News for 06 May 2021
All the news for Thursday 6 May 2-21
2021 Test matches RSA v NAM (M) - 6 May
Johannesburg (RSA)
1 May 2021 RSA v NAM 7 - 0 (Watch the match replay here)
2 May 2021 RSA v NAM 2 - 1
4 May 2021 RSA v NAM 3 - 0
5 May 2021 RSA v NAM 6 - 0
7 May 2021 19:00 (GMT +2) RSA v NAM
No Spectators allowed due to COVID restrictions
All matches to be streamed live on the Watch Hockey App
FIH Match Centre
South Africa find another gear in comfortable Namibian victory
Photo: Marcel Sigg / Run Ride Dive
South Africa produced their best first half display of the series to sweep aside the spirited Namibians in the fourth test at Northcliff High School. Having been tested in more stringently in the second and third tests, the hosts were able to bring a more productive and streamlined approach to the turf and were able to complete their game plan much more effectively.
They opened the scoring in the 14th minute, having already crafted one or two good chances, with a well worked team goal that saw Keenan Horne collect and finish past his opposite skipper DJ Strauss. It was a goal of guile and craftmanship that made it 1-0, but it was a goal of pure unadulterated brute force that made it 2-0 as Brandon Panther almost ripped a hole in the net when he turned and fired superbly into the top left corner. It was a proper rocket that some defenders are still trying to see.
In the second chukka South Africa continued to create the opportunities including a period of sustained pressure and circle entries that ultimately led to goal number 3. Andrew Hobson turned provider again firing the ball into a crowded circle and Ignatius Malgraff had peeled off the back to turn it into the goal. At 3-0 South Africa were comfortable, but that comfort became a bit more luxurious shortly after.
11 passes between 8 players saw the ball move from the back to Rusten Abrahams at the top of the D. The Indoor Hockey national vice-captain shaped to move outwards but cut back inside and fired a wonderful strike into the top left hand corner. DJ Strauss in the Namibian goal had no chance and Abrahams, and his teammates, were delighted.
Although the second half saw the African champions back off in their intensity, they were able to keep the Namibians at arm’s length throughout the game, with limited chances created. They were able to add to the scoreboard two more times. First in the third chukka when a moment of real quality form Bili Ntuli set up Mustapha Cassiem for a deflection into the back of the net. Cassiem continuing a great run of goalscoring form in the series.
The last goal of the game would come in the final chukka as Ignatius Malgraff found a pocket of space and left birthday boy Ernest Jacobs and surged into the d. He looked up for the cross but spotting a gap fired his shot past debutant Alex Kurangera in the Namibian goal.
The game finished at 6-0 with a 4-0 series lead ahead of the final game on Friday night.
SA Hockey Association media release
SA clinch hockey series
by Helge Schütz
Ignatius Malgraff of SA in action against JP Britz of Namibia. Photo: Facebook
SOUTH Africa clinched their outdoor hockey men's test series after beating MTC Namibia 3-0 in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening.
After beating Namibia 7-0 and 2-1 in the opening two tests, South Africa have now taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Goals by Chad Futcher, Mustaphaa Cassiem and Ignatius Malgraff gave SA a comfortable win, but Namibia were never outplayed and the score could have been much closer if they had taken their chances.
Namibian keeper DJ Strauss pulled off a fine early save from a Cassiem deflect, and although Namibia settled in well in the opening stages, South Africa took a decisive lead with two goals in three minutes.
Chad Futcher opened their account on 11 minutes with a shot that Strauss could not clear, while Mustaphaa Cassiem made it 2-0 with a fine solo goal three minutes later.
Namibia started creating more opportunities in the second quarter, with Brynn Cleak shining in midfield, but Owen Hatton and Dylan Finch could not finish them off, while an Ernest Jacobs short corner was well saved by SA substitute keeper Siyavuya Nolutshungu.
South Africa increased their lead midway through the third quarter when Ignatius Malgraff tapped in a cross by Andrew Hobson.
Namibia had more chances, with a Cleak backstick shot well saved by Estiaan Kriek, while another two short corners went to waste after poor ball control in the box, as South Africa completed a workmanlike victory.
Namibia's assistant coach Johan Weyhe said they had a poor start to the series.
Öur players were just not there for the first test, we made very simple mistakes, with our defence and attack and therefore, the first match didn't go very well. But we need to remember that South Africa is currently ranked 14th in the world and number one in Africa, while Namibia is ranked 59th in the world and sixth in Africa,” he said.
Weyhe, however, said they did much better in the second test.
"The players did a brilliant job in the second test. They are still a very young team but played very well against a team ranked much higher. We had our opportunities to score and the coach (Trevor Cormack) and I also discussed the fact that our big problem is that we dont have strikers that can finish off our chances. So that is one of the aspects of hockey that we need to look at, to get strikers that can finish off and put us on the scoreboard as well,” he said.
