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All the news for Monday 18 April 2016

Indian hockey team returns with silver from Azlan Shah Cup

NEW DELHI: The Indian hockey team returned home after clinching the silver medal at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

The 2016 performance was the team's best since 2010, when they won the gold at the tournament. India beat Japan, Canada, Pakistan and Malaysia in the tournament but lost the finals to Australia to end with the silver medal.

Fielding an experimental team, which featured a lot of young, inexperienced faces, they scored 18 goals in the tournament, the second most by any side.

Speaking after arriving in the country, captain Sardar Singh said, "This was a good experience for youngsters, who were playing with the senior team for the first time. In particular, Harmanpreet, Surender and Harjeet showed that they are capable of playing at the higher level and fit into the team perfectly."

Coach Roelant Oltmans added, "It is a good preparation for Rio. We have identified some of our weaknesses, which a tournament like this highlights, and can now work on them extensively to make sure we can have a strong showing at the Olympics."

The Times of India

Trial & error but enough to build on for India hockey

India hockey team's performance over the last one week at the Azlan Shah Cup gave a glimpse into the team's preparation for Rio 2016.

by Mihir Vasavda


India fielded a young team but came up with encouraging performances.

From the start, this wasn’t about the result. India have traditionally done well at the Azlan Shah Cup. But a podium finish at the invitational tournament did little else apart from giving the coach, players and the followers a false sense of security. This time, though, it was different. With Olympics just three months away, coach Roelant Oltmans decided to use the tournament to test a few players and identify back-ups for some positions. And although India were humbled, yet again, by Australia in the final, the performance over the last one week gave a glimpse into the team’s preparation for the Rio Games this August. The Indian Express looks at a few takeaways for team India:

No back-up for Sreejesh

You almost felt sorry for Harjot Singh when he started the final against Australia on the bench. For nearly two years, he has played second fiddle to PR Sreejesh and when his opportunity came to be the lead goalkeeper, he was eventually overtaken by a young and untested Akash Chikte. However, Harjot has only himself to blame. With Oltmans opting to rest Sreejesh to give the back-up goalie an opportunity, you would have expected Harjot to be up for the task and prove that he is the worthy successor.

But as the week wore on, his performance showed why all coaches in the last two years (Terry Walsh, Paul van Ass and now Oltmans) have been reluctant to give Sreejesh a break even for one match and play him in the goal instead. He was indecisive, careless and too casual in the goal, getting beaten far too often on his near post and wasn’t brave enough – a trait that sets Sreejesh apart. Between Harjot and Chikte, India conceded 15 goals in seven matches including the final. It can be argued that the defence in front of them wasn’t the strongest, but there were several occasions where they could’ve done better.

Even Oltmans, who generally does not pick on players individually, did not seem happy with Harjot’s approach. “He casually gave away the penalty corner. I took Harjot off the pitch because of this careless act,” Oltmans said after the match against Canada. “That’s just unacceptable.” If India’s intent was to look for Sreejesh’s back-up, the tournament has produced more questions than answers.

Drag-flick dilemma

Harmanpreet Singh has been making waves in the junior international circuit for quite some time with his powerful, accurate drag-flicks and slick defending. Whether he would hold his own in the rough and quick-paced senior level was a question on many a mind. And going by what we saw over the last seven days, Harmanpreet does look the real deal. He looked threatening every time he stood on top of the ‘D’ to take a drag-flick and looked assured and composed in the defence as well. His performance would give Oltmans a headache when it comes to selecting drag-flickers for the Olympics, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he puts pressure on VR Raghunath and Rupinderpal Singh for a spot in the squad.

Oltmans selected an experimental squad for the tournament, with the average age of the side being 23.5 years, and he would have been satisfied with what he saw. Harjeet Singh, playing his maiden international tournament, impressed in bits but considering that he prefers playing as a centre-half – a position Sardar Singh and Manpreet Singh generally occupy – he was largely overshadowed by the duo. But the junior India captain made most of his opportunities, also scoring his maiden India goal during the tournament. Surender Singh and Chikte, the other two junior players who were given a chance, didn’t do much wrong but didn’t do anything spectacular either that would have grabbed Oltmans’ attention.

Nikkin, Ramandeep and goals

Nikkin Thimmaiah is perhaps the most under-rated players in the team. He works his socks off and is selfless, a kind of player any coach would want in his team. A shoulder injury sidelined him for quite some time and playing in his first international tournament since recovering, Nikkin’s return boosted the forward line, giving them a much-needed edge. He combined well along with the perennially misfiring SV Sunil, Talwinder Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who too came up with some opportunistic strikes in this tournament.

India scored 18 goals in the tournament, second-most in the seven-nation tournament after Australia. Their form bodes well for India, considering that Akashdeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay and Devinder Walmiki will make their way into the squad. It is a young and energetic attack line-up, although positioning inside the box and ball control still remains below par. With a little more coordination and finesse, Oltmans could have found solutions to India’s field goals problems.

Sunil relishes responsibility

A captain has few responsibilities on a field. And the vice-captain has fewer. But SV Sunil seemed to relish the responsibility of being Sardar Singh’s deputy during the tournament. He played with a lot of self-control and involved others in the game more often rather than just dashing forward using his blinding pace in the hope that his teammates would catch up him. He scored goals too with some deft touches, reminding us of what he is capable of.

At the same time, India showed that they still rely heavily on Sardar and Manpreet Singh to hold the midfield. Manpreet missed the first two matches after he lost his father just before the tournament began. In his absence, Sardar looked overworked. And even though the skipper isn’t the same player that he used to be a couple of years ago, he remains the creative outlet. Worryingly for India, when both players had an off day – against New Zealand – it affected the overall performance, and eventually they lost the match 2-1.

Tougher opponents

That brings us to the last and perhaps one of the most important points. Apart from the lowly Canada, India could not manage to beat the two other Rio-bound teams. The defeat to New Zealand, and the twin losses to Australia, exposed a lot of chinks in India’s armour, most of all the fragile defence. When put under pressure, the midfield gave up and the back line looked hopelessly out of sorts.

India can argue that they were playing an experimental side. But Australia, too, had their own problems. The world champions came to Malaysia with just 16 players, two less than all other teams, to acclimatise themselves to the Olympics rules. They played the final without their two key men – Jamie Dwyer and Chris Cirello were both nursing minor injuries – which reduced their outfield playing options to just 12. To play in Malaysian humidity for an hour with a just dozen players is a huge challenge but Australia showed their superior fitness by systematically dismantling India.

And New Zealand… Well, they are a team that made it to the Olympics only because South Africa decided not to send theirs. Losing to them is no shame but it would give Oltmans a lot to ponder over. There were many takeaways for India. But with Olympics a little more than 100 days away, what would bother them is the inability to beat top teams when they’re playing full throttle with their first-choice players.

Indian Express

Azlan Shah Cup great experience for Black Sticks


Head Coach Colin Batch reacting during the international men's hockey test. Photo / Getty Images

The New Zealand's men's hockey team are taking plenty of confidence out of the recent Azlan Shah Cup as they continue to build towards the Rio Olympics.

The men's Black Sticks finished third at the tournament after a penalty shootout with hosts Malaysia.

Coach Colin Batch says the shootout has given them much needed practise, should similar situations come up at the Olympics, particularly in knockout games.

He said they got experience playing in high temperatures as well.

The team will have two weeks off before beginning preparation for a European series in the Netherlands.

Radio Sport

Hockey women through even after 3-0 beating

Chua Siang Yee

Wearing big smiles and happily posing for photographs at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium - to the uninitiated, the Singapore women's team might have seemed a little too happy for one who had just lost 0-3 to Kazakhstan.

