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All the news for Sunday 10 May 2015

Deavin delights home crowd

Kookaburras do the double over Black Sticks with 5-2 win in Hobart



The Kookaburras have done the double over Kiwi rivals the New Zealand Black Sticks following up Tuesday’s 3-0 win with a 5-2 victory in front of a packed Tasmanian Hockey Centre on Saturday.
             
Home favourite Tasmanian Tim Deavin earned the cheers of the crowd as he netted Australia’s fifth with a rocket in the dying seconds, adding to earlier goals from Chris Ciriello, Blake Govers, Trent Mitton and Jamie Dwyer.
              
Kookaburras Head Coach Graham Reid said afterwards he was particularly pleased with the number of opportunities his side created, acknowledging that the world champions might have won by a larger margin had they converted everything they created.
                
“I was pleased with the number of opportunities we created tonight. We scored five goals so it’s pretty hard to be too upset about it but we created more opportunities, which we were chasing,” he said.
           
“We created a lot more opportunities tonight than we did earlier in the week against them. We held the ball, we moved it around a bit, sucked them out and made sure we were attacking all parts of the circle. I think that was probably the most pleasing thing.”      
        
Australia’s attacking intent was clear to see from the earliest stages as Chris Ciriello broke the deadlock after just four minutes, flicking a penalty corner low into the bottom left for 1-0.
                
And it was from another set piece just eight minutes later that 18 year old Blake Govers doubled the advantage, rifling home an unstoppable drag flick. It was the NSW youngster’s third goal in as many games since making his debut a week ago.
               
New Zealand hit back immediately after the quarter time break through Simon Child’s goal low inside the far post, the first goal that the Australians had conceded in their five games this week.
               
But hopes of a Black Sticks resurgence were dealt a blow when Jamie Dwyer set up Trent Mitton for 3-1 soon after. Kiwi goalkeeper George Enersen had twice denied Australia’s most capped player at close range but could do little as Dwyer picked out Mitton at the back post through a crowd of retreating defenders.
                
Three penalty corners came and went for the Kookaburras either side of half time while Mitton tested replacement goalkeeper Devon Manchester with a tomahawk in an otherwise quiet start to the third period.
                
When it came alive again it did so with a flourish as Dwyer found the net with a well-executed goal for 4-1 just a minute before the break.
                
At the other end, Nick Haig pulled one back for the Black Sticks before Deavin’s late cameo on the score sheet, only his fifth international goal in 105 appearances.
                 
Speaking afterwards, Graham Reid added, “From a defensive point of view I thought we were very good, except for those two goals, which sounds strange but I think they only had three shots.
                
“When they pressed us we were a little bit exposed. Our guys weren’t close enough to their men so we were left high and dry a bit.
             
“Overall, I was happy with the number of opportunities and the quality was there too. We just didn’t necessarily execute as well as we’d like. Short corners were the same. We still got a couple but probably had a few more we could have put in.”
                
In the earlier match, Pakistan battled back from 4-2 down against Korea to earn a thrilling 5-4 victory in the final minutes.
     
The Kookaburras meet Pakistan in Sunday’s concluding contest at 5pm. The Australians ran out 6-0 winners in their previous meeting last Saturday. Tickets will be available on the gate from 2pm.
                                                                          
The Hobart International Challenge is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Communities, Sport and Recreation Tasmania.

The Hobart International Challenge comprises 12 individual matches between Australia, Korea, New Zealand and Pakistan, each individually sanctioned by the International Hockey Federation. As such, there is no champion and no ladder.
                                                                                
Please note - There will be no live streaming of the matches at the men's Hobart International Challenge. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may have caused.
     
The Hobart International Challenge
Match Five

KOOKABURRAS: 5 (3)
Chris Ciriello 4 (PC)
Blake Govers 12 (PC)
Trent Mitton 20 (FG)
Jamie Dwyer 44 (FG)
Tim Deavin 60 (FG)

NEW ZEALAND BLACK STICKS: 2 (1)
Simon Child 17 (FG)
Nick Haig 56 (PC)                                             
                                                              
Kookaburras squad v New Zealand
Name (Hometown/State) Caps/Goals
Started                       
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD) 54/10
Kiel Brown (Toowoomba, QLD) 158/6
Nick Budgeon (Hobart, TAS) 37/12
Andrew Charter (GK) (Canberra, ACT) 88/0
Christopher Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 160/102
Jamie Dwyer (Rockhampton, QLD) 332/216
Matt Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 121/37
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT) 37/13
Mark Knowles (C) (Rockhampton, QLD) 255/22
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 242/60
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW) 168/50
        
