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News for 03 November 2016

All the news for Thursday 3 November 2016


Malaysian hockey women floor Japan

Women's hockey team stun Japan as coach Dharmaraj looks to the future

By Swetha Sundararajan


UNEXPECTED: Malaysia (above) celebrate an unlikely 2-0 win over tournament favourites Japan. PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMEN'S ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY

"We're coming after you," he said, repeating it three times after the game.

K Dharmaraj was all smiles when he spoke to the media after Malaysia defeated Japan 2-0 to collect their first points in the 4th Women's Asian Championships Trophy yesterday at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium.

All of a sudden, the Malaysians have a chance of making the top four in the five-nation tournament, after a shock win in their final group match over one of the tournament favourites.

The Japanese wasted a number of opportunities and the Malaysians' short-passing game eventually tired them out.

Dharmaraj, who started coaching the team only nine months ago, admitted they entered the match with no expectations.

But, he added: "The girls always have a fear playing against better opponents like Japan, but today the mood was very different - their fear was not there."

The opening two quarters ended in a stalemate even if Japan were on the front foot, but in the third period, Malaysia struck from a short-corner opportunity and turned the game around.

Less than two minutes after scoring the first goal, the Malaysian girls were in ecstasy when they extended their lead off a goalmouth scramble, and held on for victory against the developmental Japanese side.

Coach Dharmaraj revealed that Malaysia have two groups of players totalling 45 women.

Team A are back home working towards the South-east Asia (SEA) Games on home soil next year, while Team B are here.

Malaysia's Team B are focused on the 2017 Women's Hockey World League Round 2, scheduled from Jan 14 to 22 in Kuala Lumpur, with the long-term aim of qualifying for the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup in London.

With players like Fatin Sukri and Norazlin Sumantri, aged 21 and 23, respectively, and a handful of veterans, Dharmaraj's outfit are a mix of youth and experience.

PRIORITY

Said Dharmaraj: "These players today, their priority is to get us to the World Cup in 2018.

"We have another group of girls back home and they are training for the SEA Games next year.

"All these years, we've prepared for only the SEA Games, but now we are preparing for the World League 2, the semis that follow later next year and the World Cup.

"We're aiming for more this time.

"After today, we're here to tell everyone our Malaysian women's team are no longer a group of weeping girls - we are coming for you, to win."

In the second game last night, China were in dominant form and posted a 2-0 win over South Korea.

With one more round of group fixtures to go tomorrow, the win saw China leapfrog the Koreans into second place with six points.

India lead the standings with seven points and the Koreans are now second from bottom, ahead of Malaysia only on goal difference.

TOMORROW'S FIXTURES

(All at Sengkang Hockey Stadium)

    Japan v South Korea, 5pm
    China v India, 7pm

The New Paper



ACT W 2016: Dharmaraj: A hope for "hopeless" teams



When the hooter came the entire Malaysian team, some of them sporting stylish head scarves, jumped in joy and the merry celebrations continued for a while. The Japanese girls who had never lost to Malaysia in decades were in a state of shock and disbelief. Malaysian girls have just beaten Japan in their last pool match at Senkong Sports Centre where the Asian Champions Trophy is underway in Singapore. Only 24 hours ago, the same set of girls made the Rio returned Indian ladies sweat before conceding a narrow 2-0 win.

Not long ago, all these Asian powerhouses used to whip the Malaysian girls for tennis like scores.

A change has occurred.

Malaysian girls have begun to defend, hold, last and make impact.

The man behind the Malaysian women’s emerging story is the same Dharmaraj, whose colts had won the Men’s Junior Asia Cup in Malacca first and then earned a surprise semifinal slot in the last Junior Men’s World Cup, taming en route the Indian juniors at home in the quarters three summers ago.

Malaysian juniors were even struggling to get Word Cup entry before Dharmaraj's boys surprised everyone four years ago.

In a freewheeling discussion even as the euphoria of his joy yet to drain out completely, Dharmaraj, who played top level hockey for Malaysia, spoke to www.stick2hockey.com.

