Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

Daily Hockey news updated @ 10:00 GMT

News for 10 October 2015

All the news for Saturday 10 October 2015


Men: Brazil and Venezuela will compete for the gold medal in Chiclayo

Venezuela will play in the great final on Sunday after beating Guyana in a dramatic penalty shoot-out, while more experienced Brazil defeated Uruguay

Patrick Espejo   

Brazil secured their spot in the final first. Venezuela will be their rival on Sunday, earning their spot after a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Both teams will walk into the pitch on Sunday at 3:45 PM, aiming to take the gold medal of the Pan American Challenge home. The tournament started in October 3rd at the Colegio San José, in Chiclayo, 765 km north of Lima.

Typical of a Pan American tournament, the semifinals were thrilling. Venezuela and Guyana played with heart and soul, running in all sectors of the pitch, thus resulting in an open passionate match, with a continuous changing scoreboard.

Venezuela opened the scoreboard with Andy Adrián in the minute2, but 7 minutes later Robert France equalized. Cristian Vargas, best scorer of the tournament, scored giving the “Llaneros” (Venezuelan) the lead in minute 23. France obtained the parity in the first minute of the third quarter. Guyana celebrated when Aroydy Brandford scored, changing the scoreboard 3-2.

However, 6 minutes before the end of the match, the Venezuelan Aroydy Brandford defined the parity. The last few minutes before the end of the match were as dramatic as the minutes that followed, with both teams struggling to achieve the victory. After the 3-3 draw in regulation, the winner was defined by penalty shoot-out. It was so even, that 2 additional rounds were necessary.

On the seventh execution, José Oropeza scored, and in the next action, Venezuelan goalkeeper Jamarj Assanah saved, making the match 5-4 and gave Venezuela the joy of the victory.

“We’re happy. It was a very tough match, with a high flight team like Guyana. There’s still one more step to climb, and that’s the final. We’ll do our best,” said goalkeeper Benitez after the match.

BRAZIL RELIED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE

Earlier, Brazil settled in the finals after beating Uruguay 4-0, a tough result for the “Charruas” (Uruguayans) who played with big effort and even had opportunities to score. The Uruguayans knew they were facing a team who is not only preparing for the Olympic Games next year, but played in different important tournaments (including achieving  a fourth place in the Pan American Games 2015 in Toronto)

Lucas Paixão opened the scoreboard in minute 27. This detail speaks by itself, Uruguay’s defense played well. Matheus Borges scored twice in minute 41 and minute 56, the other goal was scored by the captain of Brazil, André Patrocinio, sealing the victory for Brazil and the spot in the final.

“We wanted the final and we’ve achieved it. It was a difficult match. Uruguay was a good rival, but patience led us to find the spaces to score. Now, we still have the final to play, we’ll fight it with the same energy,” said Matheus Borges at the end of the match.

“We’re upset, we wanted more. However, from a distance we faced a team that will compete at the Olympic Games, and played in a number of tournaments before. We only had the chance to train 20 times, at night, as we have to study or work. We’re not discouraged, and we’ll fight for the bronze medal on Sunday, on Uruguay’s pride behalf,” said defense player Gonzalo Martinoni.

FIFTH PLACE

Today, there was another definition.  Peru will face Puerto Rico for the fifth place of the Pan American Challenge.

The Peruvians finished the sports day defeating Panamá 6-0, with three goals scored by Miguel Rivera, and the rest by Sebastián Dennison and Fabrizio Corno. Puerto Rico opened the day with a 8-1 victory over Ecuador. Scorers were: Henzor Motta and Manuel Colón with two goals each, Gilberto Monserrate, Kelvin Rivera, Joseph Agosto and Ottus Feliciano with one goal each.

Peru and Puerto Rico will play at 3:45 PM, while Panama and Ecuador will play at 1:30 PM, for the seventh and eighth place.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Black Sticks edged by visitors in Christchurch



The Black Sticks Men and Women have been edged by India and Argentina, respectively, at Marist Park at St Bede’s College in Christchurch tonight.

Both Kiwi sides were outdone by just one goal - the winning goals coming in the last few minutes of each match.

It was the final game for the Black Sticks Women who walk away with a series draw after going down 1-2 this evening. The Black Sticks Men will look to draw the series with their last game on Sunday following a 2-3 loss tonight.

In the women’s game it was end-to-end hockey in the first half with the Black Sticks unable to break through some solid Argentinian defence.

There were two penalty corners awarded to Argentina in the first half and they made it count on the second attempt when Noel Barrionuevo got it passed goalkeeper Amelia Gibson to give her side a 1-0 lead.

The tempo stepped up in the second half and the Black Sticks were awarded numerous penalty corners and it was Kat Henry that converted and found the equaliser in the 50th minute.

As the clock counted down, both teams fought hard to find the series winning goal and with a sold-out crowd the Black Sticks had the locals off their seats and on their side.

But it was Julia Gomes who spoiled the Black Sticks party, converting a penalty corner with three minutes left to secure the win.

Black Stick Striker Olivia Merry was playing her 100th international tonight and she described it as a “bitter-sweet” experience.

“Playing your 100th in front of a sold-out Christchurch home crowd is an absolutely awesome feeling, but to not come away with the win is gut-wrenching,” said Merry.

“We didn’t come out firing in the second quarter and once Argentina went 1-0 up it was hard. They are a very skilful side, and they had the confidence and were able to get another goal with little time left to play,” said Merry.

Merry was joined by Midlands Natasha Fitzsimons who played her 50th international tonight.

