plans ready to pull out of his hat as Malaysia go into full gear to snatch the last Olympic ticket to Tokyo next year.

Malaysia will have to beat Britain in a two-match decider on Nov 2 and 3 at the Lee Valley Stadium in London to qualify for their first Olympics since the 2000 Sydney edition.

Oltmans, however, not only has to prepare for Britain in winter.

He also has to worry about the haze in Kuala Lumpur and the injuries in his squad.

“I always have Plan B ready, and right now the situation of the haze is not too bad as it rained today (yesterday).

“But if it gets worse, we will move indoors and concentrate on fitness workouts,” said Oltmans.

The Dutchman added: “We will take 20 players for the Korea Tour (Sept 19-29) and the same squad will go to Europe and train there before we finalise 18 players for the matches against Britain.

“This is to counter any injuries and the need to fly in any last minute replacements.

“I want all 18 to be ready for the final qualifier. I don’t want to be in a situation where I have to fly in a player and expect him to perform inside a few days.”

In 2014, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) flew in Izad Hakimi as a replacement for Kevin Lim after the German-born suffered a hamstring injury just days before the World Cup in the Hague.

Izad, who arrived on match day, could not perform well due to the weather.

New Straits Times



Fitri: Staying headstrong the key in playoff clash with Britain

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Mental strength is what the Malaysian team need to overcome Britain in the hockey playoff matches from Nov 1-3 to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

Mohd Fitri Saari, who marshals the midfield, admitted they faced an uphill battle against world No. 7 Britain to qualify for the Olympics.

“The odds are heavily stacked against us. They are tough opponents, who rarely lose in their own backyard. We are physically in good shape but need to be mentally strong to upset the former Olympic champions,” said Fitri.

“Everything points to Britain as the favourites. They have good results against us, they have the home-ground advantage and are physically bigger than us.

“But nothing is impossible. We just need to keep believing that we can overcome the toughest hurdle to qualify for the Olympics.

“We held Britain to a 3-3 draw to win the four-nation tournament in Spain and we can do it again,” said Fitri, who will sacrifice his studies to give his best for the team.

The 25-year-old Fitri, father of twin sons, started his Master’s degree in Education at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on Tuesday but he will take a two-month break to concentrate on hockey.

“We don’t want to wait another four years to play in the Olympics,” said Fitri before reporting for a training session at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Fitri is one of the 20 players who will play in four Test matches against South Korea in Seoul from Sept 19-29 and friendlies in Europe next month.

Malaysia last qualified for the Olympics in Sydney in 2000.

The Star of Malaysia



USWNT to Prepare for FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier with Matches Against Canada



LANCASTER, Pa. – To aid in preparation for their upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier, the No. 13 U.S. Women’s National Team will host No. 15 Canada on Tuesday, September 24, Thursday, September 26 and Friday, September 27 at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa.

“In our preparation for the Olympic Qualifier against India it is great to be able to play three games against a strong opponent,” said Janneke Schopman, USWNT Head Coach. “The Pan American Games showed us that Canada is an experienced team who like to play aggressive and it will give us the opportunity to at least match that as well as fine tune our own play.”

These friendly matches will not be live streamed, broadcasted or ticketed. The games are open to the public and can be attended at no cost.

The last time the USWNT played Canada was on August 6 in the semifinals of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru in a battle of the North American foes to see which team would advance to the gold medal game. After scoring a goal late in the first quarter and adding a second in the third, Canada prevented USA from producing a comeback as the Wolf Pack went on to win 2-0.

Prior to that, USA hosted a four-game test series against Canada in February 2018 in Chula Vista, Calif. Canada won two matches, USA won one and the final match ended in a draw. They also played one another twice in the 2017 women's Pan American Cup in Lancaster, Pa. In the first meeting, they tied 1-1 in pool play and the USWNT was able to put another point up the second time around to win bronze.