The situation when Dharmaraj took over the mantle of Malaysian women’s coaching was left much to be desired.

The Malacca’s miracle coach elaborates his initial tryst with the set of 'hopeless' punch:

“When I took over the team, it was considered a 'hopeless' team, and second class. But the new management has injected a sense of hope and confidence. I also came in right time. The girls were made to understand that the coach won’t settle for anything less than success. Therefore, they started working hard for the last 8 to 9 months”.



If you start well, you will finish well. The coach followed the same path.

"My focus has been general fitness especially strength. I made it compulsory of certain things. For instant when the players assemble for the morning, they should take protein. They have to consume protein in front me. I increased the gym training five times a week. The other things I did, which produced fair amount of result, is changing the mindset, mindset of senior players playing full time of the match. I stopped this practice in tune with world trend. Effective use of rolling substitution was implemented”.

Then Dharmaraj turned to basics.

“On the game side, my focus was on crucial penalty corner drills. Of making use of them and defending them. It’s a complex area of work. I found the push was not proper. If the push is going to be weak for an example, then the whole thing will not work. Constant training was imparted. An element of novelty was sought to be injected. Drag flick was given importance. First runner, goalkeeper drills, and whole lot of other things”.

When you try to change things, how do the girls responds to the changes? Were they ready to adopt, accept to changes or was there any mental resistance kind of things?

”One thing I tell you. These girls are committed and punctual, and time conscious ones. This helped me set things right. Yes, initially there was apprehension and fear, but once they understood the significance of things being asked to do and then they guy who pushes means business, things take shape and fall in line”.

Simultaneously, all out effort has been made consistently to enlarge vision, to come out of SEA Games chrysalis and to set higher target for themselves.



“Slowly and slowly I got them realize that they can achieve beyond SEA Games. They can compete and qualify for the World Cup. Which is of course my target, and am quite successful in drilling a bigger ambition in their minds”

”Now, they believe in themselves, go for extra mile in practice session, and stretch themselves to limit”.

”Now these girls are convinced that they can achieve more and can be in the running for World Cup. With 16 team World Cup in the offing, I am too hopeful of that. From the day one, my target is world cup”

“Our target before coming here was to force at least one draw in four matches!”

“And of course to tell the top four here that we are not push over. The target itself mirrored perfectly as to where we stand. Now we have exceeded it, beating Japan and creating a real chance of finishing among top four here. We were very close against India, and had a solitary goal lead for entire first half against China, all teams ranked well above us. ”

“At this point of time in the Singapore event, I am confident the girls will be a force to reckon with not only in the Asian level but well beyond”.

When the words come from the mouth of Dharmaraj, you tend to agree.

Mark his words for future.

Stick2Hockey.com



Aussies steamroll Kiwis

by  Satwant Dhaliwal

Australia were back in style on Wednesday after coming back from goal down to defeat New Zealand 9-1 at the Taman Daya Stadium.

The Burras, who were held by an impressive Malaysian side on Tuesday after their 6-0 whitewash of Japan on the opening day, needed a little push to move up gears, but when they did, there was no turning back with quick goals just before the half-time hooter for a comfortable 3-1 lead.

"It was very pleasing to have a big win. The first half was challenging but the second was really good for us," said Burras coach Ben Bishop.

"We need to keep this momentum going into the match against Pakistan on Friday. They have been good and we'll need to be at our best again."

The Kiwis struck first through Sam Lane's penalty corner conversion nine minutes into the match and managed to contain their Oceania neighbours until Max Hendry drew level from open play in the 20th minute.

Matthew Bird put Australia ahead in the 34th minute after a penalty corner was initially cleared out, and with seconds remaining to half-time, Blake Govers scored Australia's third.

Short corners by Andrew Scanlon (41st minute) and Kiran Arunasalam (53rd minute) put the match beyond doubt while Govers and Bird rubbed more salt on New Zealand with another pair of quick goals, both in the 56th minute.

Hendry also got his second of the night in the 63rd minute, again from open play, while Frazer Gerrard made it a convincing 9-1 win from a penalty corner in the 66th minute.