In the men’s game, India was the first to get on the scoreboard when Rupinder Singh scored from a penalty corner in the 10th minute.
The Black Sticks began to settle into the game during the second quarter and in the 22nd minute Auckland’s Jared Panchia superbly beat the keeper in a one-on-one contest at close range to tie it up.

The score remained until some nice counter-attack resulted in Ramandeep Singh scoring a field goal to make it 2-1 to the visitors late in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Black Sticks really put the pressure on and North Harbour’s Steve Edwards found the space at the top of the circle and clinically smacked it home to get the Kiwis back in the game.

It could have gone either way in the final five minutes, but it was Dharamvir Singh who scored a field goal to give the visitors the win.

It was a big occasion for Nick Haig who was playing his first international on his home ground.

Next up, the Black Sticks Men face India in the final game of the 2015 South Island Tour at 1pm this Sunday in Christchurch.

Following this tour, both teams have ten days before they head to Taranaki for the Oceania Cup (21-25 October). Australia Men and Women, Samoa Men and Women and Fiji Men will also be competing in the continental event.

The Black Sticks Women have already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics, however the Black Sticks Men are needing to topple World No.1 Australia at the Oceania Cup to book their berth.

WOMEN’S RESULTS
Series result: 2-2
Full time: 1-2 (Argentina win)
Half time: 0-1 (Argentina led)
NZ goal scorers: Kat Henry
Argentina goal scorers: Noel Barrionuevo, Julia Gomes

MEN’S RESULTS
Full time: 2-3 (India win)
Half time: 1-1
NZ goal scorers: Jared Panchia, Steve Edwards
India goal scorers: Rupinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Dharamvir Singh

Hockey New Zealand Media release



India take series lead against men's Black Sticks with last-gasp goal

HANNE DAVIS


Hugo Inglis is tackled by Birendra Lakra during New Zealand's 3-2 loss to India in Christchurch on Friday night. PHOTOSPORT

The New Zealand men's hockey side lost the third test against India 3-1 in Christchurch on Friday to give the visitors the series advantage.

Heading into the final test on Sunday in Christchurch, India now lead the series 2-1 after scoring a dramatic winner.

Both teams played similar structures at Marist Park on Friday, but New Zealand opted to press down the wing as India focused on opportunistic counter attacks.

Using the width of the field, both teams moved the ball around but New Zealand missed out on converting some well-worked opportunities in the circle.

India got the better of them through a penalty corner, as one of the world's best drag flickers, Rupinder Singh, hammered a shot into the top right corner from the top of the circle to give them the lead.

New Zealand stuck to their pressing tactics, but it was a move off a counter attack that saw them level the score.

Blair Tarrant retrieved the ball down the left wing and in just four passes it was in the opposite corner of the field. That allowed Jared Panchia time to push ther ball past Indian goalie Harjot Singh to level the teams going into the break.

India looked to be the more incisive team, and although New Zealand appeared to have plenty of possession, they occasionally lacked forward movement after halftime.

It was another move off a turnover that saw India rampage down the turf towards replacement goalie Kyle Pontifex and Ramandeep Singh breached the Black Sticks net to give the visitors the lead again.

Experienced playmaker Steve Edwards pulled the Black Sticks level at 2-2 when he found a gap and took his opportunity from the top of the circle with five minutes remaining.

But despite some spirited attacks from each team, it was a reverse stick shot from Dharamvir Singh that clinched the win for India with less than a minute to go.

India 3 (Rupinder Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Dharamvir Singh) New Zealand 2 (Jared Panchia, Steve Edwards)  HT: 1-1.

Stuff



Argentina beat Black Sticks to square series


Argentina claimed a late win over the Black Sticks. Photo / Getty

A late goal saw Argentina beat the Black Sticks women 2-1 in Christchurch last night, holding the home side to a draw in their four-match South Island tour.

After dropping the series' opening encounter, back-to-back wins for world No4 New Zealand saw them threatening to claim the scalp of the third-ranked South Americans.

And once Kat Henry cancelled out Noel Barrionuevo's opener, slotting home from a penalty corner with seven minutes to play, the Black Sticks would have been content with a drawn match and victorious series. But Julia Gomes put the visitors in front with three minutes remaining to leave both sides with a share of the spoils.

Black Sticks striker Olivia Merry, playing her 100th international, described both her personal milestone and the fortunes of her team as "bitter-sweet".

"Playing your 100th in front of a sold-out Christchurch home crowd is an absolutely awesome feeling, but to not come away with the win is gut-wrenching," she said.

"We didn't come out firing in the second quarter and, once Argentina went 1-0 up, they are very skilful side and they had the confidence."

That goal arrived for Argentina after a pair of penalty corner opportunities, with Noel Barrionuevo eventually making the most of the chance to slot past goalkeeper Amelia Gibson.

The Black Sticks initially struggled to respond to the setback but, when the tempo was raised in the second half and numerous penalty corners arrived, Kat Henry eventually found the equaliser in the 50th minute.

Both teams fought hard to find the winning goal as the clock counted down but it was Julia Gomes who spoiled the home side's party, converting a penalty corner with three minutes left to secure the win and leave the series square.

Both teams will now head to Taranaki for the Oceania Cup, with Australia, Samoa and Fiji also set to compete.

The New Zealand Herald



Last minute goal by Dharamvir Singh allows India 3-2 win in the third match of the NZ series

Indian men's team is now leading the series by 2-1

New Delhi, 09 October 2015: In the third match of the ongoing New Zealand Tour, India's last minute goal helped them secure the win 3-2 over the Kiwis at Christchurch, New Zealand today.