But they have reason to celebrate. Despite the defeat yesterday, they were through to Round 2 of the World Hockey League, finishing third (12 points) in Round 1 among seven sides, behind the Kazakhs (13) and table toppers Thailand (18).

Round 2 will be played from January to April next year and this is the second successive time they have made the phase in three editions of the league.

Coach David Viner was pleased, pointing to the fact that only half of last year's SEA Games squad remained, with the Under-21s drafted in to make up a full team.

The 58-year-old Australian said: "Kazakhstan were more experienced, and they had to win to finish in the top three so they really came at us. We struggled a little but I'm proud of how we continued to take the game to them, we didn't stop and hang our heads.

"It's always disappointing to lose a game but the players know they've achieved big things."

Singapore, the fourth seeds, were largely on par with the top seeds, but committed several unforced turnovers and failed to score from one penalty stroke and five penalty corners.

Viner said a training stint in either Hong Kong or Australia is lined up to prepare for Round 2.

While the women celebrated despite their loss, the Singapore men went down 1-3 to Thailand in their third-place match. They had needed to be in the top two to qualify.

China beat Sri Lanka 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out after a 3-3 draw at full-time.

The Singapore men's loss also marked a disappointing end to coach Solomon Casoojee's tenure, who told the team that he would step down after Round 1.

The South African had stayed on despite indicating that he would leave his post after last year's SEA Games.

Captain Enrico Marican said: "It was a really bad game from us, we didn't capitalise on our chances and made a few basic mistakes.

"But the team will have learnt from this tournament. This team has potential and, with enough training and international tournaments, I still believe we can win another silver medal at next year's SEA Games."

The Straits Times

Islah irked by FIH move to do away with Champions Trophy

KARACHI: Noted former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui has criticised the International Hockey Federation (FIH) move to do away with the prestigious Champions Trophy after 2018 and replace it with the World Global League.

“Champions Trophy is very dear to people of Pakistan as it donated the trophy and played host to the inaugural event at Lahore way back in 1978,” Islahuddin, who led Pakistan to victory in the first Champions Trophy, said in a statement on Sunday.

He recalled that it was the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president retired Air Marshal Nur Khan and the secretary retired Brig M. H. Atif who conceived the idea and convinced the then FIH president Rene Frank to have another event after the Olympics and World Cup.

The former right winger of repute said the FIH president Leonardo Negre was doing good work for the game but it was not wise to introduce World Global League at the expense of Champions Trophy and that too, after 40 years.

He called upon the FIH to rethink the plan in their next meeting and restrain from taking such a harsh decision which will have a negative impact on Pakistan whose contribution to the game speaks high.

At the same time he urged the PHF hierarchy and their representatives in the FIH Board to strongly resist the move.

Dawn

‘PHF should take notice of differences between selectors, team management’

By Syed Intikhab Ali

KARACHI: The national selection committee is under immense pressure after the team’s poor performance in the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, during which they also lost 5-0 to India.

The green-shirts finished fifth in the seven-team tournament.

Questions are now being raised over the selection criteria as forward Owais-ur-Rehman — who had scored the winning goal for Pakistan against India in the final of the SAG Games last month — was not picked for the Malaysian tour.

Ehsanullah, who was the leading goal-scorer in the National Hockey Championship, was also overlooked for the tournament.

Haseem Khan may be a victim of a conflict between team manager Hanif Khan and selection committee members as he is also the nephew of Hanif.

Some other deserving players, who have been performing well in the domestic competitions, were also left out surprisingly.

Olympian Qamar, who has generally been less sharp in his criticism of the current PHF management as compared to the previous one, also spoke out of how some deserving players were ignored by the selection committee.

“The PHF should take notice and determine who is responsible for the team’s horrible performances when even a number of trials were held in all the provinces and a month-long training camp was also held,” Qamar said.

“Many deserving players were not selected,” he lamented.

The defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India has not gone down well with the hockey fraternity and the credibility of the national selection committee is facing a lot of questions.

“There were not much expectations from the national team and nobody was expecting them to lift the trophy or finish on the podium but the way the lost those four matches was painful to see,” he said.

He also criticised the team management for failing to handle the players’ fitness as many of them were seen exhausted during the matches, especially after the second quarter.

Another former player said that team’s coach Khwaja Junaid’s tactics were exposed as he failed to make his team fight during the matches.

“It was obvious that the selection committee members, the team management and even the PHF high officials were not on the same page even before green-shirts had gone to Malaysia,” he said.

“It is not only about the team’s performance in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, the differences have been visible since Hanif Khan was appointed manager with Olympian Qamar Ibrahim named coach of the team. The latter resigned just two days after his nomination due to personal reasons,” he added.

“The PHF needs to take these issues seriously now as the team will play in the qualifying rounds of 2018 Hockey World Cup, later this year. If the situation does not improve then one cannot expect green-shirts to perform well,” he concluded.

The News International

Amsterdam stay top going into final round


Picture: Koen Suyk

The race for the Dutch regular season title and for the playoff places remain all up for grabs going into the final round of matches next weekend.

Amsterdam remain the pace-setters after a 4-1 win against Hurley. Kenny Bain scored against his former club to break the deadlock in the 27th minute before Justin Reid-Ross fizzed home a corner.

Niek Collot d’Escury got one back in the second half from the penalty spot but Reid-Ross and Mirco Pruyser confirmed the victory with later goals. They close out the season with a home game against Bloemendaal where a win secures top spot.

Oranje Zwart remain on their tail, one point behind thanks to a 4-0 win over SCHC with Rob Reckers, Muhammad Rizwan, Niek van der Schoot and Mink van der Weerden all scoring in the victory. OZ’s final game is against Rotterdam.

Martijn Havenga was the hero once again for Kampong as he overturned a first half deficit against Bloemendaal with a pair of corner goals, earning a 2-1 win. They move up to third place and host Den Bosch in their pursuit of a playoff place.

Rotterdam kept alive their outside chances of a playoff place with a 4-2 win over Schaerweijde while HGC moved back into the top four with a 6-3 win over Pinoké. Den Bosch saw off Voordaan 5-1.

Euro Hockey League media release

Kelburne the Scottish top dogs once again


Picture: Duncan Gray

Bromac Kelburne are the Scottish top dogs once again thanks to a 3-2 grand final win over Grove Menzieshill.

Consequently, the Paisley side collect a domestic treble, including the National League, Scottish Cup and National Champions Trophy. They also take the top European qualification spot while Grove Menzieshill will also represent Scotland as the second Euro qualifier next season.

Kelburne finally broke the stalemate in the 25th minute, Iain Scholefield's pass finding Ben Peterson bearing in on goal, the striker cleverley lifting the ball past Grove Menzieshill goalkeeper Leon Hayward much to his delight.

Shortly before half-time, some fantastic individual skill from Lee Morton baffled the Taysiders' defence, the Scotland international finding the right corner with a low finish.

However, the Dundonians responded strongly after the interval and Gavin Byers pulled one back for his side in the 40th minute, gliding into circle effortlessly to dispatch a shot that was deflected in off a Kelburne defender to make it 2-1.

With nine minutes to go, Grove Menzieshill were back on level terms after Paul Martin latched onto a superb through pass to bear down on goal and cooly slot the ball past Kelburne 'keeper Ben Rennie.

Yet, a penalty corner award in the 65th minute brought the winning goal for Kelburne, Josh Cairns' superb drag-flick flashing past Hayward into the top corner to wrap up a domestic treble and a return to Europe as Scotland's number one team.

Euro Hockey League media release

Kelburne and Grove Menzieshill triumph in Grand Finals



Bromac Kelburne and Grove Menzieshill were the winners of the National Champions Trophy as the National League Grand Finals signalled the end of another exciting domestic season in the men's and women's top flights.