Used Substitutes
Tim Deavin (Launceston, TAS) 105/5
Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW) 3/3
Tyler Lovell (GK) (Perth, WA) 41/0
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA) 71/22
Glenn Simpson (Melbourne, VIC) 126/22
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 53/3
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA) 56/4
                                           
^Dylan Wotherspoon is an athlete at the Queensland Academy of Sport and is classified as a QLD athlete but grew up in Mulwillumbah, NSW.
                                                                
Match Results - Saturday 9 May
Pakistan 5-4 Korea
Australia 5-2 New Zealand
                                                   
Match Schedule            
Sunday 10 May:
New Zealand Black Sticks v Korea [3pm AEST], Kookaburras v Pakistan [5pm AEST]

Hockey Australia media release

Black Sticks defeated again by Australia



The Black Sticks Men have suffered a 5-2 defeat in their second game against hosts Australia at the International Challenge in Tasmania.

It was an up tempo game which saw both sides create plenty of scoring opportunities, while the Kookaburras managed to capitalise on more of them.

The Black Sticks scored their first goal early in the second quarter with a field goal from Shea McAleese before Nick Haig converted the team’s only penalty corner of the night in the 56th minute.

Devon Manchester played the second half in goal for the Kiwis and made some outstanding saves, while 21-year-old George Muir was impressive in the midfield.

Head coach Colin Batch said it was a much improved performance from Tuesday’s 3-0 loss.

“We created a lot more scoring opportunities tonight and we were a lot better than our first game against Australia,” he said.

“Although we only managed one penalty corner, we did have some very good goal shots and that was something that we targeted as needing improvement.

“Because our mindset was a lot more attacking we left ourselves more open defensively, so that’s a balance we still need to perfect as well as being more diligent with one-on-one battles.”

Australia made the most of two penalty corners in the opening quarter with Chris Ciriello converting in the fourth minute and Blake Govers flicking in from the top of the circle eight minutes later.

McAleese pulled one back for the Black Sticks with a field goal early in the second quarter before Trent Mitton responded to take the Kookaburras into halftime with a 3-1 lead.

New Zealand pushed hard throughout the second half and the hard work finally paid off in the 56th minute when Haig flicked low and into the right corner.

The Kookaburras managed two more goals of their own though, with Jamie Dwyer delivering one minute before three quarter time and Tim Deavin scoring 11 seconds from fulltime.

The Black Sticks play their final game in Hobart against Korea at 5pm tomorrow night (NZ time).

The International Challenge is important preparation for the World League Semi-Final in Argentina next month, where the Black Sticks have an opportunity to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

New Zealand 2: (Shea McAleese, Nick Haig)
Australia 5: (Chris Ciriello, Blake Govers, Trent Mitton, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Deavin)
Halftime: Australia 3-1

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks men thumped by Australians again


Shea McAleese scored for the Black Sticks but Australia dominated in a 5-2 victory in Hobart. Photosport

The Black Sticks men have suffered a 5-2 defeat in their second game against hosts Australia at the International Challenge in Tasmania.

New Zealand scored their first goal early in the second quarter with a field goal from Shea McAleese before Nick Haig converted the team's only penalty corner of the night in the 56th minute.

Home favourite, Tim Deavin, earned the cheers of the crowd as he netted the Kookaburras' fifth with a rocket in the dying seconds, adding to earlier goals from Chris Ciriello, Blake Govers, Trent Mitton and Jamie Dwyer.

Devon Manchester played the second half in goal for the Kiwis and made some outstanding saves, while 21-year-old George Muir was impressive in the midfield.

Head coach Colin Batch said it was a much improved performance from Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Kookaburras.

"We created a lot more scoring opportunities tonight and we were a lot better than our first game against Australia," he said.

"Although we only managed one penalty corner, we did have some very good goal shots and that was something that we targeted as needing improvement.

"Because our mindset was a lot more attacking we left ourselves more open defensively, so that's a balance we still need to perfect as well as being more diligent with one-on-one battles."

Australia made the most of two penalty corners in the opening quarter with Ciriello converting in the fourth minute and Govers flicking in from the top of the circle eight minutes later.

McAleese pulled one back for the Black Sticks with a field goal early in the second quarter before Mitton responded to take the Kookaburras into halftime with a 3-1 lead.

New Zealand pushed hard throughout the second half and the hard work finally paid off in the 56th minute when Haig flicked low into the right corner.

The Kookaburras managed two more goals of their own though, with Dwyer delivering one minute before three-quarter time and Deavin scoring 11 seconds from fulltime.

The Black Sticks play their final game in Hobart on Sunday against South Korea at 5pm NZ time.