USWNT vs. Canada Schedule:

Tuesday, September 24          3:00 p.m.ET*
Thursday, September 26        10:00 a.m. ET
Friday, September 27             10:00 a.m. ET

* Denotes Unofficial Sanctioned Match

U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Canada Roster:

Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.), Virginia Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.), Anna Dessoye (Mountain Top, Pa.), Ali Froede (Burke, Va.), Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.), Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.), Alexandra Hammel (Duxbury, Mass.), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.), Jess Jecko (Sauquoit, N.Y.), Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.), Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.), Kelly Marks (Elverson, Pa.), Lauren Moyer (York, Pa.), Alyssa Parker (Woodbine, Md.), Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.), Kathleen Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.), Casey Umstead (Green Lane, Pa.), Caitlin Van Sickle (Wilmington, Del.), Taylor West (Princess Anne, Md.), Julia Young (Yorktown, Va.)

The USWNT will travel to Bhubaneswar to take on No. 9 India on November 1 and 2 at Kalinga Stadium in their FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier. Each qualifier consists of two back-to-back matches that will be played in the same venue. The winner with the highest aggregated score of these FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers will then qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which consist of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams.

For more information regarding the U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Canada friendly matches including the schedule, results, rosters and more, check out the official event page by clicking here.

USFHA media release



FIH Olympic Qualifier fact file: Chile



Having been drawn against them for the FIH Olympic Qualifier, find out more about the Chile team our women will face at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre between 2-3 November.

Tickets go on general sale on Monday morning, priced from just £5 adults, £13.50 18-25s and £17.50 for adults. Click here to find out more.

Current world ranking: 18

Nickname: Las Diablas (The Devils)

Best Olympic result: N/A

Recent tournament appearances

    2019 Pan American Games: 4th
    2019 FIH World Series Finals: Bronze
    2018 South American Games: Bronze
    2017 Pan American Cup: Silver
    2017 Hockey World League Semi-Finals: 9th
    2016 South American Championship: Silver

Captain: Camila Caram

Players to watch - Claudia Schuler and Manuela Urroz

While most of Chile’s players are based in their home country, so good is goalkeeper Schuler that she has previously plied her trade for Club an der Alster in Germany, a side that has won the Bundesliga in each of the last two seasons.

Having made her international debut aged just 16 in 2004, Schuler has amassed 219 international appearances and been named as Goalkeeper of the Tournament and selected in the tournament’s best XI in each of the last three Pan American Cups (2009, 2013 and 2017).

While Schuler will provide a stern test for the British attackers, Manuela Urroz will be equally as difficult for our defence to deal with. She is currently Chile’s top scorer in 2019 with 13 goals in total, including six at the recent Pan American games which included a hat-trick against Peru.

Deadly from both open play and set pieces, the 27-year-old is in the prime of her career and will be hoping to add to her impressive international goal tally of 47 since the start of 2013 and help her team qualify for not only their first ever Olympics but their first major international tournament.

Head Coach - Sergio Vigil

Vigil has been Chile’s coach since 2016, having already won World Cup gold and Olympic silver medals – amongst others – when in charge of Argentina’s women in the early 2000s. That success has carried on since his appointment too, with Chile claiming a best ever finish of second at the 2017 Pan American Cup and a bronze medal at the 2019 FIH Series Finals.

They couldn’t quite match those performances at the recent Pan American Games as they finished fourth, although they did provide a rampant Argentina with by far their toughest test of the tournament. They have also recorded impressive victories over Japan, USA and Ireland in 2019 and Vigil will ensure his team give the best possible account of themselves.

What they said

"Chile are an opposition that not many of us have played before but they’re a really exciting team, a team not to be underestimated. I think they’ll have really good 1-v-1 skills and will play with a lot of flair. I imagine they will be fairly similar to Argentina and how they play individually so I think we’ve got to be prepared for that.

“I think we’ve also got to expect the unexpected from them. It’s a massive couple of games to try and qualify for an Olympics and they’ll definitely be up for that so we’ve got to match it and go above it.” Hollie Pearne-Webb

“I think we’re just happy to know who we’re playing. Chile are a side we don’t know massively well but they’re one that we must respect. They’ve got a good period of time to get themselves ready and I’m sure they’ll have plenty of video footage of us. And they’re playing against the current Olympic champions so it’s a great opportunity for them.