Weyhe said they once again failed to take their chances in the third test.
Ïn the third test we conceded stupid goals, and I think if there had been a bit more concentration, the score could have been totally different.
We had our opportunities to score and at half time it could have been 2-all, but "could have been" does not reflect on the scoreboard,” he said.
The fourth test took place last night, while the fifth and final test takes place tomorrow evening and Weyhe said they would go all out to get some good results.
Ïn our final matches we are really going to try our best to either get a draw or to win the match. If we could beat the 14th-ranked country in the world, our world and Africa rankings would receive a big boost. We have a very young team, but they are very talented and play really good hockey,” he said.
The team is able to engage international matches through MTC Namibia's three-year N$3 million sponsorship of the hockey union.
The Namibian
GB, Germany, Belgium, and USA prepare for FIH Hockey Pro League fixtures
Between Wednesday 12 and Sunday 16 May 2021, a total of six FIH Hockey Pro League matches will take place on European soil, with Great Britain hosting the national teams of Germany in London while USA women travel to Antwerp to face Belgium.
The Great Britain versus Germany contests will be played on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 May, with all four competing teams relishing the opportunity to face high quality opposition ahead of a busy summer of hockey that peaks at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where both GB and Germany face each other in the pool phase of both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Sitting third in both the FIH Hockey Pro League standings and the FIH World Rankings, Germany men will arrive in London confident of success against hosts Great Britain, and with good reason. Die Honamas have recorded back-to-back away double victories over world class opposition in the shape of the Netherlands and reigning Olympic champions Argentina, with the team coached by Kais al Saadi hitting form not just in time for the Tokyo Olympiad, but also June’s European Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
While Germany might start as favourites, Danny Kerry’s talented Great Britain team will be eager to upset the form book, especially on home soil. GB have not been in Pro League action since suffering narrow defeats in the Netherlands and Belgium in October-November. However, a recent warm-weather training trip to Malaysia, where the team played friendly matches against the Malaysians and Japan, ensures that they will be ready for action.
The women’s meeting between Great Britain and Germany could be a close one to call. Fourth placed GB are one point ahead of Die Danas in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings, although Germany do have two games in hand over their British opponents. Two victories for either team would be enough to climb up to third position in the League table.
The matches in Antwerp sees seventh placed Belgium taking on bottom of the table USA, a team that have been unable to play an FIH Hockey Pro League match since mid-February 2020, when they suffered two 3-1 defeats against New Zealand in Christchurch. Since then, the USA has appointed Australian Anthony Farry – the man who guided Japan women to the Asian Games title in 2018 – as their new head coach. USA’s arrival in Europe will mark the start of a new chapter for the team, as they begin to plan for the years ahead. For Belgium’s Red Panthers, the matches against the USA are crucial to their build-up towards next month’s European Championships, a competition in which they were silver medallists in 2017.
Although fans will not be allowed into the respective stadiums, the matches will be available to watch via television or digital streaming thanks to our broadcast partnerships, as well as on the Watch.Hockey app in every country where a rights holding broadcaster is not showing the matches live.
More information about the upcoming matches can be found below.
Great Britain v Germany (Men & Women)
Where: Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre (GBR)
Dates:Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 May 2021
Men’s Matches
Times (BST – UTC +1): Wednesday: 17:30 | Thursday 17:30
Match pages: Match 1|Match 2
Current FIH World Ranking: Great Britain: 7 | Germany: 3
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Great Britain: 9 | Germany: 2
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Great Britain: 4 | Germany: 6
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 12 matches)
Wins:Great Britain: 1 | Germany: 5 | Draws: 6
Goals scored:Great Britain: 23 | Germany: 30
Team pages (squads & statistics):Great Britain | Germany
Women’s Matches
Times (BST – UTC +1): Wednesday: 20:00 | Thursday 20:00
Match pages: Match 1|Match 2
Current FIH World Ranking: Great Britain: 5 | Germany: 3
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Great Britain: 4 | Germany: 5
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Great Britain: 8 | Germany: 3
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 5 matches)
Wins:Great Britain: 2 | Germany: 3 | Draws: 0
Goals scored:Great Britain: 7 | Germany: 9
Team pages (squads & statistics):Great Britain | Germany
Belgium v USA (Women)
Where: Sportcentrum Wilrijkse Plein, Antwerp (BEL)
Dates: Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May 2021.
Times (CET – UTC +2): Saturday: 17:30 | Sunday 17:30
Match pages: Match 1|Match 2
Current FIH World Ranking: Belgium: 12 | USA: 15
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Belgium: 7 | USA: 9
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Belgium: 5 | USA: 9
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 5 matches)
Wins:Belgium: 3 | USA: 2 | Draws: 0
Goals scored:Belgium: 11 | USA: 6
Team pages (squads & statistics): Belgium | USA
You can also keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels -Facebook , Instagram and Twitter.
