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All the news for Thursday 9 October 2014

Australians go in search of double gold

FIH speak to Graham Reid and Adam Commens


(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)

Both the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos have experienced Ric Charlesworth’s Midas touch over the past two decades, but will the Champions Trophy be a happy hunting ground for his successors?

Some might say that Graham Reid and Adam Commens are two of the luckiest men in hockey. Coaching the world number one men’s team and world number two women’s team must be as good as it gets as a hockey coach, isn’t it?

However, taking over a team at the top isn’t necessarily a smooth ride, especially when you are following in the footsteps of a maestro – in this case, Ric Charlesworth.

Adam Commens has been coach of the Hockeyroos for three years, so the Charlesworth era of 1993-2000 is long gone, but it has been a while since the Hockeyroos added to their medal collection at a major event. The last Olympic gold was 2000, the last World Cup gold was 2004 and the Champions Trophy last yielded gold in 2003 – but things are changing.

“Since 2011 we have been building our squad with an eye towards Rio,” explains Commens. “It is always difficult to prepare for one Olympic Games and still have a view of the future, but we were able to do that quite well, and transition 9-10 new players into the Hockeyroos since 2012.”

Commens has put a heavy emphasis on developing a new culture and this extends to the coaching staff as well. “As a staff we challenged ourselves and sought ways to get each player to perform at ‘personal best’ levels at the major tournaments.”

At the Champions Trophy, Commens expects the Hockeyroos to dominate penalty corners, both attack and defence. “We have a dual threat at the head of the circle with Jodie Kenny and Anna Flanagan, as well as two world class goalkeepers in Rachael Lynch and Ashlee Wells. We are also a team that is physical and can put a lot of defensive pressure on our opponents.

Adam Commens speaks with the assurance of a man who knows he is making good progress. For Graham Reid, the challenge is to step straight into Ric Charlesworth’s shoes on the back of the gold medal at the World Cup. He hasn't made a bad start, prior to his official appointment as head coach, Reid and Paul Gaudoin – now senior assistant coach – oversaw the team that won gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Speaking about his new role, Reid says: “Paul Gaudoin and myself have been an integral part of the development of both the athlete group and our way of play for five years. The athletes are familiar with our styles and techniques and the changes we will be making, will be a natural extension and evolution.”

Change to the way things are done is inevitable, says Reid: “You don't throw the baby out with the bath water or make radical changes for change sake, but it is very dangerous to keep doing the same things and expect the same results.”

In preparation for the Champions Trophy, Reid sees refocussing as the biggest challenge facing the Kookaburras. “A fair few of the boys have been on an extended break since the Commonwealth Games in August and have needed to regenerate. Others have been playing in Holland and the New Zealand national league and have had a limited break, so we will need to be aware of this as we begin our preparation.”

Reflecting on the Kookaburra’s consistency, Reid cites a number of factors. “Flexibility of positions, use of interchange, development of our Kookaburra culture of ‘Seeking Greatness’, width and depth of squad and a ‘competitive uncomfortableness’ for everyone involved in the programme, have all contributed to our success.”

The last word goes to Commens, and serves as a warning to rivals: “We have reached the final in every FIH tournament we have played in since 2012, however we need to convert these finals appearances to gold medals and this is our aim at the Champions Trophy.”

FIH site

Arulselvaraj to finalise 18-man squad by Saturday

by Aftar Singh


National Juniors coach S. Arulselvaraj giving instruction to the players during a training session at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

KUALA LUMPUR: National Juniors coach S. Arulselvaraj will name his final 18-man squad for the Sultan of Johor Cup on Saturday – the eve of the tournament.

There are 27 players in the training squad and seven will be axed after the two friendlies against Britain on Thursday and Friday.

Two players – defender Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Zain (ankle) and midfielder Nor Azrul Abdul Rahman (foot) – are already out of the team because of injuries.

Arulselvaraj, who coached the national senior team for the Incheon Asian Games, hopes that the system of play he introduced to the players would work well in the friendlies.

“I’m not setting any targets for the team as most of them are young, with an average of 18.

“Some of them have not even played in a single tournament this year,” said Arulselvaraj, who is assisted by two former internationals Mohd Amin Rahim and Jivan Mohan.

“I will try all the players out in the two friendlies before naming the final squad.”

The team left for Johor Baru on Wednesday.

The tournament is part of the Project squad’s preparation for next year’s Junior Asia Cup, which is the qualifying tournament for the 2016 Junior World Cup in New Delhi.

The Star of Malaysia

Exhausted Shahril to soldier on in Sultan of Johor Cup

by Aftar Singh


Mohd Shahril Saabah (bottom) does not want hockey fans to expect too much from him in the Sultan of Johor Cup. — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR: Seven months of almost non-stop action has taken its toll on national forward Mohd Shahril Saabah.

The 20-year-old has played in five major tournaments for the national senior team since March – Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (March), Champions Challenge I in Kuantan (April), World Cup in The Hague (May), Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (July) and the recent Incheon Asian Games in South Korea.

Although he is dead tired, he’s willing to soldier on and lead the line in the Sultan of Johor Cup, which begins on Sunday at Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru.

However, he does not want hockey fans to expect too much from him.

“It’s never easy playing five tournaments in a row. Expectations will be on me to deliver the goals again in the Sultan of Johor Cup,” he said.

“But it’s not going to be easy for me to score ... not after failing to net a single goal in the Incheon Asian Games, (where Malaysia finished fourth).”

The Kuala Lumpur-born penalty corner drag flicker, with 30 international caps to his credit, netted eight goals in last year’s Sultan of Johor Cup to be become the top scorer in the Under-21 tournament.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge for me to live up to my tag as the top scorer again ... as well as being the most experienced forward in the Project 2016 squad,” said Shahril, who will be featuring in his third Sultan of Johor Cup.

He explained that he was able to net eight goals last year because “we had a solid team with the presence of several national senior players” like defenders Mohd Izad Hakimi and Faiz Helmi Jali; midfielders Mohd Firti Saari and Meor Mohamed Azuan Hasan; and forward Mohd Firhan Ashaari.

“But most of the national players are not eligible to play this time as they are above 21 years old. The only other one eligible is midfielder Meor, who also played in the Incheon Asiad,” said Shahril.

“The Project 2016 squad only started training in May and the Sultan of Johor Cup will be our first tournament this year. So, it’s not going to be easy for us to even reach the final.”

The Project 2016 squad will open their campaign against Australia on Sunday. The other teams in the fray are defending champions India, Pakistan, Britain and New Zealand.

The Star of Malaysia

'Asiad gold to motivate India hockey colts in Johor Cup'

NEW DELHI: The senior team's gold at the just-concluded Asian Games after a hiatus of 16 years will inspire the Indian colts to defend its Sultan of Johor Cup title to begin in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on October 12, said junior men's side captain Harjeet Singh.

A spirited India outclassed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-2 in a nerve-wrecking shoot-out to regain the Asian Games men's hockey gold medal after a gap of 16 years and also seal a direct entry into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

And Harjeet said he and his teammates want to acknowledge the seniors achievement by retaining the Sultan of Johor Cup title.

"Our team is upbeat at the moment and we are looking forward to retaining the title for India. We are also inspired by our senior team and want to bring home the trophy as an acknowledgment to the pride they have brought to the country and add to the glory of the game," Harjeet said on the sidelines of the team's practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.