In the Division 1 Play-Offs, Hillhead and Erskine Stewart's Melville retained their status with the men's and women's top ten teams at the expense of Inverleith and Grange EL.

(All photos supplied by Duncan Gray)

Men's Grand Final

A dramatic Men's Grand Final was won by Bromac Kelburne with a 3-2 win over Grove Menzieshill.

Consequently, the Paisley side collect a domestic treble, including National League, Scottish Cup and National Champions Trophy. They also take the top European qualification spot while Grove Menzieshill will also represent Scotland as the second Euro qualifier next season.

Kelburne finally broke the stalemate in the 25th minute, Iain Scholefield's pass finding Ben Peterson bearing in on goal, the striker cleverley lifting the ball past Grove Menzieshill goalkeeper Leon Hayward much to his delight.

http://www.scottish-hockey.org.uk/media/687569/dsc_7665_496x300.jpg

Shortly before half-time, some fantastic individual skill from Lee Morton baffled the Taysiders' defence, the Scotland international finding the right corner with a low finish.



However, the Dundonians responded strongly after the interval and Gavin Byers pulled one back for his side in the 40th minute, gliding into circle effortlessly to dispatch a shot that was deflected in off a Kelburne defender to make it 2-1.

With nine minutes to go, Grove Menzieshill were back on level terms after Paul Martin latched onto a superb through pass to bear down on goal and cooly slot the ball past Kelburne 'keeper Ben Rennie.

Yet, a penalty corner award in the 65th minute brought the winning goal for Kelburne, Josh Cairns' superb drag-flick flashing past Hayward into the top corner to wrap up a domestic treble and a return to Europe as Scotland's number one team.

Women's Grand Final

It was third time lucky for Grove Menzieshill as an Ailsa Wylie goal was enough to defeat rivals Edinburgh University and win the National Champions Trophy.



The Taysiders broke the deadlock to make it 1-0 in the seventh minute. Sarah Jamieson's individual brilliance down the right side conjoured up the opportunity for former Scotland international Ailsa Wylie to divert the ball past University 'keeper Nicki Cochrane.



And that's how it remained, despite a second half littered with goal-mouth action, particularly for Edinburgh University.

And so it will be Grove Menzieshill who take the top European qualification spot after winning the National Champions Trophy. Edinburgh University take the second qualification spot.

Men's Division 1 Play-Off

Hillhead retained their place in National League Division 1 after a dramatic 3-1 penalty shoot-out win over Inverleith.

The two sides finished 2-2 on aggregate following today's 1-0 win for the Hornets and the Purple Robes' 2-1 success in the first leg.

http://www.scottish-hockey.org.uk/media/687549/esc_4811_500x323.jpg

Despite a goalless first half, there was plenty attacking intent from both sides, but the cutting edge wasn't quite there.

Craig Paterson came closest to giving Hillhead the lead, his reverse stick effort narrowly whizzing past the top corner.



Paterson was to be denied by the post early in the second half, while Callum Duke had a penalty corner attempt well saved by Inverleith 'keeper Cameron Pitcairn shortly after.

However, the Hornets were not to be denied for much longer when Duke finished off a penalty corner set-piece in the 47th minute, putting his side 1-0 up and sending the team's vociferous support into raptures.

In a frenzied remainder of the second half, it was end to end as both sides looked to seal that crucial goal.

But despite a number of near misses, particularly for Hillhead, the tie finished all square at 2-2 after 140 minutes, leading to a penalty shoot-out.

Hillhead goalkeeper Jamie Frail was the hero in the subsequent shoot-out, denying three Inverleith penalty attempts to keep his side in the top flight.



Women's Division 1 Play-Off

Erskine Stewart's Melville FP survived a scare against Grange EL to retain their place in National League Division 1.

The Edinburgh side lost 3-2 to their city rivals in today's second leg but hung on to win the tie 7-5 on aggregate after yesterday's 5-2 success.



Grange EL opened the scoring in the 24th minute, Lee McNamara being presented with the easiest of opportunities to tap the ball into an empty net after former pupils' goalkeeper Vikki Hansen had committed herself.

Three minutes later, captain Beth Dodds reduced the aggregate deficit to one goal, scoring directly from a penalty corner to put Grange EL 2-0 up.



However, Erskine Stewart's Melville FP responded with a vital goal shortly after the half-time interval, Ash Corry eventually forcing the ball over the line after valiant attempts by Grange 'keeper Chantal Gulliot to deny her opponents.

In the 46th minute, they were presented with an opportunity to level the scores from the penalty spot but Guillot was alive to save the flick.

Four minutes later, the tie was seemingly put out of Grange's reach; Sue Davidson latched onto Corry's cross to dispatch the ball past Guillot, putting Erskine Stewart's Melville FP back on parity, while crucially restoring the three goal aggregate advantage.

But Dodds made the remaining three minutes interesting, firing home another penalty corner for her second goal and to give Grange a 3-2 win.

Alas, it was not enough; Erskine Stewart's Melville FP retaining their place in Division 1 courtesy of a 7-5 win on aggregate.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Alan Forsyth collects Player of the Year award in England

Scotland international Alan Forsyth is the Players’ Player of the Year in England, writes Nigel Duncan.

The Surbiton striker is also in the men’s Premier Division Team of the Year after his goal-scoring purple patch.

Paisley-born Forsyth, a former Scotland Player of the Year, scored 21 goals in the regular season to top the individual scoring charts, the first Scot to do so.

He claimed 19 field goals plus one penalty corner strike and one penalty stroke and was six goals ahead of his nearest challengers, Samuel Ward (Holcombe) and Mark Gleghorne (Beeston).

The 23-year-old, who has recently been capped by Great Britain, was presented with a salver before Surbiton’s play-off semi-final against Reading at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London.

Surbiton, who finished second in the Premier Division, seven points behind pace-setting Holcombe, were beaten 4-2 leaving Forsyth and his Scotland teammates, Chris Grassick and Willie Marshall, “gutted”.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Wimbledon hold their nerve to capture crown


Brogdon with MHL trophy 2016

Wimbledon retained the Men’s Hockey League title with a dramatic shootout win over Reading. Tom Carson gave Reading the lead in the first half but his strike was cancelled out by Alastair Brogdon. With nothing to choose between the two sides it went to a shootout. Reading’s goalkeeper Tommy Alexander and Wimbledon’s James Bailey performed miracles in the shootout saving four times apiece but Wimbledon held their nerve allowing Phil Ball to fire in the winner.

The first quarter was a cagey one. A series of good interceptions by Richard Mantell kept Wimbledon at arm’s length whilst at the other end Mikey Hoare ensured chances were at a premium for Reading. The Sonning Lane side threatened through a Richard Mantell penalty corner which flashed just wide. At the other end Ian Sloan tested Tommy Alexander’s reflexes and the Reading stopper was up to the job, getting down to make a smart stop from a penalty corner. With seconds to go until quarter time, a piece of magic from Carson engineered some space and blasted a backhand rocket into the bottom corner giving Bailey no chance and making it 1-0 to Reading.

Mid-way through the second quarter the reigning champions drew level. James Osborn threatened and although he could not quite get his shot away, the ball fell for Brogdon who tapped home. James Jewell had a gilt-edged chance to make it 2-1 late on in the half. He collected an aerial pass inside the circle and unleashed a bullet strike but it flashed just wide ensuring it stayed 1-1 at half time.

Reading forced the first penalty corner of the second half five minutes in. Carson took the shot with a fierce drag flick but Bailey was equal to the job, getting a strong glove to the ball to push it round the post. Wimbledon hit back and forced a penalty corner. Roper slipped the ball to Jewell but the No3’s radar was off and it flew wide of the far post.