The first quarter started with a series of attacks coming in from the Indian side who dominated the entire session. Without wasting much time, Akashdeep Singh broke into the opponents defence from the left flank but unfortunately his attack was stopped by New Zealand’s Nick Haig.

In the 10th minute India was awarded with a penalty corner which was effectively converted by Rupinder Pal Singh giving India the much required lead of 1-0. The opening goal got the hosts on the back foot and they tried to get back in the game but were continuously denied by the strong Indian defence leaving the scorecard at 1-0 in favour of India at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, India dominated the early part with attempts from Nikkin Thimmaiah who pushed the ball into the opponent’s inner circle from the left flank as he passed the ball to Mandeep Singh but unluckily his deflection went wide off the post. This was followed by the New Zealand strikers counter attack as they broke through the Indian defence by an unmarked Jared Panchia, who, from a cross ball scored a field goal in the 22nd minute and equalised the score at 1-1.

Going ahead in to the game dextrously, the Kiwi Team yet again got an opportunity to take the lead through a penalty corner but Nick Haig flicked the ball off the target. With this, the first half of the game ended with a levelled score of 1-1.

With the change of ends, both the teams tried to make continuous efforts to pierce the opponents half but could not find a way through. It was in the 41st minute when Akashdeep Singh surged ahead and gave a well crafted pass to Ramandeep Singh who calmly finished, giving India its second goal through a field effort which advanced the scores at 2-1 in the visiting team's favour.

With each added goal, New Zealand boys were seen in tremendous pressure to equalise the score but the Indian defence stood strong to wipe out all the scoring opportunities for them. However, the third quarter finished with India leading 2-1.

The Indian team got a great chance to extend its lead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter with Nikkin Thimmaiah running into the Kiwi defence with classical personal skills but the Kiwi defence blocked the attack without any damage.

On the other side, New Zealand counter attacked and levelled the score at 2-2 in the 52nd minute with a field goal coming from the stick of Steve Edwards. As the scores were equalled on 2-2, India intensified the attacks on the opponent and Sardar Singh initiated a move from the left side of the post and pushed a cross ball inside the New Zealand’s D which went wide.

While, the kiwis were seen in desperation to score goals, the Indian boys in the 60th minute turned around the table in their favour when Dharamvir Singh penetrated the nets through a reverse hit which concluded the game at 3-2 in favour of India.

India will take on New Zealand in the last match of the Series on 11th October at 5:30 am IST in Christchurch.

The games during the series are being LIVE streamed on www.hockeynz.co.nz ahead of the series starting.

Stick2Hockey.com



India pip New Zealand 3-2 for series lead

CHRISTCHURCH: An engaging game of hockey ended in India's favour 3-2 courtesy a superb late goal by Dharamvir Singh with 40 seconds left on the clock, giving the tourists an unassailable series lead at St Bede's College on Friday ahead of the final game on Sunday.

Inspired by two stunning goals from Rupinder Pal Singh and Ramandeep Singh, India held the lead until the 52nd minute when a late goal from Steve Edwards levelled the scores 1-1. Then came the decisive strike from Dharamvir in the dying stages of the match, after which the hosts could not recover.

India took the lead in the 10th minute through a penalty corner converted in rasping manner by Rupinder, after which the tourists put New Zealand under pressure early in the second quarter with some impressive stick work. The hosts drew level with Jared Panchi netting his second goal of the series with about seven minutes remaining in the first half, a lovely piece of movement through India's defence that saw the forward slice the ball around goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. That took the teams into the break at 1-1.

After the resumption, India were once again put onto the advantage by a bullet strike from Ramandeep and with Sreejesh pulling off a couple of brilliant saves, Sardar Singh's outfit held out until, with eight minutes left on the clock, the Black Sticks hit back with Edwards producing a lovely goal in tandem with assistance from striker Nick Wilson.

Both teams put in a lot of running during the last four minutes, with India particularly looking to put pressure on the ball carrier, and the match seemed set for a drawn until Dharamvir came up with the decisive goal.

The Black Sticks had taken the lead with a 2-0 win at Nelson on Monday, but India's defence held the Kiwis out a day later with a 3-1 success to level the scoreline.

The Times of India



India snatch last-minute win from Kiwis


Action from the match between India and New Zealand in Christchurch on Friday. Hockey New Zealand.

Christchurch: A last-minute goal by Dharamvir Singh paved the way for India’s thrilling 3-2 win over New Zealand in the third match of the ongoing tour here today.

The Indian team showed a lot of intent right from the start, launching several attacks to keep the hosts under pressure right through the first quarter. In the 10th minute, India earned their first penalty corner. Rupinder Pal Singh converted it to give India an early lead. The goal put the hosts on the back-foot. They tried hard to negate the lead but the Indian defence thwarted their efforts.

In the second quarter, India again looked the dominant side, at least at the start. They came close to increasing the lead when Nikkin Thimmaiah pushed the ball into the opponents’ circle, and Mandeep Singh managed to defect it towards the goal. His strike, however, missed the citadel by a whisker.

Soon after that, the Kiwis fashioned a counterattack, and managed to break through the Indian defence to find an equaliser in the 22nd minute. The first half of the game ended with the teams tied at 1-1.

In the 41st minute, Akashdeep Singh got hold of the ball and gave a nice pass to Ramandeep Singh, who sounded the board to put India ahead again. The hosts fought back again and levelled the score (2-2) in the 52nd minute with Steve Edwards scoring a field goal.

