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News 11 October 2014

All the news for Saturday 11 October 2014


AHL finalists known

QLD & NSW reach women's Grand Final, WA & TAS go in men's


Photo: Courtesy of John Emery

2013 women’s champions Queensland Scorchers will have the chance to defend their Australian Hockey League crown against NSW Arrows in front of a home crowd in Brisbane on Saturday after they beat WA Diamonds 3-1. Two late penalty corner goals from tournament top scorer Jodie Kenny sealed victory after WA’s Jess Esslemont had equalised Jill Dwyer’s second quarter goal.

Jade Close’s first minute goal was enough to separate NSW Arrows and Victorian Vipers in a tightly contested 1-0 win that sent the Arrows through to the Grand Final from second place in Pool C.

Saturday’s Grand Final will be a replay of the 2009 final, which NSW won. The Arrows have reached the final twice more since then, losing out in both 2011 and 2012. The Scorchers also lost the 2010 final – to WA – before taking gold last year in Melbourne.

The Victorian Vipers will play off against WA Diamonds for third place.

The Canberra Labor Club Strikers will meet SA Southern Suns in Saturday’s fifth-sixth playoff after the Strikers ran out 6-1 winners over Tassie Van Demons. The result sealed top spot in Pool D for the ACT women and proved costly to the Van Demons, who missed out on the fifth place playoff on goal difference. Canadian captain Katie Gillis and Laura Gray each scored a double for the Strikers with Naomi Evans and Meredith Bone also getting on the score sheet. Blair Patten netted for Tasmania.

And it was another import, New Zealander Petrea Webster, who helped SA Southern Suns to a 4-1 win over NT Pearls. Holly Evans and Miki Spano also bagged goals for SA while Georgia Hillas scored for NT. The Pearls will meet Tassie Van Demons first up on Saturday afternoon in the contest for seventh place.

In the men’s AHL powered by Premier Technology Solutions, WA Thundersticks roared back from a goal down to beat Tassie Tigers 5-1 and secure their 14th Grand Final spot in the past 20 years. Despite the defeat, the Tigers also reached Saturday’s Grand Final in Adelaide after Victorian Vikings were held to a 3-3 draw by last year’s champions, Queensland Blades.

Tasmania’s men took the lead through Kieron Arthur but a goal from Aran Zalewski and doubles from Chris Bausor and Trent Mitton earned WA Thundersticks top spot in Pool C.

The result had opened the door for Victorian Vikings, for whom any margin of victory over Queensland Blades would have been enough to secure a second consecutive final appearance. However, Justin Douglas gave the Blades a first minute lead. Despite Victorian Josh Pollard’s equaliser, Queensland retook the lead through Joe Reardon before the Victorian Vikings forced their way in front through James Webster and Chris Ciriello. Kookaburra Matt Gohdes’ penalty stroke ten minutes from time made it 3-3, dashing Victorian dreams in the process.

Victorian Vikings and Queensland Blades will meet again on Saturday in the playoff for third and fourth places.

NSW Waratahs will contest the fifth and sixth place playoff against SRA Territory Stingers after their comprehensive 7-2 win over SA Southern Hotshots. But the Stingers reached the playoff the hard way, requiring a 2-1 shoot-out win over RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers as the two sides could not be separated, finishing level on points, goal difference, goals scored and having drawn their match 2-2.

For NSW Waratahs, Blake Govers extended his lead at the top of the goal scoring charts to two goals with a hat-trick, taking him to eight for the tournament. Matthew Dawson, Nick Hill, Heath Ogilvie and Thomas Craig also scored for the Waratahs; Matthew Claxton and Tom Wickham were on target for SA Southern Hotshots.

In the 2-2 draw between RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers and SRA Territory Stingers, ACT’s men valiantly battled back from two goals down with goals from Glenn Turner and Adam Baxter in as many minutes. Duncan Pearce and Adrian Lockley had done exactly the same for NT in the second quarter but it was goalkeeper Leon Hayward who emerged the Territory hero for a string of shoot-out saves. RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers and SA Southern Hotshots will play off for seventh and eighth.

Women's AHL results - Friday (day five)
Brisbane, QLD

NT Pearls (NT) 1-4 SA Southern Suns (SA)
Canberra Labor Club Strikers (ACT) 6-1 Tassie Van Demons (TAS)
Queensland Scorchers (QLD) 3-1 WA Diamonds (WA)
Victorian Vipers (VIC) 0-1 NSW Arrows (NSW)

Pool C
1. Queensland Scorchers (QLD) 7
2. NSW Arrows (NSW) 7
3. Victorian Vipers (VIC) 1
4. WA Diamonds (WA) 1

Pool D
1. Canberra Labor Club Strikers (ACT) 9
2. SA Southern Suns (SA) 4
3. Tassie Van Demons (TAS) 4
4. NT Pearls (NT) 0

Women’s Fixtures – Saturday
For live streaming of the women's AHL, click here.