The third quarter passed in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Chances were hard to come by with Hoare continuing his colossal display in defence for Wimbledon ensuring Reading were unable to find a way through. Sloan was sent to the sin bin with a yellow card and Wimbledon had a player disadvantage for the rest of the quarter.

In the fourth period Simon Mantell weaved his way into the circle and forced Bailey into a block with Pieter Wiegman making an incredible saving tackle to stop Carson turning in the rebound. Roper joined Sloan in the sin bin making it nine vs. 11 but Wimbledon were able to weather the storm until they were back to a full team. Despite a frantic end to end final few minutes, neither side could find a way through and the match went to a shootout.

Sloan and Jackson went first for their respective sides, but could not beat either goalkeeper. Steven Ebbers kept his cool to give Wimbledon the lead and then Atkins missed for Reading as did Roper for Wimbledon. Simon Mantell calmly slotted his chance home to make it 1-1. Wimbledon skipper Brogdon was denied by Alexander and then Carson fired his effort wide. Ball converted to put the pressure on Shingles but the Reading man did not hesitate and took the shootout to sudden death at 2-2.

Mantell made it 3-2 and Ebbers levelled it up at 3-3. Carson won a penalty stroke on the next effort but Jonty Clarke, nominated to take it for Reading fired wide to the disbelief of the crowd. Next Brogdon was denied once again by a miraculous piece of goalkeeping from Alexander. Bailey saved from Jackson and then Roper’s effort struck the woodwork. Shingles was kept out by Bailey leaving Ball to win it, which he duly did.

Wimbledon 1 (1)
Alastair Brogdon, 24 (FG)

Reading 1 (1)
Tom Carson, 15 (FG)

Wimbledon win 4-3 after penalty shootout
Shootout in full:

England Hockey Board Media release

Walker inspires Surbiton to silverware


Sarah Haycroft with trophy 2016

Abi Walker was the hero for Surbiton, pulling off a series of splendid saves in the shootout to bring the trophy back to Sugden Road for a third successive year. The former Great Britain stopper saved three times in the pressure cooker of the shootout to add to a stunning block she made in the closing moments to preserve the clean sheet. It was perhaps tough on Canterbury who arguably had the better of the game, but Brett Garrard's invincibles were not to be denied. 

Both sides knew what to expect from each other, having contested the last two finals and as you’d expect much of the game was about gaining control of the midfield. The first sight of goal came for Sarah Page who linked up well with Giselle Ansley and stung Helen Fagg’s pads. At the other end Anna Kolarova’s deflection looped just over, almost catching Walker out.

Surbiton forced a penalty corner early in the second quarter but Fagg was up to the job and saved from Ansley allowing Canterbury to clear the danger. With five minutes remaining until half time, Surbiton had another set piece chance. An intricate move did not fool Canterbury and Grace Balsdon was out well to clear the danger. Dirkie Chamberlain had her first sight of goal getting a deflection on a Susannah Townsend cross but it crashed into the side netting and that meant it was goalless at the break.

The game continued in the same vein in the third quarter. Canterbury won a penalty corner but Townsend’s shot was charged down. Jen Wilson showed terrific determination to round the defender and beat Walker to the ball but her shot flashed just wide with neither team mate at the far post able to touch in.

The Kent side were creating the better chances and Ainsley McCallister came within a whisker of giving them the lead. She smuggled the ball past Walker only for Robyn Collins to appear from nowhere and clear off the line. Page was given a yellow card meaning Brett Garrard’s side started the final quarter with ten players.

In the final quarter Canterbury continued their attacking intent. A classic driving run from Townsend freed Wilson but her hard hit cross evaded her two sliding teammates at the far post. A defensive slip from Surbiton late on let in Chamberlain with just the goalkeeper. Walker made a stunning block to keep it level. Clewlow drilled a penalty corner in but again Walker did well to keep it out. With no further goals the game went to a shootout.

Naomi Evans stepped up first for Brett Garrard’s team but Fagg did well to keep the ball out. Line Malan went first for Canterbury however Walker swept the ball clear. Fagg did well to keep out Sarah Haycroft next and then Walker returned fire with a save from Sarah Kerly. Finally, with the fifth effort in the shootout Abi Robinson found the net, spinning and calmly slotting home. Walker saved from Chamberlain and then Georgie Twigg netted hers to put Surbiton on the brink. Susie Rowe fired home from near the edge of the circle to keep Canterbury in it, but Hollie Webb’s calm finish settled things, taking the trophy to Surbiton once again.

Surbiton 0 (0)

Canterbury 0 (0)

Surbiton win 3-1 in shootout
Shootout detail in full:

England Hockey Board Media release

Men's Hockey League Play-Offs


Canterbury celebrate

Craig Boyne’s double strike in the last ten minutes completed another great escape for Canterbury as for the second year in a row the Kent side avoided relegation via the playoffs. For the second season in a row, the Polo Farm outfit looked dead and buried at Christmas, but a stellar second half of the season put them into the playoffs, where they got the job done. James Spain, Kwan Browne and Boyne supplied the goals to see of Loughborough Students 4-2, but despite the defeat, Jerome Goudie’s side will also play in the top flight next season.

Spain gave Canterbury the lead on nine firing a lovely backhand strike in after a good pass from Browne. Toby Reynolds Cotterill in the Students’ goal pulled off a string of outstanding saves to deny Michael Farrer and Craig Boyne and then with two minutes left in the half, Loughborough drew level. Top scorer Luke Taylor found the top corner with a trademark penalty corner. After the break Loughborough took the lead. Jonty Griffiths set up Luke Cornish who made no mistake from close range. Reynolds-Cotterill continued to excel in the Students’ goal but there was nothing he could do to stop Boyne smashing home after being set up by Farrer. The Australian star got in front of his marker to sweep home his second with four minutes left and Canterbury saw the game out. With Cardiff winning 3-1 against Richmond, the Kent side and Loughborough took the vital top two places thanks to their superior goal difference over Cardiff.

Canterbury captain Tom Richford said afterwards:

"It's an unbelievable feeling, it means even more this year than last. We've gone through a lot this season and to come out and stay in the Premier Division is unbelievable from the position we were in. We're one of those teams where we really respond to pressure and we've got some real high quality players who always respond better in the games that matter."

Loughborough's Luke Taylor reflected on their return to the top flight:

"We'll start pre-season in August, we want to put the work in to make sure we're not one of those teams that comes up then goes straight back down. We want to put in a good performance, and maybe even push for the top four. But we're going to celebrate first, as it's been a tough season!"

Canterbury 4 (1)
James Spain 9 (FG)
Kwan Browne 52 (PC)
Craig Boyne 60, 66 (FG, FG)

Loughborough 2 (1)
Luke Taylor 33 (PC)
Luke Cornish 46 (FG)


Cardiff and Met

Despite securing a 3-1 win over Richmond it wasn’t enough for the Cardiff side as they finished third in the Men's National League Play-Offs.

Richmond started the game with spirit but Cardiff quickly took control. A penalty corner put Cardiff on the score sheet first, with James Kyriakides tapping in the rebound to make it 1-0. The sky blue shirts then went full throttle and finished a dominant half with a second goal from Captain Jimmy Devney jumping on a Hawker cross.

In the second half Cardiff came out confident and after a stick check in the circle, Hawker neatly secured a third goal from penalty stroke. A late consolation goal came from Richmond’s Josh Smith deflecting a cross into the roof of the net but it wasn't enough and the final score finished 3-1 to Cardiff.

Understandably Captain Jimmy Devney was devastated to just miss out on promotion:

“Unfortunately we are a little bit too used to this in this tournament; third place seems to be our favourite position in the Play-Offs. We missed out by one goal a few years ago and once again it was a similar situation today. I couldn’t ask any more from the boys – we played really well but we didn’t take our chances in the previous fixture against Loughborough Students and it’s proved costly.”