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Official FIH Pro League Site
Olympic Reflections: Germany’s Fürste re-lives comeback for the ages
In the quarter-finals of the men’s competition at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, Germany produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Olympic hockey.
A first-place finish in Pool B for Germany set up a meeting with New Zealand, who had completed their Pool A campaign in fourth position. As not only the pool winners but also the reigning Olympic champions from Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Die Honamas started the contest as heavy favourites. However, the Black Sticks had other ideas, and proceeded to throw the form book out of the window.
New Zealand edged ahead thanks to an 18th minute goal from Hugo Inglis before taking a stranglehold on the game with 11 minutes remaining, as Shea McAleese – a man who spent many happy years competing in Germany’s Bundesliga – made the score 2-0 with a penalty corner.
The writing looked to be on the wall for Die Honamas, with the reigning champions facing a elimination which would end any hopes of a fourth consecutive Olympic medal, having also claimed bronze at Athens 2004.
For Germany captain Moritz Fürste, who was competing in his third and final Olympic competition, the dreams of a fairy tale finish to a majestic international career in which he had won every major prize in the sport were fading fast, and he knew it.
“I was just saying to myself, ‘this cannot be the end of my career’”, said the double Olympic gold medallist, remembering a brief spell on the side-lines after being benched in the latter stages of the game. “‘It cannot be over now, that is impossible. This is not how the story is supposed to end.’”
With elimination from Rio 2016 staring Germany squarely in the eyes, head coach Valentin Altenburg went for broke, bringing on an outfield player in place of the goalkeeper to overload their fiercely resilient opponents.
Eventually, the breakthrough came, with Fürste – back on the field after his brief substitution - giving his team a glimmer of hope with a perfectly despatched penalty corner drag-flick with just four minutes remaining. It was a crucial moment, but Germany still needed another goal if they were to keep their Olympic hopes alive, and time was rapidly running out.
After further German penalty corner chances came and went, the match entered its final 60 seconds. A powerful slap into the circle from Fürste came up off a New Zealand stick and into one of their own players, giving the Europeans one last penalty corner opportunity to pull themselves level. Ever the man for the big occassion, Fürste stepped up to score his second goal in four minutes, sending a drag-flick to the right of Black Sticks goalkeeper Devon Manchester to tie the scores with just 40 seconds remaining.
The leveller triggered scenes of unbridled joy from Germany players and staff, but remarkably, the best was still to come. With 12 seconds remaining, Germany stole possession and headed forward, with Timur Oruz powering down the right before firing across the face of the New Zealand goal, where supreme goal-poacher Florian Fuchs touched home the most incredible of winning goals with just two seconds left to play.
“[When] we got it to 2-2, we were all preparing for the shoot-out”, said Fürste, who would go on to win bronze with the team in Rio. “Even our coach [Valentin Altenburg], I don’t know if you remember the scene on the highlights, but he is already writing down names on his clipboard. He wasn’t even watching; he didn’t see the goal!”
It was the most dramatic of endings, one that triggered huge contrasts of emotions within the respective teams. For Germany, it was utter elation, having rescued themselves from what looked like certain defeat. For New Zealand, it was understandable despair, having come so close to eliminating the mighty Germany from the competition. For the neutral, it was simply the perfect example of why hockey continues to be one of the most exhilarating sports on the planet.
As well as the above interview and highlight clips, a full replay of the game can be found on the Olympic Channel by clicking here.
The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will take place from Saturday 24 July to Friday 6 August 2021. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, visit https://tokyo2020.org/en/sports/hockey/.
#Tokyo2020
#StrongerTogether
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FIH site
High fitness levels helped India perform well in Europe, Argentina - Surender Kumar
High fitness levels helped the Indian team do well during its recent tours of Europe and Argentina, according to defender Surender Kumar.
Surender Kumar in action during the FIH Pro League. - HOCKEY INDIA
High fitness levels helped the Indian team put up a solid show during its recent tours of Europe and Argentina, according to defender Surender Kumar.
The 27-year-old was part of the team which won both its matches against Argentina at the FIH Hockey Pro League, and two out of the four practice games on the tour last month.
“I feel fitness played a pivotal role in helping the team put up a solid performance on both the tours. I don't think we would have had a successful outing in Argentina and Europe if our fitness level were not up to the mark,” Surender stated.
“When your fitness level is up to the mark, you automatically perform well on the field. You know, when you are away from the competition for such a long time, it becomes difficult to maintain such fitness levels. Hence, to keep our fitness level on track, we also gave importance to our physical strength at the camp, apart from technical aspects of the game.”
The World No. 5 India registered 2-2 (3-2 SO), 3-0 wins over reigning Olympic champion Argentina in its FIH Hockey Pro League tie and secured 4-3, 4-4, 0-1 and 4-2 results in the practice matches. “It’s not that easy to compete in a high-level competition after almost a year, especially against a strong team like Argentina, who had more international exposure than us,” Surender said.
