News for 30 June 2015
All the news for Tuesday 30 June 2015
HWL2015 Antwerp (W): Looking back … and ahead
With the quarter-finals of the women’s FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals getting underway on Tuesday (30th June), we look back at what has happened so far as well as look forward to the business end of a colourful and action-packed competition in Antwerp.
Women: Oranje & Black Sticks prove class
Looking back: The pools were dominated by two runaway winners, with reigning World, Olympic and HWL champions the Netherlands proving themselves to hot to handle in Pool A while New Zealand blitzed all challengers in Pool B. Both sides claimed four wins from four, with the Black Sticks keeping four clean sheets while Oranje conceded just once. Dutch ace Maartje Paumen has been in sensational form bagging eight goals while New Zealand’s Gemma Flynn has seven. However, the scorers charts are currently being lead by Australia’s Jodie Kenny, who has found the net nine times so far at this event. All three players are absolutely at the top of their game and likely to have a big say in what happens in the quarter-final phase.
…and ahead: Tuesday’s quarter-final matches get started at 13:00 (CEST) with Australia (2nd Pool B) going head-to-head with Italy (3rd Pool A). Australia will start the match as favourites, but Italy have only lost once in four matches here in Antwerp and will be fired up to take a major scalp as their quest for a ticket to the HWL Final and Rio 2016 Olympics continues. At 15:30, the Black Sticks (1st Pool A) are expecting a stern challenge from Japan’s Cherry Blossoms (4th Pool A), while a lively-looking India (4th Pool B) will be aiming to cause the shock of the event when they take on the Netherlands (1st Pool A) at 1800. At 20:30, the home fans will flock to watch their beloved Red Panthers (3rd Pool B) take on Korea (2nd Pool A). The Koreans have already secured their Olympic ticket by winning Gold at the 2014 Asian Games, but are targeting a top four finish in Antwerp in order to qualify for the prestigious HWL Final in Argentina at the end of the year. It promises to be another fascinating day of world class action from the Hockey World League.
#HWL2015 #RoadToRio
FIH site
Black Sticks looking to continue finals push
Liz Thompson in action for the Black Sticks. Photo courtesy Kiwi Hockey
The Black Sticks Women are ready for a tough challenge when they face off against Japan in the quarters at the FIH World League Semi-Final in Antwerp.
New Zealand go up against Japan at 1.30am on Wednesday (NZ time) with the winner taking a spot in the semi finals. The game will be broadcast LIVE on SKY Sport 4.
The two sides have had a balanced record against one another in recent times with each team coming away with one win and a draw in the last three encounters.
The Black Sticks were unbeaten through pool play and are looking to maintain that momentum going into the sudden-death clash.
Defender Liz Thompson said they are expecting Japan to play a defensive style but that they are also dangerous on the counter attack.
“Japan are always a really solid team to play and I think it’s quite good that the last two games against them have been a draw and a loss,” she said.
“We’re not going to go in ahead of ourselves and we know they are going to be tough, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Thompson made her debut for New Zealand at the Oceania Cup less than two years ago but has already rocketed to 78 test caps.
The 20-year-old is a key part of the Black Sticks defence and has been in hot form throughout the tournament.
In fact the Kiwi defence has yet to concede a single goal through four pool games, led by the outstanding goalkeeping of Sally Rutherford.
“I think we’re all working really well together and that starts from the strikers through to the goalie. We need to be really solid at the back again against Japan as they are a strong counter attack team.
“There’s a lot riding on this one and we don’t want to look past the quarter final – it’s about doing our jobs individually and as a team to get the result.”
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Eves face the Dutch with Rio Olympics in mind
By V Krishnaswamy
A look at the teams suggests both men and women have a similar problem – defence and penalty corner conversion.
The men have already booked their berth and the women have an outside chance of making it to Rio Olympics next year for the Olympic hockey competition. While the men have missed just one Olympic Games (in 2008) since 1928, the women have played just one before - in the truncated Olympic hockey field in 1980 in Moscow.
So, there was little pressure on the men but they did want to use this event to get a good look at all possible opponents in Rio. For the women it's all about the Rio berth. As the quarter-finals line up stands, India men will fancy their chances against Malaysia, despite losing to them at Azlan Shah but the women will just hope to limit the scoring spree of the World No.1 Dutch girls.
A look at the teams suggests both men and women have a similar problem - defence and penalty corner conversion. Then, there is also the question of nerves and getting into the rhythm faster, most conspicuous while playing teams of a higher caliber and fitness.
As the men's coach, Paul Van Ass, the Dutchman, said after the match against Australia, which India lost 2-6, "We gave away far too much in the early part of the game. We had to get used to the higher rhythm of the game. It all comes down to the game and nerves and we didn't play well. It was only after half time that the nerves got better and the game was better.
There are lessons to be learnt," he added. His final punchline: "Australia are No. 1 and we are No. 9 and that's not without a reason."