Cardiff and Met 3 (2)
James Kyriakides, 15 (PC)
Jimmy Devney, 23 (FG)
Luke Hawker, 56 (PS)

Richmond 1 (0)
Josh Smith, 65 (FG)

England Hockey Board Media release

Investec Women's Hockey League Play-Offs


Bowdon celebrate goal

Bowdon Hightown maintained their Premier Division status for the next season with a dramatic 3-2 win over Sutton Coldfield. With both sides still harbouring top flight ambitions heading into the match the stakes were high and the pressure was on. The match did not disappoint as goals from Lily Wolstenholme and Jane Donnelly were cancelled out by strikes from Sarah Parkinson-Mills and Susan Wood. There was still time for a Sally Walton penalty stroke to be disallowed before the same player netted a late third to secure the vital win for the Seahorses, breaking Sutton’s hearts.

Wolstenholme opened the scoring for Bowdon Hightown in the eighth minute. She carved her way through Sutton’s defence to set up Walton. Her shot was saved but Wolstenholme was on hand to snap up the rebound.

Wolstenholme’s pace was a constant threat and with Sutton down to ten players Bowdon were able to capitalise via a Donnelly penalty corner.

Sutton halved the deficit before the break with a goal from Sarah Parkinson-Mills and then after the break with time running out Susan Wood levelled it up, setting up a dramatic final 13 minutes.

From a sequence of penalty corners, Bowdon won a penalty stroke but despite Walton finding the net it was disallowed for a double touch. Undeterred the Hightown No23 netted a 67th minute penalty corner to win the match, saving her side's top flight status and sending Sutton back to the conference for next season.

Captain Kayleigh Humphreys was pleased with the character her side showed throughout the Play-Off fixtures:

"I'm really proud of the girls this weekend; they have shown some true grit and determination. At half time we just believed we could do it. We have played against Sutton Coldfield before, we know they never stop and they are a great team, so we just had to keep working."

Sutton Coldfield 2 (1)
Sarah Parkinson-Mills, 30 (FG)
Susan Wood, 57 (FG)

Bowdon Hightown 3 (2)
Lily Wolstenholme, 8 (FG)
Jane Donnelly, 18 (PC)
Sally Walton, 67 (PC)


Slough celebrate goal

Slough, having confirmed their top flight status on Saturday, narrowly missed out on making it three wins from three as a resolute Wakefield side earned a hard-fought draw with the last action of the match. With two wins from the opening two matches the Pink and Blacks had done what they needed to do, earning a place in the top tier and redemption after last year's playoff disappointment. 

In an even encounter, Slough had the better of the attacking play in the first half, and when Kelly Morgan's pin-point pass allowed Amy Sheehan to put Charly Brydon in for the opener after 27 minutes, it was no less than they deserved heading into the break.

Wakefield never gave up though, and a succession of penalty corners throughout the second half eventually paid off, with Gwen Smith netting as the final whistle sounded.

Slough coach Kali Takher, speaking after the game, said:

"We're very pleased with the outcome, for the club and the players. This has been a three-year journey, we've had some players come and go, but I think teamwork, perseverance and resilience has been key to our success. One or two players have made a massive difference to us - Amy Sheehan scoring a lot of goals, Dilly Newton playing brilliantly throughout the season, and Lizzy Totten, who hasn't played national league hockey before, has been amazing. Big praise needs to go to our captain Kat McGonigle - the ethos she instills in the rest of the group is incredible, she deserves a lot of credit for our success."

Wakefield 1 (0)
Gwen Smith, 70 (PC)

Slough 1 (1)
Charly Brydon, 27 (FG)

England Hockey Board Media release

Irish EY Hockey League Draws To A Close



Pembroke’s superb finish to the season saw them claim the last remaining Champions Trophy place as their 3-2 win over Cork C of I, combined with Glenanne’s loss to Banbridge, moved them into the top four for the first time this season.

It has proven quite the turnaround for the Dublin side who were within range of the relegation playoffs at the turn of the year but five wins in 2016 have swapped their fortunes.

Alan Sothern and Kirk Shimmins both struck in the first nine minutes to set the base for their win over C of I. Simon Wolfe got one back before Ronan Flannery put Pembroke in winning position at 3-1; Stephen Sweetnam’s last ditch goal proved a mere consolation.

Having fulfilled their half of the bargain, Pembroke then required Banbridge to defeat Glenanne and they got that favour. Bruce McCandless had Bann 1-0 inside a minute only for Eddie O’Malley’s audacious effort to level matters.

But two goals early in the second half – one from McCandless, one from Stephen Dowds – were critical, holding off the Glens for whom David Keogh scored a stroke.

At the bottom end of the table, Cookstown ensured they did not have to rely on results from elsewhere as Greg Allen and Simon Todd scored in the last 15 minutes to earn a 2-0 win over Three Rock Rovers.

It meant Annadale were relegated as they fell 6-3 to Monkstown for whom Gareth Watkins scored a hat trick.

Champions Lisnagarvey completed an incredible run of 16 wins in succession with a 6-0 rout of Railway Union at Comber Road with Mikey Watt returning the side to lead the way, scoring the first three goals of the tie.

Afterwards, they were presented with the trophy by EY Partner Michael Kidd following an exceptional regular season with just one loss on their register from 18 games.

Men’s EY Hockey League – day 18 results
Saturday: Monkstown 6 (G Watkins 3, K Good, G Sarratt, J Bruton) Annadale 3 (M Robson, J Cox, C Roberts); Lisnagarvey 6 (M Watt 3, T Cockram, M Nelson, A Williamson) Railway Union 0; Three Rock Rovers 0 Cookstown 2 (G Allen, S Todd); Pembroke 3 (A Sothern, K Shimmins, R Flannery) Cork C of I 2 (S Wolfe, S Sweetnam); Banbridge 3 (B McCandless 2, J McKee) Glenanne 2 (D Keogh, E O’Malley)
Sunday: Cork C of I 3 (J Jermyn 2, J Dale) Monkstown 1 (D Carson)



Day 18 extended reports

Pembroke 3 (A Sothern, K Shimmins, R Flannery) Cork C of I 2 (S Wolfe, S Sweetnam)

Pembroke completed their late season surge with a 3-2 win over Cork C of I, a result that lifted them into fourth place for the first time this season, taking the final Champions Trophy place with it.

They started in confident fashion with Alan Sothern roofing an early drag-flick from the game’s first corner. Kirk Shimmins added a fine field goal in the ninth minute, tukcing the ball under Billy Lynch for a 2-0 lead. C of I’s cause was not aided by a 10-minute yellow card suspension for Stephen Parker but further goals accrued in the first half.

Simon Wolfe, however, did close the gap in the 32nd minute as the game became an end to end affair but they could not capitalise further when Nick Burns and David Quinn both spent time in the sin-bin. Pembroke countered and won a corner which, on the third attempt, Ronan Flannery forced in.

C of I upped their game in the final quarter and they got back in range from a break-out from an unstopped Pembroke corner. The ball was passed up the pitch and arrived at Stephen Sweetnam who touched over the line. But it was too little too late for the Munster side as Pembroke celebrated their strong end to the campaign.

Banbridge 3 (B McCandless 2, J McKee) Glenanne 2 (D Keogh, E O’Malley)

Banbridge closed out their EY Hockey League regular season with a 3-2 win, a result that ultimately saw Glenanne miss out on a playoff place. Bruce McCandless set the Co Down side on their way when he scored in the first minute with a fine run along the touchline before scoring on his reverse.