The International Challenge is important preparation for the World League semifinal in Argentina next month, where the Black Sticks have an opportunity to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Kookaburras coach Graham Reid said he was particularly pleased with the number of opportunities his side created, acknowledging that the world champions might have won by a larger margin had they converted everything they created.

"I was pleased with the number of opportunities we created tonight. We scored five goals so its pretty hard to be too upset about it but we created more opportunities, which we were chasing," he said.

"We created a lot more opportunities tonight than we did earlier in the week against them. We held the ball, we moved it around a bit, sucked them out and made sure we were attacking all parts of the circle. I think that was probably the most pleasing thing.

In the earlier day, Pakistan battled back from 4-2 down against South Korea to earn a thrilling 5-4 victory in the final minutes.

The Kookaburras meet Pakistan in Sunday's concluding contest. The Australians ran out 6-0 winners in their previous meeting last Saturday.

Australia 5 (Chris Ciriello, Blake Govers, Trent Mitton, Jamie Dwyer, Tim Deavin) New Zealand 2 (Shea McAleese, Nick Haig). HT: 3-1

Stuff

Pakistan record second win against Korea

By Nabil Tahir


PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Muhammad Dilber Hussain and Muhammad Irfan scored a brace each to help Pakistan register a second win against South Korea, winning 5-4 in the Hobart International Challenge on Saturday.

Dilber, hero of the previous 4-1 victory against Korea, became the tournament’s top scorer with a tally of four goals.

Pakistan got off to a perfect start when Dilber opened the Greenshirts’ account in the 12th minute to take a 1-0 lead.

Thereafter, the Koreans increased their attack and scored three goals in the second-quarter of the match through Youngjin Kim, captain Seungil Lee and Hyunwoo Nam in the 18th, 20th and 29th minutes to build a 3-1 lead at half-time.

Full-back Irfan then reduced the lead to 3-2 with his 35th minute penalty-corner goal for his team; in reply, Korea’s Namyong Lee scored a goal in the 48th minute.

The Greenshirts then bounced back in the last five minutes of the game when Muhammad Waqas scored the third goal for Pakistan in the 55th minute, followed by Irfan’s 57th minute goal which levelled the scores at 4-4.

Dilber sealed the 5-4 win in the last minute of the match with his second goal to guide Pakistan to a deserving victory.

Pakistan’s head coach Shahnaz Sheikh was delighted to achieve another win against Korea and feels the matches have been highly valuable for the team’s preparations for the Hockey World League, which will serve as the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers.

“Our defence and attack both did really well today,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “Apart from the second-quarter, where our defence made some wrong decisions and conceded goals, the attack was brilliant from the beginning till the end of the match. It is a well-deserved victory.”

Pakistan will now take on Australia on Sunday.

The Express Tribune

India sweep Japan series 3-0

Arnab Lall Seal

BHUBANESWAR: India showed on Saturday why the world of hockey needs to sit up and take notice of them. Playing against Japan, the the Indians played their hearts out as they posted a 4-0 victory in the last of the four-match series at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday. Akashdeep Singh scored a brace while VR Raghunath and Dharamvir Singh both found the net once. With this win, the Indian team swept the series 3-0.

It was a good show from Sardar & Co as they dominated three quarters of the game. They were brilliant in counter-attacks and solid in defence. Japan were able to get shots on the goal only twice and PR Sreejesh had no trouble dealing with it. However, two issues still need to be sorted out as soon as possible.

First, the strikers are missing a lot of chances and secondly, they are unable to win sufficient penalty corners. On Saturday, Raghunath began the onslaught when he scored his third of this series 10 minutes into the second quarter. It was India's second penalty corner of the night and Raghunath came up to take it after Raupinder Pal Singh had missed the first one. Dharamvir pushed the ball and Raghunath slammed it past Japan goalkeeper Suguru Shimmoto giving him no chance to react.

They didn't have to wait long for the second as three minutes later Akashdeep sounded the board to send the huge crowd into a frenzy. It was Gubraj Singh who played the ball into the D from the right side towards the goalmouth where Akashdeep and Yuvraj Walmiki was standing surrounded by defenders.The pass was perfect and Akashdeep had no trouble flicking it in past the Japanese custodian.

Already 2-0 up in the second quarter, India kept pressing forward after the break in search of the third goal.

The Times of India

India thrash Japan 4-0, win hockey Test series 3-0

BHUBANESWAR: Akashdeep Singh struck twice as India completed a dominating 4-0 win over Japan in the last and fourth match to clinch the hockey Test series 3-0 on Saturday.