"The difference was telling. Australia were a superior side and they really showed their quality in the second half," said New Zealand coach Bryce Collins.

The Sultan of Johor Cup official site



Pakistan outclass Malaysia

by  Satwant Dhaliwal

It was a pathetic display as Malaysia succumbed to a humiliating 4-1 defeat in the hands of Pakistan at the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) on Wednesday.

The players were listless, lacked cohesion and were glaringly unfit as a result of playing three matches on consecutive days. Wallace Tan's men were left chasing shadows all night as Pakistan exploited the lack of pace in the Malaysian defence.
 
This defeat has virtually ruled out Malaysia's chances of competing for the trophy in Sunday's final.

"We tried very hard but there were mistakes, especially second and third goal. We gave the ball away. Possibly the players are tired, especially those who came from Kuantan.

"The next two matches we have to concentrate better and hope for the best in regards to the final classification. Japan is next and they are improving, as we saw them against England."

Pakistan were 2-0 up even before Malaysia got out of gear as the visitors, who have won three out of three thus far, scored through Abu Mahmood's sixth minute penalty corner and  Muhammad Dilber's 20th minute strike from open play.

Malaysia responded in the 25th minute through Najmi Farizal Jazlan's penalty corner but Shah Irshad restored the two goal advantage in the 30th minute.

Pakistan piled more misery on the hosts through Ullah Sami in the 46th minute. Pakistan even briefly went two men down but Malaysia were so inept that they could not capitalise.

"There was nothing special from us. We knew Malaysia good side at their home ground. We were mentally prepared and expected things to be physical. We proved we are fit today," said Tahir Zaman.

"This tournament is full of surprises, but we are focused and keen on making the final.  Match against Australia is crucial. We have to ability to beat them."

The Sultan of Johor Cup official site



A Japanese stunner

by  Satwant Dhaliwal

After letting in six without a reply against Australia, any thoughts of Japan being whipping boys at the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) were thrown out of the window after they made England their second scalp of the tournament on Wednesday.

Japan, who tamed the Kiwis on Tuesday, were determined from the start with attack after attack lined-up against the English, leading to missed penalty corners in the fourth and sixth mninute.

England had their fair share of misses in the first half as the teams entered the break on level terms.

Japanese appeared even more organised in the second half and could have taken the lead through Koyo Kameyama in the 38th minute but he hit wide despite taking the ball past three players into the D.

Japan's goals eventually came in the 44th minute through Koji Yamasaki, prompting England to lift their game.

England captain James Gall got the goal they were searching for from open play in the 65th minute to level the tie and throw the match open.

Yamasaki, who scored two against New Zealand, was again the hero after applying the finishing touches to Soma Yamasaki's move with just two minutes on the clock.

"I did not expect that playing under the heat would give us an advantage, but after losing to Australia, I told my players to change the way they think.
"I needed my players to focus and not pay too much attention to the strength of the opponents," said Japan coach Kyoichi Nagaya, who expects a tough match against Malaysia on Friday next.

England coach Jon Bleby said: Japan played well and I was impressed actually. I was disappointeed to concede ... We need to create and convert more chances."

The Sultan of Johor Cup official site



Malaysia's winless streak continues with defeat to Pakistan

by Mohd Farhaan Shah



JOHOR BARU: Malaysia are still winless at the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament.

On Wednesday, Malaysia suffered their second loss in three matches after going down 4-1 to Pakistan at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium.

The Pakistanis were just too strong, taking a 2-0 lead after Abu Bakar Mahmood converted a penalty corner in the eighth minute and Muhammad Dilber scoring a field goal in the 21st minute.

Najmi Farizal Jazlan then reduced the deficit for Malaysia when he converted a penalty stroke in the 25th minute.

But Pakistan ramped up the pace and were 3-1 up after 30 minutes with Shan Irshad scoring a field goal.

Forward Sami Ullah then completed the rout with Pakistan’s third field goal in the 45th minute. Pakistan remain second with seven points while Malaysia are second last in the six-team Under-21 tournament with just a point from their 2-2 draw with Australia on Tuesday.