Bann were dominant in these early phases with Own Magee going close but Glenanne began to create some chances of their own as time wore on and they were back level before the first quarter was out. It came from a Glens aerial into the Bann circle which Eddie O’Malley applied an audacious shot over his own head on the bounce to lob Gareth Lennox.

Lennox was required to pull off a couple of great double saves to keep the scores level in the second quarter while a couple of Bann corners came to nothing to see it level at the big break.

The hosts established a lead in the third quarter in quick time with McCandless restoring their advantage and Stephen Dowds made it 3-1 from the penalty spot when Eugene Magee was impeded when attempting to shoot.

Glenanne replied instantly with a stroke of their own which David Keogh dispatched to reduce the deficit and it kick-started their push for an equaliser. A couple of corner chances came and went while McCandless made a save on the line but they could not break through as Bann held on for all three points. Glenanne, meanwhile, were forced to settle for fifth place.

Three Rock Rovers 0 Cookstown 2 (S Todd, G Allen)

Cookstown ensured their place in the men’s EY Hockey League, for a playoff at least, as they struck twice on the counter in the closing quarter to beat Three Rock Rovers. They rode their luck, surviving two open goal chances, a ball off the post and five penalty corners.

The first of those chances came barely a minute into the tie as the ball was worked down the right but Conor Empey was unable to turn home from close range. From there, the tie settled into a low-key affair with Rovers in control of the first quarter before Cookstown had the better of the second phase, especially when Luke Chadwick was in the sin bin with a yellow card.

The second half had a bit more bite to it with Rovers regaining the initiative. Iain Hughes made a couple of top stops at close quarters while Luke Madeley’s drag-flick thudded off the inside of the post.

But Cookstown hit the front moments into the final quarter when Greg Allen showed a nice piece of skill down the left to get away from his marker before taking off. With Rovers shy numbers, he picked out Simon Todd who finished into an open net.

Rovers pushed on, trying to get the result they needed to press for a Champions Trophy place, but the finishing touch – without Peter Blakeney’s killer instinct – was lacking as Ross Canning’s effort rolled along the goal line and Hughes tipped away another corner.

Cookstown, meanwhile, killed off the win with two minutes left when Allen picked up the ball just outside the circle and, with no keeper, did very well to drag his shot into circle and into a gaping goal. Jon Ames had missed out on a similarly gilt-edged chance a minute earlier. Rovers end the season in sixth place with Cookstown likely to end in ninth.

Monkstown 6 (G Watkins 3, K Good, G Sarratt, J Bruton) Annadale 3 (M Robson, J Cox, C Roberts)

Annadale made a brave fist of their battle to beat the drop but eventually succumbed to Monkstown’s power in the second half. Connor Roberts deflection with barely a minute played handed Dale a very early lead only for Town to level quickly, Guy Sarratt’s drag-flick taking a deflection off the number one runner into the roof of the net.

Kyle Good then hit the post from a narrow angle in a high octane opening phase of the game. From Dale’s first corner, they went back in front courtesy of James Cox’s drag for 2-1 but parity was restored once more when Jonny Bruton robbed possession, drove into the circle and found the bottom corner.

It left the game level at half-time but Monkstown turned the screw in the second half. Andrew Ward found space to feed Gareth Watkins on the baseline and he beat two defenders before slotting home to put the Dubliners in front for the first time.

And, in the final quarter, Kyle Good’s thunderbolt put daylight between the side and Watkins added a second with a cool finish over Jonny Moore. Michael Robson got one back but there was time for one more attack where Ian Horsfield found Watkins to complete his hat trick. The win ensures Town end the season in second place with Annadale finishing tenth and relegated back to the Ulster leagues.

Lisnagarvey 6 (M Watt 3, T Cockram, M Nelson, A Williamson) Railway Union 0

On the day Lisnagarvey were presented with the inaugural EY Hockey League trophy, the champions eased to their 16th win in succession, showcasing why they set the standards this season.

They welcomed back Mikey Watt, Jonny Bell, Paul Gleghorne, Timmy Cockram and John Tormey to their line-up and showed little mercy to Railway.

Watt broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when he collected a pass from Ryan Getty and tomahawked a low shot passed Stephen O’Keeffe from the top of the circle. The two players were instrumental in number two soon after as Getty drove into the circle. His cross was saved by O’Keeffe but only as far as Watt who flicked home.

Watt completed his hat trick in the 37th minute and it became 4-0 soon after when Sean Murray drove around the baseline and picked out Timmy Cockram whose shot squirms under O’Keeffe.

Matthew Nelson nicked in for number five from Sean Murray’s shot and Andy Williamson completed the rout from a corner drag-flick.

Sunday: Cork C of I 3 (J Jermyn 2, J Dale) Monkstown 1 (D Carson)

Cork C of I came from a goal down to beat Monkstown 3-1 to end the maiden EY Hockey League season in seventh place, leap-frogging Railway Union on the final day of the campaign.

Davy Carson had given Town an early lead but a Jermyn stroke levelled things up. Julian Dale then put C of I in front early in the fourth quarter before a Jermyn stroke – his 16th goal of the season – saw the Garryduff side run up their 3-1 victory.

Irish Hockey Association media release

Champions Trophy Places Decided On Final Day of EYHL



Pegasus and Railway Union both landed berths at the Irish EY Champions Trophy playoffs with their respective wins over Ulster Elks and Pembroke, respectively, on day 18 of the regular season.

For Pegasus, they got the better of their Ulster rivals 4-2 thanks in large part to Alex Speers’ driving influence. She scored the first inside 45 seconds before setting up goals from Kate McConnell and Suzanne Ferris. Steph Thompson made it 4-1 from the penalty spot before Jess McMaster got one back at the end.

It meant Pegs ended second overall, a fine comeback after they took five games to register their first win of the campaign.

Railway will join them in the playoffs thanks to their narrow 2-1 win over Dublin 4 rivals Pembroke. Jilly Collins had given the latter the lead but a pair of Emma Smyth goals in the third quarter swapped the lad and gave Railway their spot in the final four where they will join the Elks and Hermes.

It meant UCD had to settle for fourth place in the table after they edged out Ards 2-1. Deirdre Duke struck twice, sandwiching a penalty stroke from Chloe Brown for the win.

Hermes capped their excellent season with a 5-1 win over Greenfields in what was the club’s last game at St Andrew’s. Eimear Horan netted twice in the first half en route to a 3-0 lead while Sally Campbell also bagged a double in the comfortable win.

Cork Harlequins ended their season on a high note with a 2-0 win over Greenfields, moving them up to sixth place in the final standings.

Women’s EY Hockey League: Pegasus 4 (A Speers, K McConnell, S Ferris, S Thompson) Ulster Elks 2 (J McMaster, M Frazer); Hermes 5 (E Horan 2, S Campbell 2, N Carroll) UCC 1; Greenfields 0 Cork Harlequins 2 (J Poland, K Bateman); Ards 1 (C Brown) UCD 2 (D Duke 2); Railway Union 2 (E Smyth 2) Pembroke Wanderers 1 (J Collins)

Day 18 extended match reports

Pegasus 4 (A Speers, K McConnell, S Ferris, S Thompson) Ulster Elks 2 (J McMaster, M Frazer)

Pegasus copper-fastened their place in the Champions Trophy with an impressive 4-2 win over Ulster rivals Ulster Elks, ending the regular season in second place. They set their stall out early, scoring in the first 45 seconds with Alex Speers on the mark. Megan Frazer equalised five minutes later from a corner for 1-1 at quarter-time.

Pegasus got back in front when Speers battled her way along the endline and slipped to Kate McConnell who had time to pick her spot and neatly place the ball in the goal.

It became 3-1 with Speers again involved in the build-up, forcing her way into the circle and getting a shot off on the reverse. The initial shot was saved but dropped to Taite Doherty whose effort bounced high to Suzanne Ferris who touched in at shoulder-height.