Keeping it simple
“We focused on keeping things simple and played to our strengths, without doing anything extra, and I feel it worked out for us on the tour. And, would like to continue doing it in the Olympics as well. So, yeah, it was a good tour considering the fact that we defeated the Olympic Champions on their home soil as well as we got a great exposure before heading into the Olympics.”
The Karnal-born player, who is with the core group at SAI (Sports Authority of India), Bengaluru, said the team was working on its fitness level. “We are working on improving our fitness level as it has been one of the key elements for us. As I said, if you want to put up a good show on the field, you need to have that fitness level,” he said.
“We are taking it one day at a time. I think it will help us in the Olympics as well. For now, we are just focusing on our training and working hard to improve our levels each and every day.”
Sportstar
Grace O’Flanagan happy to turn her focus to hockey after tough year
Trainee surgeon and Ireland goalkeeper looking forward to Olympic Games
Mary Hannigan
Irish hockey international Grace O’Flanagan is encouraging people to sign up for this year’s Darkness Into Light, which takes place this Saturday, May 8th. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
Having to vie with the mighty Ayeisha McFerran for a place in the Irish hockey team means Grace O’Flanagan would be entitled to regard herself as one of our more unfortunate international sports people. But since making her Irish debut almost a decade ago the 32-year-old Dubliner has played her own pivotal role in the team’s story, battling back from a life-threatening illness to do so. And now she’s working on featuring in the next chapter of that story which will take place in Tokyo this summer at the Olympic Games.
There was no moment she cherished more along the way than when she came on for McFerran in the 2018 World Cup final, but that magical fortnight in London might never have happened if it wasn’t for her own goalkeeping prowess in Johannesburg the summer before.
While McFerran’s penalty-stroke saves in the shoot-outs that gave Ireland victory over India and Spain in the World Cup quarter- and semi-finals helped earn her the goalkeeper of the tournament award, it was O’Flanagan’s save from India’s Rani Rampal in July 2017 that sent Ireland on their way to qualifying for the tournament.
McFerran was sin-binned and conceded a stroke when she upended Navjot Kaur at a stage in the game, which Ireland had to win, that India were already a goal up. O’Flanagan came off the bench, saved the stroke with her first touch of the tournament, kept out everything the Indians threw at her for the remainder of the game, Katie Mullan and Lizzie Colvin scored, and O’Flanagan disappeared under a sea of celebrating team-mates at full-time.
She smiles when she’s reminded of that day, one that ultimately led to a breakthrough for a team that has soared ever since. “It’s been a while since I thought about that one, but yeah, it was a special moment,” she says. “It’s nice when you’re sitting on the sidelines for so long to come on and have an impact, to feel part of it all. Definitely the heart-rate went up for a couple of minutes, but once I was standing between those posts I felt pretty comfortable. Yeah, a special memory.”
O’Flanagan was speaking at an event promoting the annual ‘Darkness Into Light’ fundraiser for suicide prevention charity Pieta, for whom she is an ambassador, this year’s drive taking place on Saturday, May 8th, but, by necessity, in a ‘socially distanced’ form.
She’s a good fit for Pieta. While she has been fortunate enough not to have been afflicted with mental health issues, O’Flanagan had to make her own journey back from the dark after she was diagnosed in 2015 with cancer having found a small lump in her neck. She was told there was a 50 per cent chance of it spreading to her lungs, her world turned upside down by the prognosis. As a medical student, she was under no illusions about how serious the battle ahead would be.
“All of a sudden, I went from being a healthy 26-year-old to maybe not being alive in five years’ time,” she said before of the ordeal, but her surgery was a success and she’s been all clear ever since.
Now, as a trainee surgeon, specialising in the head and neck, she’s attempting to give back after the care she received. The last 14 months, though, have been an enormous challenge.
“For the first six months of the pandemic, I had surgical patients with Covid before I moved in to a role where we were generally non-Covid-receiving. It’s definitely something we never experienced before, it was very much learning as we go.
“It has been a difficult year for healthcare workers, for the health service, for our patients and the general public. Thankfully, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccines rolling out and numbers going down. That’s really positive and we are seeing the relief in hospitals.
“From a hockey point of view, it was difficult to manage that risk, the concern of picking up Covid in work and then bringing it in to the Irish camp. But the last few months I’ve been solely playing hockey. I didn’t want to leave my colleagues stretched or short-staffed so the easier thing was that I would focus on hockey ahead of the Olympics, especially because of the quarantine requirement every time we travelled. It would have been just too much time out of work had I been in and out.
“I’m definitely glad I’ve made that decision, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I think I would always have looked back and wondered ‘what if’ if I hadn’t given it everything I have, so that was my thinking going in to this. This is an opportunity I had to go for.”
