News for 10 April 2016
All the news for Sunday 10 April 2016
Black Sticks take out Hawke’s Bay Cup
Photo: www.photosport.nz
The Black Sticks Women are Hawke’s Bay Cup champions following an exciting 3-2 win over Japan in the final.
New Zealand were relentless throughout the game, scoring three unanswered goals through Olivia Merry, Gemma Flynn and Kayla Whitelock against a strong defensive unit.
Japan caused a scare with two goals in the final five minutes of the match but the Kiwis held firm to seal the result and the title.
The Hawke’s Bay Cup is deserved reward for the in-form Black Sticks who won every game at the tournament, bettering last year’s silver medal finish.
Assistant coach Sean Dancer said winning the tournament was pleasing going forward towards the Rio Olympic Games in August.
“In the first half we opened it up and played some really good hockey. We lapsed a little bit at the end and gave them an opportunity to get back into it which isn’t good but it’s a good learning experience,” he said.
“We wanted to be on the front foot, aggressive and put pressure on their defence which we did well in the first half.
“We targeted this tournament as a key one leading into Rio so we certainly wanted to play well and get results against some good teams and we achieved that which is pleasing.”
Black Sticks captain Stacey Michelsen said the Hawke’s Bay Cup triumph was a glimpse at bigger things to come later in the year.
“To come away with a win at the tournament is great. We certainly make it into a lot of semis and finals but it’s been a long time since we’ve gone through to win, so we take a lot of confidence and belief going forward,” she said.
“Things are looking good for us later in the year and we have a very strong group of players vying for those finals spots in Rio.”
Merry scored the opening goal in the fourth minute after some messy defensive work saw the ball drop at her feet for a push past the goalkeeper.
New Zealand boosted the lead out to two goals just five minutes later when Whitelock put a precision pass in to Flynn who jinked right to left, beat the defender and smashed a shot into the back of the net.
There was no drop in intensity coming out of halftime with the Black Sticks creating a three goal buffer in the 33rd minute thanks to a strong ball into the circle which Whitelock deflected home.
Japan caught fire in the final five minutes with two quick field goals from Miyuki Nakagawa (55th minute) and Mie Nakashima (60th minute), but the clock was on the Black Sticks’ side.
In the bronze medal game, Australia walked away with third place at the tournament following a 3-1 win over China thanks to goals from Grace Stewart, Jodie Kenny and Georgie Morgan.
BLACK STICKS 3: (Olivia Merry, Gemma Flynn, Kayla Whitelock)
JAPAN 2: (Miyuki Nakagawa, Mie Nakashima)
Halftime: Black Sticks 2-0
Hockey New Zealand Media release
’Roos on right track
3-1 win over China pleases coach 118 days from Rio
Lawrence West
The Hockeyroos concluded their Hawke’s Bay Cup campaign – a significant preparation event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – with a dominant 3-1 win over China to secure third place in the eight nation event.
Grace Stewart’s quick reactions inside the opening two minutes, slotting home a rebound from a Brooke Peris shot, gave Australia’s women an early lead, which they never relinquished. After an even first half, the Hockeyroos upped their performance in the third quarter and were rewarded with penalty corner goals from Jodie Kenny and Georgie Morgan.
Xi Xiayun pulled one back for China on the stroke of three-quarter time with a well taken strike across goal but Australia never looked like conceding the game. Karri McMahon came closest to extending the Hockeyroos’ lead further from the penalty spot late on but Guo Jiajia acrobatically denied her, diving to her right.
Speaking to Hockey.org.au at the end of a highly competitive week, Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens was pleased with the outcome of the match.
“It was good to finish on a win. I thought we were a little slow in our ball movement in the first half but we were very polished in the second half; everyone contributed, our ball speed and movement were much better, we played at a much higher tempo and were quite dominant.
“China are a good side, fifth in the world, and it’s important we put teams like that away. I think you can see a bit of a gap emerging between the top four teams in the world and the rest, with Great Britain and USA, along with the Asian teams, trying to close it.”
On the tournament and on where he sees his side in its preparation for the Olympic Games, Commens added, “This has been a really worthwhile tournament. We earmarked Hawke’s Bay as the time we’d start to narrow down our thinking towards Rio.
“I’m pleased with how we’ve gone here. It wasn’t our best hockey but we weren’t trying to peak here, we’re trying to peak in Rio. Here was about learning as much as we can about our opposition and about our team, about working on our playing styles and structures. Overall, I’m really pleased.”
Earlier in the day, Korea overcame Canada 3-1 to take seventh, ahead of the tournament outsiders. And, following a 1-1 draw, Ireland beat India 4-3 in a shoot-out to finish fifth. It was their second shoot-out win in two days following their 1-0 shoot-out victory over Korea on Saturday.
Australia’s women will now return to Australia for a six week training block before hosting New Zealand, Japan and India in a four nations event in Darwin from 31 May until 4 June, following which they will head to London for the Champions Trophy from 18-26 June.
Hawke's Bay Cup - Third Place Playoff
HOCKEYROOS: 3 (1)
Grace Stewart 2 (FG)
Georgie Morgan 33 (PC)
Jodie Kenny 38 (PC)
CHINA: 1 (0)
Xi Xiayun 45 (FG)
Results & Fixtures, today
7th/8th: Canada 1-3 Korea
5th/6th: India 1-1 Ireland (Ireland won 4-3 on shoot-out)
3rd/4th: China 1-3 Australia
1st/2nd: Japan 2-3 New Zealand
Final standings
1. New Zealand
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. China
5. Ireland
6. India
7. Korea
8. Canada
Hockeyroos’ squad v China, Hawke's Bay Cup
Started
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD) 330/70
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD) 170/95
Rachael Lynch (Melbourne, VIC) 145/0
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 94/9
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW) 36/7
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 85/13
Casey Sablowski (South Coast, NSW) 242/44
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 147/59
Kathryn Slattery (South Stirling, WA) 46/13
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW) 12/6
Mariah Williams (Parkes, NSW) 44/5
Used Substitute
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 105/2
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 92/9
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 166/34
Gabrielle Nance (Kingscliff, NSW) [SASI] 30/2
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 205/69
Unused Substitute
Georgie Parker (Berri, SA) 96/31
Ashlee Wells (Moe, VIC) 72/0
Hockey Australia media release
Sargent Set To Reach 200 Cap Milestone 
When Cliodhna Sargent takes to the field against India tomorrow morning (watch here) she is set to join a club with only 2 other members as she reaches the 200 cap milestone. Sargent, vice captain of the Green Army, will become only the third woman in Irish hockey history to reach 200 caps, Nikki Symmons and Shirley McCay being the only other two.
Sargent’s senior international career began in 2007 under the tenure of Gene Muller and she has been a constant figure in the Irish defensive line ever since. Coach Graham Shaw was quick to pay tribute to Sargents role in the squad “To play 200 tests for your country is an incredible achievement. It shows immense dedication, commitment, and discipline to consistently perform at the highest level; Cliodhna has this in abundance. She is a great leader, teammate and huge member of the Green Army. I hope she has inspired other young players in Cork and around Ireland to follow in her footsteps. Congratulations Cliodhna”.
Sargent expressed her delight at reaching 200 caps “When I was younger representing Ireland was something I always wanted to achieve but didn't know if I would ever be good enough. So I am absolutely delighted and honoured to have represented my country 200 times.”
She also paid tribute to those who have supported her journey thus far “I would like to thank the coaches that have given me the opportunity to put on the green jersey, my team mates for making playing for Ireland so enjoyable, and my family for all the support they have provided especially my parents Peter and Patricia”.
All at Hockey Ireland offer their sincere congratulations to Cliodhna on this incredible achievement.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Green Army Beat India To Finish Above Ranking
For the second day in a row Ireland have beaten a higher ranked opponent bound for the Rio Olympics, in a penalty shoot-out. Ayeisha McFerran again played a key role in today’s proceedings as she saved 2 of the 5 shots to help her team to victory.
India seemed content to give the Irish defence space to build from the back and as a result found themselves under pressure with the Irish strikers playing high. It took just 4 minutes for the first strike on goal as Anna O’Flanagan and Sinead Loughran combined, with the latter firing a reverse shot at Savita in the Indian goal. A minute later saw the first of 10 Irish penalty corners; if there was to be one blip in the day’s victory it would be the 10 unconverted PC’s.