7th/8th Playoff: Tassie Van Demons v NT Pearls (12:30pm)
5th/6th Playoff: Canberra Labor Club Strikers v SA Southern Suns (2:30pm)
3rd/4th Playoff: Victorian Vipers v WA Diamonds (4:30pm)
Grand Final: Queensland Scorchers v NSW Arrows (6:30pm

All times are local in Brisbane.

Men's AHL results - Friday (day five)
Adelaide, SA

SA Southern Hotshots (SA) 2-7 NSW Waratahs (NSW)
RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers (ACT) 2-2 SRA Territory Stingers (NT)
Tassie Tigers (TAS) 1-5 WA Thundersticks (WA)
Queensland Scorchers (QLD) 3-3 Victorian Vikings (VIC)

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

Pool D 
1. NSW Waratahs (NSW) 9
2. SRA Territory Stingers (NT) 4
3. RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers (ACT) 4
4. SA Southern Hotshots (SA) 0

Men’s Fixtures – Saturday
For live streaming of the men's AHL, click here.

7th/8th Playoff: RAMS Home Loan Canberra Lakers v SA Southern Hotshots (12:30pm)
5th/6th Playoff: NSW Waratahs v SRA Territory Stingers (2:30pm)
3rd/4th Playoff: Victorian Vikings v Queensland Blades (4:30pm)
Grand Final: WA Thundersticks v Tassie Tigers (6:30pm)

All times are local in Adelaide.

Hockey Australia media release



Small margins all the way on day one in Barcelona

EHL 2014/15 - Round 1, Pau Negre Stadium, Barcelona, 10th October 2014 Day one round-up



On a thrilling day one of the Euro Hockey League Round One in Barcelona, East Grinstead, Racing Club de France and WKS Grunwald Poznan claimed close-fought wins while SV Arminen turned in the performance of the day.

It sets up day two of the competition perfectly; with four more teams entering the fray, starting their battle for a ticket to the KO16.

Here’s a rundown on how day one panned out:

Pool A: East Grinstead 4 (Mark Gleghorne 2, Wesley Jackson, Simon Faulkner) Dinamo Stroitel 3 (Artem Dryanistsyn, Linar Fattakhov, Dmitry Volkov)

East Grinstead survived a huge fright to eventually see off Dinamo Stroitel and set up a do-or-die clash with Kampong on Saturday evening in Pool D.

They trailed 3-1 at one point as Artem Dryanitsyn, Linar Fattakhov and Dmitry Volkov’s penalty was countered by a Mark Gleghorne tip-in. Wesley Jackson, however, brought the gap back to 2-3 at half-time and second half penalty corners from Gleghorne and Simon Faulkner then put the English side in front.

They had some nervous moments after that but just about held on for the win. EG play Kampong on Saturday evening at 5.30pm for a place in the KO16.

Click here for the full report

Pool B: Monkstown 1 (Gareth Watkins) Racing Club de France 2 (James Kirkpatrick, Simon Martin-Brisac)

Racing Club de France took the laurels from a hotly contested tussle of the new boys in Barcelona, shading their battle with Irish champions Monkstown.

Racing were 2-0 up at the half-time interval with a goal in each of the quarters. Canadian international James Kirkpatrick touched home the first before Simon Martin-Brisac profited from a quickly taken long corner.

The Irish club improved significantly in the second half and evenutally got one back through Gareth Watkins but eight missed penalty corners cost them dear.

For Racing, the debut win means a win on Sunday against Daring puts them into the KO16. Monkstown play the Belgian side tomorrow knowing anything other than a big win sees them eliminated.

Click here for the full report:

Pool C: HC Bra 2 (Joseph Bartholomew, Priyesh Bhana) WKS Grunwald Poznan 3 (Tomasz Marcinkowski, Artur Mikula, Karol Majchrzak)

WKS Grunwald Poznan produced a brilliant comeback to beat HC Bra 3-2 in the first game of Round One of the Euro Hockey League in Barcelona, coming from two goals down to succeed.

New Zealand duo Joseph Bartholomew and Priyesh Bhana gave the Italians a shock 2-0 lead early in the second half as they pursued their first ever win in the competition.

But Tomasz Marcinkowski quickly replied before Artur Mikula finished off an excellent move, punishing a loose aerial out of defence in devastating fashion.

With ten minutes to go, Karol Majchrzak duly completed the comeback when he swept home Mikula’s right-wing pull-back to break the Italian hearts. On Saturday, Grunwald are back in action with a game against Rot-Weiss Koln at 10am (local time).