And the win was complete with eight minutes to go when Hannah Grieve picked out Ferris on the right wing from where she a bee-line for the circle and rounded the goalkeeper. Her shot was stopped illegally on the line but Steph Thompson scored from the ensuing penlaty stroke. Jess McMaster got one back on the final whistle for the Elks who ended the season in fifth place but they qualify for the Champions Trophy, too, by virtue of their Irish Senior Cup success.

Hermes 5 (E Horan 2, S Campbell 2, N Carroll) UCC 1

It was an emotional day as Hermes ladies firsts took to the pitch for the last time ever in St Andrew’s. Although severely depleted with international trio Anna O’Flanagan, Nikki Evans and Chloe Watkins among the absent, the team were confident they could perform against a strong UCC side, and finish the season out strong.

The first half proved challenging but Hermes managed to squeeze three goals, two coming from Eimear Horan – fresh off a flight from Thailand – and one from Sally Campbell. UCC certainly weren't giving away any easy opportunities, but Hermes remained calm to finish a strong first half 3-0 up.

As the second half got under way, UCC came out strong to challenge the Hermes defence, and managed to grab a goal to leave the sheet unclean. But it was the resilience of team defence paired with superb attacking play, that allowed the hosts to power through and record two more goals – one from a brilliant run made by Naomi Carroll, showing no signs of jet lag from her trip to New Zealand with Ireland, and another resulting from clinical team passing with young buck Sally Campbell finishing off for a 5-1 win.

It meant they concluded the regular season with 12 points to spare over their rivals and, afterwards, captain Emma Gray was presented with the winner’s trophy by EY Partner Julie Fenton following their superb campaign.

Greenfields 0 Cork Harlequins 2 (J Poland, K Bateman)

Ards 1 (C Brown) UCD 2 (D Duke 2)

UCD closed out their season with a 2-1 win over Ards, finishing fourth but just short of the Champions Trophy places. The first half ended scoreless with Ards making some of the early running with Scarlett Holdsworth and Becky Weir going close in the first quarter before UCD came back strong with the pick of their efforts scrambled off the goal line.

All the goals came in the third quarter. UCD were rewarded for their efforts when captain Deirdre Duke finished off a great team goal, breaking the deadlock. Ards responded by winning a penalty stroke after a shot was deemed to be stopped on the line by a foot.

Chloe Brown stepped up and confidently put the ball into the roof of the net. But UCD replied quickly and the pressure paid off again when Duke squeezed in her shot off the right inside post to leave Ards trailing 2-1 going into the final quarter.

Both teams continued to attack in the last 15 minutes but it was UCD who managed the most shots on target. Ards did well to deny two penalty corners in quick succession from the visitors. None were converted and UCD had their tenth win of the campaign. Ards end the season in eighth place.

Railway Union 2 (E Smyth 2) Pembroke Wanderers 1 (J Collins)

Railway Union came from a goal down to claim a vital win over Pembroke to finish the regular season in third place, winning a Champions Trophy ticket into the bargain on a dramatic final day in the women’s EY Hockey League.

Jilly Collins had given Pembroke a great start when she scored in the fourth minute off the back of a quick free in that was deflected into the circle where the striker volleyed home.

The pace slowed in this quarter with neither team making many inroads, Pembroke had a corner strike hit the post but the danger was cleared, and Orla Fox cleared off the line with Grace O'Flanagan beaten.

Nine minutes into the second half, Railway got their equaliser. Michelle Carey received a ball from defence, carried it into the 23 and crossed it into the circle where it was picked up by Emma Smyth who fired it into the roof of the net. Two minutes later, Smyth got the second and winning goal when she pounced on a rebound and slotted it home.

The final quarter was an even affair with Pembroke searching for the equaliser and Railway protecting their lead, dropping to half court.

Pembroke's cause wasn't helped when they were reduced to 10 following a yellow card. Grace O'Flanagan was called into action to save a Pembroke corner and Zara Delany broke free from half way crossing to Niamh Carey in support but she was unable to control for a shot.

Railway held on, though, for the result they needed to extend their season into the playoffs.

Irish Hockey Association media release

Men's EYHL Provincial Playoffs: Results



After 3 days of play and an exhilarating fight to the finish, the results are in the for the men’s EYHL Provincial Play-offs. Clontarf HC took the top spot in Monkstown with Bandon HC taking the second spot based on goal difference. In Lisngarvey, Instonians HC took the spoils at the top of the table with UCD Men cinching the second spot. Based on the results from the 2 pools, the confirmed fixtures for next Saturday’s EYHL Provincial Playoffs Knock-out Finals in Three Rock Rovers are as follows

Semi-final 1: 3pm Instonians v Bandon
Semi-final 2: 5pm Clontarf v UCD Men

The men's finals will take place on Sunday April 24th at 3.30pm.

The final standings from the 2 men’s pool this weekend were as follows:

EYHL Provincial Playoffs – Lisnagarvey Hockey Club 

EYHL Provincial Playoffs – Monkstown Hockey Club

To see a full list of results from the men’s Provincial Playoffs, click here

Irish Hockey Association media release

Women's EYHL Provincial Playoffs: Results



The EYHL Provincial Playoffs have come to a close and the women’s competition results are in. In Lisnagarvey, Randalstown topped the group on goal difference with Lurgan coming in second place, again on goal difference. In Monkstown, Loreto topped the group with Belfast Harlequins taking the second spot.

Based on the results from the 2 pools, the confirmed fixtures for next Saturday’s EYHL Provincial Playoffs Knockout Finals in Three Rock Rovers are as follows

Semi-final 1: 10:30am Loreto vs Lurgan
Semi-final: 12:30pm Randalstown vs Belfast Harlequins

The women's finals will take place on Sunday April 24th at 1pm.

The final standings from the 2 women’s pool this weekend were as follows:

EYHL Provincial Play-offs – Lisnagarvey Hockey Club

EYHL Provincial Play-offs - Monkstown Hockey Club

To see the women's results from this weekend’s EYHL Provincial Playoffs, click here.

Irish Hockey Association media release

VIC & QLD win U21s

Victorian men retain title, Queensland women step up

Author: Lawrence West



U21 Women's Australian Championships 2016
Sydney, NSW

Queensland’s U21 women moved to the top step of the podium in Sydney, taking home the gold medal after a tightly contested 2-1 win over WA. Hockeyroo Renee Taylor gave the 2015 bronze medallists the lead after half time, a lead that was doubled by young Ambrosia Malone in the 54th minute. Brooke Capewell pulled one back shortly after for Western Australia but the girls in gold were unable to find an equaliser.



Alice Arnott was the heroine in the battle for bronze that went to the wire with NSW emerging victorious on a shoot-out, 4-3, after an incredible 3-3 draw. In stunning style, the hosts battled back from 3-0 down after Sophie Thomson, Kristina Bates and Sarah Down had put Victoria three up at the break. Arnott’s hat-trick, the last of which was an overtime penalty corner, earned the shoot-out with NSW scoring four of their five attempts.

A small consolation, Victoria’s Aisling Utri finished tournament top scorer with seven goals.

South Australia had a more straight forward encounter to earn fifth place with a 5-1 win over Tasmania. Linzi Appleyard scored a brace of goals, sandwiching strikes by teammates Annie Gibbs, Euleena MacLachlan and Rachel Divall. Tasmanian captain Madeleine Murphy scored their consolation goal.

The East Coast Venom composite team, comprising players from NSW and QLD with NT not fielding a team in the Championships, finished seventh after winning their best-of-nine clash with ACT. In dramatic circumstances, Katie Wollstein’s last minute winner sealed the result; it was her second of the game.