"We have been working on our technique and strategies for the past few months and are confident of implementing those strategies on ground, against our opponents."

India's junior men's team coach Harendra Singh the Asian Games gold of the senior team has come as a motivation for the junior colts ahead of the Johor Cup.

"The young players are motivated by the senior team's gold in the recently-concluded Asian Games and also want to achieve similar feat in the upcoming tournament. We are the defending champions and have set new targets for this tournament and we are working day and night to achieve those targets," he said.

"We are preparing in the right direction for the Sultan of Johor Cup and the players are prepared. Our aim is to play good hockey and utilise all our opportunities during matches."

The fourth edition of the tournament will see six teams clashing for the title and the matches are scheduled to be played at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium at Johor Bahru, Malaysia from October 12 to 19.

The Indian colts are scheduled to depart for Malaysia on October 9.

The Times of India

Junior hockey team to depart for Malaysia on Thursday

By Nabil Tahir

KARACHI: A new-look Pakistan hockey junior team will leave from Lahore for Malaysia on Thursday to participate in the 4th Sultan of Johor Cup 2014.

Out of 46 probables, the final 18 were selected on October 5 in the presence of the Islahuddin Siddiqui-led selection committee at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, while the camp was concluded on the same date due to Eid holidays.

“We’re sending the team to give the players a much-needed international exposure,” said Islahuddin. “It will take four years before we can expect anything from the youngsters.”

The probables received 12 days training under the supervision of the national junior team’s head coach Manzoorul Hassan.

“This will be the first team match for the selected players. They haven’t experienced any team training, we only worked on strategy of the game in this training camp,” Hassan told The Express Tribune.

Commenting on the expected performance of the team, the coach said that their target is the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“We aren’t expecting them to win in the upcoming tournament, but if they do, it will be a bonus,” said Hassan. “The best 16 players will be trained constantly till 2016 by selecting a different player for each tournament on the basis of their performance.”

The fourth edition of the Sultan Johor Cup, which will commence on October 12, will see a total of six teams comprising hosts Malaysia, defending champions India, Pakistan, Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand. The classification matches and the finals of the tournament are scheduled to be played on October 19.

On the opening day, Pakistan face Great Britain after which they will be up against Australia on October 13, followed by India on October 15, New Zealand on October 16 and Malaysia on October 18.

The Express Tribune

All to play for in the AHL

Ahead of Friday's final pool games, it's tight in Adelaide and Brisbane



In the women's Australian Hockey League powered by Premier Technology Solutions, a 2-2 between the Victorian Vipers and WA Diamonds looked as if it would cause serious harm to both side’s prospects of reaching Saturday’s AHL final, but a 1-1 deadlock between Queensland Scorchers and NSW Arrows means there’s everything to play for on Friday. Penalty corner attack was on top in the Vipers-Diamonds contest with WA’s Jemma Buckley scoring twice from the set piece, sandwiching Laura Desmet’s strike and Lucy Ockenden’s corner. The result leaves both teams with one point in Pool C, behind both NSW Arrows and Queensland Scorchers who each have four points. Tournament top scorer Jodie Kenny put the Scorchers ahead with a trademark penalty corner but Hockeyroos teammate Casey Eastham popped up at the other end late on to equalise for the Arrows.

In Pool D, competing for fifth to eighth places, Tasmania’s Van Demons and ACT’s Canberra Labor Club Strikers put themselves in a good position for the battle for fifth and sixth with victories over NT Pearls and SA Southern Suns respectively. Renee Taylor and Hannah Reid struck for the Van Demons to earn the Tassie women their first win in this year’s AHL. ACT were grateful for Naomi Evans’ early double, quickly followed on the stroke of quarter time by a Jenna Cartwright goal. Captain Eddie Bone and Laura Gray also found the target while the Southern Suns’ goals came courtesy of Gabi Nance and Ashleigh Roberson.  

Things are looking even better for the Tasmanian men in Adelaide. The Tassie Tigers’ 5-3 win over Victorian Vikings puts them on top of Pool C and on the verge of a first AHL grand final appearance since 2006. A draw with WA Thundersticks on Friday would be enough to secure that appearance on Saturday while they could even progress with a defeat, if the Vikings fail to beat Queensland Blades. On target for the Tassie Tigers, who were never behind, were Paul Ancher twice, Sam McCambridge, Jeremy Edwards and captain Eddie Ockenden. Adam Seccull, Josh Pollard and Chris Ciriello struck for Victoria; Ciriello is joint leading scorer with five goals.

Defending champions Queensland Blades have an uphill task if they’re to reach the final after they went down 3-1 to WA Thundersticks. With Athens Olympic gold medal winners Matthew Wells and Nathan Eglington coaching from opposing dugouts, Dylan Wotherspoon gave the Blades an early lead but the Thundersticks hit back in the last 20 minutes through Chris Bausor and a double from Trent Mitton.

In men’s Pool D, SA Southern Hotshots and SRA Territory Stingers played out the highest scoring match of the tournament so far, a 5-4 win for the Stingers, their first victory of the tournament. In a match in which they were never behind, two goals from Jeremy Hayward and strikes by Duncan Pearce, Adrian Lockley and Belema Dede proved critical. SA Southern Hotshots’ scorers included Matthew Claxton – the brother of Hockeyroo and SA Southern Sun, Jane – and Marcus Child, SA’s New Zealander import. Cameron White and Alastair Oliver were also on target. NSW Waratahs are safe in knowledge they will contest the fifth-sixth classification game on Saturday after their 4-2 win over RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers. Blake Govers’ double took him to joint-top of the goal scoring charts while Joshua Walters and Josh Miller also struck. The Lakers and SRA Territory Stingers will effectively play off on Friday to join the Waratahs in Saturday’s fifth place playoff.

Women's AHL results - Wednesday (day four)
Brisbane, QLD

NT Pearls (NT) 0-2 Tassie Van Demons (TAS)
Canberra Labor Club Strikers (ACT) 5-2 SA Southern Suns (SA)
Victorian Vipers (VIC) 2-2 WA Diamonds (WA)
Queensland Scorchers (QLD) 1-1 NSW Arrows

Pool C
1. NSW Arrows (NSW) 4
2. Queensland Scorchers (QLD) 4
3. Victorian Vipers (VIC) 1
4. WA Diamonds (WA) 1

Pool D
1. Canberra Labor Club Strikers (ACT) 6
2. Tassie Van Demons (TAS) 4
3. SA Southern Suns (SA) 1
4. NT Pearls (NT) 0

For women's fixtures, match sheets, squad lists, scoring charts and more visit hockey.org.au/ahlwomen.

On Saturday, watch the final day of the women's tournament live online here.