Sardar Singh concurred, saying, "We played too defensive and our reactions were slow. We wanted to play the same way as we did in Azlan Shah (against Australia, where India won), but we were not able to." A day earlier, the coach of the women's Mathias Ahrens had said. "We gave away too many penalty corners and easy goals.
Also, we are caught off guard when we go all out and we fail to contain the counters." He was referring to the 10 penalty corners India conceded against Australia while losing 2-4. The cupboard is bare for the women's team when it comes to the penalty corners.
"We don't have a drag-flicker for penalty corners. I did notice a good dragflicker in the training camp (among the under-21) ahead of the tournament, but it was too early for her skills to be pushed into top grade international hockey," Ahrens said.
The Economic Times
India women need to tighten defense ahead of Netherlands clash
ANTWERP (Belgium): The Indian women's hockey team needs to plug the gaps in its defensive structure when going into attack, ahead of their quarterfinal clash against reigning World Cup and Olympic champions The Netherlands in the World League Semifinals here on Tuesday.
In their enthusiasm, the Indian eves are allowing the defensive structure to fall apart when going into the attack and such lapses could prove terribly expensive against The Netherlands.
The disruption of structure is being cited as the cause of Indian eves conceding a large number of penalty corners, the count going to 10 in the last outing against World Cup silver medalists Australia on Saturday.
India women's team coach, Mathias Ahrens says that the crux of the problem is the defensive structure falling apart when too many players move into the rival territory.
"When we attack, in the turnover, we keep getting caught off-guard in defence," says coach Mathias Ahrens, conceding that the excessive number of penalty corners was a worry for the team management.
"It's a very old story of no counter-attack control when attacking. It's a mental thing. The players need a change of outlook. It is in our control of events that we need to improve immediately. We need to learn to defend deep in our territory.
"Against Australia, there were as many as eight Indian players in the rival territory on one occasion. That's very dangerous and makes us the target for counter-attacks," the coach said.
Indian girls put up a valiant performance in the 2-4 loss to Australia, reigniting the aspiration of making it to the 2016 Olympic Games even though they are drawn to play The Netherlands at the KHC Dragons Stadium.
"We may not have got an ideal quarterfinal draw, but the performance against Australia shows we can pose a threat to The Netherlands," said Ahrens.
It has been 35 years since Indian women's team made an Olympic appearance in 1980.
The Indian women's team set off from New Delhi earlier this month with a top-5 position in their mind. The hopes were slightly dimmed when the loss to Belgium denied India a good quarterfinal draw, but the display against Australia has reinforced the belief.
"On Tuesday, facing The Netherlands is our first chance," says coach Ahrens.
A shock victory over the Dutch would virtually place India in the Olympic lineup. But there is a second chance for teams who lose the quarterfinals.
The next chance will come on Thursday, when the semifinals or playoffs for the fifth to eight positions take place.
India's strike-power has improved with the return of the Rani Rampal and Vandana Katariya from injury-forced absence. With captain Ritu Rani and Deepika adeptly playing the play-makers, the Indian team has shown it is capable of being on the same pitch as top-ranked teams.
Deepika left the arena with a bandaged arm after receiving a nasty blow during the Saturday match.
Relieved that there was no fracture, the Indian team is hopeful that she plays the knock-out round.
"Deepika has been a fine player. We need her on the pitch in every match," said Ahrens.
"India's own raids take too long to build up. When we turn over, we are not quite quick," said Ahrens, lamenting the fact that Indian girls give the rivals enough time to recover and regain the defensive positions.
The Times of India
Belgium and Australia almost a shoo-in for Rio Olympics
by S. Ramaguru
Chris Ciriello (left) of Australian in action during the match against Pakistan in the World Hockey League Semi-Finals group match in Belgium. - GRANT TREEBY
ANTWERP: World champions Australia and hosts Belgium are the favourites to meet in the final and secure their Olympic berths with ease as the World Hockey League Semi-Finals move into the knockout phase.
World No. 1 Australia, the Group A champions, will play No.14-ranked Ireland while No. 4 Belgium, the Group B winners, are up against 18-ranked France in Wednesday’s quarter-finals.
As expected, Australia wrapped up their Group A matches unbeaten. Their final group match was a 6-2 victory over India on Sunday to be the only side with the maximum 12 points. Chris Ciriello scored a hat-trick to stop Australia’s three-match losing streak against India.
“We still have a long way to go and improve on our performances, but we’re confident of winning here,” said Ciriello.
Belgium shot to the top of Group B ahead of Britain after a nail-biting 2-1 win over Ireland. The Belgians scored the winning goal with just 25 seconds left on the clock.
Said Belgium coach Jeroen Delmee: “Now our hopes is to secure a place in the semi-finals with ease.”
The other two quarter-finals will see fifth-ranked Britain taking on Pakistan and India doing battle with Malaysia.
Of these four teams, only India do not have anything to worry about as they have already qualified for next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics by virtue of being the Asian champions.