Click here for the full report:

Pool D: Bromac Kelburne 2 (Mark Ralph, Iain Scholefield) SV Arminen 5 (Alexander Bele 2, Michael Berger, Sebastian Eitenberger, Robert Bele)

SV Arminen have given themselves a great shot at getting through to the KO16 as they beat Scottish champions Bromac Kelburne 5-2 with Alexander Bele’s first half double the key component.

His early sliding effort was cancelled out by a Mark Ralph corner goal in the fifth minute. But Arminen stormed into a 4-1 lead and never looked totally in danger thereafter as Bele, Michael Berger and Sebastian Eitenberger were on the mark.

Iain Scholefield got one back but a Robert Bele effort two minutes from the end completed the win. Arminen will play Atletic Terrassa on Saturday with a win guaranteeing them a place in the KO16.

Click here for the full report

** Throughout the weekend, we will have live streaming on http://www.ehlhockey.tv/live/ while there will be twitter updates on https://twitter.com/EHLHockeyTV.

** To buy tickets, please click here.

Fixtures

Saturday 11 October 2014

10am, Pool C, KTHC Rot-Weiss Koln v WKS Grunwald Poznan
12.30pm, Pool D, Atletic Terrassa v SV Arminen
3pm, Pool B, Royal Daring v Monkstown
5.30pm, Pool A, SV Kampong v East Grinstead

Sunday 12 October 2014

9.30am, Pool C, KTHC Rot-Weiss Koln v HC Bra
12pm, Pool D, Atletic Terrassa v Kelburne
2.30pm, Pool B, Royal Daring v Racing Club de France
5pm, Pool A, SV Kampong v Dinamo-Stroitel

Euro Hockey League media release



East Grinstead eventually see off Dinamo Stroitel

Pool A: East Grinstead 4 (Mark Gleghorne 2, Wesley Jackson, Simon Faulkner) Dinamo Stroitel 3 (Artem Dryanistsyn, Linar Fattakhov, Dmitry Volkov)

East Grinstead survived a huge fright to eventually see off Dinamo Stroitel and set up a do-or-die clash with Kampong on Saturday evening in Pool D.

They trailed 3-1 at one point before they eventually turned the game around. In a thrill-a-minute first half, Artem Dryanitsyn gave Dinamo the perfect start, applying a clever finish when left all alone behind the East Grinstead defence. Mark Gleghorne equalised only for Linar Fattakhov to restore the lead who nicked the ball past the last defender and raced into the circle to make it 2-1.

Dmitry Volkov then scored from the penalty spot as Dinamo’s counter game was causing havoc. Wesley Jackson, however, brought the gap back to 2-3 at half-time when he touched in a twice-ricocheted shot to give the English side a chance to overhaul the gap.

Second half penalty corners from Gleghorne and Simon Faulkner then put the English side in front though they did endure a nervous final quarter in which Dinamo hit the post and Tim Deakin brilliantly took a chance off the line.

EG, who will hope to welcome back the injured Ashley Jackson, will play Kampong on Saturday evening at 5.30pm for a place in the KO16.

Euro Hockey League media release



Racing hold on for debut victory

Pool B: Monkstown 1 (Gareth Watkins) Racing Club de France 2 (James Kirkpatrick, Simon Martin-Brisac)

Racing Club de France took the laurels from a hotly contested tussle of the new boys in Barcelona, shading their battle with Irish champions Monkstown.

Racing were 2-0 up at the half-time interval with a goal in each of the early quarters. The first was primarily due to the excellent run down the right wing of Jules Francotte who burst his way through a couple of tackles before picking out Canadian international James Kirkpatrick to touch home from close range.

Monkstown improved in the second quarter and Gareth Watkins was denied by the crossbar from a corner rebound from their best chance. But Simon Martin-Brisac punished an error at the back when he took a long corner himself and while his dangerous cross was miscued, he followed up to sweep in for 2-0.

The Irish club improved significantly in the second half but could not convert any of their total of eight penalty corners while Corentin Saunier made two excellent saves to keep Monkstown out until the 55th minute.

Gareth Watkins did get one back when he powered home but they could not force another goal as Racing stood tall and almost nicked another on the counter through Olivier Sanchez.

Speaking afterwards, Kirkpatrick said afterwards it was a serious dog-fight: "I haven't played a tough match like that for a while; my heart-rate monitor will attest to that!"

Nonetheless, they have a debut win under their belt and all to play for against Daring on Sunday. Monkstown play the Belgian side tomorrow knowing anything else than a big win sees them eliminated.