The opening goal came in the 19th minute as Emily Beatty effortlessly pirouetted around her marker to feed the ball to Nikki Evans, who in turn fired the ball into the circle for Deirdre Duke to deflect home. There were some basic errors and mistraps by both teams at times and an Indian break saw them draw the game level in the 26th minute. Toppo was on hand to score from the rebound after McFerrans initial save.
The second half was an even affair despite Ireland winning 7 penalty corners to India’s 1. Darts down the wings by Gillian Pinder paired with the 3D skills of Naomi Carroll and the constant weaving of Nicci Daly meant the Green Army were creating chances aplenty but the conversion never came. In the final minute it appeared there would be another dramatic late goal flurry by the Irish as Zoe Wilson did well to get the ball to Carroll who drew the keeper but fired her reverse shot over the bar.
The penalty shoot-out that followed saw Watkins, Frazer, Pinder and Daly score while McFerran stepped up to the mark once again to make 2 important saves to secure the Irish victory. The win means Ireland finish 5th, well above their tournament ranking of 7th, and above 2 teams heading to the Rio Olympics with higher world rankings.
Speaking after the victory Coach Graham Shaw said " It's always nice to finish a tournament with a win and against a Rio bound side is very pleasing. This tournament has been invaluable to us as a group. We have learned a lot and grown in many different areas during our time together. It's important we now look to train key areas during the summer to set us up for World League 2 & 3 in 2017".
Hawkes Bay Cup
Ireland 1 (Duke)
India 1 (Toppo)
Penalty Shuttles
Ireland 4 (Watkins, Frazer, Pinder Daly) – Watkins, Frazer, O’Flanagan, Pinder, Daly
India 3 ( Kaur, Minz, Katariya)- Kaur, Minz, Rani, Katariya, KaurSquad:
McFerran (GK), O’Byrne, Watkins, Daly, Frazer (Captain), Sargent, Wilson, O’Flanagan, Duke, Evans, Smithwick (GK), Matthews, Tice, Pinder, Loughran, Carroll, Beatty, Mullan
Irish Hockey Association media release
Canadian women close Hawke’s Bay Cup and Junior Pan Ams with losses
Shaheed Devji
PHOTO: Karli Johansen battles a Korean player in Canada’s 2-1 win on April 2, 2016 at the Hawke’s Bay Cup.
Both the Canadian senior and junior Women’s National Teams played their final games of their respective tournaments this weekend, wrapping up a busy two weeks for Canada’s women.
The senior team finished the Hawke’s Bay Cup with a 3-1 loss to Korea in the 7th place match on Sunday morning in New Zealand, while the junior team dropped a 3-0 decision to Chile in the bronze medal match of the Junior Women’s Pan American Championships on Saturday morning in Trinidad and Tobago.
With the loss to Korea, Canada’s senior women finish in 8th place the Hawke’s Bay Cup, which is where they were ranked among the the teams competing in the tournament (according to the International Hockey Federation’s world ranking points).
Canada’s goal came from Brienne Stairs in the 26th minute of the first half, during which Canada was in control of the match and created many opportunity offensively, while not giving up much defensively.
Korea came back with an equally impressive second half, scoring three goals, before Canada – desperate to tie – pushed back, albeit unsuccessfully.
The Canadian women, however, impressed throughout the course of the tournament, opening with a come from behind win against the Koreans, who are ranked 9th in the world. They were competitive in all their matches and particularly so against Korea, and China and Japan, both of whom are also in the top ten in the world rankings.
The 19th ranked Canadian women were “playing well and improving every day” during the tournament according to head coach Ian Rutledge. He added that the experience “will serve our confidence and development well into the future.”
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Canadian junior women were hoping for better than a 4th place finish at the Junior Women’s Pan American Championships, as the the top two finishers (which ended up being Argentina and the United States) earned a spot at the 2016 Junior Women’s World Cup of Hockey.
But despite falling short of qualification, the junior Canadians have much to be proud of.
Canadian Lauren Logush was given the honour of being named Goalkeeper of the Tournament as she backstopped the women to impressive wins, one in a shootout in the quarterfinal against Uruguay.
A group of Canadian juniors will now return to Vancouver to train with the senior National Team, an experience which will undoubtedly go a long way for the development of the Women’s National Program on the whole.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Black Sticks Women win title
By David Leggat
Olivia Merry opens the scoring for the Black Sticks. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today
New Zealand survived a late flurry from Japan to win the Hawkes Bay Cup women's hockey title for the first time in its three years in Hastings tonight.
After finishing fourth, then second, in the first two editions, New Zealand continued their buildup for the Rio Olympics with an encouraging week of quality hockey.
The world No 4 Black Sticks seemed to have the game comfortably in hand going into the final quarter, leading 3-0, and having been well worth it after a dominant performance.
However 10th-ranked Japan, who'd had a good week's hockey themselves, battled back with two goals in the last six minutes by their captain Miyuki Nagakawa to give New Zealand a fright.
The win left New Zealand delighted, and they seemed to get better, and more cohesive, as the eight-nation tournament progressed.
The defensive unit, in which Brooke Neal and Emily Gaddum produced standout turns yesterday, did a good job of protecting goalkeeper Sally Rutherford until the latter stages.
The midfield was well organized by Sam Charlton, Pippa Hayward and Kayla Whitelock, while the pace and skill of Stacey Michelsen and Anita Punt troubled Japan, particularly down the right flank.
Unlike their thrilling semifinal win over world No 3 Australia 24 hours earlier, when they surrendered an early 2-0 lead, New Zealand began positively tonight and were two goals up before the end of the first quarter.
Olivia Merry scored her fourth goal of the tournament in the third minute after sloppy Japanese defence presented her with an opening from close range.
Four minutes later, Gemma Flynn was set up by Whitelock, then beat a defender and finished her chance expertly, with fiancé Richie McCaw looking on.
Whitelock got the third goal two minutes after halftime, neatly deflecting a ball into the goal after persistence from Rose Keddell and a smart pass from Charlton provided the leadup.
However Japan were scrapping hard and had their best period to that point, Rutherford called on to stop Motomi Kawamura.
Japan, desperate to get something from the match, pressed hard in the fourth quarter and Nagakawa's two goals were good reward for them.
''It does mean a lot to us and gives us a lot of confidence going forward," Charlton said tonight.
''It's the first tournament we've won in a long time. To come away for six games unbeaten and win at home is something that's really special for us."
In the other final-day matches, Australia beat China 3-1 to finish third; Ireland won a shootout against India 4-3, after the teams finished 1-1 after regulation time to take fifth while Korea's 3-1 win over Canada earned them seventh place.
New Zealand next head to Darwin for a four-nation tournament with Australia, India and Japan late next month before travelling to London for the Champions Trophy in mid-June.
The New Zealand Herald
Black Sticks women hold on against Japan to claim Hawke's Bay Cup title
Kayla Whitelock and Olivia Merry were both on the scoresheet as New Zealand beat Japan in the final of the Hawke's Bay Cup. JOHN COWPLAND/PHOTOSPORT
The Black Sticks women have wrapped up the Hawke's Bay Cup title, despite a late wobble in the final against Japan.
Carrying on from their brilliant comeback win against Australia in the semi, New Zealand dominated the Japanese for all but the last five minutes of the match when Japan scored two late goals to hold on for a 3-2 victory.
The win capped an impressive week for the Mark Hager-coached side, going through the tournament undefeated to better last year's silver medal finish.
And with the Rio Olympics in August, captain Stacey Michelsen said the Hawke's Bay Cup triumph was a glimpse of bigger things to come.
"To come away with a win at the tournament is great. We certainly make it into a lot of semis and finals but it's been a long time since we've gone through to win, so we take a lot of confidence and belief going forward," Michelsen said.
"Things are looking good for us later in the year and we have a very strong group of players vying for those finals spots in Rio."
The Kiwis exploded out of the blocks at the Hastings Regional Sports Park to take a 2-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, which could have easily been more had they converted all of their chances.
Olivia Merry opened the scoring when she capitalised on some soft defence to slip the ball past the Japanese goalkeeper.
Gemma Flynn then doubled the lead with a superb solo effort, swerving through the defence before firing into goal.
Quarter-time couldn't come soon enough for the Japanese as they struggled to keep up with the up-tempo pace of the New Zealanders.