“But we need to put that aside, focus on ourselves, what we’re doing, what we’ve learned over the last year and where the progress can be made and make sure come that weekend we’re really tough to beat.” Maddie Hinch

Ticket options & prices



General Admission Tickets

TICKETS GO ON GENERAL SALE ON MONDAY 16 SEPTEMBER AT 9AM.

With 5,000 seats at the Lee Valley Hockey and Centre, you’re never far away from the action and drama.  To appeal the broadest range of fans, we have four categories of ticket , with prices starting from just £5 for under 18s, £13.50 for 18-25s and £17.50 for adults, through to premium covered, half-way line seats ranging from £19.50 to £59.50.

All tickets on General Sale will be at advanced ticket prices and secure access to the venue for both matches in the day.

Go to hockey.seetickets.com from 9am on Monday 16 September.

Great Britain Hockey media release



SA Hockey Salutes our Tokyo Bound Technical Officials


Michelle Joubert awaits the Video umpire decision

The South African Hockey Association would like to congratulate our technical officials that have been selected for the Tokyo Olympics. This follows an outstanding tradition of high-quality technical officials representing South Africa consistently at the highest stage of the game.

For the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, Marlize de Klerk has been selected as one of the four umpires’ managers, a role she completed superbly at the African Hockey Road to Tokyo event in Stellenbosch last month. Marlize umpired more than 200 international test matches in her career earning the golden whistle and has continued her passion for the game in developing other umpires now. This will be Marlize’s fifth Olympic games.

Michelle Joubert was recently awarded the top umpire in Africa after yet another stellar year on the FIH circuit. Having just recently umpired at the Tokyo test event, Michelle will be keen to get back to Japan for the main event. Michelle is another umpire who has earned the golden whistle for more than 100 caps including the Olympic Games Final in Rio in 2016. This will be Michelle’s third Olympic Games.

Annelize Rostron has been an impressive shining light for South African hockey over the past year and impressed with her performances in the FIH Pro League. Having previously umpired at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games, Annelize would be delighted to get the opportunity to add the Olympic Games to her hockey CV.

Peter Wright will join his brother John as an Olympian when he goes to Tokyo. Wright has already joined his brother to have earned the golden whistle and was the reserve umpire in this years FIH Pro League final between Australia and Belgium. He also recently umpired the final of the PAN Am games where Argentina sealed their spot at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Joining the aforementioned quartet will also be Dr Leigh Gordon as one of the FIH Medical Officers at the tournament, reprising a role she completed at the FIH Vitality Hockey Women’s world Cup in 2018 as well as at the FIH World League Semi-Finals in Johannesburg in 2017. It’s another great achievement for the doctor who is also the team doctor for the Rugby Sevens. Another fantastic mark from a South African!

South African Hockey would also like to congratulate our African Neighbours Sarah Bennet (Zimbabwe) and Frank Oti-Mensah (Ghana) on their selection as technical officials for the tournament.

The 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments will be staged in Japan’s capital city from 25 July to 7 August next year.

SA Hockey Association media release



Trio of British officials appointed for Tokyo 2020 Olympics


Martin Madden & Sarah Wilson

Three British officials have been appointed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by the FIH.

Steve Catton has been selected as one of 14 Technical Officials for the event between 25 July and 7 August next year, with Martin Madden and Sarah Wilson also picked from a list of the world’s top umpires.

This will be a second consecutive Olympics for Madden and Wilson having both previously officiated at Rio 2016 and overseeing the bronze medals games in the respective men’s and women’s tournaments.

The duo also took charge of a number of matches in this year’s FIH Pro League and officiated semi-finals at last year’s World Cups while Wilson – who was named the 2017 FIH Female Umpire of the Year - was one of two on-field umpires during the gold medal match between Australia and New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Madden has already experienced the intense heat and humidity expected during next summer’s Olympics too having officiated in the recent Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey test event last month.

Furthermore, this will be a first Olympic Games for Catton after being a Technical Official at numerous events across the world over the last few years. This includes the 2015 and 2017 Hockey World League Finals, 2016 and 2018 Champions Trophies and during the 2019 FIH Pro League.