Euro Hockey League media release



Five-star Arminen see off Kelburne

Pool D: Bromac Kelburne 2 (Mark Ralph, Iain Scholefield) SV Arminen 5 (Alexander Bele 2, Michael Berger, Sebastian Eitenberger, Robert Bele)

SV Arminen have given themselves a great shot at getting through to the KO16 as they beat Scottish champions Bromac Kelburne 5-2 with Alexander Bele’s first half double the key component.

He struck after after a minute with an excellent sliding touch to Robert Bele’s powerful diagonal pass from right to left. Mark Ralph equalised from the first corner of the game from a penalty corner, shooting home on the backhand after an off-course injection.

But Arminen stormed into a 4-1 lead and never looked totally in danger thereafter. Alexander Bele restored the advantage with a thunderous finish after the initial passage of a penalty corner went awry.

It was 3-1 at half-time when Michael Berger rolled home from close range as Kelburne struggled to deal with a crash ball down the centre. Sebastian Eitenberger then made it a three-goal margin from the penalty spot.

Iain Scholefield produced a brilliant solo effort to get Kelburne a lifeline, bouncing the ball past two defenders before shooting home low on the backhand. But Robert Bele capped the Arminen win two minutes from time from way out on the left of the circle, finding a route past the goalkeeper.

It was the first time an Austrian side had won a game in the EHL, coming in their ninth game in the competition. Arminen will play Atletic Terrassa on Saturday with a win guaranteeing them a place in the KO16.

Euro Hockey League media release



Grunwald stun Bra with epic comeback

Pool C: HC Bra 2 (Joseph Bartholomew, Priyesh Bhana) WKS Grunwald Poznan 3 (Tomasz Marcinkowski, Artur Mikula, Karol Majchrzak)

WKS Grunwald Poznan produced a brilliant comeback to beat HC Bra 3-2 in the first game of Round One of the Euro Hockey League in Barcelona, coming from two goals down to succeed.

Joseph Bartholomew gave the Italian champions a first half lead when Priyesh Bhana won a penalty corner with time running out before the big break. Bartholomew’s drag-flick took a big deflection into the roof of the net for a surprise lead.

Earlier on, former EHL winner with UHC Hamburg Carlos Nevado showed some beautiful skills in midfield for Bra but it was Grunwald who had the best of the chances.

Artur Mikula’s close range corner rebound rolled agonisingly across the face of goal while Michal Poltaszewski saw his arrowing shot plucked away from danger by Diego Degano to keep his side ahead at half-time.

Bhana then had them further in dreamland a couple of minutes into the second half when a long overhead ball was missed by the Grunwald defence.

The striker controlled nicely before slotting home a lovely finish when left all alone in the 22. The reply was instant with the Polish side working their way to the left of the circle before doubling the ball back into the path of Tomasz Marcinkowski and he picked out the bottom right corner from mid-circle.

And Grunwald were forcing the tempo from then on. Tomasz Dutkiewicz fired a corner effort over the bar before Mikula equalised from a very smartly worked turnover from a loose clearance. Three touches later via Poltaszewski and Maciej Wejerowski and Mikula was touching home his side’s second goal.

Karol Majchrzak duly completed the comeback when he swept home Mikula’s right-wing pull-back to break the Italian hearts with ten minutes to go.

Tomorrow, Grunwald are back in action with a game against Rot-Weiss Koln at 10am (local time).

Euro Hockey League media release



Bele double dents Kelburne's EHL last 16 ambitions

Bromac Kelburne’s hopes of reaching the next round of the Euro Hockey League (EHL) took a blow following a 5-2 defeat at the hands of SV Arminen earlier today.

Despite strikes from player-coach Mark Ralph and Scotland international Ian Scholefield, a double for Alexander Bele, followed by goals from Sebastian Eitenberger, Michael Berger and captain Robert Bele, secured the Austrian champions’ first win in the EHL in nine attempts.

The defeat leaves Ralph’s side anxiously awaiting the result of Saturday’s match-up between today’s opponents and home side Athletic Terressa.

The Scottish champions found themselves behind early in the contest following a spectacular slide and volleyed finish from close range by Alexander Bele in the second minute.

However, Bromac Kelburne were back on level terms at 1-1 shortly after following a penalty corner award that enabled Mark Ralph to edge the ball into the circle and dispatch a reverse stick drive past Michael Mantler.

Despite an initial block from Ralph at an SV Arminen penalty corner in the 23rd minute, Bele was on hand to smash the ball past Ben Rennie to grab his second goal of the match.

Shortly before half-time, Sebastian Eitenberger took advantage of slack defending to divert the ball past Rennie, giving SV Arminen at 3-1 lead at the interval.

The match appeared over as contest when Michael Berger made it 4-1 from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, but Ian Scholefield replied instantly with a second goal for the Paisley side following an excellent run and reverse stick shot that whistled past Mantler.