The Star of Malaysia
It's crunch time for Malaysia hockey team
by S. Ramaguru
National hockey captain Mohd Razie Rahim (left) in action against India during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in April. - Filepic
ANTWERP: Let’s get the job done. That’s the clarion call issued by skipper Mohd Razie Rahim as Malaysia go into Wednesday’s quarter-finals against India in the World Hockey League Semi-Finals.
Malaysia need to beat India to be one of the three teams from the tournament to qualify for next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Malaysia’s last appearance at the Olympics was in Sydney in 2000.
“This is the match we have been waiting for. Now we have to go out there and get the result,” said Razie.
On Sunday, Malaysia went down 1-3 to Britain to finish third in Group B. It was Malaysia’s second straight defeat after losing 0-2 to hosts Belgium on Friday. Malaysia kicked off their campaign by beating China 3-2 and then followed it up by beating Ireland 4-2.
As for India, they lost for the first time in the tournament after going down 2-6 to Australia on Sunday. They finished second in Group A with seven points. But India have already qualified for the Olympics after winning the Asian Games gold medal last year.
Razie said Malaysia need to wake up after suffering two straight losses.
“After the first two wins, our performances took a dip. The players all realise that and must make sure we do not falter against India. We’ve to win this match at all cost.
“We need to support one another with greater efforts. We are always better when we play hard as a unit. We will not stop running until the final whistle. We need to cut down our errors and take control of the game,” he added.
The last time Malaysia met India was at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in April this year. Then, Malaysia won 3-2.
“India is a familiar foe. They know us very well. Past results don’t count and there is no way we’ll underestimate them just because we won the last time,” said Razie.
The Star of Malaysia
Pakistan in a pickle at World Hockey League
by S. Ramaguru
Pakistan assistant coach speaking to his players in the match against France at the World Hockey League Semi-Finals in Belgium on Sunday. - FIH
ANTWERP: Pakistan are facing another crisis of sorts.
The once most-powerful nation in hockey is in danger of missing the Olympics for the first time since they made their debut in 1948.
Last year Pakistan failed to make the cut for the World Cup for the first time in their history.
Pakistan’s moment of truth will come when they play world No. 5 Britain in the quarter-finals of the World Hockey League Semi-Finals on Wednesday. And it’s a do-or-die mission for the 10th-ranked Asian team.
Skipper Mohamed Imran said they can’t afford to miss the boat to next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
“We have a tough task. I would say that all the four quarter-final matches are tough and you cannot predict the outcome.
“Britain play a typical European game where they have speed and do not give up until the end. We know what to expect and we just have to get ready for it. The match is there for the taking and we must finish it,” he said.
Pakistan only recorded one win to finish third in Group A with five points. They kicked off their campaign with a 3-1 win over Poland and then lost 6-1 to Australia. Pakistan then drew with India (2-2) and France (2-2).
Imran said Pakistan were troubled by poor finishing in all the four matches.
“We created a lot of goalscoring chances, but just could not finish off the moves.
“We will use the two-day break to look at our movements and see where we have gone wrong,” said Imran, who has contributed three of the eight goals scored by Pakistan here.
To date, Pakistan have won the Olympic title three times in 1960, 1968 and 1984. At the last Games in London in 2012, they finished seventh.
The Star of Malaysia
GB's prolific scorers
By Mike Haymonds
GREAT BRITAIN'S men are in prolific goal scoring form as their team has reached the quarter-finals of the World League semi-final, which is also an Olympic Qualifier, in Antwerp and it is not only the most experienced players who are making their mark.
GB have scored 15 goals in their four pool games and they have been spread among eight players. Only four strikes have come from skipper Barry Middleton and corner specialist Ashleigh Jackson, with two each.
Coach Bobby Crutchley is very satisfied with this trend. "It's great to see so many players get on the board," he said.
Leading scorer with three, is newcomer Sam Ward, who came to Antwerp with 10 GB caps and four goals, while David Condon and Chris Griffiths, with 14 and 13 previous caps, have also been on target. Other scorers, all with two, are Alastair Brogdon, Nick Catlin and Mark Gleghorne.
Field goals have proved crucial as GB scored only four penalty corner goals from 13 attempts.
GB finished their pool games unbeaten, with two wins and two draws, in second place behind hosts Belgium. They meet Pakistan in tomorrow's (Wednesday) quarter-final.
A Belgium winner, with 25 seconds left, in a 2-1 win over Ireland denied GB top spot and an easier quarter-final with France.
GB need to finish in the top three to qualify for the Rio Olympics although fourth place may be enough
Fieldhockey.com exclusive
Pakistan to take on Great Britain in quarters
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on Great Britain in the quarter-finals on Wednesday as race for Hockey World League Final and Rio 2016 Olympic Games tickets continues.
Following the completion of the pool phase at the men’s Hockey World League semi-finals in Antwerp, the line-up for the quarter-final matches has been confirmed, says a press release issued here.
The top three finishers in the event will not only seal a place at the end of year’s Hockey World League Final in India but also qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Australia, finishing at the top of pool A, will now face Ireland, pool B’s fourth team, in a quarter-final.