Reflecting on their selection, Great Britain Hockey President Sheila Morrow said: “I am delighted to see that Great Britain will be represented by three officials at the Tokyo Olympic Games and would like to congratulate Steve Catton, Sarah Wilson and Martin Madden on their appointments.

“I know they will each do a great job and wish them all a successful Games.”

Great Britain Hockey media release



High quality officials line-up confirmed for EHL KO16 in Barcelona



To help produce spectacular often requires a high quality officials team to provide the environment for the players to flourish. That is why the EHL is a progressive stage to showcase some of the best umpiring in the world game.

In Barcelona, fresh from umpiring European Championship finals in Antwerp, Jakub Mejzlik and Sarah Wilson head up the team of on-pitch umpires who will blow the whistle. 

The third team will be guided by two hugely experienced umpires managers, Margaret Hunnaball and Roel van Eert, who have a wealth of top level competitions under their belt.

It is all overseen by David Collier, a decorated technical delegate who has conducted the role at 2018 Indoor World Cup and the 2017 European Championships. 

Technical Delegate: David COLLIER (ENG)
Technical Officer: Marco WEISHAUPT (SUI)
Judge: Loïc COGELS (BEL)
Judge: Mirjana TOT (CRO)
Judge: Patrícia PEREIRA (POR)
Umpires Manager: Roel van EERT (NED)
Umpires Manager: Margaret HUNNABALL (ENG)
Umpire: Sarah WILSON (SCO)
Umpire: Michiel OTTEN (NED)
Umpire: Jakub MEJZLIK (CZE)
Umpire: Andres ORTIZ (ESP)
Umpire: Tim MEISSNER (GER)
Umpire: Ivona MAKAR (CRO)
Umpire: Vincenzo Antonio ILGRANDE (ITA)
Umpire: Mikhail GOLOVANOV (RUS)
Umpire: Xavier FENAERT (FRA)
Umpire: Michael DUTRIEUX (BEL)
Umpire: Luka ZUPANCIC (AUT)

Euro Hockey League media release



English hockey continues to lose club lustre for international bluster

By The Hockey Paper


Hockey needs to look at ways of bolstering club attendances – and fast

Later this month, the Terrassa Division of Honor men’s and women’s teams will convene at a hotel an hour outside Barcelona. A presentation ceremony will take place to highlight the importance of hockey in this hotbed region and acting as a link between sport and the Catalan city.

No such luck in the English game. The domestic scene kicks off on Saturday with the men’s and Investec women’s Premier Division pushing back throughout the day with another hugely lacklustre build-up, which has done little to whet the appetite for the coming months in what, for the women’s game, is an important milestone.

This season marks the 30th anniversary of the women’s national league. It will be a landmark moment for Bowdon Hightown on their travels to University of Birmingham, having been part of the league (first as Hightown) since its inception. And for Clifton too – barring one season outside the top flight – who joined the likes of Leicester, Slough, Ealing and Orpington for the inaugural Typhoo women’s national league in 1989/90.

But the season will once again start as a vastly secondary act to the international game. Consider the below excerpt from the Sunday Times‘ Rebecca Myers a few weeks ago:

“The women’s game in England is lucky: it has been gifted the holy trinity of a World Cup, an Olympics, and a home Euros – three years’ worth of momentum. It is hard to imagine a more fertile ground for growth.”

The writer was referring to football, of course, and how the Women’s Super League was set to be bolstered following this summer’s World Cup.

But did it ring any hockey bells? In 2015, England Hockey hosted the Euros, in 2016, the GB women won Olympic gold and, then, the 2018 World Cup came to London. The club game hasn’t seen any significant increases as a product on the back of this three-fold bonus. So what does that tell you how the domestic game is viewed in England?

Such is the rate that clubs lose their international players, that when the dates were announced for Great Britain’s Olympic qualifiers, it would have been safe to assume that another round of domestic fixtures was being devalued due to central programme commitments.

GB Hockey successfully requested to host the Tokyo 2020 play-off games on November 2 and 3. But nowhere in the news was it relayed that these crucial dates also fall on a blank weekend, with a nod to the Premier Division that no top flight games were being played.