Nevertheless, any glimmer of a comeback was snuffed out two minutes from time, Robert Bele cutting into the circle from the left hand touchline to strike a vicious effort that beat Rennie at his near post to finish off the scoring between the two sides at 5-2.

Bromac Kelburne

Ben Rennie, Andrew Wilkie, Mark Ralph, Michael Nicol, Craig Morton, Adam Bain, Jordi Rovira, Michael Bremner, Iain Scholefield, Michael Christie, Lee Morton, Douglas Simpson, Jonathan Christie (c), Jack McKenzie, Ross McIntyre.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Burras set for SOJC Sunday

U21 Burras defeat Singapore and New Zealand in practice matches

The U21 Burras squad arrived in Singapore earlier this week in preparation for the 2014 Sultan Johor Cup in Malaysia, beginning on Sunday.

As part of the Burras’ tournament preparation, the team took part in two practice matches against Singapore and New Zealand.

The Burras have shown a competitive start in the lead up to the tournament, defeating Singapore 6-0 and New Zealand 2-0. New Zealand, who are also participating in the tournament on Sunday, will face Australia once again on day four of the competition.

The Burras Team Manager Carl Dalton commented on the Burras’ performance since training in Singapore.

“The team’s training and games have shown that good progress has been made during our time in Singapore. The entire squad are now looking forward to moving onto the Johor to commence the tournament.”

The Burras will face Malaysia in their first match of the tournament on Sunday night.

Hockey Australia will be producing daily match reports on the Burras’ performance throughout the tournament. These reports will be available via the Hockey Australia website.

Game schedule
Sunday 12 October - Australia vs Malaysia
Monday 13 October - Australia vs Pakistan
Wednesday 15 October - Australia vs New Zealand
Thursday 16 October - Australia vs Great Britain
Saturday 18 October - Australia 5 vs India
Sunday 19 October - Final 

Hockey Australia media release



Three players vie for skipper’s armband

by Aftar Singh


Mohd Shahril Saabah is the frontrunner to skipper Malaysia in the Sultan of Johor Cup starting on Sunday. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Three players – Mohd Shahril Saabah, Meor Mohd Azuan Hasan and Haziq Zainol – are in the running for captain’s armband in the Sultan of Johor Cup.

National Juniors coach S. Arulselvaraj will name the final squad of 18 players on Saturday and one of the three is set to be given the skipper’s role.

But chances are 20-year-old forward Shahril will be given the chance to lead the team in the Under-21 tournament, which will be held at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium from Sunday.

Shahril is the most experienced of the trio, having amassed 30 international caps and featuring in five tournaments this year – the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (March), Champions Challenge I in Kuantan (April), World Cup in The Hague (June), Glasgow Commonwealth Games (July) and Incheon Asian Games (September).

With his ability to score from penalty corner drag flicks, Shahril was also the top goal-getter in the tournament last year with eight goals.

He also featured in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi last year, netting two goals to help Malaysia finish fourth out of 16 teams.

Meor, who featured in the Incheon Asiad, admitted that Shahril is likely to lead the Project 2016 squad due to his seniority.

“It’s not important who is selected as captain, what is more important is for everyone to play well,” said midfielder Meor, who has 20 international caps.

“We will be playing against some of the strongest teams from Asia, Oceania and Europe. It will be tough for us to finish in a good position.”

Haziq is the least experienced among the trio, having featured only in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

The Star of Malaysia



Dual role for Najmi in Sultan of Johor Cup

by Aftar Singh


Najmi Farizal Jazlan (left) will be making his debut at the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament starting Sunday at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Teenager Najmi Farizal Jazlan certainly doesn’t lack confidence.

Although he will be making his debut in the Sultan of Johor Cup, which begins Sunday at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru, the 19-year-old is ready to shoulder a dual role for the Project 2016 team.

Not only will the 19-year-old Perlis-born Najmi marshall the defence, in the absence of Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Zain (ankle injury), he is also ready to deliver goals from penalty corner set pieces with his drag flicks.

Najmi was called up to join the Project 2016 squad after scoring 12 penalty corner goals for Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

Now, he aims to emulate national forward Tengku Ahmad Tajudin, who also hails from Kangar.

“Tengku Ahmad is the only player from Perlis to have played in the national senior or junior teams.

“I’m happy that I’ve been selected for the Sultan of Johor Cup, which I hope will be the turning point in my hockey career,” said Najmi, who played in a friendly against Britain on Thursday night.

Malaysia lost the match 2-1, with forward Mohd Azwar Abdul Rahman scoring a field goal.

“I’m looking forward to a memorable outing in the Sultan of Johor Cup. I want to play well in defence and deliver goals from penalty corners,” said Najmi.