The equaliser spurred India to intensify their attacks. Their effort bore fruit when Dharamvir Singh found the back of the net in the last minute to give India a thrilling victory.

The Tribune



Rich Harvest for hosts; Round 1 day one round-up

Home hosts Harvestehuder THC offered Scottish champions Grange little home hospitality as they ran up a huge 6-1 win to give them the early advantage in Pool B of the Euro Hockey League Round 1 in Hamburg.

They were dominant from the moment Michael Körper opened the deadlock in the third minute with a rocket of a penalty corner goal. He added another soon after before Brendan Creed and Nick Spooner stretched out a 4-0 half-time advantage.

Further goals from Spooner and Willemsen extended the lead before Todd Harmsworth got a spectacular consolation goal for the Scottish side. Grange will meet debutants HC Wien on Saturday before Harvestehuder play Wien on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, East Grinstead and Monkstown shared a fast-paced draw in what looks an extremely well matched EHL Pool D Round 1, tying 1-1 in the second game of the day.

The English side took a first quarter lead when the superb David Condon and Joe Naughalty combined to win a penalty stroke in the 13th minute, Condon receiving a push in the build-up. Simon Faulkner converted from the penalty spot.

But the equaliser for the Irish team came with 12 minutes to go when Kyle Good drove straight down the middle of the EG defence and pumped through Patrick Smith’s defences.

It means that it is all to play for with Club Egara entering battle on Saturday in this well-matched group.

In Pool A, Jean-Baptiste Pauchet’s single goal proved the sole divider between Saint Germain and Pomorzanin Torun as the French side progressed their chances of advancing to the KO16.

He was quickest to react early in the second half to a crash ball that bounced off the post, making it 1-0.Saint Germain held on to their narrow win and now meet Amsterdam on Sunday with a win giving them a place in the KO16.

Dinamo Elektrostal cruised to a strong opening victory over SG Amsicora with Dmitry Azarov’s hat trick under-pinning a 6-1 success in the first Round 1 game in Hamburg in Pool C.

He fired home three times in the first half to set up the success, scoring two corners along with a delightful baseline shimmy to build a 4-0 lead.

Luca Angius got one back for the Italians who were playing in their first ever EHL match but second half goals from Evgueny Mokrousov and Kuraev stretched out the big win.

Amsicora will play their second match on Saturday against Royal Leopold while the Russians meet Leo on Sunday in what looks the decisive group game.The action continues tomorrow morning with the first game getting underway at 10.15am.

Where to follow the Euro Hockey League?

- Streaming - Available via three outlets 1) www.ehlhockey.tv 2) the EHL Youtube channel 3) the FIH Youtube channel

- Instant Updates - Goal updates, interviews and highlight reels will be posted via the EHL Facebook and Twitter outlets 

- Twitter - Official hashtags: #EHL and #EHLHamburg; Official EHL twitter handle: @ehlhockeytv

- Instagram - Tag us using #EHLHockey - this will instantly filter through to our Facebook page!

- Facebook - Find us at “Euro Hockey League”

- Tickets - To experience the world's premier club competition live, tickets can still be bought online here and will also be available at the gate!

Full schedule (all times CET)

Saturday 10 October

10.15h, Pool C: Royal Leopold (BEL) vs SG Amsicora ASD (ITA)
12.30h, Pool D: Club Egara (ESP) vs East Grinstead HC (ENG)
14.45h, Pool A: AH&BC Amsterdam (NED) vs KS Pomorzanin Torun (POL)
17.00h, Pool B: HC Wien (AUT) vs Grange HC (SCO)

Sunday 11 October

09.30h, Pool C: Royal Leopold (BEL) vs Dinamo Elektrostal (RUS)
11.45h, Pool D: Club Egara (ESP) vs Monkstown HC (IRL)
14.00h, Pool A: AH&BC Amsterdam (NED) vs Saint Germain (FRA)
16.15h, Pool B: Harvestehuder THC (GER) vs HC Wien HC (AUT)

Euro Hockey League media release



Good strike earns Monkstown opening draw

East Grinstead and Monkstown shared a fast-paced draw in what looks an extremely well matched EHL Pool D Round 1, tying 1-1 in the second game of the day.

The English side took a first quarter lead when the superb David Condon and Joe Naughalty combined to win a penalty stroke in the 13th minute, Condon receiving a push in the build-up. Simon Faulkner converted from the penalty spot.

They clung on to that lead for a long time as Patrick Smith and his corner defence kept out a series of penalty corners – seven in total – while they also defended smartly.

Indeed, from one corner they almost countered to get a second only to see Niall Stott’s bouncing effort scooped off the line by a diving defender.

But the equaliser came with 12 minutes to go when Kyle Good drove straight down the middle of the EG defence and pumped through Smith’s defences.

It reawoke East Grinstead as an attacking force and they forced two big stop from David Fitzgerald while Condon fired wide. Davy Carson tested Smith’s reflexes once more but no further chances accrued.

Euro Hockey League media release



Pauchet hands St Germain opening win

Jean-Baptiste Pauchet’s single goal proved the sole divider between Saint Germain and Pomorzanin Torun as the French side progressed their chances of advancing to the KO16.

It was tight throughout. The first half ended scoreless with Saint Germain making most of the running but were unable to unlock a tightly guarded Pomorzanin Torun circle. Their best chances came from corners but they found Michal Sliwinski in top form.

His diving save to deny Gregoire Samson was the highlight of the first action but Torun were stung for a 10-minute yellow card for Michal Kunklewski close to the big break.