The quarter-finals will take place on Wednesday.
Dawn
Stats Speak: How the Quarter finalists (Men) fared
By B.G.Joshi
Sehore-Bhopal (India): Top ranked teams have an edge in last 5 matches played between the rivals. Australia has never lost to Ireland in total 7 matches played so far. Belgium, India and Great Britain (includes England) also have more wins against their quarterfinal competitor in last 5 meetings. Details are:
|
Rivals |
MP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
|
Australia-Ireland |
5 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
4 |
|
Great Britain-Pakistan |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
18 |
7 |
|
India-Malaysia |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
10 |
|
Belgium-France |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
16 |
11 |
Last match played by Quarter finalists are:
- Australia (WR 1) vs. Ireland (WR 16) - last played in Paris Invitation tourney in 2011, Kookaburras beats Green Machines by 4-2.
- Great Britain (WR 5) vs. Pakistan (WR 10) - last played in Bhubaneswar Champions Trophy 2014(as England), England beats Pakistan by 8-2.
- India (WR 9) vs. Malaysia (WR 14) - last played in Ipoh Azlan Shah Cup 2015, Malaysia beats India by 3-2.
- Belgium (WR 4) vs. France (WR 18) - last played in Braxgata in test match in 2014, Red Lions beats France 2-1.
- Australia, Belgium and Britain- Top 3 teams are undefeated in Antwerp so far.
Standings Pool A
|
Rank |
Team |
MP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Points |
|
1 |
Australia |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
3 |
12 |
|
2 |
India |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
10 |
7 |
|
3 |
Pakistan |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
11 |
5 |
|
4 |
France |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
16 |
4 |
|
5 |
Poland |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
13 |
0 |
Standings Pool B
|
Rank |
Team |
MP |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
Points |
|
1 |
Belgium |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
10 |
|
2 |
Great Britain |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
15 |
6 |
8 |
|
3 |
Malaysia |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
6 |
|
4 |
Ireland |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
8 |
4 |
|
5 |
China |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
23 |
0 |
Fieldhockey.com
Tuks edge Maties in eight-goal thriller
JONATHAN COOK at UKZN Greenfields Turf
Matt de Sousa of Maties in possession as Tuks captain Andrew Buckley (left) and Tim Guise-Brown look on during Tuks' 5-3 win in the match of the day at UKZN Monday.
THE quality of hockey, coupled with the sheer drama and competitive nature of a men’s clash between such long-time rivals, set the tone for a superb opening day of the 2015 University Sport South Africa tournament at UKZN Pietermaritzburg’s Greenfields Turf Monday.
In the match of the day, UP Tuks overcame an early Maties goal to race into a 3-1 lead at half-time before the University of Stellenbosch lads clawed their way back to 3-3 in an outstanding third quarter, only for the men from Pretoria to nail down a brace in the closing minutes of this thriller to run out 5-3 victors.
In other men’s A Section action, the Madibaz of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University beat University of Free State’s Kovsies 4-1, University of Cape Town’s Ikeys drew 3-3 with Wits University, and University of Johannesburg (UJ) underlined their quest for a fourth consecutive national student title with a 6-1 win over hosts University of KZN.
In women’s A Section hockey, North West University’s Potchefstroom ladies (Pukke) upstaged Kovsies 2-1; while Madibaz beat Ikeys 2-0, Tuks outplayed Varsity College 9-0 and UJ edged defending champs Maties 2-1.
A massive match at the AB Jackson Greenfields Turf Tuesday sees Maties men desperate to stay in the hunt when they tackle UJ at 10am while another key clash sees UKZN men, on home turf, take on Tuks at 3.40pm. Arguably the most enticing women’s clash Tuesday is between Maties and Tuks, in the 5.20pm late game at UKZN.
Meanwhile, another 29 university teams are taking part in the men’s and women’s B and C Sections. Their matches take place at the AB Jackson, Maritzburg College and Epworth hockey turfs.
The A Section women’s final is at 4.20pm Friday at UKZN with the men’s final at 6.10pm.
A SECTION RESULTS
Men: Madibaz 4 Kovsies 1; Ikeys 3 Wits 3; Tuks 5 Maties 3; UJ 6 UKZN 1
Women: Pukke 2 Kovsies 1; Madibaz 2 Ikeys 0; Tuks 9 Varsity College 0; UJ 2 Maties 1
TUESDAY FIXTURES
Men – at UKZN: Madibaz vs Ikeys (9am); UKZN vs Tuks (3.40pm)
Men – at AB Jackson: UJ vs Maties (10am); Kovsies vs Wits (11.30am)
Women - at UKZN: UJ vs Varsity College (10.40am); Pukke vs Madibaz (12.20pm); Kovsies vs Ikeys (2pm); Maties vs Tuks (5.20pm)
Fieldhockey.com
No Olympics for SA hockey
Sascoc says qualifying through Africa alone is not enough and will not relax the requirements.