Malaysia, who finished runners-up in the Sultan of Johor Cup last year, will open their campaign against Australia on Sunday.

The other teams in the fray are defending champions India, Britain, New Zealand and Pakistan.

The Star of Malaysia



Tina Cullen: 400 not out!


Tina Cullen celebrates

The word “legend” is often overused in sporting terms, but if you ask anyone from across the English game about Bowdon Hightown’s Tina Cullen, most, if not all of them would use exactly that word. Having made her debut in the first season of what was then the National League in 1989-90; the two-time Olympian has now scored 400 league goals, reaching the milestone with a brace against Beeston just weeks ago.

It is a terrific achievement from the player who has served Bowdon Hightown so well over the years. However unlike some players, who remember every goal in vivid detail Cullen admits she has no idea who she scored her first against:

“I’ve played quite a few games since then but I scored in my first season which was around 1989-90. I was about 19 and I think I only scored 4 or 5 the whole season.” she adds “I didn’t score many to start with as I was still finding my feet. I played in the first year of National League but before then I’d only played local leagues. I hadn’t played at that sort of level before so it was a big jump for me and it took me a while to get going.”

And get going she did. Her goals fired Bowdon Hightown to titles both at home and abroad during the good days and also kept them in the top flight during their times of struggle. She has been with the club since the age of 19 as both a player and a coach and in 2013 her services to hockey were recognised as she was awarded an MBE, something she couldn’t quite believe:

“I got a letter asking if I’d accept the honour and I thought it must be one of my friends winding me up. I had to Google the name of the person who signed the letter to check and it turned out it was real. I was made up. It’s great for the club and the support they’ve given me over the years and it was a really special day for me and my family. My teammates take the mickey quite a lot but I’m still proud of it!”


Tina Cullen 400 not out!

With the 400th goal under her belt, too Cullen’s advice for would-be goalscorers like herself is simple:

“Goalscoring is as much about the mental side as it is technique and ability. The ability to miss a chance and move on is so important. I reckon I’ve missed over 1000 chances, never mind scoring 400. I kept getting in the positions and that’s the important thing.” she adds “People who score goals are the people who think of the process. If you have a chance and you think “I could score now” you won’t. You have to think about where you’re putting the ball, what you’re doing and how to do it rather than the end result. People are so focused on the outcome of scoring the goal rather than the technique and the process of getting there and that’s why they miss.”

The Bowdon Player-Coach is more interested in scoring goals and winning games than personal milestones, to the extent she had no idea how many goals she had scored or how close to the record she was:

“I wasn’t aware of the number of goals but at the end of last season our manager Roger Hunt asked me if I knew how many I had. I thought it was somewhere near 400 but he told me it was 398, and then pointed out I’d missed two strokes! The 400th was from a penalty stroke but I think Roger was more nervous than I was.”

Now 44, she is keen to stress that she can’t go on forever, instead looking to help bring on the next generation of goal machines in the North West:

“I like it when our young players start scoring and stepping up. I’m coming to the end now and I want other people to get the goals. I didn’t score loads last year and I don’t think I will this year. This season I want to help the young players to come through and start scoring them for me.”

With the mention of the end of her career, the topic turns to how she would like to me remembered when she stops playing. Cullen is typically no-nonsense and humble saying she would prefer people “to get on with the game and enjoy themselves rather than think about her” but one thing is for sure: Her legacy as a one-club player with an MBE, two Olympic Games, 400 goals and a whole lot of medals will not soon be forgotten. 'Legend' seems quite apt.

England Hockey Board Media release



Trustees to lose 3 key players

Head Coach of Trustees Hockey Club in Ghana, Edmund Aryeetey has revealed that, his side will miss three key players in their match-day ten decider against title contenders, Police in the on-going Greater Accra Dwadifo Adanfo Hockey League.

The Trustees side, which leads the League log with twenty- one points, have to beat their rivals, Police, tomorrow at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey Pitch to boost their chances of defending the league title. Edmund Aryeetey, expects his boys to go all-out in the game.

In an interview with Starr FM, Emmanuel Aryeetey said, “It will be a difficult game because missing these key players won’t be easy at all, but i know my players will go all-out for victory against our arch rivals” Coach Aryeetey concluded.

Meanwhile, 3rd placed Golden Sticks, will square off against Exchequers, who are fourth on the League log and the last game in the men’s division, will be GRA against bottom placed Reformers.

In the women’s category, Extinguishers will face Reformers whiles Ark Ladies will lock horns with Police Ladies and the last game will be Amazing Grace against GRA.

GhanaWeb



New hope or false dawn?