They at least managed to stem the flow of goals in the second period as possession evened out, although the Black Sticks still went into halftime with the contest well under control.
And it wasn't long before they were celebrating again with Kayla Whitelock putting away a deflection early in the third quarter after a strong run by Samantha Charlton.
Despite limited opportunities, Japan never stopped fighting and were rewarded for their efforts with a goal to Miyuki Nakagawa with five minutes to go.
Having been completely outplayed up until that point, the visitors then finished with a flourish as they pressured New Zealand's goal in the dying stages.
Mie Nakashima reduced the margin to a single goal with 30 seconds left on the clock but it was too little, too late.
In the bronze medal game, Australia clinched third place following a 3-1 win over China thanks to goals from Grace Stewart, Jodie Kenny and Georgie Morgan.
NZ 3 (Olivia Merry, Gemma Flynn, Kayla Whitelock) Japan 2 (Miyuki Nakagawa, Mie Nakashima). HT: 2-0.
Stuff
U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team Claim Silver in Junior Pan American Championship Final
TACARIGUA, Trinidad – After an impressive and uninterrupted succession of pitch victories at the 2016 Junior Pan American Championships, the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team went head-to-head with the only other undefeated nation at the event, Argentina. As the top-two finishers of the tournament, both USA and Argentina have achieved verification of their invitation to the Junior Women's World Cup in Santiago, Chile November 23 - December 4, 2016. Now, with one goal already accomplished, Team USA looked to bring home a championship medal in the final round of competition in Trinidad. After 70 minutes of play, Argentina won with a score of USA 0, Argentina 6.
The energy exerted from both teams never hit a lull from the umpire's opening whistle. Argentina fought fast and hard in their attack circle to keep ball possession in their favor looking to strike. Team USA's defense held strong under the persistent pressure, a theme that would be present throughout the entire match. Argentine forwards forced a foul to earn their first penalty corner in the 2nd minute of the match. A straight ball from the top of the circle threatened to change the scoreboard but the boldly placed stick of USA defender Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.) prevented the ball from breaking entry into the goal and kept the game locked at zeroes. Hoffman's quick reflexes were utilized again to redirect a rebounded hit on cage. Securing their second penalty corner of the match, Argentina’s drag flick to target came to a sudden halt when Hoffman placed yet another important touch on the ball to send it off the end line. Another attempt to break into the goal cage was stopped when USA keeper Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas) stretched her stick upward to deny a high drag flick near the roof of the cage.
The match rapidly transitioned to the opposite end of the turf off of a loose ball, where USA’s Gab Major (Royersford, Pa.), leading goal scorer for the USA, found an Argentine's foot to win the team’s first corner in the 8th minute. Despite several hard shots, Team USA didn't earn a result. In the 9th minute of play a solid strike to the right side of the cage gave Argentina their first goal making the score USA 0, Argentina 1. Looking to find the equalizer, Tara Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) released a hard backhand shot that went left of the post. Eager to get on the scoreboard, USA maintained ball movement in their attacking half. A foul on Erin Matson (Chadds Ford, Pa.) outside the circle was upgraded to USA's second penalty corner in the 17th minute mark. Hoffman's direct drag flick was saved by Argentina’s goalkeeper.
Argentina captured another penalty corner by connecting the ball with a USA defender’s foot. Another penalty corner followed for Argentina, their fourth of the match, but the opportunity was dismantled by Team USA. Argentina’s relentless offensive was contained by a unified USA backfield. Argentina launched a high ball at the goal, but Bing with a well-placed glove prevented the ball from changing the score. Argentina wasn't able to convert on their fifth penalty corner opportunity. Julia Young (Yorktown, Va.) anticipated a pass to cut off Argentina’s forward movement and transfer play up field. The ball quickly relocated to Argentina’s attack circle where they delivered a backhand shot from the center of the circle. Bing was ready and made a spectacular save to create a halftime score of USA 0, Argentina 1.
The second half opened with action flowing into the Argentina’s attacking end. An open Argentine player in front of Bing received the ball to plot the ball at close range into the goal to change the score USA 0, Argentina 2. Team USA continued with noteworthy resilience in their defense circle. Bing remained alert and composed through constant fire of Argentina’s sticks. In the 43rd minute of the game, Major used speed and clever stick work to beat two Argentina defenders. She was fouled outside the circle and the call was upgraded to USA's third penalty corner. Although, Argentina’s fly stepped out early and was sent back to the halfway line, USA was unable to get through Argentina’s defense. The direction of the game was transferred to the opposite side of the pitch and in the 48th minute which allowed Argentina to score off of their sixth penalty corner of the game. Bing saved the initial shot, but Argentina was able to convert on the rebound to make it USA 0, Argentina 3. USA snagged the ball off of Argentine’s stick at the midfield line for USA to develop a 3v3 toward goal. Vittese ripped a backhand shot to cage that hit the outside of the goal cage’s sideboard.
In the 53rd and 56th minutes of play, Argentina tagged two more goals to the score making it USA 0, Argentina 5. USA’s tried to contain Argentina’s forceful attack but in the 61st minute off of a crossed ball and a finishing touch, Argentina scored again creating a game of USA 0, Argentina 6. Although the creation of promising attack opportunities were developed by Margaux Paolino (Villanova, Pa.) and Nicole Woods (Beverly, Mass.) with rebounded shots by Vittese as well as back-to-back penalty corners in USA’s favor in the final minutes, the final match report concluded with USA 0, Argentina 6.
USFHA media release
Canada register first win
Canada registered their first win at the Azlan Shah Cup when they defeated a spirited Japan 3-1.
It was clinical finishing that ensured Canada the win as Japan muffed chances they created.
Both the teams had yet to register a win after two days of competition.
Japan lost narrowly 2-1 to India and 4-3 to Malaysia, with all of their goals via penalty corners.
While Canada held New Zealand to a 1-1 draw, having lost 3-1 to Pakistan in the opening day.
After a rather cautious opening quarter, Japan had a chance to take the lead when awarded two penalty corners in the 21st minute but failed to concert.
Canada scored two goals with Mark Pearson scoring in the 34th minute and Gabriel Ho Garxia netting the second a minute later.
Japan reduced the deficit as Hiroki Sakamto was the first to pounce on a penalty corner rebound in the 42nd minute.
But Canada regained their two goal advantage as skipper Scott Tupper scored a delightful penalty corner just before the hooter of the third quarter.
Japan wasted a total of seven penalty corners in the match, scoring just one after an impressive display in their opening two matches where they scored four goals from six awarded.
Unofficial Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site
New Zealand remain unbeaten
New Zealand stamped their class over Pakistan with a 5-3 win at the Azlan Shah Cup.
Having drawn their first two matches, 3-3 against Malaysia and 1-1 against Canada, the win will give a boost to the defending champions in their quest to make the final next Saturday.
Pakistan were a pale shadow of a team that usually displays free flowing hockey.
New Zealand went on the offensive and forced a penalty corner in the 3rd minute. But Kane Russel's attempt was palmed away by keeper Imran Butt.
Pakistan won their first penalty corner two minutes later but skipper Muhammad Irfan skied it.
However Pakistan took the lead in the 8th minute as Muhammad Arslan Qadir scored after a fine crross by Umar Bhutta.
It took the Black Sticks three minutes to equalise as Stephen Jenness ghosted in behind the defence to deflect a pass from Kane in the 11th minute.
Simon Child then put the Kiwis 2-1 ahead in the 19th minute, with a shot from the top of the semi circle that beat Imran all the way.
Pakistan were awarded five consecutive penalty corners in the 23rd minute and off the last one Ali Shaan sent a square pass to Muhammad Irfan Junior to tap into goal at the far post to make it level at 2-2.
Nic Woods converted a penalty corner in the 39th minute to regain the lead for the Black Sticks.
Woods was on target again in the 42nd minute before relaying a perfect pass to Kane Russel to bury home the fifth goal in the 44th minute.
Arslan got one back in the 52nd minute but it was a little too late to salvage anything from the match.
Unofficial Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site
Australia hit Malaysia for five
World champions Australia proved they were a class above others as they came from a goal down to defeat Malaysia 5-1 at the Azlan Shah Cup.
It was a comprehensive performance from the Aussies who scored three goals in four minutes in the third quarter.
Malaysia had drawn their opening match 3-3 against New Zealand before defeating Japan 4-3 on Thursday.
As for Australia, they opened their campaign with a 5-1 thumping of India.