It cost them dear as Saint Germain took the lead soon after the game’s return with Jean-Baptiste showing excellent reactions to pick up a crash ball that ricocheted off the post. He controlled and slotted home from close range.

Torun replied in kind and came within a whisker of equalising when Michal Makowski’s drag-flicks smacked the frame of the goal. The rebound flashed across the face of goal, denying them from their best chance of the game with seven minutes to go.

Saint Germain held on to their narrow win and now meet Amsterdam with a win giving them a place in the KO16.

Euro Hockey League media release



Hamburg hosts HTHC sweep past Grange

Home hosts Harvestehuder THC offered Scottish champions Grange little home hospitality as they ran up a huge 6-1 win to give them the early advantage in Pool B of the Euro Hockey League Round 1 in Hamburg.

They were dominant from the moment Michael Körper opened the deadlock in the third minute with a rocket of a penalty corner goal. The Austrian forward then volleyed home a bouncing ball for a 2-0 lea.

Brendan Creed fired home a corner rebound after Tobias Hauke had seen his shot saved by Sean Hadfield. Nick Spooner completed the first half scoring with a simple finish into an open goal.

Spooner got an awesome touch to Creed’s brilliant cross from the right wing. Leon Willemsen added the sixth from close range for 6-0 before Todd Harmsworth got one back for the Scottish side with a delightul deflection to Andrew Campbell’s pass.

Grange will meet debutants HC Wien on Saturday before Harvestehuder play Wien on Sunday.

Euro Hockey League media release



Harvestehuder prove too strong for Grange in opening EHL match

Grange’s return to EuroHockeyLeague (EHL) action for the first time in three seasons saw the capital outfit lose 6-1 to Harvestehuder in their opening Pool B match in Hamburg, Germany this afternoon.

Two goals apiece for Michael Korper and Nicholas Spooner, added to strikes from Brendan Creed and Leon Willemsen gave the Round 1 hosts an expected win in front of their home support. Grange’s consolation goal came from Todd Harmsworth.

Grange will meet debutants HC Wien tomorrow (16.00 BST) before Harvestehuder play Wien on Sunday.

The opening goal came from a penalty corner set-play, Michael Korper’s fizzing drag-flick deflecting off Greg Hopkinson’s stick into the net after only three minutes.

Grange were afforded a half-chance shortly after, but Frank Ryan advance into the circle and subsequent shot was well blocked by the home side’s defence.

A resolute first quarter performance by the Stags restricted the hosts to only one further speculative opportunity during the opening period, Kilian Pohling’s reverse stick effort striking the angle of post and cross-bar, leaving Harvestehuder to retain a slender advantage at the end of the first fifteen minutes.

The second period was dominated by the home side however, with three goals coming before the half-time break, a reward for retaining the bulk of possession and exerting pressure on the Stags’ defence.

The second Harvestehuder goal featured excellent close stick control from George Farrant, enabling the attacker to evade the attentions of the Grange defence first of all, then find Korper able and waiting at the back post, where the Austrian international flicked the ball into the air to coolly knock the ball past goalkeeper Sean Hadfield.

Hadfield could count himself unlucky to be picking the ball out of the net for a third time in the 25th minute following his superb save from Tobias Hauke, only to helplessly watch on in agony as the ball broke to Brendan Creed, who fired the resulting re-bound into the bottom right corner.

Sixty seconds later, Nicholas Spooner had the easiest of tasks of securing the fourth goal of the contest, tapping the ball into the empty net from a couple of yards out after the ball had been worked around the circle.

The South African-born striker delighted the home crowd with a superbly take second goal of the match shortly after the half-time break, executing an exquisite deflection onto Creed‘s low cross from the right touchline that flashed past the despondent Hadfield into the back of the net.

In the 44th minute, Leon Willemsen was left with a simple opportunity of adding the sixth goal after Hadfield and his defence failed to deal with a cross from the right of the circle.

Despite facing a heavy defeat going into the last quarter, Colin Clarke’s charges rallied to produce a consolation goal of the highest quality, Todd Harmsworth contorting his body into a scoring position and brilliantly deflecting the ball past goalkeeper Daniel Von Drachenfels after Andrew Campbell’s speculative drive had found the Australian running into space.

Finn Kohler thought he had given the Germans a seventh goal shortly before full-time but the effort was ruled out by the video umpire for illegal use of a foot by the attacking side

Scottish Hockey Union media release



East Grinstead held in opening EHL clash

Simon Faulkner's penalty stroke was not enough to earn East Grinstead a win in their opening Euro Hockey League encounter as Kyle Good's leveller with 12 minutes to go in the match ensured it was honours even in this Pool D clash.

In what was a high tempo, if at times scrappy encounter the English side started the brighter of the two with Great Britain's David Condon looking in dangerous form. It was from a nice move involving Condon and Joe Naughalty that resulted in East Grinstead taking the lead as Condon was fouled in the circle resulting in a penalty stroke which Faulkner slotted home. 

Paddy Smith and the East Grinstead defence were kept busy as Monkstown forced seven penalty corner in total with a combination of wayward finishing and good defending keeping them at bay. 

From one corner they almost countered to get a crucial second only to see Niall Stott’s bouncing effort scooped off the line by a diving defender.

The pressure told and the equaliser came with 12 minutes to go. Good drove straight down the middle of the EG defence from a long way out and beat smith with a searing strike. The goalkeeper looked slightly unsighted due to another attacker's presence in the circle but it mattered not and the scores were level.