S. Thyagarajan


A GOLD MEDAL AFTER 16 YEARS. The Indian hockey team players celebrate after winning the top prize at the Asian Games in Incheon. PTI

For Indian men and women, Incheon was a path-breaking event in more than one sense. How they build on it will be watched with interest.

“India has… .” Even before the announcer could complete the sentence, spontaneous and sustained scenes of jubilation erupted across the Seonhak Stadium on October 2, as Dharamvir Singh sailed into history by scoring the match-winner in the shootout against Pakistan for the Asian Games hockey gold medal.

Statistics are cold, heartless numbers, one might say, but in the India versus Pakistan context, their relevance can never be underestimated. After a gap of 16 years — India last won the gold, defeating South Korea in Bangkok 1998 — it was India’s turn to stand on top on the podium. Pakistan was humbled after a gap of 32 years, even as the nightmare of 1982 New Delhi continued to haunt the memories of many Indian fans.


India's hero, goalkeeper Sreejesh, is mobbed by team-mates after his brilliant performance in the shootout in the final against Pakistan. PTI

“It is a significant moment for Indian hockey,” observed the chief coach, Terry Walsh, after the match. Not the one given to hype and overt euphoria, the Aussie paid tribute to the “mental strength,” of the team that came back strongly after conceding an early goal to Pakistan. But for the Indian aficionados this was a fascinating and unforgettable moment.

There was, however, a view before the start of the tournament that India was the favourite based on its performances in the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. Pakistan was not on the international circuit for nearly a year following its failure to make it to the World Cup and missing the Commonwealth Games due to the internal squabbles.



Overall, India’s report card at the Incheon Asian Games cannot be described as eloquent. In fact, the team showed signs of struggle against Sri Lanka and Oman even though the margins of victories were big. Injuries to Chandi (against Sri Lanka) and Rupinder Pal Singh (against Oman) slightly disturbed the rhythm of the team. Rupinder was fit only for the semifinals, but the team management was cautious about fielding him for a full match.



What really pushed India to a new level after the defeat against Pakistan in the league stage was the opportunistic goal scored by Akashdeep Singh against Korea in the semifinals. Successfully upsetting the rhythm of the usually fast-moving Koreans by slowing them down with methodical efficiency, India’s late goal flabbergasted Korea.


A MOMENT TO RELISH. Indian women celebrate their victory against Japan in the bronze medal match. AP

The final would not have gone down to the wire had India’s forwards not been prodigal in finishing. Sunil, Dharamvir and Ramandeep were below par. On the other hand, left-half Kothajit Singh came up with a stunner for the equaliser, and from hereon the Indians grew in confidence.

Understandably, it was a proud moment for Sardar Singh, the captain, to be on top of the podium. He was, however, not at his best always in the competition, and that commendation for consistency should go to Gurbaj Singh. Of course, the man of the tournament was goalkeeper Sreejesh, whose reputation has gone up by a few notches following his spectacular performance during the shootout. He made three brilliant saves in the match, two of which were in the shootout.



Pakistan’s chief coach, Sheikh Shahanz, who exuded confidence after beating India in the league, said that the isolation of Pakistan was limiting its opportunities of international competitions.

There were hints of recovery from the way Shakeel Abbasi, Abdul Haseem Khan and Omar Butt, not to speak of Imran and Irfran supported by goalkeeper Imran Bhat, performed.

For Korea, it was a devastating tournament. Though Korea’s confidence level was high given the quality of its squad, there was a sense of disbelief after it was beaten by India before the home crowd. Small wonder, many of the players were reduced tears after winning the bronze against Malaysia, which performed beyond expectations in the competition.

For the Indian women too it was a moment to relish. Beating Japan was no mean task and India did that to win the bronze medal. Neil Hawgood, the Indian coach, was elated by the result. The Australian gave the Indian players full credit for their level of physical fitness and consistency. If Jaspreet Kaur was splendid with the conversion of penalty corners, Ritu Rani deserves plaudits for managing the midfield with Monica very well. The energetic Rani always kept the frontline busy. All said and done, no one can grudge the bronze medal for India, which last won (a bronze) in 2006 Doha.

The only consolation for the home team was the gold medal it regained after 1998. China was the leader, winning three gold medals in a row, beginning 2002, but the Koreans succeeded in altering that script in Incheon.

China, which disbanded its senior team in order to build a new squad, was happy with the silver medal. While the Indian men and Korean women ensured their berths for the next Olympics, the rest are preparing to put up a good show in the World League in the hope of making it to 2016 Rio.

For Indian men and women, Incheon was a path-breaking event in more than one sense. How they build on it will be watched with interest.

Sportstar



Men’s National Program names 2015 Junior Development Squad

Vancouver, BC – Field Hockey Canada’s Men’s National Program has named 46 athletes to its 2015 Junior Develop Squad.