Thus the odds were stacked heavily against Malaysia who are ranked 13 in the world against the world number 1 Aussies.
It was down to business for the Australians who piled the pressure on the Malaysian defence from the first whistle.
After being denied a goal by a brilliant save by Malaysian keeper Hairi Abdul Rahman in the 3rd minute, the Aussies scored in the 5th minute but was disallowed as the ball had hit the body of Janie Dwyer before he scrambled the ball over the goal line.
It was a near miss in the 17th minute as Jacob Whetton sent his attempt wide with only Hairi to beat.
Against the run of play Malaysia were awarded a penalty corner in the 24th minute.
From an improvised version, Mohd Shukri Mutalib relayed the ball to Razie Rahim who sent his drag flick into goal, for Malaysia to lead.
That stunned the Aussies Abd they redoubled their efforts and were level in the 26th minute through Jacob Whetton.
At halftime it was tied 1-1 and Malaysia had done well for the first 30 minutes.
But the third quarter was when the Aussies tore apart the Malaysians.
Flynn Ogilvie scored in the 40th minute and Matt Ghodes made it 3-1 within seconds.
Ogilvie then added his second and the Aussies fourth in the 44th minute.
Malaysia took out their keeper Hairi and replaced him with Hafizuddin Othman for the final quarter.
Although Malaysia had two penalty corners in the final quarter, they failed to make them count.
And the Aussies added the fifth through Thomas Craig in the 55th minute.
Unofficial Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site
Australia's three-minute blitz
By Jugjet Singh
World No 1 Australia scored three goals in two minutes to beat Malaysia 5-1 in the 25th edition of the Azlan Shah Cup Saturday. BERNAMA photo
MALAYSIA were beaten 5-1 by World No 1 Australia in a three-minute blitz, in the 25th Edition of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.
Otherwise, the national players played well to contain more than a dozen deadly attacks from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics favourites.
"I have no complaints on this match as my players gave their best but lost out in a three-minute lapse of concentration. My players also did not defend the entire game but came out and played good hockey upfront.
"The next match against Canada on Tuesday will be after a two-day rest and I believe we will make amends to keep ourselves afloat in this tournament," said Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen.
Australia skipper Mark Knowles, who will be playing in his fourth Olympics in Brazil said: "Well this is what we wanted. We got a very good crowd, and a team which was willing to fight with us all the way."
And he felt the they are on the right track to play in the final: "Ten goals in two matches (they also beat India 5-1) and we are heading in the right direction to play against tough sides like Pakistan and New Zealand."
The Azlan Shah Stadium was filled to the brim, with fans sitting and standing elbow-to-elbow. The cheering, drums and vuvuzelas were deafening, as they cheered on the hosts who held Australia at bay in the first quarter.
It was 15 minutes of 'hell' as Australia took at least eight shots at the Malaysian goalmouth, but stout defending, and good goalkeeping by Hairi Rahman stopped the World No 1.
And Malaysia did not disappoint their fans, as off their first penalty corner in the 24th minute, Razie Rahim scored and the cheering almost brought down the roof.
However, Australia quickly re-grouped after that, and a mis-hit by Jacob Whetton in the 26th minute handed them the equaliser.
At the half-time break, world No 13 Malaysia held the World No 1 at 1-1.
However, after missing many chances, Australia finally got their world class act together and scored three quick goals to seal the match in the third quarter.
Two of the goals were scored inside one minute. In the 40th minute, Flynn Ogilvie scored their second goal, and just after the re-start, Matt Ghodes made it 3-1.
And in the 41st minute, Ogilvie nailed the fourth goal off an easy tap.
The three-goal blitz was an unkind cut to the national team, who played well for most of the match.
Thomas Craig made it 5-1 in the 50th minute.
In another match, defending champions New Zealand made a third-quarter surge to beat Pakistan 5-3.
The New Zealand goals were scored by Stephen Jenness (11th), Simon Child (19th), Nic Woods (39th, 42nd), Kane Russell (43rd),
Pakistan got their goals off Arslan Qadir (8th, 52nd) and Irfan Junior (23rd).
Canada won their first match of the tournament when they beat Japan 3-1.
The Canada goals were scored by Mark Pearson (34th), Gabriel Ho-Garcia (35th) and Scott Tupper (45th).
The Japan consolation was scored by Hiroki Sakamoto in the 42nd minute.
STANDINGS
P W D L F A Pts
AUSTRALIA 2 2 0 0 10 2 6
N ZEALAND 3 1 2 0 9 7 5
CANADA 3 1 1 1 5 5 4
MALAYSIA 3 1 1 1 8 11 4
PAKISTAN 2 1 0 1 6 6 3
INDIA 2 1 0 1 3 6 3
JAPAN 3 0 0 3 5 9 0
RESULTS: Japan 1 Canada 3, New Zealand 5 Pakistan 3, Malaysia 1 Australia 5.
April 10: Japan v New Zealand (4pm), Australia v Pakistan (6pm), Canada v India (8.35pm).
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Malaysia stunned by rampaging Australia
by S. Ramaguru
IPOH: In one fell swoop Malaysia plunged from the summit at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament.
Malaysia went into Saturday’s match against Australia at the top of the seven-team league with four points, but dropped to fourth after a 1-5 loss at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium.
Malaysia put on an improved performance and managed to hold the world champions for a while before falling apart.
In the 14th minute, Thomas Craig had a golden chance to put Australia ahead but goalkeeper Hairi Abdul Rahman, who was making his senior debut, denied him.
It was only in the second quarter that Malaysia had a good look at the Australian goal. In one such rare attack, Malaysia earned a penalty corner in the 24th minute and Mohamed Razie Rahim duly converted with a hefty flick to take the lead.
But the Australians kept surging forward. Two minutes later, they equalised through Jacob Whetton’s field attempt after a botched penalty corner.
The third quarter saw the Malaysians defending desperately. And in a one-minute spell, their hopes of salvaging a draw went up in smoke.
Australian youngster Flynn Ogilvie made it 2-1 in the 40th minute and seconds later Matt Gohdes added a third.
Hardly had the excitement died down the Australians struck again with Ogilvie netting his second goal in the 41st minute.
Craig then completed the rout with a field goal in the 55th minute.
Malaysia coach Stephen van Huizen said they lost the match in the third quarter.
“We held well in the first two quarters, but the three goals came too fast and that caught us off guard. Overall I am pleased with the showing. We played to our tempo and did not follow the Australians.
“But we have to admit that they had better possession and took their chances well. Although we defended for long periods, we had our chances at goal. We now have to get ready for the next two matches (against Canada and Pakistan) as they are crucial to how we finish,” he said.
Australia skipper Mark Knowles conceded that Malaysia gave them a good fight.
“This is the kind of game we want. A good crowd with great atmosphere and a team that is willing to fight till the end. We enjoy playing here as the quality of the matches is top class,” he said.
The Star of Malaysia
New Zealand snatch first win in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
by S. Ramaguru
IPOH: Defending champions New Zealand rise from the ashes to put their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup challenge back on track with a 5-3 win over Pakistan.
After two draws against Malaysia (3-3) and Canada (1-1), the Kiwis finally hit top form to carve out their first win at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium on Saturday.
It was a cohesive display by the Kiwis. They also executed their penalty corners better this time compared to their earlier two matches. Out of five penalty corners, three of them resulted in goals.
Pakistan broke the deadlock after eight minutes through Mohamed Arslan Qadir but Stephen Jenness restored parity after being put through by George Muir in the 11th minute.
Simon Child then gave the Kiwis the lead for the first time with a field goal in the 19th minute. Pakistan refused to surrender with Mohamed Irfan Junior equalising in the 23rd minute off a goalmouth melee.
The Kiwis, however, grabbed a two-goal in quick succession with Nic Woods on target in the 39th and 42nd minutes. And Kane Russell made it 5-2 when he converted a penalty corner in the 44th minute.
Mohamed Arslan managed to reduce the deficit in the 52nd minute off a field goal but the Kiwis were by then home and dry.
Said New Zealand coach Colin Batch: “I cannot say that I am overly happy with the performance. We certainly did better in some areas like converting the penalty corners. We should have managed the fourth quarter better when Pakistan came at us.”
Despite the loss, Pakistan coach K. M. Junaid reckoned that it was their best match in the tournament.