*You can sign up for Pieta’s ‘Darkness Into Light’ fundraiser, sponsored by Electric Ireland, at darknessintolight.ie
The Irish Times
Marcano: Players to keep fighting and finding solutions
by Nigel Simon
T&T senior women’s hockey team coach, Anthony Marcano
T&T senior women’s hockey coach, Anthony Marcano has admitted that his team has been faced with a lot of logistical problems in their preparation for next month’s Indoor Indoor Pan American Cups (IPAC) in the USA.
The tournament will be hosted by USA Field Hockey for both women and men and takes place at the Training Center, Spring City, near Philadelphia and, Pennsylvania, from Friday, June 25 to Sunday, June 27, 2021, and will qualify teams to the 12-team 2022 FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup from 3 to 7 February 2022 in Liège, Belgium.
It was originally scheduled for February 2021 but was postponed due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
A former national men’s player and now a Level III Coach, Marcano will be hoping to qualify a very youthful women’s squad to its first Indoor World Cup since competing at the inaugural edition in 2003, Leipzig, Germany after winning the 2002 Pan American title in Rockville, USA.
But, first, the national women’s team will need to finish top of a six-team series involving the host USA, Argentina, Canada, Uruguay, and Guyana.
The six teams will contest a round-robin series at the end of which the top two teams will play the final from which the winner will qualify for next year’s World Cup.
So far the teams to qualify for the women’s competition Belgium are Kazakhstan (Asia), Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, Ukraine (Europe), Belgium (Host), Namibia (Africa), Australia and New Zealand (Oceania).
Contacted for comment on the team’s preparation Marcano was quick to point out that the group of players in training consist of some young athletes.
He said, “It’s a very young team and not as experienced as the one that last competed in Guyana (where T&T ended fifth) four years ago.
“We have a lot of under-21 players as part of this group and we still have a few players who were part of the last Pan Am team like Savannah de Freitas, her sister Shaniah De Freitas, Zene Henry, Brittney Hingh, and Amanda George.
“To that core, we have added Felicia King, the Olton sisters, Samantha, Saarah and Kaitlyn along with Chelsea Day, Gabrielle Thompson and Arissa Sandy from Tobago.
“So it’s a very diverse group and we have pulled in some under-21s to give them some exposure leading up to their Pan American Under-21 Championship like Naomi Sampson and Mia Otero just to try and create an environment where they are still learning and at the same time add some value to the junior team, that’s hopefully again if their tournament comes off in Chile at the end of August going into September.”
Concerning the health and safety protocols being put in place for the tournament due to the coronavirus, Marcano said it’s going to be a tough one for the technical staff.
He admitted, “This tournament in the USA in itself is going to be tough as it's a lot of work for managers to manage when it comes to the health and safety protocols.
“I think the USA Field Hockey and the Pan American Hockey Federation has left a lot of responsibility on the teams to keep their “bubble” safe.
“I think one of the good things they are doing is that teams will have their vehicles so you will be among your team and not have to mix while transporting your team to and from the games.
A concern for Marcano though was the re-entering of the country and how long it may take to do so.
He said, “When it comes to vaccination and getting into the USA or not we then have to look at the time to come back home, how long it will take to be in quarantine, whether you are vaccinated or not because we see some people who have been vaccinated still having issues to come back into the country and still have to quarantine.”
Following the new restrictions on the number of persons being allowed to congregate, Marcano said he has also had to make some adjustments in training.
“There is a lot of things that we have to take into place here where it comes to training at the facilities and trying to stay in coherence with what the government is stating,” stressed Marcano.
“So our numbers have been reduced and we now have to work on training with groups of five and therefore it takes longer to cover certain topics in the training scheme.
“We now have to ask ourselves, will we get through with what we want to do in the short space of time.
We had planned for 50 sessions in this period to cover certain technical and tactical stuff but is that possible again seeing that we have to reduce numbers in training, I think maybe not.
Looking ahead, Marcano an FIH Educator, admitted that there is also a lot of logistics that have to be work out and a lot of things that have to be made a priority.
“We need to decide what it is that we want to be successful in the tournament coming up.”
“But again there are challenges and we have to roll over these challenges the same as any other game as we can't just say this is the reason why so we just have to keep fighting and finding solutions as to best we can be effective in our training and also to perform well in the tournament,” ended Marcano.
The Trinidad Guardian
NCAA Division I Final Four Umpires Appointed
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – After this past weekend’s NCAA Division I First and Second Round games, five USA Field Hockey Umpire Members have been selected to officiate at the NCAA Division I Semifinals and Final coming up this weekend. These individuals were selected based on their performance during the NCAA First and Second Rounds.