Apart from Akashdeep, VR Raghunath and Dharamvir Singh scored India even as no goal was scored in the first quarter of the game.

Halfway into the first quarter, Japan had a real chance as Daichi Kurogawa passed the ball to Ippei Fujimoto in the D, put the later missed the target and losing out on the opportunity score the initial goal.

Seconds left into the game Yuvraj Walmiki slapped the ball into the D to SV Sunil but unfortunately for India Sunil could not connect and lost the opportunity, resulting in the quarter being a dry run.

Halfway into the second quarter India had their first chance on penalty corner but unfortunately for India, Rupinder Pal Singh hit off target resulting in missing out on the crucial opportunity.

In the 26th minute, India had their second chance on the penalty corner but this time Raghunath took the flick and he committed no mistake in finding the nets, giving India 1-0 lead. Next minute India broke the shackles of the defence again and Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant field goal to make the scoreline 2-0.

The third quarter started again in India's favour as they maintain the attack and the pressure on Japan. In the 36th minute India added the third goal when SV Sunil passed the ball to Dharamvir Singh who entered the D with the ball and slapped it past the goalkeeper giving no chance to the opponents to react.

Post that Japan had yet another chance to score as Hiroki Sakamoto slapped the ball but Sreejesh saved yet again for India.

Immediately into the last quarter, Japan had their first chance on the penalty corner and a chance to score their first goal but unfortunately the ball was hit wide of the goal.

After that India upped the ante of their attack and was seen completely dominating the match thereon. In the 52nd minute, India had another chance as Ramandeep Singh had a clear chance to put the ball into the nets but unfortunately he hit directly at the Japan goalie and losing on converting.

The very next minute India yet again Akashdeep tore past the defence of the opponents and beat the goalkeeper and scored a brilliant field goal.

The Times of India

India beats Japan 4-0, wins the Indo-Japan Series 3-0



Bhubaneswar: Indian team continued their good run at the Indo-Japan Test Series to clean-sweep the four match series 3-0 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubneswar. The home side was sublime in their own merry ways as they beat Japanese 4-0 to cash the series. This was Coach Paul Van's first home series and the boys didn't disappoint to his expectations. With this India will now be eyeing the FIH World League Semi-Final slated in Belgium next month.

The match started with both teams looking a scoring the initial goal. Halfway into the first quarter, Japan had a real chance as Daichi Kurogawa passed the ball to Ippei Fujimoto in the D, put the later missed the target and losing out on the opportunity score the initial goal. Seconds left into the game Yuvraj Walmiki slapped the ball into the D to SV Sunil but unfortunately for India Sunil could not connect and lost the opportunity, resulting in the quarter being a dry run.

Halfway into the second quarter India had their first chance on penalty corner but unfortunately for India, Rupinder Pal Singh hit off target resulting in missing out on the crucial opportunity. 26th minute and India had their second chance on the penalty corner yet again and this time VR Raghunath taking the flick did no mistake in finding the nets resulting in India taking the lead 1-0. Next minute India broke the shackles of the defence again and Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant field goal, taking the lead to 2-0.

The third quarter started again in India’s favour as they maintain the attack and the pressure on Japan. In the 36th minute India added the third goal when SV Sunil passed eth ball to Dharamvir Singh who entered the D with the ball and slapped it past the goalkeeper giving no chance to the opponents to react. Post that Japan had yet another chance to score as Hiroki Sakamoto slapped the ball but Sreejesh saved yet again for India.

Immediately into the last quarter, Japan had their first chance on the penalty corner and a chance to score their first goal but unfortunately the ball was hit wide of the goal. Post that India upped the ante of their attack and was seen completely dominating the match thereon. In the 52nd minute, India had another chance as Ramandeep Singh had a clear chance to put the ball into the nets but unfortunately he hit directly at the Japan goalie and losing on converting. The very next minute India yet again Akashdeep tore past the defence of the opponents and beat the goalkeeper and scored a brilliant field goal, taking the score to 4-0. With this India won the game and the Series by 3-0.

Stick2Hockey.com

Indian hockey can return among Olympic medals at Rio 2016: Zafar Iqbal

Amit Kumar


Image credit: Getty Images

Olympic gold medallist hockey player Zafar Iqbal believes that the current young Indian team has the potential to win a medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio to break the span of medal-less 35 years since 1980.

"We have 14 months in hand for Rio Olympics. The way Indian hockey team is performing is commendable. I think this team has the potential to win a medal in Rio. They have a good chance this time. Hope they will do well," Iqbal said at the inaugural Times of India Sports Awards on Thursday.