“It had every thing and I am glad that we are able to play such a high-level game. We made some early mistakes and our penalty corner defending was not up to expectations. We hope to improve in the next game,” said Junaid.
In earlier match, Canada registered their first win by beating bottom side Japan 3-1.
Mark Pearson (34th minute), Gabriel Ho-Garcis (35th) and skipper Scott Tupper (45th) were on target for Canada while Japan replied through Hiroki Sakamoto (42nd).
The Star of Malaysia
Kookaburras defeat Malaysia
Second consecutive 5-1 win
Holly MacNeil
The Kookaburras took on Malaysia in their second match of the Azlan Shah Cup on Saturday night. The team had a strong start with two penalty corner attempts in the first quarter, but Malaysia’s defending was on point.
Chris Ciriello took a penalty corner flick, with the goal stopped short by Malaysian goalkeeper Hairi Abdul Rahman. Jamie Dwyer then slotted the ball in to goal, only for it to be disallowed for a lifting infringement. Hairi Abdul Rahman showed his worth in his senior team debut by defending another penalty corner from the Australian team.
Into the second quarter and both Dwyer and Tom Craig narrowly missed shots at goal. Malaysian Captain Razie Rahim finally got the scoreboard into action with a penalty corner goal 24 minutes into the game.
Jake Whetton was quick to get the game back on an even playing field with a tidy flick resulting in a field goal for Australia. At half time the game was deadlocked.
Malaysia was the first with a chance to score in the third quarter, with Rahim taking aim for a second goal but it was blocked with ease thanks to the quick defending of goalkeeper Tyler Lovell.
The Kookaburras took the opportunity to claw the game back with three goals in two minutes thanks to two field goals courtesy of Flynn Ogilvie and a field goal from Matt Gohdes.
Into the fourth quarter and Tom Craig took out a field goal for Australia extending the lead to 5 – 1 from Malaysia with only minutes to go until the final siren.
Kookaburras Head Coach, Graham Reid said: “We created a lot more opportunities in tonight’s game. We started the best we have in a while, and the first and third quarters were really great for us.
“We still have a lot more work to do because we did give them a lot of chances, but the score was more along the lines of what it should have been this evening.”
The Kookaburras next take on Pakistan on Sunday at 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST.
KOOKABURRAS: 5 (1)
Jake Whetton 26 (FG)
Flynn Ogilvie 40, 41 (FG, FG)
Matt Gohdes 40 (FG)
Tom Craig 55 (FG)
MALAYSIA: 1 (1)
Razie Rahim 24 (PC)
Results & Fixtures, today
Japan 1 – 3 Canada
New Zealand 5 – 3 Pakistan
Australia 5 – 1 Malaysia
Kookaburras’ squad v Malaysia
Started
Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW) 19/17
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT) 47/17
Fergus Kavanagh (Gerladton, WA) 218/15
Mark Knowles (Rockhampton, QLD) 277/22
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 264/64
Jacob Whetton (Brisbane, QLD) 101/44
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW) 18/16
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW) 34/6
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW) 189/55
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA) 61/0
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW) 21/10
Used Substitute
Jamie Dwyer (Rockhampton, QLD) 353/234
Matthew Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 145/48
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 68/3
Chris Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 179/114
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA) 79/9
Unused Substitute
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT) 105/0
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD) 129/6
Kookaburras’ fixtures
Sunday 10 April – Kookaburras vs Pakistan – 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST
Tuesday 12 April – Kookaburras vs New Zealand - 4.05pm AWST / 6.05pm AEST
Wednesday 13 April – Kookaburras vs Japan – 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST
Friday 15 April – Kookaburras vs Canada - 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST
Saturday 16 April - TBC
Hockey Australia media release
Black Sticks punish Pakistan at Azlan Shah
Photo: www.photosport.nz
The Black Sticks Men have beaten Pakistan 5-3 to remain undefeated at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.
With the score tied 2-2 at halftime, a brilliant period of play late in the third quarter saw New Zealand score three times in five minutes.
Nic Woods scored a double from penalty corner drag flicks and took out the Man of the Match award while Stephen Jenness, Simon Child and Kane Russell filled out the stat sheet.
The result sees the defending champion Black Sticks well in contention at the tournament with one win and two draws.
Head coach Colin Batch said it was pleasing to come away with a win following two close draws against Malaysia and Canada.
“We continue to create a lot of chances and our penalty corner conversion was much better today scoring three of six which made a huge difference,” he said.
“It’s great to get the win and some valuable points but we now have to back that up and consolidate our quality of play for the next game.
“We are looking to carry our momentum forward and get another good result against Japan tomorrow which will put us in an ok spot at the tournament.”
Pakistan were first to strike when Muhammad Qadir found his way past goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex in the eighth minute.
The Black Sticks responded three minutes later when George Muir took a quick free hit and found Jenness for a diving deflection.
New Zealand extended their lead in the 19th minute thanks to a brilliant solo run by Child who finished with a strong reverse stick shot from the top of the circle.
Pakistan equalised once more following a series of penalty corners with Muhammad Irfan Jr. pouncing on an aerial defection to tap into goal.
The Black Sticks poured on the pressure in the third quarter and finally the floodgates opened from their penalty corner opportunities.
Woods delivered in the 39th minute with a drag flick that went low and right before scoring his double just three minutes later with another penalty corner flick, this time into the top of the net.
Russell added another at the end of the quarter after a slick penalty corner variation left him unmarked for a strong flick through the keeper’s legs.
Pakistan pulled one goal back through Qadir eight minutes from fulltime but the Kiwis held on in defence to secure the victory and all three tournament points.
The Black Sticks are back in action tomorrow against Japan at 8pm (NZ time), with live coverage on SKY Sport 4.
BLACK STICKS 5: (Nic Woods 2, Stephen Jenness, Simon Child, Kane Russell)
PAKISTAN 3: (Muhammad Qadir 2, Muhammad Irfan Jr)
Halftime: 2-2
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Black Sticks men keep Sultan Azlan Shah title defence alive with win over Pakistan
Clay Wilson
Young midfielder Nic Woods scored a brace and was named man of the match in New Zealand's win over Pakistan. PHOTOSPORT
The Black Sticks men's title defence at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia remains alive after they scored a 5-3 win over Pakistan.
Needing victory on Saturday to keep pace with the tournament front-runners after disappointing draws with Malaysia and Canada, New Zealand stepped up in precisely the area that had let them down in those first two games.
A burst of three penalty corner goals in a five-minute spell during the third quarter proved decisive for the world No 8 Kiwis, seeing them finish the match with a 50 per cent conversion rate at set-piece time.
The Black Sticks had converted just two of their 21 corners against Malaysia (13) and Canada (14) and coach Colin Batch said the vast improvement in that department against 10th-ranked Pakistan had made a "huge difference".
"We continue to create a lot of chances and our penalty corner conversion was much better today.
"It's great to get the win and some valuable points but we now have to back that up and consolidate our quality of play for the next game.
"We are looking to carry our momentum forward and get another good result against Japan tomorrow which will put us in an ok spot at the tournament."
A win against the 16th-ranked Japanese on Sunday (8pm NZ time) would put New Zealand well in contention to make the final heading into their last two round-robin matches with world No 1 Australia (8pm Tuesday) and seventh-ranked India (8pm Wednesday).
It was Pakistan who opened the scoring on Saturday, Muhammad Arslan Qadir scooping the ball past Kiwi keeper Kyle Pontifex in the eighth minute.
The Black Sticks hit back three minutes later when George Muir's pass found Stephen Jenness for a diving deflection, before they took the lead in stunning fashion early in the second quarter.
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Skipper Simon Child ran at pace towards the top of the circle, cooly beat a defender and slamming a trademark reverse stick shot past Pakistan stopper Imran Butt.
Pakistan brought scores level for the third time in the match just before halftime when Muhammad Irfan Jr tapped in after six consecutive penalty corners, but soon after halftime the Black Sticks made their move.
Man-of-the-match Nic Woods flicked low from a corner for New Zealand to regain the lead in the 39th minute, the young midfielder repeating the dose with a high flick three minutes later to make it a two-goal margin.
When fellow flicker Kane Russell followed suit just two minutes later, a clever variation seeing Woods lay the ball off, the Kiwis were three clear and the contest was all but over heading into the final stanza.