Marc Lewis
JOHANNESBURG – South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) President Gideon Sam has told EWN Sport no alternative measures will be made to get either the men’s or women’s national hockey teams to the Rio Games next year.
It will be the first Olympics since 1992 that South Africa will not be represented in either category.
While International Olympic Committee and International Hockey Federation rules allow teams to qualify through their continental championships, Sascoc has made it clear, qualifying through Africa alone is not enough.
When asked if qualification requirements could be relaxed to help the teams qualify, Sam said that could not happen.
“We will have to relax it for everybody then and I don’t think that is our policy. We did it in London, we said no and we stuck to our guns. It will be sad to now to turn around and say if we relaxed for this, we relaxed for that.”
While national team coach Fabian Gregory says he can’t understand why South Africa must suffer because the rest of Africa is considered weak.
“It’s always been the route of qualification for us, via continental qualifiers all over and the winner of that qualification gets a berth at the Olympics. In South Africa’s case they saying no it’s not. Is it our fault that our qualifier is not strong enough? Is it out fault that only Egypt and to a lesser extent Ghana are the two most competitive nations?”
Eyewitness News
Wien's dream comes true in Austria
HC Wien ended a 22-year wait for the Austrian title on Sunday as Tomasz Szmidt’s side beat reigning champions SV Arminen 2-0 in a shoot-out in the final after regulation time had ended 1-1.
"We have played a dream game," the Wien coach said afterwards."I'm incredibly proud of the team.We have realised our dream!”
Earlier on, Dominic Uher’s corner had given Arminen a 1-0 lead a both teams carved out strong chances. His side went close to a second only for Georg Kölbl to spectacularly clear off the line.
Wien fought back in the third quarter with Bartosz Szmidt getting the crucial touch after a corner move went through several phases before ending up in his path and he made it 1-1.
Both sides had chances to win it down the closing stretch but Michael Mantler stood tall to ensure the game went to extra time and subsequently to a shoot-out.
Amid a series of misses, Leon Thornblom broke the deadlock before Bartosz Szmidt was again the hero, scoring for 2-0. When Sebastian Eitenberger missed, it was time for Wien to celebrate their first championship title in 22 years.
Euro Hockey League media release
Legerton leads Petrotrin to men’s title
Wayne Legerton
Discarded T&T international Wayne Legerton scored a brace as Petrotrin blanked Paragon 3-0 to reclaim the T&T Hockey Board Men’s Championship Division title at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Saturday night.
With three matches left to complete its schedule the Oilmen only needed one win to end the title race, however Paragon they found a stubborn opponent as both teams ended the first-half at 0-0.
Legerton finally broke the deadlock in the 39th minute and made it 2-0 in the 55th before Davone Stewart added a third item a minute later for the Oilmen to register a 3-0 triumph and move to an unassailable 31 points from 12 matches, nine more than second placed Queen’s Park which has one match left to play and ten ahead of defending champions Notre Dame which has three matches left to play, but can only reach 30 points.
The Parkites leapfrogged the Dames into third with a 2-1 win over Paradise thanks to a 59th minute from Jerazano Bell.
This after Raphael Govia had given Queen’s Park a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute, which was cancelled out by Alan Henderson’s 46th minute equaliser for Paradise.
Charles sends Checkers women to top
Mindy Charles got the lone goal of a tight contest as Harvard Checkers edged Courts Malvern 1-0 to go top of the T&T Hockey Women’s Championship Division ahead of Georgetown Cricket Club on goal-difference at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Friday.
Coming off a 1-1 draw with fellow title chasing Shandy Carib Magnolias on Wednesday, Checkers came up against another long-time rival in Malvern.
However, the game began uneventfully with no team being able to score in the first-half although the opportunities were there.
That was until Mindy Charles wound her way past through the Malvern backline to score a field goal in the 48th minute which her team-mates defended until the final whistle.
The victory lifted Checkers to 20 points from 11 matches, and one left to play against winless Ventures on July 4. Georgetown also has 20 points, but has already completed its 12-match schedule.
But defending champions Paragon still remained favourites to retain its title after hammering Ventures 9-0 also on Friday led by Kristin Thompson’s treble in the 36th, 40th and 58th minutes to climb to 19 points and three matches outstanding.
Zene Henry added a double while the quartet of captain Alanna Lewis, Keima Gardiner, Felicia King and Rolana Cuffy-Bernard chipped in with one each.
Fraser fires Magnolias to Trinity women’s crown
Also on Saturday, Kima Fraser netted a hat-trick for Shandy Carib Magnolias to whip Harvard Checkers 6-2 and with it seal the Trinity Women’s title with maximum 18 points from six matches.
Fraser sored as early as the fifth minute and added items in the 36th and 66th while Daniella Granado (47th, 49th ) got two, and Kaithlyn Olton, the other against second placed Harvard Checkers which has ten points and one match to play, the same as Paragon.
And in the Trinity Men’s Division, J Romeo and J Wren were both on target for Courts Malvern to shut-out Carib and surge to the table top with 15 points from seven matches and one left to play.