The roster was chosen after an extensive process of identifying athletes through regional and national camps, National Championships and select international competitions.

“We spent the first year really identifying and educating our athletes,” says Paul Bundy, assistant coach of the Men’s National Program. “These are the 46 we think we can affect and assess correctly.”

The squad will continue to train with the National Program year round through various camps and supplemental training in alignment with the respective provinces.

“We’ve made the pool a little smaller and now we’re really looking to affect them with two national tours this coming year and we’re looking to have our national camp in alignment with the Pan American Games (in Toronto next summer) so the boys get to see a senior international tournament at home,” Bundy adds.

The Junior Development Squad not only serves as a way to prepare athletes for junior international competition such as the recently completed Youth Olympic Games where Canada’s Under-18 men won silver, and potential competition in upcoming competitions such as the 2016 Junior World Cup, but it also identifies potential future senior athletes who will serve to sustain the Men’s National Program long-term.

“The Junior Development Squad exists to prepare athletes for the next step in international hockey, which is the senior team,” says Men’s National Program Director and Senior National Team head coach Anthony Farry.

“Under the guidance of our high performance team, this squad is designed to develop the depth of hockey in Canada and find the next elite players to represent our senior team in international competition,” adds Farry.

2015 Canadian Men’s Junior Development Squad

Name

Province

Name

Province

Aidan Pye

BC

Josh Brown

BC

Amrit Sidhu

BC

Jugraj Kalkat

ON

Balraj Panesar

BC

Kabir Aujla

BC

Braedon Muldoon

ON

Liam Fannin

BC

Brandon Pereira

BC

Liam Manning

ON

Cameron Bonney

BC

Lydon Lemos

ON

Carter White

AB

Lyle Fernandes

ON

Connor Rutledge

BC

Manvirjot Brown

BC

David Loy

ON

Michael Brown

BC

Devon Bingham

BC

Nicolas Howard

BC

Floyd Mascarenhas

ON

Oliver Ewasechko

AB

Ganga Singh

ON

Parmet Gill

ON

Gavin Bains

BC

Rajan Kahlon

BC

Giftan Sidhu

BC

Ranjiger Sandhu

BC

Gurtej Dhaliwal

ON

Rohan Chopra

ON

Harbir Sidhu

BC

Sahib Suri

BC

Harkirat Ahluwalia

BC

Samuel Cabral

BC

Iqwinder Gill

BC

Satbir Brar

BC

Jamie Wallace

BC

Shahbaaz Dhaliwal

BC

Jasmeet Gill

ON

Sumeet Dhillon

AB

Jason Heine

BC

Tarjan Sandhu

BC

Jeevan Jammy

ON

Tom Fannin

BC

Jodhveer Singh

ON

Vikramjeet Sandhu

BC

Field Hockey Canada media release



Rajeev Shukla to continue as member of HIL advisory board

NEW DELHI: Former Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Planning RajeevShukla will continue as a member of the advisory board in the third and fourth editions of the Hero Hockey India League (HIL).

The former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman was with the HIL in the first two editions and will continue to play an important role in the league.

"It is a very proud feeling and I am committed towards continuing to put in the extra efforts for the welfare of the sport in India. Hockey is beginning to make huge inroads on the international platform again and it's a proud moment for each and every Indian. This is the occasion to do our bit by standing by this game which has always brought us laurels in the past," said Shukla.

"We look forward to Rajeev Shukla's support this year and we are sure he will continue to bring to the board his huge experience which will help us make the League more successful this year, said HIL chairman Narinder Batra.

"We are excited that the Hero Hockey India League will see newer platforms of success as we intend to venture into newer avenues in terms of our marketing strategies and this will be a boost with his presence on the board."

The third edition of the Hockey India League is scheduled to kick-start Jan 22, 2015.

The Times of India



Odisha announces cash prize for Lakra and four women hockey players

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Friday announced cash prize of Rupees 2.5 lakh for Birendra Lakra and Rs 75,000 each for four women hockey players for their excellent showing in the recently concluded Asian Games at Incheon.

Stating that Lakra has brought glory for the country as well as the state by representing the gold-winning national hockey team at Incheon, Odisha sports minister Sudam Marandi said the players would be felicitated here at a special ceremony on the occasion of International Champions Trophy Hockey Competition, in December.

Four women hockey players of Odisha Namita Topo, Lilima Minj, Deep Gresh Ekka and Sunita Lakra, who were in the national women's hockey team, had excelled in the meet.

Sports & Youth Services Department of Odisha has congratulated the players for winning the gold in men's and bronze in women's hockey.

Earlier, Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) had announced Rs 50,000 for Lakra and Rs 10,000 each for the four women hockey players.

The Times of India

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