Arslan Qadir's second goal of the match offered Pakistan a glimmer of hope with eight minutes to play, but the Black Sticks defence stood firm in the closing stages to secure a much-needed win.
NZ 5 (Nic Woods 39 (PC), 42 (PC), Stephen Jenness 11, Simon Child 19, Kane Russell (44 (PC)) Pakistan 3 (Muhammad Arslan Qadir 8, 52, Muhammad Irfan Jr 23 (PC)). Q1: 1-1. Q2: 2-2. Q3: 5-2.
Stuff
Black Sticks grab their first win against Pakistan
Team New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images
New Zealand grabbed their first win in their third game at the men's Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia tonight.
After draws against the hosts and Canada, the eighth-ranked Black Sticks, defending their title from last year, needed maximum points against Pakistan and a three-goal burst in four minutes late in the third quarter proved decisive in the 5-3 win.
Pakistan led early through Muhammad Arslan; Stephen Jenness equalised before captain Simon Child put New Zealand in front with a fine solo goal.
Muhammad Irfan scored Pakistan's second after a penalty corner shot ricocheted across the New Zealand goal to the unmarked Irfan.
However Nic Woods (twice) and Kane Russell scored from successive penalty corners to decide the match, before Arslan got his second for Pakistan.
New Zealand next play Japan tonight.
The New Zealand Herald
New Zealand outplay Pakistan in Azlan Shah Cup
IPOH - Nic Woods converted two penalty corners to hand defending champions New Zealand a 5-3 victory over Pakistan in the round-robin league of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here today.
Twin strikes by Woods in the space of three minutes put New Zealand on winning course after the teams were level 2-2 at half-time.
Back to winning habit after being held to draws by Malaysia and Canada in their initial two outings, New Zealand took their points tally for five, while Pakistan have three points from two matches. Pakistan had beaten Canada 3-1 in their opening fixture. Pakistan opened the account in the eighth minute through Arslan Qadir, who flicked in Ajaz Ahmed's cross just wide of goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex.
Pakistan could have increased the lead two minutes later from their first penalty corner when the shot deflected off the goalkeeper's pads to the goal-post and back into play. The Black Sticks defenders did not have a clue about the ball's direction until it was cleared in a melee.
New Zealand drew parity in the 12th minute when George Muir's diagonal cross was deflected into the boards by Stephen Jenness. Captain Simon Child put the Black Sticks ahead for the first time in the 19th minute when his reverse shot from top of the circle went through Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt's pads.
Pakistan then forced seven penalty corners in the space of three minutes, four of them in a succession before equalising in the 21st minute. Irfan Jr found the target in a scrimmage following a penalty corner shot. New Zealand left Pakistan way behind with three goals in a four minute burst. Two strikes by Woods (39th and 42nd minutes) and one by Kane Russell (43rd) on penalty corners stunned Pakistan.
Pakistan tried to stage a comeback and exerted a lot of pressure on New Zealand, but could only reduce the margin by a goal. Qadir scored his second goal for Pakistan in the 52nd minute before New Zealand closed the gaps in their defence.
New Zealand coach Colin Batch was happy with the win as it put them back on the title hunt. “But I cannot say that I am overly happy with the performance. We certainly did better in some areas like converting the penalty corners,” he said.
“The early part was also good. We should have managed the fourth quarter better when they came at us,” said Colin.
Pakistan coach Khawaja M. Junaid reckoned that it was the best match of the tournament so far. “It had everything and I am glad that we are able to play such a high level game. We made some early mistakes and our penalty corner defending was not up to expectations. These are areas we need to be more consistent. We hope to improve in the next game,” he said.
Three goals in less than two minutes late into the third quarter, saw Australia beating hosts Malaysia 5-1 and leapfrog to the top of the table.
Malaysia found the opening goal from what was their first true attack of the Australian goalmouth and against the run of play. They were awarded their first penalty corner in the 24th minute. Sukri Mutalib seems to have misjudged the push but managed to stop the ball outside the circle and relayed it back to skipper Razie Rahim, whose rising shot beat the Aussie keeper Tyler Lovell.
Malaysia, after taking a shock lead , were caught napping by the Aussies. It took Australia just two minutes to hit back, They forced a penalty corner in 26 minute. While they failed to make a conversion, they did strike from ensuing free hit. This time Hairi could not stop the flick from Jacob Whetton from the right of the goalmouth.
Then in the third quarter, they scored three well executed field goals in quick succession. Flynn Ogilvie gave them the lead with a delightful scoop in the 40th minute and Matt Gohdes notched their third within seconds of the restart after the Aussies stole the ball from the Malaysian at midfield. Flynn picked up his second with another beautifully crafted field goal in the 41st minute. Flynn, was awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant display.
Malaysia conceded a late goal in the 55th minute after committing all the players in attack. Craig Thomas found himself ahead of the Malaysian defence and was gifted with the goal. By then Malaysia were well and truly beaten by the marauding Aussies.
Earlier, fast-improving Canada posted their first victory in three outings by prevailing 3-1 over Japan. After a goalless first half, Canada rode on two open field goals in successive minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Mark Pearson (34th minute) and Garbiel Ho-Garcia (35th) penetrated the Japanese circle to shoot on target before Japan pulled one back in the 42nd through captain Hiroki Sakamoto through a penalty corner. Canada sealed the fate of the contest with a 45th-minute penalty corner strike by captain Scott Tupper. The victory took Canada's points tally to four from three outings. They had picked up the first point from a 1-1 draw against New Zealand on Thursday. Japan have suffered defeats in all their three outings.
STANDINGS
Pos Team Played w D L Points
1 Australia 2 1 0 0 6
2 New Zealand 3 1 2 0 5
3 Canada 3 1 1 1 4
4 Malaysia 3 1 1 1 4
5 Pakistan 2 1 0 1 3
6 India 2 1 0 1 3
7 Japan 3 0 0 3 0
Results
Australia 5-1 Malaysia
New Zealand 5-3 Pakistan
Canada 3-1 Japan
TODAY’S FIXTURES
Japan vs New Zealand
Australia vs Pakistan
Canada vs India
The Nation
New Zealand overpower Pakistan 5-3
Pakistan and New Zealand players vie for the ball during their match of the Azlan Shah Cup on Saturday
IPOH: Pakistan and New Zealand players vie for the ball during their match of the Azlan Shah Cup on Saturday.
IPOH: Nic Woods converted two penalty corners to hand defending champions New Zealand a 5-3 victory over Pakistan in the round-robin league of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Saturday.
Twin strikes by Woods in the space of three minutes put New Zealand on winning course after the teams were level 2-2 at half-time.
Back to winning habit after being held to draws by Malaysia and Canada in their initial two outings, New Zealand took their points tally to five, while Pakistan have three points from two matches.
Pakistan had beaten Canada 3-1 in their opening fixture.
Pakistan opened the account in the eighth minute through Mohammad Arslan Qadir, who flicked in Ajaz Ahmed’s cross just wide of goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex.
Pakistan could have increased the lead two minutes later from their first penalty corner when the shot deflected off the goalkeeper’s pads to the goal-post and back into play. The Black Sticks defenders did not have a clue about the ball’s direction until it was cleared in a melee.
New Zealand drew parity in the 12th minute when George Muir’s diagonal cross was deflected into the boards by Stephen Jenness.
Captain Simon Child put the Black Sticks ahead for the first time in the 19th minute when his reverse shot from top of the circle went through Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt’s pads.
New Zealand left Pakistan way behind with three goals in a four-minute burst. Two strikes by Woods (39th and 42nd minutes) and one by Kane Russell (43rd) on penalty corners stunned Pakistan.
Pakistan tried to stage a comeback and exerted a lot of pressure on New Zealand, but could only reduce the margin by a goal. Qadir scored his second goal for Pakistan in the 52nd minute before New Zealand closed the gaps in their defence.
Despite the loss, Pakistan coach K. M. Junaid reckoned that it was their best match in the tournament.
“It had every thing and I am glad that we are able to play such a high-level game. We made some early mistakes and our penalty corner defending was not up to expectations. We hope to improve in the next game,” said Junaid.
Earlier, fast-improving Canada posted their first victory in three outings by prevailing 3-1 over Japan.
After a goalless first half, Canada rode on two open field goals in successive minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Mark Pearson (34th minute) and Garbiel Ho-Garcia (35th) penetrated the Japanese circle to shoot on target before Japan pulled one back in the 42nd through captain Hiroki Sakamoto through a penalty corner.