USA Umpire Mary Driscoll officiates the 2019 women's Pan American Games Final between Argentina and Canada in Lima, PeruMary Driscoll is an International Hockey Federation (FIH) Advancement Panel umpire who has been officiating since 2013. With 48 international games under her belt, her experience has grown on the international stage to include the FIH Women's Series Finals, Pan American Games, Pan American Cup, and many USA test series. Driscoll had the honor of officiating in the 2019 Pan American Games Final, her most recent international event. She has been officiating for the NCAA for eight years and this is her sixth Final Four appointment.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Division I Final Four this year with a talented group of Umpires,” said Driscoll. “I look forward to the exciting games and new memories!”
USA Umpire Mallory Federoff officiates the 2019 NCAA Division III Championship between West Chester and Saint Anselm at Millersville University in PennsylvaniaMallory Federoff is USA’s newest face in the umpire scene. She only started officiating in 2016 and has one official international cap to her name and that was in a 2019 U.S. Women’s National Team test series against Canada in Lancaster, Pa. She is a USA Field Hockey Level II certified outdoor official who has a handful of experience within college field hockey. From 2017 through 2019, she started officiating at the Division I level and did the Division II Final Four, including being selected for the 2019 National Championship game. She umpired at the 2018 and 2019 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament and also officiated in the NCAA Division I First Round in 2019. In the fall of 2020, she was appointed to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament Semifinal. This spring, she officiated during the Big East Tournament, including the final game, as well as the NCAA Division I First and Second Round matches.
"I'm thrilled to be appointed to my first Division I Final Four,” said Federoff. “I was fortunate enough to participate as a player, and I'm very excited about experiencing the Division I Final Four from a different perspective. I look forward to working alongside an experienced crew and am happy the athletes have the opportunity to compete for a National Championship this year."
USA Umpire Maggie Giddens officiates the game between Spain and Belgium during the 2018 Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup in London, EnglandA FIH Olympic Games and International Panel umpire, Maggie Giddens got her start officiating in 2007, with the fall of 2008 being her first NCAA Division I season. She has been appointed to prominent international events over the years and has officiated in 124 international matches. These include the 2017 women’s Fintro Hockey World League Semifinals, 2017 Pan American Cup, 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, 2019 and 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro Leagues, and has been named to officiate at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This is Giddens’ sixth appointment to the Final Four.
“Tournament time is my favorite, as a player and as an umpire,” said Giddens. “I love being a part of this game at this point in the season and it is going to be an exciting competitive Big Ten/ACC showdown.”
USA Umpire Benjamin Peters officiates a 2019 college game between Penn State and California at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaBenjamin Peters, a FIH Advancement Panel umpire, has 40 international games experience, started officiating at the age of 15 and has since been traveling the world umpiring at various events. He received his international badge in 2012. In 2015, he was in California for the FIH Hockey World League Round 2, and in 2016 he was in Canada for the men’s Junior Pan American Championship. His coverage extended overseas when he officiated at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, 2018 South American Games in Bolivia, 2018 U-18 European Championships in Spain and 2019 men’s Hockey Series Finals in France. His most recent international tournament culminated in being the reserve umpire for the men's gold medal game at the 2019 Pan American Games. Peters has been officiating in the NCAA for 13 years and this is his second Final Four appearance.
“I am very grateful for this appointment,” commented Peters. “It has been the most unusual season and getting back to [field] hockey has been a much needed escape to normal life.”
USA Umpire Suzi Sutton officiates a game during the 2018 U.S. Women's National Team against Chile test series in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaPart of the FIH Pro League Panel, Suzi Sutton has officiated 126 international matches since first picking up a whistle in 2007. She has umpired all over the world after earning her international badge, including the 2015 women’s Pan American Games in Canada, 2016 women’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Chile, 2017, FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in South Africa, 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, 2018 Champions Trophy in China, 2019 FIH Women’s Series Finals in Japan and numerous USA test series. Sutton has officiated at two NCAA Final Four weekends since 2015 as a result of having international appointments fall during the same time.
“It is an honor to be selected to umpire these important games for these young athletes and collegiate staffs,” said Sutton. “As I reflect on umpiring field hockey during this unique year, my hope is that they valuable life lessons learned through sport will lead to one of these talented athletes/staff members making a positive difference in our world for others in the future.”
Taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. at Karen Shelton Stadium, the NCAA Division I Semifinals and Final will be held Friday, May 7 and Sunday, May 9. The first Semifinal will take place on May 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET between No. 1 North Carolina and No. 4 Iowa. The second Semifinal will take place at 4:00 p.m. ET between No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Louisville. Both Semifinal games will be available on ESPN3. The NCAA Final will be held May 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET and will air on ESPNU.
USFHA media release
Iowa field hockey reignites national championship chase
After nearly a year off, Iowa field hockey could win its second-ever NCAA title with two more wins in 2020-21.