Former leader Notre Dame slipped to second with 13 points from its eight-match schedule, level on points with Queen’s Park and Paradise which have two matches each left to play, while Paragon has nine points and two matches to play as well.
Carib and Shape with six points from five matches each, both still have outside chances, though.
Results
Friday
Women’s Championship
Harvard Checkers 1 (Mindy Charles 48th) vs Courts Malvern 0
Paragon 9 (Kristin Thompson 36th, 40th, 58th, Zene Henry 42nd, 57th, Alanna Lewis 27th, Felicia King 32nd, Keima Gardiner 41st, Rolana Cuffy-Bernard 51st) vs Ventures 0
Saturday
Men’s Championship
QPCC 2 (Raphael Govia 22nd, Jerazano Bell 59th) vs Paradise 1 (Alan Henderson 46th)
Petrotrin 3 (Wayne Legerton 39th, 55th, Davone Stewart 56th) vs Paragon 0
Trinity Men
Courts Malvern 2 (J. Romeo 8th, J. Wren 52nd) vs Carib 0
Trinity Women
SC Magnolias 6 (Kim Fraser 5th, 36th, 66th, Daniella Granado 47th, 49th, Kaithlyn Olton 10th) vs Harvard Checkers 2 (M. King 52nd, J. Clark 65th)
Men’s Championship
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Petrotrin 12 10 1 1 44 16 31
QPCC 13 6 4 3 31 22 22
Notre Dame 11 6 3 2 29 17 21
Paragon 12 6 1 5 29 28 19
D/Force 12 2 6 4 24 26 12
Malvern 12 2 4 6 18 24 10
Fatima 11 2 3 6 16 30 9
Paradise 11 2 0 9 18 50 6
Women’s Championship
Harvard Checkers 11 6 4 1 12 6 20
GCC 12 6 2 4 22 20 20
Paragon 9 5 4 0 27 7 19
SC Magnolias 10 5 2 3 24 11 17
Notre Dame 8 3 1 4 13 15 10
Malvern 8 2 2 4 15 16 8
Ventures 8 0 0 8 1 29 0
Trinity Men
Malvern 7 5 0 2 11 6 15
Notre Dame 8 4 1 3 24 13 13
QPCC 6 4 1 1 18 7 13
Paradise 6 4 1 1 18 11 13
Paragon 6 3 0 3 4 10 9
Carib 5 2 0 3 6 8 6
Shape 5 2 0 3 7 9 6
Fatima 5 0 1 4 3 14 1
Police 4 0 0 4 1 13 0
Trinity Women
Magnolias 6 6 0 0 33 2 18
Checkers 5 3 1 1 23 9 10
Paragon 5 3 1 1 11 10 10
Malvern 3 1 0 2 10 8 3
Police 4 1 0 3 4 14 3
Paradise 4 0 0 4 1 12 0
Raiders 3 0 0 3 0 27 0
Under-19 Boys
Malvern 7 7 0 0 54 2 21
QPCC 7 6 0 1 37 6 18
Fatima 6 3 1 1 13 12 11
Paragon 7 3 1 3 15 10 10
Petrotrin 7 2 1 4 7 43 7
Shape 4 2 0 2 11 10 6
Paradise 5 1 1 3 8 14 4
Notre Dame 8 1 0 7 9 38 3
Raiders 5 0 1 4 0 19 1
Under-19 Girls:
Magnolias 5 5 0 0 75 1 15
Paragon 5 3 1 1 47 5 10
Malvern 5 3 1 1 30 13 10
Checkers 5 1 2 2 10 4 5
Notre Dame 3 1 0 2 3 13 3
Petrotrin 5 1 0 4 3 90 3
Raiders 4 0 0 4 2 42 0
The Trinidad Guardian
Regions ready for National Under-18 Tournament
Teams around New Zealand are in the final stages of preparation ahead of the 2015 National Under-18 Regional Tournament being held at North Harbour Hockey next week.
The eight representative men’s and women’s teams will compete for their respective titles from this Sunday (5 July) through till finals day on Saturday (11 July).
Hockey New Zealand high performance director Terry Evans says it’s a key tournament in the calendar and the national selectors will be there identifying talent.
“It’s from this tournament, as well as the National Under-21’s and the Ford National Hockey League, that we select athletes to be part of our national high performance programme,” said Evans.
The 2015/2016 Junior Black Sticks, Future Black Sticks, Development and National Squads will be named in September following the Ford National Hockey League.
Next week, the 16 men’s and women’s representative teams all play at the same venue, with eight games played on each of the six days of competition, with a total of 288 representative players taking to the field.
On the men’s side, Pool A will see Canterbury, Auckland, Central and Northland take on each other while in Pool B, Midlands, Capital, Southern and North Harbour will battle it out.
On the Women’s side, Midlands, North Harbour, Central and Northland are in Pool A with Auckland, Canterbury, Capital and Southern on the other side of the draw.
Results will be posted on hockeynz.co.nz with extra content posted on www.facebook.com/nzblacksticks.