Teammate Veronica Martin also bagged a double with Georgie Radcliffe also on target for ECV. For ACT, who lead 4-3 at one point early in the third quarter, Ashleigh Deacon scored two goals in as many minutes, supplementing strikes from Aleisha Price and Laura Gray.

Player of the Tournament: Renee Taylor (QLD)
Play the Whistle: East Coast Venom

For all the results, stats and more visit the Hockey Australia competition portal here.


Final Standings, U21 Women's Australian Championships 2016
1. Queensland (gold)
2. Western Australia (silver)
3. New South Wales (bronze)
4. Victoria
5. South Australia
6. Tasmania
7. East Coast Venom
8. Australian Capital Territory

U21 Men's Australian Championships 2016
Sydney, NSW



Victoria’s men retained the U21 Australian Championship title in Sydney on Sunday with a 2-0 win over rivals New South Wales. An early goal from Nathan Ephraumus and another from Allan Oscar after half time were enough to see off the hosts at Sydney Olympic Park.

Another Victorian, Andrew Scanlon, picked up the top scorer award, netting six penalty corners amongst Victoria’s 25 tournament goals.

There were celebrations, too, for Queensland who scooped the bronze medal after a thrilling 4-3 win over WA. After falling behind to Liam Flynn’s early goal, Queensland responded to lead through Oliver Crane and Joel Rintana but strikes by WA’s U21 internationals Simon Benetti and Alex Rasmussen looked to have secured victory for Western Australia. That was until Crane struck his second, an equaliser, 60 seconds later and Mackenzie Warne bagged a tension-busting winner in the 57th minute.

Goals from Lewis McLennan and Jeremy Hopkins helped ACT finish two places higher than in 2015 as they took out a 2-1 win over Tasmania to earn fifth place. Jai Walker-Kidd scored Tasmania’s goal.

In the playoff for seventh and eighth, South Australia overcame NT 3-1. Simon Brown, captain Kurtis Willson and Cooper Powardy all found the net for SA, with Reagan Martin on target for NT.

Player of the Tournament: Tom Howard (QLD)
Play the Whistle: Tasmania

For all the results, stats and more visit the Hockey Australia competition portal here.

Final Standings, U21 Men’s Australian Championships 2016
Sydney, NSW
1. Victoria
2. New South Wales
3. Queensland
4. Western Australia
5. Australian Capital Territory
6. Tasmania
7. South Australia
8. Northern Territory

Hockey Australia thanks all of the participants, spectators, umpires and officials, volunteers, Sydney Olympic Park, Destination NSW and Hockey NSW for helping create an outstanding event for everyone involved.

Hockey Australia media release

QLD take U15 titles

QLD beat NSW State in boys' and girls' finals

Lawrence West



U15 Girls’ Australian Championships 2016
Wollongong, NSW

Queensland 1 were celebrating tonight with a gold medal victory over NSW State in Wollongong. The 2-0 victory came courtesy of goals from Briana Suey and Jade Smith.

Bronze was taken by Victoria Blue, who overcame WA Gold 4-3 in a thrilling encounter. The Victorian girls were never behind in the match, in which Amy Lawton, Rachel Knowles, Ciara Utri and Jayde Morris all scored. For WA Gold, who were always within touching distance, Emily Antonovich, Neasa Flynn and Jolie Sertoria struck.

Fifth place went to NSW Blue thanks to their 5-2 win over WA Black, Rachel Osborne netting a double for NSW.

Queensland 2 were victors over ACT to secure seventh place with a 5-0 win in which Anniston Chappell netted a hat-trick for the Queenslanders.

Victoria White overcame Tasmania to win the ninth-tenth place playoff 2-0 while it was also 2-0 in the contest for 11th and 12th with SA beating NT by the margin.

The tournament top scorer award was shared by two scorers of nine goals each, Liana Smith of NSW State and Anniston Chappell of QLD2.

Player of the Tournament: Taylah Williams (NT)
Play the Whistle: South Australia

For all the results, stats and more visit the Hockey Australia competition portal here.

Final Standings, U15 Girls Australian Championships 2016
1. QLD1 (gold)
2. NSW State (silver)
3. VIC Blue (bronze)
4. WA Gold
5. NSW Blue
6. WA Black
7. QLD2
8. ACT
9. VIC White
10. TAS
11. SA
12. NT

U15 Boys’ Australian Championships 2016
Wollongong, NSW



There were some big results on the final day of competition at the U15 boys’ Australian Championships with the gold medal match producing the biggest margin of victory as Queensland 1 ran out 6-0 winners over NSW State. A hat-trick from Benjamin Judge and a double by Ronan McGuire underpinned the win, with Zac Profke also on target.

Victoria Blue bagged the bronze medal with a 4-0 win over WA Gold in their encounter. Captain Joshua Henderson’s double sandwiched strikes by Eden Davis and Archer Richards.

Fifth place went to NSW Blue after their narrow 2-1 win over Queensland 2. Goalless at half time, goals in the final five minutes by Jake Lambeth and Bradley Smith earned the NSW boys a comeback win after Jayden Douma had given Queensland the lead.

Victoria White took seventh with a 3-1 win over Northern Territory while Tasmania clinched ninth with a 2-1 win over SA, both Tassie goals coming from Joshua Brooks.

In another high scoring contest, 11th place went to WA Black after their 5-2 win over ACT. Wian Bester was WA’s hero, netting a hat-trick in the space of eight second-half minutes.

The tournament top scorer was accolade was shared between Joshua Brooke (Tasmania) and Trent Goldenstein (QLD1), both of whom scored nine goals each in the competition.

Player of the Tournament: Jhye Hartung (NT)
Play the Whistle: NSW Blue

For all the results, stats and more visit the Hockey Australia competition portal here.

Final Standings, U15 Boys Australian Championships 2016
1. QLD1 (gold)
2. NSW State (silver)
3. VIC Blue (bronze)
4. WA Gold
5. NSW Blue
6. QLD2
7. VIC White
8. NT
9. TAS
10. SA
11. WA Black
12. ACT

Hockey Australia thanks all of the participants, spectators, umpires and officials, volunteers, the Illawarra South Coast Hockey Association, the City of Wollongong and Destination NSW for helping create an outstanding event for everyone involved.

Hockey Australia media release

Pacific Hockey Program to launch in Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu

Holly MacNeil



Hockey Australia is set to help in the launch of the Pacific Hockey Program in the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu in partnership with the Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF) and the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The Pacific Sports Partnership is about getting people in the Pacific region moving, leading to healthier lifestyles with exercise and physical activity becoming a habit for life. This will include actively targeting participation in youth, and the engagement of women in sport.

While the program is an initiative to encourage participation in hockey, it also aims to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. An indigenous development officers will be appointed in each of the three regions and will receive support from by Hockey Australia and the Oceania Hockey Federation.

Secretary of the Oceania Hockey Federation, Bob Claxton said: “The innovation funding is a significant boost for hockey in the region and for the people of the Pacific nations because, for the first time, it allows us to have in-country development officers on the ground in the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.

"It will help create sustainability in these countries where before we’ve had people coming in and out to deliver hockey programs in the community. It’s great that the Australian government, through the Pacific Sports Partnerships Innovation Fund, is supporting not just sport, but the overall health benefits of people pursuing an active lifestyle, particularly amongst girls and women.

“The engagement of Hockey Australia in this program is also of vital importance because of the expertise that Australian hockey has within its network. Through the innovation fund we’ll be able to give the island nations and the dedicated development officer’s access to this expertise and to open them up to a broader network on which they can call upon for advice and support.”

Hockey is one of five recipients of the new ‘innovation grants’, taking the total number of sports involved in the Pacific Sports Partnership to 16.

Hockey Australia media release