Malaysia coach Wallace Tan blasted his players for making too many mistakes.

“We need to buck up against Japan and New Zealand in our final two matches if want to finish on the podium,” said Wallace.

Earlier in the day’s opening match, Japan shocked defending champions England 2-1 to move up a rung to third on six points.

Koji Yamasaki was the hero for Japan, scoring in the 44th and 68th minutes. England replied through James Gall in the 65th minute.

Australia, with seven points, remain top on better goal difference after whipping Oceania neighbours New Zealand 9-1.

The Star of Malaysia



Burras smash New Zealand 9 -1

Holly MacNeil



The Burras owned the match against New Zealand at the 2016 Sultan of Johor Cup overnight, taking the win out with a final score of 9 – 1.

New Zealand took an early lead with the first goal going to Sam Lane in the form of a penalty corner nine minutes into the match. That was to be the only goal for New Zealand, with Max Hendry kicking off Australia’s goal streak twenty minutes in with a field goal for the Burras.

Australia scored twice more in the first, with Blake Govers and Ryan Proctor both flicking in field goals within a minute to give Australia a 3 – 1 advantage going into the half time break.

It was the motivation Australia needed, and they came back in the second half to score a further six goals to leave no doubt as to who was the better team on the pitch. 

Burras coach Ben Bishop commented: "It was very pleasing to have a big win. The first half was challenging but the second was really good for us.

"We need to keep this momentum going into the match against Pakistan on Friday. They have been good and we'll need to be at our best again."

The squad’s participation in the tournament, a key element of the preparation for the Junior World Cup, has been made possible thanks to the support of one of Hockey Australia’s key partners, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, through its NextGEN AUSComGames program.

Australia next play Pakistan on Friday, 4 November.

BURRAS 9 (3)
Max Hendry 20, 63 (FG, FG)
Blake Govers 34, 55 (FG, FG)
Ryan Proctor 34 (FG)
Andrew Scanlon 41 (PC)
Kiran Arunasalam 53 (PC)
Matthew Bird 57 (FG)
Frazer Gerrard 66 (PC)

NEW ZEALAND 1 (1)
Sam Lane 9 (PC)

Full results from Day 3:
PAK 4 – 1 MAS
NZL 1 – 9 AUS
JPN 2 – 1 ENG

League Standings
1. Australia
2. Pakistan
3. Japan
4. England
5. Malaysia
6. New Zealand

Hockey Australia media release



Australia run riot over NZ Under 21s


Photo: Megat Firdaus

The New Zealand Under 21 Men were powerless to stem the flow of goals as they were run over 9-1 by Australia at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia.

The Kiwis struck first through Sam Lane's penalty corner conversion nine minutes into the match and managed to contain their Oceania neighbours until Max Hendry drew level from open play in the 20th minute.

Matthew Bird put Australia ahead from a 34th minute after a penalty corner, and with seconds remaining to halftime Blake Govers scored his side’s third.

Goals from Andrew Scanlon (41st minute) and Kiran Arunasalam (53rd minute) put the match beyond doubt while Govers and Bird rubbed more salt on New Zealand with another pair of quick goals, both in the 56th minute.

Hendry scored his second of the night in the 63rd minute, while Frazer Gerrard made it a convincing 9-1 win from a penalty corner in the 66th minute.

“The difference was telling. Australia were a superior side and they really showed their quality in the second half,” said head coach Bryce Collins.

The Kiwis will look to rebound when they face England at 9:00pm tonight (NZ time).

Hockey New Zealand Media release



England U21s fall to Japan in Sultan of Johor Cup


Eng U21s

England’s U21 men were once again undone by a late goal as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Japan at the Sultan of Johor Cup. Trailing to Koji Yamasaki’s second half penalty corner it looked like Jon Bleby’s side had rescued a point thanks to James Gall’s 65th minute finish. However with just two minutes to go Yamasaki pounced on a rebound to lift the ball into the net to condemn England to a 2-1 defeat.