It reawoke East Grinstead as an attacking force and they forced two big stops from David Fitzgerald while Condon fired wide. Davy Carson tested Smith’s reflexes once more but no further chances meant the sides could not be separated.

East Grinstead's next match is against Spain's Club Egara on Saturday at 1130am English time.

England Hockey Board Media release



Najib sets his mind on gold

by Jugjet Singh

NATIONAL Juniors skipper Najib Hassan is green behind the ears, but will be leading players who are much more experienced, in the Fifth Edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup.

The SOJC starts on Sunday at the Taman Daya Stadium, and Najib will lead his mates into battle with two-time champions India, silver medallists Britain, Australia, Argentina and Pakistan.

The 20-year-old is least bothered with the high standard of play he will be facing, and he has set his mind on lifting the SOJC trophy when the dust settles.

Najib, who played for Tenaga Nasional in the Premier Division, said: "We have the ability to emerge as champions and this is what the team will strive to achieve."

Malaysia finished fifth last year, but the skipper believes: "We are better prepared this year as my mates have been giving their best in training.

"We hope to translate what we have learnt during training into a strong and consistent performance throughout the tournament."

Coach Arul Selvaraj has three players who have played at the senior World Cup, Junior World Cup, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games but picked Najib for his leadership qualities.

Striker Shahril Saabah, 21, is tht ace in the pack as he has played in the senior World Cup, Asian and Commonwealth Games.

Midfielder Meor Azuan has seen action in the Commonwealth and Asian Games, while striker Haziq Samsul has played in the Junior World Cup and Commonwealth Games.

Najib picked India and Australia as the teams to beat in Johor Baru.

"Last year we lost to Britain (3-2) but will play to turn the tables on them in our opening match on Sunday" added Najib.

"Britain of last season comprised of players that were almost 21 while for many of us it was our first international tournament.

"So, we hope that hockey fans will fill the stadium and back the team throughout the tournament as we aim to give our best."

The Perak-born said that while the Junior Asas Cup was their main target this year, a good finish at the SOJC will provide the perfect tonic to defend their Asian title and qualify for the World Cup in style.

FIXTURES: Sunday -- Argentina v Australia (4.35pm), India v Pakistan (6.3pm), Malaysia v Britain (8.35pm).
Oct 12: Australia v Pakistan (4.35pm), Britain v India (6.3pm), Malaysia v Argentina (8.35pm).
Oct 13: REST DAY.
Oct 14: Britain v Pakistan (4.35pm), Argentina v India (6.3pm), Malaysia v Australia (8.35pm).
Oct 15: Pakistan v Argentina (4.35pm), Britain v Australia (6.3pm), Malaysia v India (8.35pm).
Oct 16: REST DAY
Oct 17: Argentina v Britain (4.35pm), Australia v India (6.3pm), Malaysia v Pakistan (8.35pm).
Oct 18: Final and placing matches.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Captain Najib calls for full assault on the title

by S. Ramaguru


Najib (right) is urging his team-mates to go all the way to win the Sultan of Johor Cup.

JOHOR BARU: Let’s go and win it!

That’s the rallying call of National Juniors skipper Mohd Najib Abu Hassan ahead of the Sultan of Johor Cup, which begins at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here on Sunday.

“I don’t see why we should be contented with placing matches instead of going for the title,” he said as the Malaysians checked in for the tournament on Friday.

“I want my team-mates to think big and aim for the title. We have won this tournament before in 2011. So, let’s try to regain it. This may be an invitational meet but it’s of great importance as we can gauge our standard against the other top teams.

“Let’s set winning the title as our target, although the association (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) have set us a top-three finish.”

This, he feels, will boost their confidence for next month’s Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan.

“We must make the semi-final (in Kuantan) to ensure we qualify for the Junior World Cup in 2016 (in New Delhi, India). All out preparations are targeted towards making the top four in the Junior Asia Cup,” said Najib.

“We have a good team ... and some have had the experience of playing in the senior team as well. So, we have to use this tournament in Johor Baru to improve further,” said the Perak-born player.

Najib, a defender with Tenaga Nasional in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), believes that a winning start in the Sultan of Johor Cup against Britain would do wonders to their confidence.

“Last year, we lost to Britain, but many of the players were then playing in their first tournament. This year, we have a more experienced side ... we can start with a win,” said Najib, who added that “defending champions India will be the team to beat and Australia will be a handful”.

“We must not take any team for granted. This is a learning curve for all of us ... improve with each match and cut down on our mistakes. We also must stick to the game plan and see if our tactics are working. The coaches have put in a lot of work and we have to repay them with a good showing.”

The Malaysians played a friendly against Britain at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium and lost 2-3.

National Juniors chief coach A. Arulselvaraj admitted that “there will be a few heavy legs out there” due to the very physical nature of the training they’ve had in the last two weeks.

“I know some will be tired. The main objective here is to sharpen our decision-making on the field and also the tactical aspects.

“It’s good to see the players having a positive attitude. It will help as they will be in a good frame of mind to listen and try out new ideas,” he said.

The Star of Malaysia



We need to adapt new environment as quickly as possible: Santa Singh

NEW DELHI: As the India junior men hockey team looks forward to participating in the upcoming 5th Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia and hold on to the defending champions tag, midfielder Santa Singh is confident of putting up a good show in the tournament. The Haryana-lad will play alongside Captain Harjeet Singh and Baljit Singh in the mid-field, which has a crucial role to create attacks for the forwards as well as strengthen the defense-line.