Women’s Fixtures – Friday
Pool C: Queensland Scorchers v WA Diamonds (17:30), Victorian Vipers v NSW Arrows (19:30)
Pool D: NT Pearls v SA Southern Suns (13:30), Canberra Labor Club Strikers v Tassie Van Demons (15:30)

Men's AHL results - Wednesday (day four)
Adelaide, SA

SA Southern Hotshots (SA) 4-5 SRA Territory Stingers (NT)
RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers (ACT) 2-4 NSW Waratahs (NSW)
Queensland Blades (QLD) 1-3 WA Thundersticks (WA)
Tassie Tigers (TAS) 5-3 Victorian Vikings (VIC)

Pool C
1. Tassie Tigers (TAS) 6
2. WA Thundersticks (WA) 3
3. Victorian Vikings (VIC) 3
4. Queensland Blades (QLD) 0

Pool D 
1. NSW Waratahs (NSW) 6
2. RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers (ACT) 3
3. SRA Territory Stingers (NT) 3
4. SA Southern Hotshots (SA) 0

For men's fixtures, match sheets, squad lists, scoring charts and more visit hockey.org.au/ahlmen.

Watch every match from the men's AHL on Friday and Saturday live online here.

Men’s Fixtures – Friday
Pool C: Tassie Tigers v WA Thundersticks (17:30), Queensland Blades v Victorian Vikings (19:30)
Pool D: SA Southern Hotshots v NSW Arrows (13:30), RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakes v SRA Territory Stingers (15:30)

Hockey Australia media release

Rot Weiss the Pool C favourites

It’s two days to go until we tip off the 2014/15 edition of the world’s greatest club competition with the Euro Hockey League returning to the stunning Pau Negre Satdium in Barcelona.

Twelve teams will battle it out for four tickets to the KO16. We look at the runners and riders in the competition, starting off with the contenders in the early games each day this weekend, the clubs of Pool C – WKS Grunwald Poznan, Germany’s Rot Weiss Köln and Italy’s HC Bra.

Bra meet Grunwald on Friday at 10am before Rot Weiss make their entry at the same time against the Polish side. Sunday sees Bra back in action against the German representatives at 9.30am.

Rot Weiss Köln

Playing in their fifth EHL in six years, they will be looking to build upon the career high fourth place finish that they achieved in the 2012-13 edition and are favourites to top this group. They did, however, suffer their first defeat of the German league last Sunday against fellow-EHL side UHC Hamburg despite having taken the lead with a beautiful Christoper Zeller goal.

"We have learned our lessons from it and go the first EHL games with full concentration," says the Rot-Weiss coach Frederik Merz about that game. He can draw on almost his entire squad with only Philipp Zeller a doubt with a thumb injury. They will meet a Bra side they beat 11-1 in 2009 in Paris and Merz says of that day: “They are naturally beautiful memories, but it is also dangerous to take such opponents too lightly.”

They have three double gold medal winners in their panel but the departure of Jan-Marco Montag to city rivals Blau-Weiss will be keenly felt in the drag-flicking department.

WKS Grunwald Poznan

WKS Grunwald Poznan are one of just two fixtures in the Euro Hockey League - along with Dinamo Kazan - to take part in every season since the very first edition of the tournament way back in 2007/08. They must play in the first round due to their 3-1 Polish grand final loss to Pomorzanin Torun and so have a tough ask ahead of them if they are to undo Rot Weiss Koln and Italy's HC Bra and claim a KO16 berth.

With five wins from six outings – the other being a draw – Grunwald are leading the way in the Polish league, scoring an incredible 42 goals already with Artur Mikula netting 13 of them and Karol Majchrzaklanding eight. #

Speaking about the group ahead, coach and 1980 Olympian Jerzy Wybieralskisays: “In myopinion, Rot-Weiss are the most difficult opponent looking at the results this season and are a very experienced team of former and current national players.

“The Italian team has not started their league games yet because of the World League so I’m sure that my team will be better tactically prepared!”

HC Bra

Hockey Club Bra is the only team that has ever represented Italy in the EHL and will participate this year for the third time after Amsterdam in 2008 and Paris in 2009. The Italian title won last season was the fifth of its history and probably their most celebrated, coming as it did with the playoff finals being played in their hometown.

They started their league last weekend with a 6-1 win against CHL San Vito Romano with Loris Perelli, Priyesh Bhana, Joseph Bartholomew and Massimo Lanzano among the scorers. They have a cosmopolitan look to their panel with Bhana and Bartholomew – as well as David Green – all hailing from New Zealand, Czech livewire Ondrej Vudmaska and Argentine Fernando Ferrara all in their panel.

They also have registered UHC Hamburg heroes Patrick Breitenstein and Carlos Nevado – who previously played indoors for the club – who could make a huge difference.

Euro Hockey League media release

Atlètic Terrassa the Pool D host to Kelburne and Arminen



Second group on the agenda each day in Barcelona this weekend is the battle for Pool D with Scotland’s Bromac Kelburne and Austria’s SV Arminen looking to get one over on local club Atlètic Terrassa

On day one it is the battle of the Scots and the Austrians (12.30pm) before Atlètic enter the fray on Saturday to play Arminen (12.30pm) and Kelburne on Sunday (12pm).

Bromac Kelburne

Bromac Kelburne have competed in all but one of the previous seven seasons of the EuroHockey League, and are once again Scotland’s representatives in Europe’s premier club competition. The Glasgow-based club, who have won the last ten Scottish championships and have started in brilliant fashion this year, beating Watsonians 11-0, Dundee Wanderers 10-0 and Gordonians 3-2.

They are refreshed after a two week break from league games and contain a number of Scottish international players, including Michael Bremner, Chris Nelson and Iain Scholefield; players who will be aiming to put their experience of the Commonwealth Games of Glasgow 2014 to good use and fire Kelburne into the knock-out stages.

“We are stronger than last year and we believe we can get to the last 16,” captain Johnny Christie says. “We have a great mix of youth and experience in the side, from old guys like me at 33 who have competed in many European competitions to young Jack McKenzie at 18, this being his first experience of EHL hockey.”

Atlètic Terrassa

Atlètic Terrassa are back for a seventh shot at the Euro Hockey League, hoping to break through in the new competition having been crowned European champions on two occasions (1985 and 1998) in the old format.

They come into the competition off the back of a 3-3 draw with local rivals CD Terrassa in the Spanish Honour Division with Marc Salles, Frenchman Gaspard Baumgarten and Albert Beltran but Marc Miralles scored for CD Terrassa at the death to tie the game.

They have a predominantly local look with Jason Niles an import from New Zealand. Salles is hoping for big home support

“We have a lot of people who come every Sunday and enjoy the way we play. Moreover we have "Corner Groc" – which means yellow corner in Catalan – they always stay at the side where we attack in the second half. “We are very proud to have them singing, shouting, screaming, and giving us the extra power we need; they even have an individual song for each player.”

SV Arminen

SV Arminen endured a baptism of fire on debut last year with a 5-0 loss to England's Surbiton but a fighting 3-1 defeat to EuroHockey League veterans Real Club de Polo showed a strong appetite for the battle and will stand to the Austrian champions.

They started their league campaign in good health, winning two games and drawing one, beating HC Wien last weekend on a 5-0 scoreline. Sebastian Eitenberger netted twice while Pit Rudofsky, Florian Steyrer and Dominic Uher scored the other goals.

Player-coach Dariusz Rachwalski - Poland's captain at the 2013 European championships - marshals the team  and says his side will use last year as an inspiration

“Last year’s EHL was also the first one for our team and it was a really important experience for us,” he said. “I think we showed that we can compete on this level. These games are crucial for the development of the team and they helped us on many levels. We have a lot of footage to analyse and we are motivated and focused on our goals.”