Iqbal was a key member of the 1980 Olympics hockey team that won the last of India's eight Gold medals at the Games. The team was led by Vasudevan Baskaran at that time.

"I still remember the moment. It was a memorable win. Spain was a strong team but we too were confident. We had decided we will go for glory. Finally we won 4-3. It was a stupendous victory", Iqbal added.

Iqbal also lauded the introduction of Hockey India League (HIL) and said it is really helping hockey to groom youngsters.

"Hockey India League is a great platform. The best part is that our boys, weather a rookie or an experienced player, are getting a chance to interact and play with star players from around the world. They get to learn a lot. I am sure the HIL has helped hockey a lot in the country," Iqbal added.

On being asked about the country's performance since 1980, Iqbal said: "We are past champions, we are eight-time gold medallists. We have a strong team when it comes to Commonwealth Games and Asian Games also. If you look back at the statistics of the last five years, the performance of the Indian hockey team has been brilliant. But when it comes to Olympics, I think we have hardly found a quality player for a bigger stage like Olympics.

"We had a strong team for the Asian Games 2014 and I hope they will play with the same spirit in Rio," the former hockey captain added.

"Another reason is the young generation is not taking hockey seriously. It can be because of monetary issues. If this thing can be sorted, youngsters will have a lot of interest in the sport," Iqbal concluded.

IBNLive Sports

No joy yet for Malaysian hockey team in Europe

By S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team got their two-match series against Belgium off to a losing start.

The Malaysians lost 3-1 on Friday night at the KNC Dragon Field in Brasschaat in Antwerp.

The good thing is that the Malaysians got to play at the venue where the World Hockey League Semi-Finals will be held in June.

The Belgians got their goals through Thomas Veeheijen (10th minute), Amary Keusters (34th) and Alexander Hendricks (52nd).

Malaysia replied through a Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin field goal in the 58th minute.

Malaysia last played against Belgium at last June’s World Cup in The Hague, where they were thrashed 6-2.

Malaysia will play the second match on Monday at the same venue. Malaysia are on a tour of Europe as part of their preparations for next month’s World Hockey League Semi-Finals, which is an Olympic qualifier.

Before arriving in Belgium, the national side lost all three friendly matches against Dutch teams in Holland.

The Star of Malaysia

UJ hand Maties a second defeat



UJ handed defending champions Maties their second loss of the competition with an exceptional 3-0 scoreline during Round Six of Varsity Hockey in Johannesburg.

The home side scored two goals in the first quarter and another in the final quarter to help them leapfrog the Stellenbosch ladies into third place on the log.

Earlier, UP-Tuks bounced back from their Round Five defeat at the hands of UFS-Kovsies to claim a 4-1 victory over Wits. It was a tense affair as the final quarter got underway with the Pretoria ladies holding a slender 2-1 lead but a strong finish saw them score two late goals to secure the bonus point victory.

NWU-Pukke managed to claim their first win in the Varsity Hockey tournament when they overcame UCT 3-1. UCT held an early lead in the match but could not survive a Pukke onslaught as the North West ladies managed to score three unanswered goals from the second quarter to bag the four points.

In the final match of the round, In the final match of the round, UFS-Kovsies maintained their unbeaten record in the competition with a comfortable 6-2 win over NMMU-Madibaz to make it six consecutive wins.

Goals in each quarter, including a powerplay goal, helped the Bloemfontein ladies maintain a two-point lead over Tuks at the top of the standings with one round remaining before the playoffs.

NMMU 2-6 UFS-Kovsies

The unbeaten Kovsies got off to the perfect start when they grabbed the opening goal of the game after dominating the open exchanges. They managed to maintain their lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bloemfontein ladies would increase their lead soon after the restart by grabbing a powerplay goal to extend their lead to 3-0. NMMU were up against it for the remainder of the half and managed to hold their own but faced a massive task to overcome the three-goal deficit at the half-time break.

Things went from bad to worse for NMMU in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Kovsies grabbed another goal to extend their lead to four goals. NMMU had it all to do in the final quarter if they were to make a dramatic comeback.

The Madibaz grabbed a goal back in the opening minutes of the final quarter but their joy was short-lived as Kovsies scored their bonus point goal to all but seal the match with 10 minutes remaining. Both sides managed to find the back of the net one more time in the final minutes of the match as Kovsies walked away with a comfortable victory to record their sixth consecutive win of the competition.

UJ 3-0 Maties

UJ started like a house on fire and found themselves ahead in the opening stages of the game. They would double their lead within five minutes to send the home crowd into ecstasy. Maties failed to make any meaningful attacks in the quarter as UJ held on to their 2-0 lead.