The 19-year-old midfielder is leaving no stone unturned to give his best performance to strengthen the mid-field position. He will be seen rubbing his shoulders with the finest young talents and aim to give a tough fight to the opponents in the upcoming tournaments. The junior team trained in Delhi for a month's time where they worked on the different aspects of the game and which helped the team to play as unit.

Speaking on the tournament and the challenges, Santa Singh said, "We need to adapt new environment as soon as possible because at this level even the slightest of time lag can cost you a match. We are facing world class teams like Great Britain and Australia so we need to be on our toes to put up a good performance. The last tournament showcased the intent with which the players played to win and I am certain that the team will carry on the same agility in the impending tournament. We have been training hard under Coach Harendra Singh, where we work on long passes and holding the possession, now it's time to apply those learning on field.

The India junior men hockey team will be playing their opening match of the tournament against Pakistan on October 11, 2015 at 16.05 IST.

The Times of India



Reading and Holcombe prepare for battle


Helen Richardson-Walsh in action for Reading. Credit Simon Parker

AFTER battling for play-off places last season, Reading and Holcombe are both without a win so far in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division, and they face each other this Saturday.

Reading reached the play-offs last season and eventually finished third after beating Clifton at the Finals Weekend, but after four matches of the current season they are bottom of the table with just one point.

“It’s been an interesting start to the year,” said Reading’s new head coach Mike Irving. “I’ve been here for two and a half weeks now, and it has been a bit of a baptism of fire. But we’re seeing improvement already.

“Looking at the match with Holcombe, there have been a lot of changes in both squads over the summer, so last season seems a long time ago. We’ve brought in some great young players and some experienced heads too, and it’s a really tight group of players.

“Getting to know them, the teamwork and camaraderie is excellent and I know that will take us forward.

“Now we need to get as many points on the board as we can before Christmas.”

Elsewhere, leaders the University of Birmingham are on the road to Buckingham, who are also without a win so far this season.

Newly-promoted East Grinstead lie second and will be targeting another win at Bowdon Hightown, while third-placed Surbiton go to Clifton as they bid to remain unbeaten.

And Canterbury, who narrowly lost out to Surbiton last weekend, entertain close rivals Leicester in the day’s other top flight match.

In the Investec Women’s Conference East, the top two face each other with Slough hosting Hampstead and Westminster, while third-placed Cambridge City take on Maidenhead at Perse Girls School.

There is another top of the table clash in the Investec Conference North with leaders Wakefield aiming to maintain their 100 per cent record against Loughborough Students.

After replacing former leaders Sutton Coldfield at the top of the Investec Conference West with a 2-1 win over them last weekend, Swansea City are at home against Oxford Hawks as they bid to hold on to top spot. Meanwhile, Sutton Coldfield go to Trojans.

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, October 10 2015):

Investec Premier Division
Clifton v Surbiton 13:00
Buckingham v Univ of Birmingham 12:00
Bowdon Hightown v East Grinstead 13:45
Reading v Holcombe 16:30
Canterbury v Leicester 17:00

Investec Conference East
Chelmsford v Harleston Magpies 12:00
Cambridge City v Maidenhead 12:30
St Albans v Ipswich 13:00
Slough v Hampstead and Westminster 13:00
Sevenoaks v Wimbledon 17:00

Investec Conference North
Brooklands Poynton v Belper 11:45
Beeston v Springfields 12:00
Liverpool Sefton v Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 12:30
Ben Rhydding v Univ of Durham 13:30
Wakefield v Loughborough Students 13:30

Investec Conference West
Bristol Firebrands v Gloucester City 11:30
Swansea City v Oxford Hawks 12:00
Trojans v Sutton Coldfield 12:00
Olton and West Warwicks v Univ of Bristol 12:00
Stourport v Isca 12:00

England Hockey Board Media release



Sliders tackle KU in hockey league

By BRIAN YONGA


Beryl Atieno of Sliders controls the ball during their National women's league match against Daystar University at City Park Stadium on June 21, 2015. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

Sliders will be looking to reclaim the second spot in the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s league standings when they take on Kenyatta University’s (KU) Titans at the City Park Stadium on Saturday.

The fixture is one of the seven league matches set to be played this weekend in Nairobi, Nakuru and Kabarak.

Sliders were displaced from second last weekend by Strathmore Scorpions after the latter thumped Mount Kenya University (MKU) 11-0 to move to 19 points, one point ahead of Sliders.

However, victory for Sliders - who finished third last season - will take them to 21 points, six points behind league leaders and defending champions Telkom Orange.

Sliders coach Nixon Nyangaga has warned his charges to be wary of the Titans whom he said are capable of causing an upset.

“All teams playing in the league are strong and we cannot say that we are facing a weak side, we need to be on top of our game if we want to take the three points tomorrow (today),” Nyangaga told Saturday Nation Sport ahead of their final first leg match.

Sliders crashed MKU 10-1 in their last league match and Nyangaga is expecting his team to be ruthless once more. Sliders striker Anita Agunda, who scored four against MKU, will lead her team’s attack.

A win for the Titans will take the university side into fourth place two behind their opponents and the team’s captain Prudence Wasilwa is eyeing all points.

“We have not been in action for some time in the league but we have maintained our fitness by playing in the universities league. We head into the match targeting three points and we will not be intimidated by our opponents,” a confident Wasilwa said.

The only other game today will see Kabarak University host Thika Rovers in a men’s national league match.

SIKH TACKLE KCA

On Sunday, 2012 men’s champions Sikh Union Nairobi host Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCA) as they seek to move up the table.