Euro Hockey League media release

Pool B - The Debutants Ball!



The Debutants Ball, Pool B features three newcomers to the EHL, all looking to make their mark in the competition in Barcelona. Monkstown have been the stars of Irish hockey for the last two years, winning almost everything in sight.

They tip off against French runners-up Racing Club de France on Friday at 3pm before lining out against Belgian stars Daring on Saturday at the same time. The group comes to an exciting end on Sunday when Racing play Daring at 2.30pm

Monkstown

One of the oldest hockey clubs in Ireland, Monkstown are making their Euro Hockey League debut this season. They do so off the back of winning the European Club Champions Trophy in June 2014, their first taste of European club competition, and are double Irish champions, having won the Irish Hockey League in 2012/2013 and again in 2013/2014.

This season, they drew their first game of the Leinster league – their home competition – before winning four games in succession to share top spot in their league. They have injury doubts over Peter Caruth and Andrew Ward but have a number of new arrivals this season including Thomas Sonntag from Germany and Fabian Wullschleger from Switzerland.

Captain Stephen Cole is looking forward to the challenge: “I think all the teams in our group have the ability to progress and that is definitely our main target heading to Barcelona. We will be confident knowing if we perform as a team that we are in with a shout of the KO16.”

Royal Daring

The fairytale story of the 2013/14 season in Belgium, they are now backing up that breakthrough season with a brilliant start to the Audi League, unbeaten in seven games, highlighted by their most recent success against Royal Leopold.

There is still plenty of Latin flavour to their panel, however, with World Cup bronze medal winner Manuel Brunet and stalwart Spanish international defender Sergi Enrique in the line-up as is former Terrassa goalkeeper Pol Gascon-Garcia Sala.

Tanguy Cosyns has been in superb form this season while his brother Jof captains the team. Speaking about Daring’s chances, he said: "On paper, we should be able to beat them but the EHL is a new competition for Daring, and it is not in our style to underestimate opponents.

"Irish and French teams are known to have a never-endless fighting spirit. Therefore we will play these games with a very high concentration and focus from the start.

Racing Club de France

Racing Club de France are playing in a first round group full of Euro Hockey League debutants, taking on Belgium's Daring and Ireland's Monkstown. They qualified for the competition as French runners-up to St Germain, just missing out on a first title in 18 years.

They lead the way currently in the first phase of the men’s elite competition in France, winning three games out of five but they were shaded by Lille in the final build-up game.

They will look to the likes of Jean David Koch, Simon Martin-Brisac and Olivier Sanchez up front while French Under-21 goalkeeper Corentin Saunier and Jean-Laurent Kieffer will also play prominent roles in how they perform in this year's maiden voyage.

Martin-Brisac says they are relishing their underdog role: “Obviously, we know that we are ‘the little thumb’ of the group and that all the predictions have Daring as winners. But that's great. We like to be in this position.”

Euro Hockey League media release

In-form Hampstead head to Surbiton


Hampstead's Richard Alexander and Will Naylor celebrate with Goalscorer Andy Hayward v Beeston, Oct 5 2014, credit Josh Dixon

HAVING battled to a draw with champions Beeston last weekend, Hampstead and Westminster will travel to Sugden Road to play high-flying Surbiton in the NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday.

Andy Hayward’s first half strike gave Hampstead the lead at Beeston, and only a Sam Ward goal in the second half ensured the spoils were shared. They will be looking to build on their great early form.

“It’s never going to be easy against Surbiton. They are looking very good, but Hampstead and Westminster are looking just as good and we’re ready to compete with the top teams and challenge for a top four spot,” said Hampstead and Westminster Manager Thea Hitchcock.

“It’s a very new team and it’s going to take time to get everybody up and running, but we had a good result against Beeston last week - they were surprised at how solid we were.”

Elsewhere, Beeston will be aiming to get back to winning ways with a home game against bottom club Brooklands Manchester University, while Canterbury and Cannock – who have both won just one of their first four games – face each other at Polo Farm.

Wimbledon host Reading in the day’s other match, while leaders East Grinstead are in European action this weekend so their match against Southgate is postponed.

The top two meet in the NOW: Pensions Conference West, with second-placed Team Bath Buccaneers playing host to leaders Cardiff and Met. With both teams boasting 100 per cent records, the match should be a cracker.

Elsewhere, Loughborough Students host Olton and West Warwickshire in the NOW: Pensions Conference North. Depending on other results, both sides could go top if they win.

Meanwhile, current leaders Bowdon head to Deeside Ramblers, while Sheffield Hallam – who were knocked off the top of the table by Bowdon last weekend – go to Doncaster.

And in the NOW: Pensions Conference East, new leaders Holcombe entertain third-placed West Herts, whilst Chichester Priory Park – who are also unbeaten – travelling to Bromley and Beckenham.

NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey League (Saturday, October 11 2014)

NOW: Pensions Premier Division
Beeston v Brooklands Manchester Univ 14:00
Canterbury v Cannock 15:00
Surbiton v Hampstead & Westminster 17:00
Wimbledon v Reading 18:00

NOW: Pensions Conference West
Barford Tigers v Indian Gymkhana 16:00
Guildford v Fareham 14:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Cardiff & Met 13:00
Univ of Birmingham v Univ of Exeter 12:30
Whitchurch v Cheltenham 13:00

NOW: Pensions Conference North
Deeside Ramblers v Bowdon 12:00
Doncaster v Sheffield Hallam 14:00
Loughborough Students v Olton & West Warwicks 14:30
Univ of Durham v Leek 12:00
Wakefield v Belper 15:00

NOW: Pensions Conference East
Bromley & Beckenham v Chichester Priory Park 14:00
Holcombe v West Herts 18:00
Old Loughtonians v Brighton and Hove 14:30
Oxted v Cambridge City 17:00
Richmond v Teddington 17:30

England Hockey Board Media release

Men's Irish Hockey League Preview

by Stephen Findlater



Monkstown are hoping to become the first team to win the competition three years in-a-row on the men’s side following two brilliant campaigns.  They have been pitted in a tough group, lining out against Leinster rivals Pembroke, Instonians, Annadale, Cookstown and newcomers UCC.  For the reigning champions, their entry into the competition is delayed as they will be in Barcelona for the first round of the Euro Hockey League (more info), their prize for last year’s successful campaign.

It means their date with Pembroke is pushed back to November 9th but their skipper Stephen Cole says that this season poses new challenges. Following two years with the IHL being played after the provincial league had been completed, this year the competition will be played at intervals throughout the season.  “The IHL is a different beast this year, starting earlier in the season,” he said. “It is hard to know what to make of your group so early on, Pembroke obviously pose a huge threat. Cookstown, Instonians and Annadale are all strong sides with high quality individuals. UCC will bring a lot of energy to the table and will have nothing to lose.”

“Becoming the first club to win it three times in a row is certainly our aim. Clearly it would be a fantastic achievement and there is a good reason it hasn't been achieved by some very impressive teams before us. We will be working hard to give ourselves the best opportunity to do so.”