Hannah Kinson
Iowa midfielder Ellie Holley waits for the ball during a field hockey game against Maryland on Sunday, April 4, 2021. “[We] kind of took it as an opportunity,” Holley said. “We took the fall as yeah our season was canceled, but we had seven freshmen and in season it can be really hard to bond because you’re just so busy. And having the four or five months to actually get to know the freshmen, going into a spring season we’re such a unit now that it’s, we’re not, you know, wasting time with the ‘Oh, hi. Where’d you like the ball? What’s your name?’ Like we all know each other so well. I think that’s really helped us flourish.” Hannah Kinson
Coming off a Big Ten Tournament win in 2019, the Iowa field hockey team was forced to delay nearly an entire year of progress during 2020. The limitations of the pandemic interrupted training, team development, and championship plans, but ultimately brought the team closer together during an extended offseason.
A third of the team is made up of players from countries other than the U.S. Four of those international athletes reflected on the struggles and benefits of playing a spring season, while balancing a life halfway across the globe. Forward Maddy Murphy, one of five children in her family, is from a small town in northern Tasmania, and midfielder Ellie Holley, one of three daughters, is from a city in southern England. With an extra year of eligibility, both seniors will graduate in December after the fall 2021 season. Living about an hour away from Holley’s city, sophomore midfielder Esme Gibson is from a small town in the hilly midlands of England, and junior defender Anthe Nijziel is from the southern part of the Netherlands. Although their families are across the ocean, these athletes have found a home at the University of Iowa.
“To talk about how COVID kind of changed, it was just a lot of sacrifice,” Holley said. “We have a lot of like COVID team rules, and I just think that shows the commitment of the team, how much we wanted a season. And how committed our team is to supporting each other and protecting each other while also just trying to keep on our goals of trying to go all the way.”
The Daily Iowan
Iowa field hockey’s Ciara Smith continues to thrive in the postseason
Smith had another vital postseason goal against Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals this weekend.
Ben Palya
Iowa forward Ciara Smith watches for the ball during the fourth quarter of a field hockey game against Maryland on Friday, April 2, 2021 at Grant Field. The Hawkeyes were defeated by the Terrapins, 1-0. With two minutes left in the game, Iowa took their goalkeeper off the field in favor of adding another player on offense. Hannah Kinson
Some players do not like the pressure of big games and the postseason, but Iowa field hockey forward Ciara Smith is quite the opposite.
The junior from Virginia impressed in Sunday’s NCAA Elite Eight game against No. 5 Northwestern and scored the opener for Iowa on its way to a 3-1 win.
Her goal against Northwestern came early in just the sixth minute of play and set the tone for the rest of the game. Sophomore midfielder Sofie Stribos served up a strong cross into the middle of the arc and Smith managed to get her stick to the ball before the nearest defender could get a block in.
The ball slid under the goalkeeper, and Iowa never looked back.
“She had a fantastic warmup,” Iowa head coach Lisa Cellucci said. “So we wanted to get her in the game early. It was great for her to put in that first goal, and I was so proud of her performance today.”
This is not the first time Smith has come up clutch in the postseason. In the Round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season against Duke, she had the game of her life.
Smith opened the game strong by giving a smart assist to Leah Zellner with just over five minutes gone in the match. After the assist, she became the goalscorer. An assist from senior forward Maddy Murphy set up Smith to bury a shot and carve out a 2-0 lead. She was not done yet.
After an Iowa shot was blocked, Smith was there to follow up and put the ball away to create a 3-0 that was too big of a deficit for the Blue Devils to overcome. The Hawkeyes ran out 3-2 winners, and Smith finished with a career-best five points in one game.
Smith loves the challenge of competitive games, especially when the postseason rolls around.
“I’ve always felt like I thrive in tournament season, and I find the pressure to be motivating and push me even further,” Smith said. “Having the Duke game last year gave me some confidence going into the game.”
Although Smith is not a starter, she is the first off the bench and gets plenty of minutes. Thanks to her athleticism, she creates energy up front, and is important in pressing and winning balls back in dangerous areas.
Since getting on campus, Smith has grown tremendously as an athlete. After getting game time in seven matches her freshman year, Smith started four times during her sophomore campaign and played in 21 matches.
Smith has taken her fitness levels to the next level after the COVID-19 offseason. With that, Smith feels she is now more able to focus on her skill without having to worry about being fatigued. Her improved skill has also helped her individual defense. Although Smith is an attacking player, she has an important role of being the first line of the press.
“As an attacker, my individual defense when it comes down to pressing [is important],” Smith said. “I want to be able to find moments to break up the play and counterattack with speed.”
Smith will have another chance to shine against No. 1 North Carolina in the Final Four Friday at noon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The Daily Iowan
Thunder and Lightning sweep academy series
Scottish Hockey’s talent pathway athletes made a welcome return to competitive action last weekend. The under 18 Academy Series was arranged at short notice as the Scottish Government Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed in mid-April, thus allowing under 18’s to train and compete again, with the matches taking place before the start of the school exam period.