The second quarter was a much tighter affair as Maties looked to get themselves back into the contest but UJ did well to keep them from scoring. There would be no goals scored in the second quarter as the home side maintained their two goal advantage at the half-time interval.

There would be no goals added in the third quarter as Maties struggled to make their way back into the match. The match would be put to bed in the final quarter when UJ grabbed their third goal of the match from a short corner.

That proved to be the final goal of the match as UJ handed the defending champions their second loss of the competition.

Wits 1-4 UP-Tuks

Wits came out firing in the first quarter and were doing most of the attacking but found reward for their efforts. Despite being in the ascendency for most of the quarter, Wits would find themselves trailing 0-1 with four minutes remaining in the quarter as Tuks found the back of the net with their first opportunity of the match.

Tuks increased their intensity in the second quarter and were putting sever pressure on the Wits defence. That pressure would be rewarded when Tuks scored their second goal of the match through a short corner to take a 2-0 lead into the half-time interval.

Wits gave the home crowd something to shout about when they halved the lead early in the third quarter after a great team effort. Wits kept pushing for the equalizer but to no avail as Tuks held onto a 2-1 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The home side pushed hard to find the equaliser in the final quarter but could not find the back of the net. They were punished for their missed chances as Tuks found their third goal with a few minutes remaining in the match. The Pretoria ladies pushed hard to find the bonus point and did just that in the final minute of the game to bounce back from their Round Five defeat.

Mugg & Bean Star Save of the Match: Luche Klassen (Wits)
Jet Striker of the Match: Marguerite Van Wyk (UP-Tuks)
FNB Player of the Match: Marguerite Van Wyk (UP-Tuks)

UCT 1-3 NWU-Pukke

UCT made a promising start to the match by keeping Pukke goalless in the opening minutes of the match. The Cape side would take the lead in the seventh minute of the opening chukka and held on for the remainder of the quarter to hold a slender lead at the first break.

Pukke were not going down without a fight and found their groove in the second chukka to put UCT under all sorts of pressure. That pressure would pay off in the closing minutes of the second quarter when they took advantage of a short corner opportunity to find the back of the net and level matters. They nearly went into the half-time break with a lead but the opportunity missed the goals by a matter of centimetres as the teams went level-pegging into the break.

Pukke continued their dominance in the third chukka and were taking the game to UCT who did well to keep their opponents at-bay. However, Ikeys would find themselves 1-2 behind when Pukke made their dominance count by finding the back of the net with six minutes remaining in the quarter. With one minute remaining in the quarter, Pukke found the back of the net for a third time.

The final quarter saw the intensity of the match die out a little as neither side could hold onto possession long enough to launch a meaningful attack. Pukke managed to hold on to their two goal cushion to register their first win of the tournament.

Mugg & Bean Star Save of the Match: Keitumetse Salagae (NWU-Pukke)
Jet Striker of the Match: Schani Moore (NWU-Pukke)
FNB Player of the Match: Celia Evans (NWU-Pukke)

Varsity Sports media release

Final line-up set for NZ National Under-21 Tournament


Photo credit: Masanori Udagawa

Capital Men have qualified for the final at the Under-21 National Tournament despite going down in their match against North Harbour 3-2 today.

Capital had already qualified for the final after earlier wins against Auckland and the Barbarians, but they came out firing to open the scoring through Daniel Harris.

North Harbour equalised right on half time through a penalty corner strike to Alex Hanham to leave the scores tied 1-1.

It was Capital who once again shot to the lead courtesy of Ollie Logan early in the second half. North Harbour were not to be deterred, scoring two quick goals to Nathan Fouhy and Daniel Edwards to move ahead 3-2.

It looked as though North Harbour had secured a morale boosting victory, however Joseph Robertson had other ideas, scoring a cracking field goal in the 70th minute to send the game into a shootout.

North Harbour kept their nerve in the shootout to secure the win and the extra point, winning 4-3.

North Harbour captain Warren Wild was pleased with the win but disappointed his team would not be contesting the final.

“We stuck to our game plan and what we had planned worked out quite well – really pleased our boys stuck to the game plan”.

Harbour will be pushing hard for the bronze medal tomorrow.

“It will be a payback match for us – it is always good to end the tournament with a win.”

Capital skipper Matt Symonds was disappointed to go down but is looking forward to tomorrow’s final against Auckland.

“It definitely wasn’t our best performance today. There was some good stuff we can take away from today. Really looking forward to playing Auckland tomorrow – we lost to them in my first Hatch Cup final and have wanted to beat them ever since! ”

This was Capital’s first loss of the tournament, and they have undoubtedly been the form team in the Men’s competition. Symonds puts this down to a number of factors.