And so the club game plods instead of plunders on for another season, either side of this early November weekend feast which will be heavily marketed by GB Hockey as Chile women and Malaysia men prepare to visit Lee Valley in seven weeks time.

And yet, at club level, there is so much to tell across the men’s and women’s games. How there seem to be more teenagers playing top level hockey than ever before. How some clubs will deal with the long travel times in rejigged leagues. The stories of amateurs continually paying their way to play the game they love. How the four quarters ruling will affect the grass roots game. And that’s just for starters.

One look at the Premier Division transfers reveal that it has also been another busy summer. These have been but a footnote ahead of another long season, barring Top of the D’s excellent brace of previews.

The Hockey Paper has done its best to keep enthusiasts updated over the last month or so with the latest moves, while Surbiton’s excellent press officer Colin Pike has tried to make headway in recent days with England Hockey’s player registration system to give a more authoritative take on final player movements.

High web traffic of our Ins and Outs suggests that there is a clamour for season interests, though club attendances suggest otherwise. As much as England Hockey must do more to address the imbalance, clubs must also look to ways in bringing more to the table to make the league a sponsor-friendly, entertaining product. That’s on the basis that England Hockey is indeed keen to professionalise the domestic game.

Since launching #WatchYour1s, we have seen a huge uptake of interest from clubs across the UK eager to be a part of our campaign. For all the positives, there has also been interesting debate on the validity of the campaign. For one, how drawn out pitch times and sporadic match times make it difficult for the 1s to be a focal point of clubs.

In an enlightening chat with Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh in Antwerp last month for the 30th anniversary special in our latest print issue, this issue was tackled succinctly by the golden pairing.

As Helen states:
“There’s certainly a disconnect between the juniors and the first team. This is something we can take from the Dutch, the juniors have grown up looking at the 1s and there isn’t that same inspiration here. Coming at it from the grassroots is absolutely fundamental to the success of the national league.”

This week there has also been dissatisfaction at the lack of any kind of pre-season love from the national governing body. But are all these dissenters present at club games every weekend? Couple up with Helen’s vision of juniors watching the senior game, then we might just see some flourishing attendances.

For now, netball, cricket and football have all seen surges in domestic interest on the back of World Cups in recent seasons. Meanwhile club hockey continues to lag. The domestic game needs attention, from clubs and the guardians of the game. For now, enjoy the season. And, remember, do Watch Your 1s.

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The Hockey Paper



No. 4 Maryland field hockey outlasts No. 6 Virginia, 3-2, after shootout

David Suggs


Maryland field hockey mobs goalkeeper Noelle Frost after the Terps’ 3-2 shootout win against Virginia on Sept. 13, 2019. (Gabby Baniqued/The Diamondback)

After 80 minutes of game time, No. 4 Maryland field hockey and No. 6 Virginia remained level, sending the game into a decisive shootout — Maryland’s first since 2016.

And when forward Bibi Donraadt netted what appeared to be her second goal of the shootout, Maryland looked to be firmly in the driver’s seat to secure a hard-fought victory.

But the referee ruled the goal illegitimate, eliciting an animated response from coach Missy Meharg. Meharg’s protests pushed the referees to review the attempt and eventually, they sided in the Terps’ favor, awarding Maryland the tally.

Goalkeeper Noelle Frost handled the rest.

In need of a subsequent equalizer on the ensuing penalty stroke to keep the game going, Virginia failed to beat the senior netminder, sending the Terps into bedlam after an arduous 3-2 comeback victory over the Cavaliers on Friday.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our women and the way we rotated and they serviced each other,” Meharg said. “We’ve now experienced every facet of the game.”

Despite Maryland taking a 12-8 shot advantage into the fourth quarter, goals from defender Amber Ezechiels and midfielder Rachel Robinson had given Virginia a 2-1 advantage. But the Terps quickly made their attacking force felt, even after Cavaliers midfielder Erin Shanahan got behind the defense and whistled a shot just wide of Frost’s cage.

Shortly after Shanahan’s attempt, midfielder Emma DeBerdine carried the ball deep into the shooting circle. The freshman wound up before sending her shot past goalkeeper Lauren Hausheer to knot the game at two.