His team has lost the star quality of Kyle Good to take up a professional contract in Belgium with Dragons but welcome Swiss international Fabian Wullschleger and German player Thomas Sonntag. If they can get Peter Caruth and Andrew Ward fit, they have a formidable line-up with seven full internationals in their ranks. As Cole mentions, the triple threat from Ulster will be a big ask. Annadale have brought back former internationals Chris Jackson and Davy Smyth into their panel, teaming up with young stars like Michael Robson. They start with a home date against provincial rivals Cookstown at Lough Moss. Both come into the game with unbeaten runs with seven points from three games in the Premier League.

Greg Allen’s poaching instincts have yielded over a century of goals with the wily Andy Barbour along with Stuart and Andy Smyth key to creating the chances. The County Tyrone side is always a threat, especially on their home patch at Steelweld Park.

For UCC, their debut in the competition comes via the long road to Instonians on Saturday and Fionn O’Leary is looking forward to the occasion. His side have been getting progressively closer to the top table in the past few seasons, eventually ousting Cork Harlequins in the top two in Munster.  “There is a great mood in camp since the draw has been made. We've put in a few years work to get to this stage and I think all the lads are really looking forward to getting stuck in this season. Our squad is shaping up nicely. We've been lucky because we've managed to hold on to the majority of our squad from last season. We are losing two lads, Andy Colton and Greg Chambers, who are heading off State-side to study for the year. But there's plenty promise in a few fresh faces this year.”

And he is hoping his team can cause a few surprises along the way. “It was never going to be an easy draw. We're just delighted to have UCC up there with so many other top clubs. We played Monkstown last year in the Irish Senior Cup and they are a quality side. We are really looking forward to our clash in The Mardyke this season. We acknowledge that we may be considered underdogs in our group, but we are really looking forward to trying to cause a few upsets.”

Instonians are an ever-present in the IHL, though, and have a wealth of experience in their line-up. Mark Irwin epitomises their know-how while William Robinson’s corner prowess is well known.  Pembroke will be a big challenger in the group phase with Maurice Elliott leading their line. They have added the forceful Nick Burns to their panel, adding a superb drag-flick and all-action style to general play.  Goalkeeper Mark Ingram has been in excellent form in the Leinster league to date and marshals a defence bolstered by Austrian international Matthias Podpera. However, they have also seen key players move on with goal machine Alan Sothern and Irish international centre-back Conor Harte moving to Racing Club de Bruxelles.

Based on last year’s form, Pool B looks set to be a battle royale between Banbridge, Lisnagarvey and Three Rock Rovers for the semi-final places with Cork C of I, UCD and Railway Union aiming to upset the applecart. Banbridge and Lisnagarvey were only separated in the Ulster league last season by goal difference at the head of the table but the former have stolen a march this time around with a thrilling 4-3 win on the opening day of the provincial season. They both reached the semi-finals a year ago with the Havelock Park side winning out back then, too, and with Eugene Magee, one of Ireland’s most capped players, at the heart of things, they have every chance to win their second IHL crown. Magee, along with younger brother Owen, in tandem with Drew Carlisle, Matthew Bell and towering goalkeeper Gareth Lennox, add a lot of big elements to their panel. The additions of Jamie Wright and Neil Gilmore from Portadown have added to their striking options. It makes for an intimidating trip for C of I on day one this Saturday.

The Cork side’s young charges will look to David Hobbs and John Jermyn as they pursue a first semi-final having played in each season of the IHL. Nigel Buttimer has retired but, other than that, the side is largely consistent from last term with Simon Wolfe, Richard Lynch and Richard Sweetnam all a year more experienced.

Lisnagarvey will fancy their chances against a much-changed UCD on day one. Winners in 2012, Garvey are one of the most decorated clubs in Ireland and, in Johnny Bell and Jason Lynch, have elite quality. For UCD, they have seen a large turnover in players as the natural life-span of a college team has hit hard. Shane O’Donoghue moved to Belgium with a number of his Irish team mates while Nick Burns, Conor Motyer and Luke Chadwick have all graduated. As such, they will look to Kirk Shimmins and Ross Canning along with new arrival Shane Madeley to lead their challenge in their second shot at the competition.

Three Rock Rovers, the Irish Senior Cup champions last season, were the last winners of the old Club Championships, the forerunner to the IHL, but have yet to progress beyond the semi-finals. Former captain Peter McConnell has stepped away from the first team while the team has generally a younger look to it though they can call upon a devastating forward line in the form of Jonny Bruton, Peter Blakeney and Mitch Darling. Their first game, though, is against Railway Union with whom they have played a series of high scoring ties in the past couple of years.  It is new coach David Bane’s side’s second year in the IHL and they are ambitious with a cosmopolitan panel featuring Australian, English, Polish and Spanish players to add to a base of Kenny Carroll, Eoin MacArthur, Peter and Mark English. Bane previously played in the IHL with Fingal and is targeting a semi-final; berth. “We are excited about playing the best teams in Ireland. Whilst we know we will be playing some top teams and having our first three games away, we hold no fear for anybody. When we get it right we can be a match for anybody. With games being spread out this year we will be taking each game on its own merits and we will looking to start positively in our first game against TRR.”

Their evening game at Grange Road on the new turf is definitely one of the games to watch on what is set fair to be an exciting opening weekend of the new IHL season.

Irish Hockey Association media release

Women's Irish Hockey League Preview

by Stephen Findlater



The women’s Irish Hockey League returns with a bang this weekend with local derbies and clashes of major contenders on the opening weekend of the elite club competition in Ireland.

Reigning champions UCD have already asserted themselves as the clear favourites in the early stages of the season with two strong wins in their provincial league along with a breathtaking 4-1 success against Ards in the Irish Senior Cup last weekend.

It is against that same opposition that they begin their title defence at Belfield once again in a battle of two of the island’s best teams over the past couple of years. Both have strengthened over the summer while UCD delighted to have held on to graduates Nikki Evans, Anna O’Flanagan, Jeamie Deacon and captain Sarah Greene. With Sarah Patton adding to their defensive options and Irish international Chloe Watkins back in the fold after a year playing in Madrid with Club de Campo, they are an irresistible proposition going forward.

On the Ards’ side, a lot goes through sharp-shooter Chloe Brown while Naomi Elliott is the experienced head at the back. Semi-finalists in 2013 and regular national indoor champions, they are looking to end a 50-year break since their last national outdoor title. Kerri McDonald’s return from scholarship in the US with the Richmond Spiders is a big addition while American Kendell Deck and former Irish star Emma Reid, from Armagh, have increased their options.

Philip Rankin – part of the coaching set-up with Gareth Grundie and Phil Mills – says Ards saw enough in last week’s result in the cup to grab a point or two. “We’re coming off a bad result,” he said. “But we still see enough in there to push them a lot closer and can come out with something. Over the last few seasons, I think that it has been shown there’s not a whole lot between the teams and one of these days, we will end up on the winning side.”

UCD’s Anna O’Flanagan – a hat-trick scorer a week ago – said that she believes her side will need to up their game too: “A new competition, a new game. We’ll have a few new fresh ideas and plans and hopefully we can get the same result.”

It is one of the games to watch and tips off Pool B at 2.30pm. At the same time over in Beaufort, inaugural champions back in 2009 Loreto meet Galway side Greenfields for the very first occasion in the IHL. For Loreto, their side is much-changed with decorated internationals like Catriona O’Kelly, Cathy McKean and Louisa Healy formally retiring after impressive careers.