We will also be using Snapchat throughout this tournament to profile players and the teams, just add ‘blacksticks’ as a friend.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Athens Wins US U16 National Futures Championship
LANCASTER, Pa. – At Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. the National Futures Championship finished out another age division as the U-16 group concluded today.
After a stormy, windy first day, the U-16 Division proceeded with great play for the reign to hoist the championship trophy. Competitive pool play lead to promising crossovers as the top four teams going into the finals were Oslo, St. Moritz, Athens and London.
Congratulations to the following medalists and award recipients:
Barbara Longstreth Award for Sportsmanship: Cortina coached by Kaitlyn Perrelle
Third Place: London coached by Torrie Albini
Second Place: St. Moritz coached by Bill Pullin
First Place: Athens coached by Shannon Taylor
USFHA media release
USA's JPOL Champions of Spring
The curtains came down on the 3rd Annual Junior Premier Outdoor League (JPOL). Earlier this year JPOL welcomed the addition of the Midwest region (R-9/10) and the current plan is to have Region 8 up and running for 2016.
Based on the feedback received from parents, club directors and coaches, as well as from university and college coaches who were in attendance, it appears to be another successful year for everyone involved.
After several league dates of competitive field hockey, JPOL can truly say that the benefits can be seen by all. The improvement of the quality of games from the first weekend in April to the Championships on June 6th in Region 5, 6, & 7 and June 14th in the Midwest Region, is very commendable and can be attributed to the commitment of the players, parents and coaches alike.
The continued success of this League would not be possible without the support of many who give of their time and JPOL would like to recognize a few. This year JPOL identified and appointed Dean Wenrich as Director of Umpiring, Lurah Hess as Technical Director and Kim Scott as Altiusrt Technical Support, to assist in the management of this league and all future JPH events. These three individuals worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that the Technical, Umpiring and results ran smoothly each weekend in all regions.
JPOL thank all the umpire managers, technical directors and their staff of dedicated technical officers, umpires and all judges/parents provided by the clubs. You all give so much of you time and talent to be part of this event and its successes.
Recognition must be given to the college and university coaches who took the time to be present and hope that you were pleased with the level of competition and the organization of the event. Those who were in attendance represented the following establishments:
Ball State University, Centre College, Cornell University, Earlham College, Gwynedd Mercy University, Indiana University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, St. Joseph’s University, University of Delaware, Miami of Ohio, Princeton University, Rider University, Rutgers University, The College of New Jersey, Syracuse University, Transylvania University, University of Louisville, University of Pennsylvania, University of Connecticut and Wittenberg University.
Special recognition to our Title Sponsor, Field Hockey Recruits (FHR) and all of our other Sponsors: Dita USA, Harrow and Templar FH Group, for stepping forward and supporting JPH and this League. Thank you for your continued support!
JPOL would now like to recognize and congratulate the 2015 Champions and Special Award recipients from each Region, for an outstanding performance.
U16 CHAMPIONS
R5 - EAST COAST FH
R6 - JERSEY INTENSITY FH
R7 - FREEDOM HKY
R9/10 - AIM FH
Harrow’s Most Valuable Players
R5 - KARA MCCLURE, XCALIBUR FHC
R6 - EMMA ROSEN, FC UNITED
R7 - KYLER GREENWALT, FREEDOM HKY
R9/10 - JESSICA MOELLERING, AIM FH
Harrow’s Top Goal Scorers
R5 - MACKENZIE ALLESSIE, ALLEY CATS
R6 - AVERY POWELL, SOUTH JERSEY EDGE
R7 - ALIA MARSHALL, ORANJE-GOTTALOVEIT
R7 - MARGOT LAWN, FREEDOM HKY
R9/10 - MEGAN RICE, AIM FH
U19 CHAMPIONS
R5 - ALLEY CATS
R6 - NEW HEIGHTS
R7 - ORANJE-GOTTALOVEIT
R9/10 - FH LIFE
Harrow’s Most Valuable Players
R5 - KAYLA WALKER, ALLEY CATS
R6 - ELIZABETH SIED, FC UNITED
R7 - HEATHER MEERED, THE GAELS FHC
R9/10 - ROSE GORSKI, WINDY CITY FH
Harrow’s Top Goal Scorers
R5 - ELIZABETH TRIMBLE, ALLEY CATS
R6 - SAMMY POPPER, PRINCETON FHC
R7 - TORRIE HUK, ORANJE-GOTTALOVEIT
R9/10 - GRETCHEN BECHTHOLD, MILWAUKEE FHC
R9/10 - KARA ZURLINDEN, AIM FH
Templar Field Hockey Group’s Most Valuable Players (R6 only)
R6 - EMILY SURGENT, JERSEY INTENSITY FH (U16) and ALI McCARTHY, NEW HEIGHTS (U19)
On behalf of Junior Premier Hockey and the JPOL Organizers, Rachael Bloemker Milne and Nigel Traverso, we say thanks to you all for your hard work, commitment, support and cooperation in making this Junior Premier Hockey event a continued success. We wish you all much success the rest of the year and look forward to seeing you all in 2016.