Canada sealed the fate of the contest with a 45th-minute penalty corner strike by captain Scott Tupper.
The victory took Canada’s points tally to four from three outings. They picked up their first point from a 1-1 draw against New Zealand on Thursday.
Japan have suffered defeats in all their three outings.
Dawn
Title holders New Zealand outplay Pakistan 5-3
IPOH (Malaysia): Nic Woods converted two penalty corners to hand defending champions New Zealand a 5-3 victory over Pakistan in the round-robin league of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here on Saturday.
Twin strikes by Woods in the space of three minutes put New Zealand on winning course after the teams were level 2-2 at half-time.
Back to winning habit after being held to draws by Malaysia and Canada in their initial two outings, New Zealand took their points tally for five, while Pakistan have three points from two matches.
Pakistan had beaten Canada 3-1 in their opening fixture.
Pakistan opened the account in the eighth minute through Muhammad Arslan Qadir, who flicked in Ajaz Ahmed's cross just wide of goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex.
Pakistan could have increased the lead two minutes later from their first penalty corner when the shot deflected off the goalkeeper's pads to the goal-post and back into play. The Black Sticks defenders did not have a clue about the ball's direction until it was cleared in a melee.
New Zealand drew parity in the 12th minute when George Muir's diagonal cross was deflected into the boards by Stephen Jenness.
Captain Simon Child put the Black Sticks ahead for the first time in the 19th minute when his reverse shot from top of the circle went through Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt's pads.
Pakistan then forced seven penalty corners in the space of three minutes, four of them in a succession before equalising in the 21st minute. Muhammad Irfan Jr found the target in a scrimmage following a penalty corner shot.
New Zealand left Pakistan way behind with three goals in a four minute burst. Two strikes by Woods (39th and 42nd minutes) and one by Kane Russell (43rd) on penalty corners stunned Pakistan.
Pakistan tried to stage a comeback and exerted a lot of pressure on New Zealand, but could only reduce the margin by a goal. Qadir scored his second goal for Pakistan in the 52nd minute before New Zealand closed the gaps in their defence.
Earlier, fast-improving Canada posted their first victory in three outings by prevailing 3-1 over Japan.
After a goalless first half, Canada rode on two open field goals in successive minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Mark Pearson (34th minute) and Garbiel Ho-Garcia (35th) penetrated the Japanese circle to shoot on target before Japan pulled one back in the 42nd through captain Hiroki Sakamoto through a penalty corner.
Canada sealed the fate of the contest with a 45th-minute penalty corner strike by captain Scott Tupper.
The victory took Canada's points tally to four from three outings. They had picked up the first point from a 1-1 draw against New Zealand on Thursday.
Japan have suffered defeats in all their three outings.
The Times of India
Canadian men beat Japan for first win of Azlan Shah Cup
Shaheed Devji
PHOTO: Gabriel Ho-Garcia darts away from Seren Tanaka in Canada’s 3-1 win over Japan Saturday in Ipoh, Malaysia.
Three second half goals lifted the Canadian men’s field hockey team to a 3-1 defeat of Japan Saturday at the 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia.
The win is Canada’s first of the tournament and comes after the team picked up its first point of the competition in its last game, Thursday against New Zealand.
With the three points from Japan, Canada now has four on the tournament and has a chance to position itself in the upper half of the group if it is able to pick up points from its final two group games.
Saturday’s match was evenly played for the first few minutes, in fact it was the Japanese who had the first good scoring chance in the 9th minute when Kenta Tanaka was sprung behind the Canadian defence for a partial breakaway.
Antoni Kindler, who started his second straight match and split the duties with David Cater, stood his ground making a pad save to keep the game scoreless.
Canada responded quickly with its own solo dash in the 13th minute, when – on a free hit – Gabriel Ho-Garcia picked up the ball, beat a few Japanese defenders and got a backhand shot off towards goal. The keeper, Takashi Yoshikawa, wasn’t phased and turned it away.
The Canadians almost broke the scoreless draw at the end of the first quarter, when – on another free hit – the ball was scooped to an open Iain Smythe in front of the Japanese goal. Smythe quickly turned and fired a shot, but Yoshikawa once again made the save.
Japan had opportunities to tie the game on corners late in the first half and early in the second half.
In the 23rd minute, the Japanese were given the first corner of the match but Devohn Noronha-Teixeira came up with a big block as the first runner.
Then, in the opening moments of the third quarter, Japan had two corners and on the second forced Carter, who had just entered the game, to make a spectacular diving save.
Carter’s save proved to be timely as only minutes later in the the 34th minute, Mark Pearson stole a ball from a Japanese midfielder who didn’t see him coming, took a few steps into the Japanese circle and unleashed a high, heavy backhand past Yoshikawa to give Canada the 1-0 lead.
Before the dust had a chance to settle on Pearson’s goal, Canada found itself ahead by two, as Ho-Garcia on another solo dash, this one along the baseline, beat the Japanese defenders and tucked the ball in the top shelf.
Japan got a goal from Hiroki Sakamoto on a corner that Canada wasn’t too pleased to be given in the 36th minute and the Canadian lead was cut in half.
Canada restored the two-goal lead at the end of the third quarter when a string of corners was capped off by Canadian captain Scott Tupper putting a flick by Yoshikawa for Canada’s third goal.
Carter made another diving save on a corner in the 53rd minute before Canada officially picked up the win.
The Canadians now face India, which has played two games and picked up 3 points, Sunday at 8:35pm in Malaysia (5:35am PT/8:35am ET in Canada).
GAME NOTES:
Canadian captain Scott Tupper was named Man of the Match
Field Hockey Canada media release
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Uthra Ganesan
Manpreet Singh. - FILE PHOTO
It’s when the going gets tough, the tough get going — clichéd but true. And when Manpreet Singh steps onto the turf against Canada at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Sunday, the 23-year old would join a select group of Indian sportsmen who have lifted themselves above personal tragedy to exemplify their mental fortitude and excel on field.
Rejoining the Indian team just 48 hours after being informed of his father’s demise, the talented midfielder has committed himself to the team’s cause at the competition. “My teammates are like my brothers, and at this time, I want to go there and be with them and support them as they have supported me,” Manpreet said in a statement.
One person who would know exactly what he would be going through would be Tushar Khandker, currently with the team as coach himself. Khandker lost his father, who initiated him into hockey, while playing the junior World Cup in 2005 in Rotterdam. He returned home, only to go back after completing the cremation rituals and help his team reach the semifinals of the competition.
“I can feel and understand exactly what he might be going through because I have felt exactly the same myself. When the news first came, I was with him in his room for a long time that day and even though no one can do anything, empathy does help,” Khandker told The Hindu from Ipoh.
Manpreet was informed about the tragedy hours before India’s first game against Japan and was on the flight back home when both teams faced off with black armbands. It also helped that Manpreet’s fiancé Illi Najwa Saddique, a Malaysian, and her mother, were present with him in Ipoh. “Having a family member always helps,” Khandker admitted.
Other instances
There have been other such instances. In 2009 Birendra Lakra, one of the best defenders in the world today and named Indian Player of the Year last year, lost his father while on tour to Australia.
At 19 years Lakra, the youngest of five siblings, was not even informed about it but was shocked when told about it on his return to Delhi. “One, no one wanted to disturb me. Two, there is hardly any electricity back home in my village, no phone or TV, to communicate,” he said then with a shrug.
Sachin Tendulkar’s enduring image from the 1999 World Cup, tearfully glancing up at the heavens after a century against Kenya, remains iconic for humanising someone called god of cricket. The then 26-year old Tendulkar had lost his father a few days ago but returned for the game, only to score an unbeaten 140 to help India register its first win in the tournament.
And current Test captain Virat Kohli, often labelled brash, young and aggressive, proved his mental courage when he stepped on to the field in a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka despite his father passing away the same morning and scored a chanceless 90 back in 2006 to help Delhi draw the game. He was just 18 then.
Truly, champions are forged by the trials they go through.
The Hindu
India at the Azlan Shah Cup: know your team
India has entered the finals six times, winning it in five of those and losing to Argentina in 2008.