In their stead, they have a new breed of young players who are looking to gel quickly under the tutelage of Niall Denham who has taken the coaching reins this term. Hannah Matthews provides defensive solidity while Nikki McConnell is a livewire up front in a panel which has an average age in the very early 20s.

Greenfields are back for a second season and are the only Connacht side to qualify for the IHL having won last year’s provincial league and cup double. Former Loreto player Clodagh Grealy has been pivotal in Greenfields’ success in recent times and they will be looking to build on their single win in the competition a year ago, Mary Healy’s solo goal earning a famous win at Lurgan.

Cork Harlequins have been Munster’s standard bearers in the IHL, reaching the final of the competition in 2010. Karen Bateman and Rachael Kohler were star women that year and, after a couple of years retirement, they returned last year to great effect.

Bateman was top scorer while Kohler was named player of the season. They add to a blend that figures Cliodhna Sargent, who has 150 caps to her name, and feisty tackler Yvonne O’Byrne who is rapidly establishing herself in the national side. They finished the group stages strong last year and ended third in their group but they know they have a big battle on their hands in game one.

Ulster Elks are the visitors to Farmer’s Cross, a side who have started their local  Premier League with three wins in a row and 15 goals. Irish captain Megan Frazer and defender Shirley McCay give them a mass of experience, as does former Canadian captain Stephanie Jameson.

In Pool A, there are two provincial rivalries playing out while Lurgan and UCC lock horns. For the former, Kathryn Edgar is rapidly emerging as a star for the future, showing that talent when netting a winner last year against Hermes. With Charlene Hull and Pippa Best along with a couple of players who have emerged from the dominant local Lurgan HS – three-time Kate Russell Cup winners in recent years – to boost their charge.

They meet a UCC side who are in transition with many of the players that qualified them for this competition moving to pastures new. Miriam Crowley has switched to Bristol, Aine Curran to the Elks, Kate Harvey to Longwood in the US and Antonia McGrath is on Erasmus.

Clodagh Moloney has IHL experience with Catholic Institute while Ailbhe Coyle and Amy-Kate Trevor are strong assets but their 3-1 loss to Glenanne in the Irish Senior Cup last weekend suggests they may find this elevated tournament a tough ask. The other two ties feature four sides who are no strangers to the latter stages of national competition. Ballymoney enjoy home comforts for their game with Pegasus, their perennial rivals in Ulster’s league.

Ballymoney got over a potential banana-skin in the cup, winning 2-0 at Trinity last  Saturday with Aine Kearney and Nikki Parke on the mark. How they cope with a Pegasus side bolstered by the return of former Irish captain Alex Speers and the arrival of up and coming goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran who takes over the pads from long-time incumbent Sharon Moffett.

Vanessa Surgeoner already has eight goals to her name this season while her partnership with Suzanne Beaney is one of the most feared in Irish hockey, leading them to the 2011 IHL crown.

Hermes, meanwhile, meet Railway Union in one of the new classics in the Irish fixture list. Both sides have seen many changes to their panel over the summer and have dropped points they might not normally have in the first weeks of the season. For Hermes, Sinead McCarthy returned to England but Aisling Naughton and Sinead Loughran, back from four years in North Carolina, are flyers while Aine Connery is one of the sprightliest forwards in the game.

Railway, meanwhile, saw Jean McDonnell step away from the panel, Orla Fox move to Belgium and Speers return to her hometown. Their promotion of youth players is their method of rejuvenating though Sarah Canning is an excellent addition to the backline.

It makes for six superb match-ups to start the new season and a lively year ahead in the country’s premier club competition.

Irish Hockey Association media release

Thanksgiving Indoor Invitational Tournament Schedule

Canada to face Argentina October 11-13 in Mississauga

Two Canadian Men's Indoor National squads are set to host Argentina in an indoor test series over the Thanksgiving weekend in Mississauga as a part of its ongoing preparation for the 2015 World Cup.

After South Africa elected to remove itself from the competition, Canada and Argentina will go head-to-head in a three-team, two-nation tournament.

The two teams boast many of the world's best indoor hockey players. The action will be fast-paced, highly skilled and very competitive.

The schedule for the weekend is as follows:

Canada qualified for the 2015 World Cup with its 2014 Pan Am Cup gold medal in Uruguay earlier this year. Many of the players from that team will be competing this weekend.

Canada's rosters are:

The tournament will take place at the Hersey SportZone (5600 Rose Cherry Place) in Mississauga, Ontario. Early bird tickets can be purchased for $20 by contacting:

• Jeewan - 416-518-7187
• Ken - 416-420-8896
• Jonathan - 416-986-3592

Tickets are also available at the door for $5 but in limited quantities.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Shahnaz terms green shirts’ performance satisfactory

Mohsin Ali

RAWALPINDI - Pakistan hockey team head coach/manager Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh has termed the green shirts’ performance in the 17th Asian Games satisfactory.

Talking to The Nation, Shahnaz said: “It was the competition between a team, which is earning Rs 15 million per month, and other team which is getting Rs 1000 daily. There was absolutely no compression between Pakistan hockey team and others, as all the other Asian teams had played a lot of hockey, while we failed to play a single international event or series in last one year or so.”

Shahnaz said: “By the grace of Almighty, the green shirts managed to score 27 goals in six matches for the first time in last many years and conceded only two both against India in the pool and final. We had 53 percent possession in the final, while Indians had 47 percent possession of the ball. We played three quarters excellently, while Indians had only one quarter, the second one, in which they dominated us.”

“I am thankful to the masses for keeping us in their prayers. My players fought gallantly and never tired down even in the dying moments of the match. I had made record 24 substitutes in six matches, which means I used 40 players in every match, none of the others team managed to even come closer to that. It was my utmost commitment to utilize maximum players so that they could get much-needed exposure,” he added.

“Though we lost the final, yet one should appreciate the way the team fought. We have achieve great results in only 100 days of hard work which Indians took two years to achieve.

I am sure with the passage of time, we will be able to remove minor flaws of the players and make them ready for the big events,” he stated.

When asked about four out of five strikers failed to deliver when it mattered the most, Shahnaz rubbished the claim and defended his strike force. “Our strikers never gave up and continued to show fighting spirits. It were strikers who scored 27 goals.”

When asked about why Umar Bhutta was given go ahead to take plenty shoot out in the final, when he failed to score in the semis. “Umar is a very experienced lad and I went with the experience. I stand by Umar, as he is a proven material and will deliver for the country in the days to come.”

“We have learnt three major things from the event. First of all, we have regained that lost touch of not performing on consistent basis. Secondly, our players used to tire down in the later stages of the match and thirdly, when they failed to score, they concede lately. There is always room for improvement, I have chalked out complete strategy for the coming days and people will feel the difference once we restart practice for the uphill task of playing the Olympic qualifiers.

“One more thing I would like to share is people don’t understand one simple thing we had not win matches in the past on plenty shoot outs. Unfortunately, we had to rely on plenty shoot outs against Malaysia, which went in Indian’s favor, as they had the complete recording of the match. They noted down each and every aspect of the match, worked on the plan and they entered the final with just one aim and that was to take the match into plenty shoot outs, in which they were quite successful. Anyhow, we have learnt from the final and will not repeat the same mistake in the next matches,” Shahnaz concluded.