Coming in 2016 – JPOL National Championship
Bringing the winners from all the JPOL Regions together!
For all results and final ranking, please log on to our website at www.juniorpremierhockey.com
Congratulations to our 2016 Champions!
USFHA media release
Fun on the RISE
GAHANNA, Ohio – This weekend the first-ever FUNdamental Field Hockey Program, Columbus Academy, hosted its first-ever RISE Instructional Clinic for beginning to novice players. After a rainy week, the clouds parted and the sun shined for a beautiful day of field hockey for 25 athletes from age 7 to 12 and their five local USA Field Hockey Coach Members. Also on site was USA Field Hockey Development staff members Keli Smith Puzo (2008 and 2012 Olympian and Regional Development Manager for Great Lakes) and Kyle Boyer (National Development Director) to see the program in action.
“Growing the game of field hockey comes down to working with folks on the local level and having a site host like Sean Silver from the Columbus Academy FUNdamental program is key to a successful event,” noted Boyer. She went on to add, “If we want to be successful in building field hockey from the grassroots up, we need to build quality development programs and find good people on the ground to help us run them. Sean is a perfect example of someone who wants to see the game grow in his area and who we are looking to work with in development.”
"Our region has so much potential," said Silver. "Athletics is such a big part of Ohio and the Midwest, and although we have some very passionate field hockey communities, we've only reached the tip of the iceberg."
Silver, a father of two children, is a software developer residing in New Albany, Ohio. Both of his children attend Columbus Academy (his daughter a field hockey player) and he believes the area is so fortunate to have such a great and supportive field hockey community.
"By getting sticks into our young players' hands and teaching them the fundamentals, they can go out and hit a ball in the yard by themselves, or with friends and family," said Silver. "We also need a core of well-trained coaches who can help instill the love of the game before they even get to organized sport. This is one reason why we're so excited about being a part of the RISE program."
The clinic attendees were fortunate to have a great coaching staff on hand with Yvette Peterson (FH Life Coach), who has been instrumental in the growth of field hockey in Columbus, Kelley Hubbell (Head Field Hockey Coach at Wittenberg University), Rebekkah Stahl (former Columbus Academy field hockey athlete and now a physical educator), and Brianna Stahl (former Columbus Academy field hockey athlete currently playing for Miami University of Ohio). The next RISE Instructional Clinic is scheduled for July 15, 2015 in Rochester, N.Y. Registration for all RISE sites can be found here (there are options for beginner athletes who are over 11 as well).
USFHA media release
‘I will if you will’ initiative
Flames Development College creates new initiative targeted at young girls
The Flames Girls Development College was born out of a desire to improve the development opportunities for young girls in the Central Melbourne region - South Yarra, Toorak, Hawthorn and St. Kilda - and thereby help improve their retention in the sport.
The College is the vision of a group of parents and coaches from across the five junior clubs of the Flames zone, who are passionate about the ongoing success of girls’ hockey, both at the regional level and within the clubs in the area.
Speaking to Caleb Griffiths – Zone Coordinator – about the idea behind the ‘I will if you will’ initiative, he said, “It’s a slogan that promotes female engagement in sport and physical activity across all ages and abilities. It fits well with the principles of the program, primarily in advocating that young players broaden their hockey network and try new things with their peers. It’s both a recruitment ideal to bring your friends along as well as a development ideal to have a go in a safe and encouraging environment.”
The College has a succinct set of objectives:
• To improve the development and retention of female players in the zone
• To increase the quality of experience for female players within the zone and establish awareness of lifetime opportunities provided through hockey
• To increase female participation at the club and regional level within the zone
With over 30 girls currently participating, the College is structured to be a predominantly technical development program. Girls are grouped into similar ability levels with coaching ratios maintained at 1:6 or lower.
In its current iteration, the College is an eight week development program for 10-15 year olds. Each group of girls undergoes a tailored program aimed at developing core hockey skills in an environment that is conducive to trial-and-error, allowing the players to develop the confidence to practice new skills and improve their game.
The visible outcomes of the College over the past two years have been to see an increase in the number of girls participating at the regional level at a higher standard. In 2014, Flames won its first girls State Championship with their U13 team.
Looking ahead, their next goal is to ensure that the strong development and growth in young female participants witnessed at the U13 age group continues to follow through as players get older. The Flames coaching staff hope that the continued evolution of their programs and initiatives at the regional level will aid clubs in providing an environment that girls want to stay and play hockey in.
Hockey is a sport for life and by ensuring a positive experience in their early hockey careers, the Flames coaching staff hope that they will continue to want to play as they grow and their interests and activities diverge through school, university and into their adult years.
If you'd like to find out more about the Flames 'I will if you will' initiative, contact Caleb Griffiths - Zone Coordinator - via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or alternatively you can checkout their website and Facebook page.
Hockey Australia media release