The weekend’s activity gave the players two welcome competitive opportunities – and our national coaches an opportunity to see where the players are at, following the long lay off due to the pandemic. Despite the long lay-off the matches were highly competitive with performances only slightly affected by the long time away from activity.
The girl’s competition saw the unbeaten Glasgow Thunder emerge victorious in a tight “winner takes all” contest in the final match against the Dundee Devils at the picturesque Kilgraston School. An Ava Smith penalty stroke was all that separated the two sides.
In the boys’ competition, Edinburgh Lightning also came through undefeated. A tight encounter and late winner gave them a 2-1 victory over Glasgow Thunder under the Friday night lights of Clydesdale. This was followed by a clinical performance against Dundee Devils the next day at Peffermill, with four goals for Charlie Jack sealing a comfortable win for the bolts.
A big thank you goes out to the venues, parents, coaches, players and umpires who all committed to getting the activity happening at short notice. Hopefully this will be the start of a long summer of opportunity and activity for all our aspiring young athletes.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Moscow Olympics hockey gold medallist MK Kaushik hospitalised with COVID-19
The 66-year-old Dronacharya Award-winning coach’s wife is also recovering from coronavirus.
By Naveen Peter
Moscow Olympics hockey gold medallist MK Kaushik hospitalised with COVID-19 Picture by Kiren Rijiju/Twitter
Former Indian hockey player and a member of the gold medal-winning team from the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, MK Kaushik has been admitted into a nursing home in New Delhi after testing positive for COVID-19.
The 66-year-old, who also served as chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, was admitted on April 24 after a CT scan on his chest detected signs of pneumonia due to the infection.
MK Kaushik had developed symptoms on April 17 but earlier tests came negative.
“His condition is between, neither stable nor serious,” his son Ehsan told PTI. “His oxygen level drops drastically at night which is a major issue.”
MK Kaushik's wife is also admitted to the same nursing home after she too tested positive for the novel coronavirus but is recovering well and is likely to be discharged later this week.
MK Kaushik was a vital member of the Indian team that won the gold medal at Moscow 1980. The former Indian hockey player from Haryana scored three goals at the 1980 Olympics, including one in the final where India beat Spain for their eighth Olympic title.
India, led by Vasudevan Baskaran then, enjoyed an unbeaten run in the competition winning three and drawing two of their five matches in the preliminary stages to finish second behind Spain and qualify for the gold medal match.
In what was an end-to-end final at the Dynamo Minor Arena, the Indians won 4-3 courtesy of Mohamed Shahid’s heroics.
MK Kaushik was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1998 while his contributions as a coach were recognised with the Dronacharya Award in 2002.
Olympic Channel
Passion for youth drives Volunteer of the Year
2020 Hockey New Zealand Volunteer of the Year – Judith Quinlan (North Harbour)
Judith Quinlan is someone North Harbour Hockey feels like they’d be lost without.
As a volunteer, her passion for all participants in our game is hard to match. She is extremely caring for our youth and just wants everyone to have a positive experience with hockey.
Quinlan wears several hats for her hockey whānau at North Harbour Hockey – from being a member of multiple working groups and committees, to coaching primary school winter and summer teams, managing the ABC Division 1 team, and being a founding member of the Warkworth Club Committee.
In 2020, she acted as the Auckland Intercity Competition Match Official, officiating at least one game a week as a match judge or timer in the 17-week long competition.
Our Volunteer of the Year also worked in the development and participation space with roles such as the Tournament Director for the Upper North Island Secondary School Tournament which was delivered under Level 2 requirements.
In addition, Quinlan assisted as the co-ordinator of youth hockey delivery sessions in Level 2 lockdown as well as being a volunteer collaborator for the Harbour Hockey at Home programme.
The aim of this programme was to provide development opportunities for our primary-aged children to keep them involved in hockey when they were stuck at home. It also helped parents break up the day-to-day teaching lessons. Thirty kids signed up to take part.
On top of all this, she finds time to play for the Warkworth Division 2 team who won their grade last year earning promotion into Division 1.
Quinlan gives her time so willingly, expects nothing in return, and is the true definition of all our sport’s values.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Hockey India mourns death of former India junior player Sanjib Barla
Barla died in Rourkela due to COVID-19 related complications on Sunday.
Hockey India on Wednesday mourned the death of former India junior player Sanjib Barla, who died in Rourkela due to COVID-19 related complications. He was 34 and died on Sunday.
Barla, who was part of the Indian junior men's camp in 2009, played for Odisha in various domestic hockey competitions. He also worked for Western Railways in Mumbai.
"Sanjib was an integral part of the hockey circuit in Odisha and he will be deeply missed by all of us," HI President Gyanendro Ningombam said in a condolence message.
"We are extremely saddened to hear the news of his passing and we extend our deepest condolences to Sanjib's family and friends. May they have the strength to pass through this terrible time."
Sportstar