The Nation

Masters exhibition match

Past Kookaburras v Australian men's Masters on rest day in Perth


Image: Graham Body

An exhibition match took place in Perth, Western Australia last week at the Australian men’s Masters Championships. 

The friendly match between the two teams, consisted of past Kookaburras and current Australian men's Masters players. 

Drawing a large crowd, spectators turned up ready to be entertained by great skill and experience, alongside a good quality game of hockey. The match was enjoyed by spectators, players and officials.

Featuring the Australian men’s and women’s national head coaches, Adam Commens and Graham Reid led by example.

The idea of an exhibition match was created after Andre Cabral from the masters tournament witnessed the successful International campaigns from the Kookaburras, Hockeyroos and Masters, after their glowing performance in the Netherlands earlier this year.

Cabral hopes that the concept of an exhibition match will grow in the future, gaining hockey the exposure it deserves while most importantly having fun.

Track the 2014 men's Masters results and standings via the Hockey Australia men's Masters page.

Names of the players who participated in the exhibition match.
(First name, last name)
Adam Commens
Graham Reid
Craig Victory
John Bestall
Grant Schubert
Andre Cabral
Andrew May
Dean Dawson
Mat Hope
Brett Hocking
Dan Mayfield
Kane Wetherell
Scott Whitaker
Scott Reid
Mark Griffiths
Paul Armitage
Brian Siva
Craig Emslie
Alan Dick
Noel Morrison
Martin Ferrari
Peter Connolly
Mark Matheson
Ian Lugg
Sharon Dixon -  Physio
David Alexander - Umpire
Chris Teare  - Umpire

Hockey Australia media release

Banned hockey players to appeal


Doreen Hongo of Strathmore University and Doreen Atieno of Vikings during the Kenya Hockey Union Women Premier League match at City Park Stadium on September 28, 2014. Six players suspended by the Kenya Hockey Union a week ago for breaching union rules are set to appeal against the decision. FILE PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BRIAN YONGA

Six players suspended by the Kenya Hockey Union a week ago for breaching union rules are set to appeal against the decision.

The six, who include three national team players, forwards Davis Wanangwe, George Mutira and Allan Iningu, revealed that they plan to contest the decision to suspend them indefinitely from all hockey activities.

Others who were also suspended are Strathmore University Gladiators’ Seth Oburu, Kenya College of Accountancy University defender Gordon Odiwuor as well as Parklands Sports Club midfielder Fredrick Okeyo.

KHU suspended the six for turning out for foreign clubs in a tournament held in Tanzania on August 8 to 14 without the federation’s permission.

The union faulted the players for playing for other clubs despite being registered for different club.

CAREER BLOW

Speaking separately to Daily Nation Sport, they termed the move as harsh and blow on their hockey careers.

“I did not think that it would be a big issue and we only went to play in the event so as to get more exposure. I am just about finished with my appeal letter which I will soon hand to the union, “said Iningu.

The Strathmore forward said they were not able to seek permission from the union because of the short notice they had and thus decided to travel without the national body’s consent.

“There was not time to seek consent, so we decided to just go ahead and play and we would later explain the circumstances,” he added.

His colleague Seth Oburu also agreed that the Union was harsh in its decision to ban them indefinitely from all hockey activities and remained confident they would overturn the decision to appeal.

“Hopefully we can resolve all these issues so that we can get back to playing hockey which is what we love doing,” Oburu said.

MATCHES MISSED

The duo have the backing of their club which has promised to help the two in the appeal process.

“They are our players and as a club we shall do everything possible to ensure they get back to playing and put the matter behind them,” said Strathmore coach Meshack Senge.

Nairobi Simba have also said they will also look into ways of helping Davies and Mutira get back on the pitch. “Obviously they will miss the rest of the season, but we have to respect the decision made but we are exploring ways of helping them,” Simba coach Inderjit Matharu said.

Internationals Mutira, Wanangwe and Iningu were subsequently dropped from the national team that took part in the World League one series held last month.

Daily Nation

Punjab-A Stay Top, Closely Chased by SSSC-A and Khalsa-A

Hong Kong—Men's Premier League Hockey

By Eddie So


Former Malaysian International Faisal Saari, SSSC-A’s latest recruit, draws out HKFC-B keeper Rob Wilkinson in a goal attempt, but missed by mere inches, Sunday Oct 5, 2014. (Eddie So)

HONG KONG—Punjab maintain their stranglehold on top of the Men’s Premier League standings with a 6-4 win over KNS-A at King’s Park on Sunday Oct 5.

But they will have only a short stay at the top of the tables if close chasing Singh Sabha Sports Club-A (SSSC-A) has anything to say about it after their 9-1 demolition of Hong Kong Football Club-B at Sports Road in an identical 4pm slot.

SSSC-A included their two latest signings of Faizil and Ismail, both former Malaysian Internationals, who showcased their skills with some deft moves to quickly halt Club from making an impact to the game.

SSSC captain Navdeep Sharma was overjoyed at his side’s quick passing game, but will have to be on the ball as they face Punjab-A in an enticing showdown on Oct 26 at King’s Park.

Full Match results: HKFC-B lost to SSSC-A 1-9, Punjab-A beat KNS-A 6-4, Khalsa-A beat Rhino-A 13-2, Shaheen-A lost to KCC-A 1-3. The matches between HKCC-A and HKFC-A, and Valley-A against Pakistan-A were postponed.

The Epoch Times

Debuntant Pijpers Coaches Maiden Victory

Hong Kong—Premier Men's Hockey League

By Eddie So


Alexander van der Heijden gathers the ball for another HKFC-A attack on the Valley-A goal during their Premier Division match on Sunday Sept 28, 2014. HKFC-A won the encounter 8-2. (Eddie So)

HONG KONG—Experienced Dutch international Koen Pijpers baptism to the Hong Kong Premier League proved his coaching worth to Hong Kong Football Club-A when his side outplayed Valley-A in an 8-2 goal thriller at Happy Valley last weekend (Sunday 28).

What made the encounter all that more exciting was the exhilarating high pace Club exerted on Valley who were unable to counter their rivals as Club produced attacking raids from all areas of the field.

“We played our own game,” said Club captain Kiren Smith, who pointed to a tough summer training regime whilst handing out kudos to Valley for ‘keeping up with their pace, in both the player and game departments’.

Smith pointed out to their more aggressive ‘passing style’ as a key to their successful title campaign, but have yet to be tested by the more competitive sides of back-to-back champions Khalsa-A, and rapidly improving Punjab-A, SSSC-A and KNS-A.

Clubs’ attacking powerhouse-tactics proved their devastating goal prowess as they notched up three goals in the opening quarter of an hour through a brace from Yan Adams and a single from James Piachaud.

Then the goal floodgates opened up as single-digit goals from Angus Allan and Thomas Moore added to a brace from Gabriel Tso with a final goal from Ferko Spits to round off the scoring for Club. Valley’s Thomas Cousins got the better of Club’s goalie Vincent Cheung when he nabbed two goals to reduce Valley’s deficit on the score-sheet.