“We have gelled really well as a team – this is one of the best environments I have been in thus far in my career. We have a really strong leadership team, and two great coaches in Brent and Peter Miskimmin. Being in our backyard is special for us too.”

In earlier games in the Men’s competition, Midlands scored a late winner through Leo Mitai-Wells to prevail over Central 3-2, Canterbury accounted for Southern 5-3, and Auckland joined Capital in the final after winning in a shootout 11-10 after scores were tied 2-2 at full time.

In the Women’s competition, Capital defeated the Barbarians 6-2, Canterbury beat Southern 6-0, Auckland confirmed their place in the final with a 4-2 victory over Central, and North Harbour’s unbeaten run ended as they went down to Midlands 3-2.

DAILY RESULTS – 8th MAY

MEN’S POOL C

Barbarians 2 (James Houston, Benedict van Woerkom) vs Auckland 2 (Kalyan Jeram, Jonty Keaney) – Auckland win shootout 11-10

North Harbour 3 (Alex Hanham, Nathan Fouhy, Daniel Edwards) vs Capital 3 (Daniel Harris, Ollie Logan, Joseph Robertson) – Harbour win shootout 4-3

MEN’S POOL D

Midlands 3 (Aidan Sarikaya, Rhys McLachlan, Leo Mitai-Wells) vs Central 2 (Curtis Boyde, Thomas Schaare)

Canterbury 5 (Sam Lane 4, Guy Strawbridge) vs Southern 3 (Lawson Davison 2, Josh Caldwell)

WOMEN’S POOL C

Midlands 3 (Megan Hull, Alex Lukin, Tarryn Davey) vs North Harbour 2 (Kelsey MacDonald, Clodagh McCullough)

Auckland 4 (Rose Tynan 2, Su Arn Kwek, Maddison Dowe) vs Central 2 (Anna Willocks, Beth Norman)

WOMEN’S POOL D

Capital 6 (Freya Hawes 2, Georgia Garden-Bachop 2, Kelsey Smith, Teresa Warner) vs Barbarians 2 (Sam Polovnikoff, Acacia Kelsen)

Canterbury 6 (Samara Dalziel 2, Libby Bird, Phoebe Steel, Cass Reid, Thomasina Loeffen) vs Southern 0

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Team Palanganda clinch Kuppanda Cup

Sunil Subbaiah

MADIKERI: Palanganda edged past Chenanda 1-0 in a shootout to emerge champions of the Kuppanda Cup - the 19th edition of the Kodava Hockey Festival - at the Government College grounds in Virajpet, Kodagu, on Saturday.

Aiyappa's conversion in the shootout helped Palanganda, who were runners-up in 2013 and 2014, clinch their fifth family hockey title. Palanganda had earlier won the Kallichanda Cup (2006), Maneyapanda Cup (2010), Machamada Cup (2011) and the Ichetira Cup (2012).

With over 35,000 fans watching the action, the teams fought hard but neither side was able to make a breakthrough in regulation time. Palanganda, however, could have finished the contest early had they converted the six penalty corners among several scoring opportunities that came their way. The Chenanda defenders were effective in thwarting opponent threats, but their forwards found it tough to breach the Palanganda defence.

The winners took home a cash award of Rs 2 lakh while the runners-up were richer by Rs 1 lakh. The losing semifinalists were give Rs 50,000 each. The 20th edition of the tournament will be conducted by Shantheyanda at Madikeri in 2016.

Palanganda's Amar Aiyamma, a BPCL striker, emerged as the tournament's top scorer with eight goals while Chenanda Somanna was declared the 'Player of the Tournament'. Mandetira goalkeeper Bojanna was adjudged the Budding Player of the Tournament. Team Kongettira bagged the Fair Play award while Kademada bagged the Promising team award.

The Times of India

10 matches decided in indoor hockey event

ISLAMABAD: The International Indoor Hockey Tournament started here on Saturday at the Pakistan Sports Complex with around 30 clubs participating in the event which saw 10 matches being decided until the filing of this report.

Besides local male and female clubs, two clubs each from Sharjah and Dubai comprising Pakistan-origin citizens are also featuring in the event.

A one-minute silence was observed at the start of the tournament to pay tribute to the martyrs of Naltar tragedy.

According to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), which is organizing the two-day indoor event in collaboration with the Falcon Hockey Club (UAE), four international clubs including UAE Falcon men’s and women’s hockey clubs and Sharjah men’s and women’s hockey clubs while 26 local clubs including 10 senior clubs are participating in the tournament.

Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada who was the chief guest on the occasion of inaugurating the indoor event said that the international indoor event will pave the way for international competitions in Pakistan.

Dawn

Int'l Indoor Hockey event starts

ISLAMABAD - First International Indoor Hockey Tournament organized under the umbrella of Capital Development Authority in collaboration with Pakistan Sports Board and Falcon Hockey Club UAE kicked off Saturday.

Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada was the chief guest of inaugural ceremony while Director General Sports, Culture and Tourism CDA, Director General Pakistan Sports Board, Pakistan national team’s former captain Shakeel Abbasi, large number of players and spectators were also present.

Four international clubs including UAE Falcon men and women hockey clubs and Sharjah men and women hockey clubs are participating in the event.

At the start of the event one-minute silence was observed for the victims of Nalter incident.

A total of six female matches were played on the opening day.

UAE Falcons beat Bahawalpur 1-0.

Parveen scored the only goal.

Islamabad Women played 0-0 draw against Islamabad Greens.

UAE Falcons also beat Islamabad Black 3-0 thanks to a superb hattrick by Sana.

Sharjah Tigers outplayed Islamabad Women 4-0.

Aqeela scored a brace, while Saba and Azhra scored a goal each.

Bahwalpur beat Islamabad Black 3-0.

Hina scored 2 goals, while Gulnaz scored one.

Sharjah Tigers routed Islamabad Green 6-0.

Azhra hit a hat trick while Neelama, Benish and Saba scored a goal each.

The IPC Minister while addressing on the occasion said the International Indoor Hockey Tournament would pave the path for international competitions on the grounds of Pakistan.

He said that law and order situation has affected the sports activities; however, participation of players and spectators in such a large number shows the high spirits of Pakistani nation.

He said that healthy society needs healthy competitions.

He lauded the efforts of CDA for organizing tournament and assured full cooperation of Pakistan Sports Board for organizing healthy activities in Islamabad.

Director General Sports, Culture and Tourism said that on the directions of Chairman CDA, Maroof Afzal is not only organizing competitions of international games but also concentrating to promote regional games in Islamabad.

The Nation

Beeston Boy's U14 Champions


Beeston Boy's U14 Champions

Beeston claimed their first ever Boy’s U14 National Championship with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth in the Final.

Bournemouth started the day brightly in Pool A, securing a 1-0 victory over reigning champions Guildford thanks to a Richie Steavenson goal. The other opener in Pool A was a thrilling encounter which saw Lichfield’s Rob Grey score a last minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Bowdon. It was a case of déju vu in Bournemouth’s second match with Steavenson again scoring the only goal of the game as they overcame Lichfield. And they showed they were worthy winners of Pool A in their final game as they struck five past Bowdon, Tom Candy with a double. Guildford put the disappointment on losing out in match one behind them to win the following two games and finish second in the Pool.

Like Bournemouth, Beeston qualified out of Pool B without conceding a goal. Henry Croft was on the score sheet twice in their 5-0 victory over Havant having earlier beaten Phoenix Blue Hornets 2-0 before drawing their final game 0-0 against Surbiton. Surbiton’s earlier draw against Phoenix Blue Hornets meant they had to beat Beeston in the last pool game to have any chance of getting to the final but they couldn’t score against a solid Beeston defence. Phoenix Blue Hornets ended their pool matches in style beating Havant 4-1 thanks to two goals apiece from Ollie Stonham and Tom Grove-Smith. However, they missed out on second place due to Surbiton’s draw with Beeston.

Havant ended their day on a positive note, surviving a late come back from Bowdon to secure seventh place in a 3-2 victory. Matt Cottrell was on the score sheet twice for Havant, with Max Nicholson netting Bowdon’s last goal to score his third goal of the day. Pheonix Blue Hornets edged out Lichfield to claim fifth position thanks to a late Ollie Stonham penalty.

The playoff for third place went down to the wire, with Guildford coming out on top 4-3 on Penalty Strokes. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Elliot Sanderson scoring Guildford’s equaliser after Daniel Foulger had opened the scoring for Surbiton.

In the final game of the day, Beeston showed they were worthy champions and kept their record of not conceded a goal in the tournament to overcome Bournemouth 3-0. They made their mark on the game early and were 2-0 up within six minutes through Finley Byrne and captain Luke Brown. And they made sure of their victory in the championships two minutes into the second half with a Cameron Webster goal.

All details on the results and scorers can be found below.
POOL A FINAL TABLE & RESULTS

POOL B FINAL TABLE & RESULTS

Results with Scorers

England Hockey Board Media release