N. Kesavan
Indian hockey team captain Sardar Singh with his teammates.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men's hockey tournament held in Malaysia. It began in 1983 as a biennial contest and became an annual event after 1998. The 25th Azlan Shah Hockey tournament will run from April 6 to 16
India has won the cup five times while Australia tops the table with eight victories. Pakistan has won it three times, New Zealand and Germany twice, England. Other winners are South Korea, Netherlands and Argentina.
The defending champions are New Zealand.
India has entered the finals six times, winning it in five of those and losing to Argentina in 2008. India has finished third, also six times (1983, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2015). India has won it continuously in 2009 and 2010.
Prepping for Rio
In 2016, India, led by Sardar Singh, has the big task of living up to great expectations at the Rio Olympics. If fans of Indian hockey are to be satisfied, the team needs to win at least silver here.
A seventh Azlan Shah victory will be good preparation for the Olympics starting in August. India has already won one match and lost to the reigning champions Australia in another.
India has to face Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and Pakistan in their remaining round-robin matches. The top four will qualify for the semi-finals.
A failure for India in this tournament will have a telling effect on their preparation for the Olympics. Roelant Oltmans, the coach, is confident that India will perform well.
India faces Canada on Sunday (April 10), Pakistan (April 12), New Zealand (April 13) and Malaysia (April 15). Having lost to Australia by a big margin, the team will have to up their game.
Indian team:
GOALKEEPER: Harjot Singh, Akash Anil Chikte
DEFENDERS: Rupinder Pal Singh, Jasjit Singh Kular, Kothajit Singh, Surender Singh, Harmanpreet Singh
MIDFIELDERS: Danish Mujtaba, Chinglensana Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sardar Singh, S K Uthappa, Harjeet Singh
FORWARDS: Talwinder Singh, Mandeep Singh, SV Sunil, Ramandeep Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah.
The Hindu
Boosted by Manpreet's return, India look to dominate
Ipoh (Malaysia): Bolstered by the return of midfielder Manpreet Singh, India will seek to dominate the hard-tackling Canada Sunday and boost their standing in the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here.
The bereaved Manpreet last night returned from India after his father's funeral to join his teammates for a training session this morning, giving coach Roelant Oltmans some options of tackling the rivals, who today overtook India on the round-robin league standings.
Canada defeated Japan 3-1 to take their points tally to four from three outings, having lost 1-3 to Pakistan and holding defending champions New Zealand to a 1-1 draw.
India have three points from two matches, having defeated Japan 2-1 in their opening outings and then suffering a 1-5 defeat by World champions Australia.
Manpreet brings a lot of stability to the India's game-plan as he often takes up the centre-half's duties from Indian captain Sardar Singh when the team is seeking to dominate. When under pressure, Manpreet is adept at playing a deep defender's role and falls back to be the third full-back.
The news of his father's demise reached Manpreet just hours before India's opening fixture on Wednesday. He left for home just as the Indian team stepped on to the turf wearing black arm bands and observed a minute's silence.
In Manpreet's absence, the Indian midfield lost its semblance of competitiveness against World champions Australia in the last outing.
The Canadians have often proved to be troublesome to the Indians as they pack the defence and bank on quick counter-attacks to exert pressure on the rival citadel.
Defending against the quick turnovers has been problem for India and coach Oltmans is seeking to teach the young players in the squad ways to plug the gaps when falling back to defend on counters.
Oltmans was today seen observing the Canadians from the sidelines, trying to get acquainted with the opponents, whom India do not get to play often. India's last encounter with Canada was a year ago here at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup when India prevailed 5-3.
This is the first time the Indian team under coach Oltmans will be taking on Canada, who no longer claim to be the Pan American champions, but are among the four teams at this tournament to have qualified for the Olympics at Rio de Janeiro.
Not having played against the Canadians for some time, coach Oltmans is obviously vary of the surprise element.
Skipper Sardar, who has played against Canada several times in the past, says India will go out looking for full points in tomorrow's encounter.
"We'll be looking to repeat out winning show of last year against Canada, but they are not to be taken lightly," said Sardar.
"We've provided exposure to a lot out our youngsters here," Sardar said. "The coach has come to this tournament with specific targets and the gains will be visible with every match."
Canada captain Scott Tupper expressed happiness at the way his team was playing.
"We take a lot of pride in our game and that should show every time we get on the pitch," Tupper said.
Playing a close-marking game and banking on quick turnovers, the Canadians held defending champions New Zealand to a 1-1 draw on Friday.
The way the Canadians have played in the last two games is quite different from their show in the opening fixture against Pakistan, which they lost 1-3 in extreme hot and humid conditions.
Coach Anthony Farry expects the match against India to be tough, but promised to put up a keen contest.
"India's got some super-fast players and we need to be at our best to tackle them," said Farry. "We have an idea about the way the Indians play and we're eager to play better than we've done so far in this tournament.
"We're getting comfortable playing against top teams, but it does not stop us from improving," Farry added.
The Times of India
CISF, PNB, Bengal,Manipur win in Sr Hockey Nationals
ETAWAH (Uttar Pradesh): Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Punjab and Sind Bank, Punjab National Bank, Manipur and Bengal came out victorious in their respective pool matches on the second day of the Senior men National Championship (Division B), here on Saturday.
In Pool G matches, CISF thrashed Goa 9-0, while CRPF and Hockey Coorg played out a 2-2 draw.
Punjab and Sind Bank routed Vidarbha Hockey Association 34-1 in the opening game of Pool H before Punjab National Bank thrashed Dadra and Nagar Haveli Hockey Association 21-1 in another lopsided contest of Pool H.
In the first match of Pool F, Manipur Hockey came from behind to beat Hockey Uttarakhand 2-1 in a keenly-contested duel.
Later in the day, Bengal Hockey Association were declared winners after Hockey Andaman and Nicobar forfeited their game.
The Times of India
Parklands rally to deny Greensharks in four-goal thriller
In Nakuru, 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi beat hosts Nakuru 1-0.
Arkshay Harkhan of Parklands Sports Club drives the ball during their Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League match against Mombasa Sports Club at City Park Stadium on March 19, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Parklands twice came from behind to force a 2-2 draw with Greensharks in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men’s Premier league match at the City Park Stadium on Saturday.
In Nakuru, 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi beat hosts Nakuru 1-0 courtesy of Kenya International Davies Wanangwe’s second half winner.
Tony Nyukuri and John Wachira had given Sharks a 2-0 lead after 31 minutes but the league debutants pulled one back just before half time through Frankson Masinga before Daniel Aredha’s strike six minutes from time salvaged a point.
Sharks coach Nixon Nyangaga bemoaned his side’s missed chances after they threw a two goal lead.
“The match should have been over by halftime. However our lack of concentration and careless play allowed the opponent to hit back,” Nyangaga lamented.
“We need to be able to control matches and ensure we convert our chances. This feels more like a loss than a point earned.”
The match had to be stopped after only 17 minutes of play due to heavy rains and resumed half an hour later.
The slippery turf made it difficult for both teams to string passes with players falling down regularly. However, Sharks went ahead with their first real chance after Kenyan international Leon Magomere won a penalty stroke after he was fouled inside the Parklands circle.
NYUKURI SLOTS HOME
Nyukuri calmly slotted the ball past Parklands keeper Farhad Shize to give his team the lead after 25 minutes. Sharks continued to attack after the goal and Nyukuri almost doubled the lead but his shot was saved by Shize on the half-hour mark.
The second goal did arrive four minutes before the interval. Sharks broke after a failed Parklands attack and Magomere set up Wachira who lifted the ball past Shize. Against the run of play, Parklands pulled one back with a brilliant field goal from Masinga.
Parklands were the better side in the second half and got their equaliser with six minutes remaining through Aredha who beat two defenders before firing past Sharks keeper Eli Aswa. Both teams went in search of the winner but it was not forthcoming.
“We fought well after going two goals down and this fighting spirit will help us in our remaining matches,” Parklands coach Saeed Gakuria said.
BUTALI OPEN GAP
Champions Butali Sugar Warriors scored two goals in the last two minutes to beat United States International University of Africa (USIU A) 3-2 in the late kick-off.
Kenyan international Maxwell Fuchaka scored the winner with 20 seconds left to hand the champions three points in a thrilling encounter. Frank Wanangwe had given Butali the lead in the 13th minute but the students levelled after the break through Gabriel Telmuga.
James Mwangi put USIU-A 2-1 up with nine minutes to go but Butali showed their character with goals from Saidi Okwemba and Fuchaka's last-gasp winner.
Daily Nation