Despite that, Smith was adamant that their side would prove over time to be up for the job, having last won the Premier title in the 2011-12 season.

Part of the secret to his side’s resurgence was their acquisition of Pijpers, a summer coaching recruit, after the Dutchman moved to the SAR to set up of his own business here, while Smith also feels some top players joining them will help their cause too.

“Pijpers is a fantastic coach. He has great credentials and he is doing a lot of stuff with us that is working and it’s making a big difference,” Smith said, pointing out their previous seasons lack of cohesion and inconsistency.

“I think that was our problem in previous seasons. We have the ability but what we really needed was someone who could bring us all together and to put more structure into our game as Pijpers is doing [now],” he added, with more ‘balance and steadiness’ coming from the training the team has put in during the summer break.

Again Pijpers role was important as Smith pointed out: “Its so much better when you have someone on the side line managing the game, whereas before all the players were player/coaches on the field and it was hard to manage the team as you’re going, and with a proper coach its making a big difference.”

Smith was exceptionally pleased with how his side was playing as they proved against Valley who sustained attacks from all sides on the field.

“We are choosing our moment to move forward and its not one sided. We are just holding it [the ball], holding it and choosing when we are opening up and passing it at the back and looking for the right channel and its really working for us,” he said, whose next game pits them against newly promoted Hong Kong Cricket Club.

His Valley opposite, Rowan Laurence knew where their holes were and admitted they had “a few things to work on”.

“At the end of the day, their [HKFC] basics were better than ours, they ran the game at us and were fitter than us and they executed where they needed to. Plus we made too many simple mistakes and we [just] didn’t recover, when you make too many mistakes,” said Laurence, who praised Rupert Bolingbroke, for keeping the score line respectable, with some brilliant goalkeeping.

Laurence claimed that Valley had discussed how to counter Club: “We had talked a lot about how to counter their penalty corners and in the past how [Club] did their PCs in a certain way, but they put in a few straight shots,” he said.

“Like one that slipped under the goalie and an unfortunate one sort of dribbled over the line in the corner … what do you do there? It’s unfortunate and when your goalie makes the save, and he made a lot of great ones, plus we are missing some key players including some of our top goal scorers, but it will get better once they get back this week,” Laurence said, adding: “the better team won.”

In other league matches, KNS-A continued their hunt for elusive first Premiership title with a 8-3 victory over Rhino-A, while SSSC-A edged out KCC-A 3-1.

Punjab-A tore Pakistan-A 9-2, while Khalsa-A swept away Shaheen-A 10-1 and HKFC-B and HKCC-A battled to a 2-2 draw.

The Epoch Times

Club Sounds Sirens as Cummings Bags Five

Hong Kong—Premier Women's Hockey League

By Eddie So


Leigh Cummings scored five goals in HKFC-A 8-2 win against Dutch-A in the women's Premier Division at the Hong Kong Football Club ground on Saturday Sept 27, 2014. (Eddie So)

HONG KONG—Hong Kong Football Club-A sent out an ominous warning to their rivals when they tore apart Dutch-A 8-1 at their Sports Road home pitch on Saturday (Sept 27).

Leading the rout was Club’s prolific scorer Leigh Cummings as she nabbed a hat-trick on her way to collect five goals for her team over a Dutch side playing in their second season in the Premiership.

It was Club’s opening game to the new season while Dutch were playing their second match after beating HKFC B last weekend on a 4-2 result, but the senior side avenged their juniors with a resounding game as they were easily the fitter of the two sides as was demonstrated by their slick passing game and domination of ball possession.

Dutch skipper Saskia Bensdorp had to concede they had lost to a superior side from the first whistle.

“Club were the fitter side,” said Bensdorp. “They have more teams and I’m sure they play and train more in the off season.”

Bensdorp said that by the way Club played, and the enthusiasm shown to the Dutch, they can expect more hard times to head this way this season, after finishing second from the bottom last season, but that she hoped they could improve on that result despite having some of their players holding their own with their trademark Dutch dribbling skills.

But it was more tack and finesse, and the finishing touches that Dutch lacked that saw Club walk away with the full three points that gave the Dutch goalkeeper Bobbi Kearney litte respite as she conceded the bombardment in only her fourth season between the posts.

“Bobbi did a good job considering she never really trained as a goalkeeper,” added Bensdorp, who was beaten to the Dutch’s solitary goal when team-mate Valerie Kerstholt managed to get a final touch to the goalward shot.

With only six teams playing in the Premier League this season, Club, who were three-peaters having won the title from 2009-13 including the Holland Cup for a league double last season, Club are hoping for a repeat performance this term in the three-way round robin format.

“We are eager to score more goals as last year it was a bit of a challenge,” said HKFC captain Patricia Chiu, who held sway as the lone sweeper in defense.

However, Club’s goalkeeper Katherine Nagengast had little in terms of a workout as she was hardly pressed with the exception of the lone goal and a few penalty-corners, which somehow fizzled out due to their solid defense and some woeful Dutch marksmanship.

It took Club six minutes before sounding the boards through Cummings from a penalty conversion, who scored from some loose marking inside the circle as she extended their lead two minutes later.

Christie Davidson added a third to put the game beyond the Dutch who by then were trying hard to play catch up, but by then the damage had already been done as a brace of goals from Emily Brosnan, and then Cummings scoring to complete her hat-trick.

While further goals from Barbara Mountains and two more from Cummings completed Dutch’s nightmare outing.

Premier League matches will resume on 11th October with a full roster:

The Epoch Times

Tengku Abdullah wants Subahan


Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal

PETALING JAYA — Selangor HA (SHA) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal is the front runner to be the next Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president.

Former MHC general manager Maninderjit Singh is tipped to make a return as chief executive officer.

According to sources within the national body, out-going MHC president Tengku Abdullah Shah has earmarked the Subahan as his replacement.

Subahan’s first task would be to improved MHC’s financial standing as the association is believed to be RM2 million in debt.

“Subahan will be the next president. Tengku Abdullah has already spoken to Subahan, who has agreed to come on aboard,” said a senior MHC official.

“They even went to the Asian Games together and Tengku Abdullah was introducing him as the next president.”

In August, Tengku Abdullah revealed he would not seek re-election as he was going for the Asian Hockey Federation’s top post. He then won that seat uncontested.

He is expected to announce his replacement at the MHC extraordinary general meeting in Johor next week.

Tengku Abdullah earlier said he had “identifi ed one or two candidates but I cannot reveal their identities yet.”

When asked about the possibility of him becoming the new president, Subahan said: “Tengku Abdullah is the right person to comment. I’m focusing on SHA.”

Subahan, who was a FA of Malaysia (FAM) vice-president from 2010-2014, was elected SHA deputy-president in 2009 before occupying the hot seat two years later.

Among his milestones in SHA included reviving the state hockey league after a lapse of seven years in 2009, introducing the 32-team two-day carnival-like Selangor Open, emphasising on men’s indoor hockey and ensuring development was continuous despite the lack of pitches in the state.

“He is hands on and goes to the fi eld often. He focuses a lot on age-group teams. Development has been a priority,” said SHA secretary P. Kuganeson.

Selangor have won the National Indoor Under-16s four times since 2009 and also various other age-group national championships.

Selangor also emerged the Razak Cup Division 2 winners last year.

Malay Mail