“We need to keep winning our games so that we can be near the teams at the top, consistency is vital in this league and we can’t afford to drop any more points,” said Sikh captain Amit Rajput.

Western Jaguars will be away to Nakuru Hockey Club as they seek to bounce back from last weekend’s loses.

Vikings take on Daystar Falcons in tomorrow’s only women’s national league match as Wazalendo Youth face off with Daystar in the men’s national league.

FIXTURES (All matches at City Park Stadium unless stated)

Saturday:

National women: KU v Sliders – 1pm

National men: Kabarak v Thika Rovers – 2pm (Kabarak)

Sunday:

National men: Kabarak v UON – 10am (Kabarak)
Daystar v Wazalendo Youth – 3pm

Premier men: Nakuru v W. Jaguars – 12pm (Nakuru)
Sikh Union v KCAU – 5pm

National women: Vikings v Daystar -1.30pm

Daily Nation



Spotlight on: Canada



Canada (FIH World Ranking: 13) have long been a major force in Pan American hockey, having claimed a glittering collection of medals from the Pan Am Games and Pan Am Cup competitions.

Their rivalry with Argentina is renowned, with the two nations contesting every major Pan Am final since 1975. Canada have won gold at the Pan American Games on four occasions, as well as winning gold at the Pan American Cup in 2009.

They have also competed at six Olympic Games, five World Cups and five Commonwealth Games to date. Scott Tupper, Mark Pearson and Matthew Guest are star performers outfield while goalkeeper David Carter is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the finest shot-stoppers on the planet.

The team is coached by Australian Anthony Farry who stepped up from Assistant Coach following Canada’s failure to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Farry’s young side have made huge progress over the past 18 months, with a third place finish at the Hockey World League (HWL) Round 2 event in San Diego being followed by a impressive fourth place finish at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

With qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics already sealed thanks largely to their fantastic performances in the HWL Semi Finals, Farry will be hoping his team to continue their fine form by securing a podium finish in Raipur.

Nickname: The Maple Leafs

Key player: Scott Tupper. Canada’s captain and talisman is a rock solid defender who leads by example. Committed in the tackle and blessed with great vision, Tupper has a habit of controlling games from the back line and also getting on the score-sheet with crucial goals. Tupper – named on the all star Pan American Elite Team on three separate occasions – has spent many years plying his trade in Europe’s best club leagues, representing Club an der Alster in Hamburg, Germany, as well as Brussels-based Racing Club in Belgium.

Additional information: In 1991, the Canadian men’s and women’s programmes united under the national umbrella of Field Hockey Canada to share funding and infrastructure and to unite leadership - ultimately transitioning two programmes, which had worked hard independently to succeed, into one national entity. Field Hockey Canada is working hard to elevate the game and establish a world-class Canadian field hockey community. They are making significant progress, with increasing participation throughout the country and strong performances on the field from the respective national teams.

Notable honours:
4x Pan American Games Gold medallists (1983, 1987, 1999, 2007)
Pan American Cup Gold medallists (2009)
FIH Champions Challenge 1 Silver medallists (2014)


FIH site



Scotland to host Hockey World League Round 1 in 2016


Glasgow Hockey Centre

Scottish Hockey today received confirmation from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that it has been awarded hosting rights for a 2016/17 Hockey World League (HWL) Round 1 competition in 2016.



A men’s competition will be staged at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre in September next year and Scotland will feature in a 4 or 5 team round robin tournament.

Rankings at the Round 1 competitions will determine which teams will qualify for the Round 2 events that will take place in in early 2017.

Composed of four rounds and played over two years, the HWL takes place in venues around the world. The 2016/17 HWL competition will ultimately decide the teams that will qualify, alongside the Continental Champions and hosts, for the FIH World Cups in 2018.

Commenting on the announcement today, Scottish Hockey Chief Executive said, “Scottish Hockey is delighted to secure another high quality international competition to be hosted in Glasgow next year.

“Scotland Senior Men will have home advantage in Round 1, a great opportunity to get their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start.

“We have an excellent reputation for hosting world level events after the success of the Champions Challenge in 2014 and look forward to welcoming the competing nations, officials and supporters to the city of Glasgow.”

Speaking of the announcement of nine Round 1 host venues earlier today, FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather said: “These latest host announcements really do highlight the global spread of hockey around the world. Each award is an indication of the growth of the sport taking place in these countries, of which is incredibly inspiring.”

“I’m sure that the excitement and buzz created by the Hockey World League Finals in India and Argentina later this year will continue into these events. All of the hosts are in tune with our Hockey Revolution goals, in particular our aim to develop innovative and exciting entertainment events. As a result, we’re sure each local organiser will put on a fantastic platform for hockey and in doing so, inspire many more people to take up hockey.”

The dates and draw for each event are currently being finalised in conjunction with each host National Association and as soon as they are finalised they will be published

Scottish Hockey Union media release



U18 & U16 Girls Inter-District MVP Award winners


Emily Dark wins the U16 MVP award. Photo Duncan Gray

Following the U18 & U16 Girls Inter-District event last weekend, Scottish Hockey made an oversight and failed to announce the winners of the players who won the MVP award.

We apologise for this oversight.

Therefore, congratulations to both Emily Dark and Charlotte Watson of both Midland District and Dundee Wanderers for winning the MVP awards sponsored by Byte Hockey in the U16 and U18 events.


Charlotte Watson wins the U16 MVP award. Photo Duncan Gray

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Fieldhockey.com uses cookies to assist with navigating between pages. Please leave the site if you disagree with this policy.
Copyright remains with the credited source or author