Given Maryland’s struggles with defending penalty corners, fans were tense when Virginia earned one with five minutes left in the fourth. However, Frost continued her strong start to the season, making a diving save to prevent the Cavaliers from taking a late lead, sending the game into overtime.

With the lineups reduced to seven players each, overtime proved to be an attacking affair. Never was this more evident than when Frost was forced to make a double save to keep the Terps in the game early in the period.

“Noelle Frost was player of the game,” Meharg said.

However, it was Maryland that created the more dangerous of the chances, with junior midfielder Brooke DeBerdine making a clever run to get herself one-on-one with Hausheer. The junior wasn’t able to keep the ball down, though, as it sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

And after withstanding a few Virginia efforts, Maryland nearly found its breakthrough. Midfielder Madison Maguire flicked the ball underneath Hausheer with less than a minute left and it slowly rolled toward the cage, threatening to end the contest in the Terps’ favor. However, midfielder Adele Iacobucci dove and pushed the ball away from the goal, sending the game into its second overtime period.

The Terps continued to press on in double overtime. However, Hausheer was equal to them, making two saves. None was more impressive than her save on defender Bodil Keus, who stepped up to the penalty spot after Hausheer clattered into DeBerdine.

“Lauren’s a great goalie,” DeBerdine said, “I just knew she comes out … she had to do what she had to do.”

The junior fired a low driven shot that seemed destined for the bottom left corner of the cage. But Hausheer got down quickly, deflecting the shot away from goal and ensuring that a winner would be decided through a penalty shootout.

“[Hausheer] was outstanding,” Meharg said, “We weren’t anticipating that level … she really did a great job for them.”

And in that shootout, some 80 minutes of game time after the Terps and Cavaliers first began playing, Donraadt’s second tally in as many tries tipped the contest in Maryland’s favor for good.

“We’ve been doing pretty good but I think that after this game, we really saw our potential,” Frost said. “This is the moment we needed to propel ourselves further.”

The Diamondback



Two hat tricks aid No. 12 Ohio State in win over Central Michigan

Johnny Amundson


Ohio State then-sophomore midfielder Esther Clotet Alsina controls the ball on a fast break during the Buckeyes’ 1-0 loss to Michigan on Sept. 22. 2017. Credit: Colin Hass-Hill | Former Sports Editor

Ohio State junior forward Nikki Trzaska became the first Buckeye to notch a hat trick this season when she scored her third goal 22 seconds into the second half of Friday’s 11-0 victory against Central Michigan.

No.12 Ohio State (4-1) took 29 shots against Central Michigan (2-4), and the Buckeye defense only gave up four shots as they moved to 15-5 all-time against Central Michigan.

Ohio State sophomore goalkeeper Aaliyah Hernandez, last week’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, earned her third clean sheet of the season without having to make a save. The Buckeye defense didn’t allow a shot until the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes forced 10 penalty corners and converted on three of them, while Central Michigan wasn’t awarded any.

“We practice those every week,” head coach Jarred Martin said. “The basics are just making sure that our system is in place –– that the girls know what the execution plan is. And again, they were able to step up and get some good strikes on the ball.”

Buckeye senior midfielder Esther Clotet Alsina joined Trzaska in scoring her first hat trick of the season. On top of her three goals, Clotet Alsina also assisted on three more.

Freshman midfielder Mackenzie Allessie also stood out for the Buckeyes, scoring two unassisted goals and adding an assist.

In the second quarter, Allessie danced past two defenders and juked out the goalkeeper to score on an empty net. Allessie’s third quarter goal was similarly clever, as she pirouetted around a defender and hit a slap shot past the keeper.

Entering the game, both Trzaska and Clotet Alsina were one goal behind the Big Ten season leader in goals. Scoring three apiece against Central Michigan solidifies the pair as two of the premier goal scorers in the conference.

The Buckeyes will move on to face No. 8 Louisville Sunday, and open Big Ten play next Friday against No. 13 Northwestern.

“[Northwestern’s] always a close game, so we’re excited for that, Clotet Alsina said. “We’ve been winning the past few years in overtime, so let’s just hope we win in a regular game.”

The Lantern

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