Japan had the first clear chance as they won a penalty corner. However England’s runners were out quickly and snuffed out the danger. England took a while to get going but on 14 minutes they won a penalty corner of their own. Will Calnan took the honours but Hiroki Nakagami made a good save and cleared the danger. Japan were on the front foot for much of the opening quarter of the match but England defended superbly to ensure that chances were scarce.

Jon Bleby’s side started to come back into the contest and with Rhys Smith and Jack Clee linking well they began to push Japan further and further back. Calnan drew another save from the Japanese goalkeeper but still there was no way through for either side. Kyoichi Nagaya’s side resorted to leaving one man high up the pitch and playing aerial balls up to him for the remainder of the first period but despite some great work from Kaito Tanaka, who was denied by a good stop from Chris Wyver it was all square at the half way point. 

The second half started with chances at both ends. Japan almost took the lead but Yamasaki’s shot was wayward and flew wide whilst at the other end Nakagami was brought into action with a fine stop to turn the ball round the post.

Seven minutes after the break Japan forced a penalty corner and from this they broke the deadlock. Yamasaki slid in to get a touch and divert the ball over Wyver to make it 1-0.

England began to commit players forward in search of an equaliser, making Japan a threat on the break. A series of last ditch tackles by the English defence kept them at bay.

With ten minutes to go Bleby’s team won a penalty corner. Smith’s shot was repelled by the goalkeeper allowing Japan a quick break, Tanaka was clean through and got the ball past Wyver but the two defenders go t back to clear it off the line.  The pressure continued and with five minutes to go England drew level. Jack Turner took a quick free hit and picked out James Gall in space. The England captain took the ball into the circle and place a precise shot into the far corner for his first goal of the tournament.

Parity lasted just a matter of moments. Wyver did well to keep out 5’s close range shot but 17 was on hand to lift the rebound over the goalkeeper to give England a mountain to climb in the last two minutes. Bleby immediately withdrew the goalkeeper and went to kicking back but it was to no avail and Japan took the win.

Head Coach Bleby was disappointed afterwards, saying: “We’re a bit frustrated. Japan played well and deserve a lot of credit. We had a lot of the ball but we weren’t clinical enough. We need to make more of the possession we have. We need to be better in the last five minutes, too. That’s the second time we’ve conceded late so we’ll work on that going into our next game.

We’ll take a look at the video, analyse what we need to do and hopefully make more of the possession we have in the next match.”

Japan U21 2 (0)
Koji Yamasaki 44, 68 (PC, FG)

England U21 1 (0)
James Gall 65 (FG)

England Hockey Board Media release



The Australian Women’s Indoor Team

Europe team selected

Holly MacNeil



The Australian Open Women’s Indoor Hockey Squad travelled to Canberra, ACT in mid-October for an intensive three-day training camp.

The training camp represented the start of preparations for the 2018 Indoor Hockey World Cup. The focus of the camp was on indoor hockey skill development, team attacking and defensive structures after the move back to six a side, team building and leadership.

A key focus of this training camp was on skill and structure development in order to allow our team to continue to perform at the highest level against the top European teams.

Stewart Fenton, the Australian women’s indoor hockey head coach said: “We have made some great strides forward in recent years not only in the quality of players we are developing but our overall player’s knowledge and understanding of the game. The depth of talent has also improved significantly and competition for places in the team for the next World Cup will be fierce.”

The next phase of preparations will be a two week European Tour in January 2017 after the Australian Indoor Championships. The squad of 15 players named below will play a number of matches against some high quality European nations and club sides including the Indoor Hockey reigning World Cup champions, Netherlands. The team to travel to Europe includes:

Jessica Bestall (WA)
Tegan Boucher (VIC)
Tayla Britton (TAS)
Tasmin Bunt (NSW)
Clare Comerford (QLD)
Natalie Crick (QLD)
Samantha Economos (ACT)
Lisa Farrell (NSW)
Kyah Gray (NSW)
Lindsay Leck (QLD)
Erin Judd (WA)
Emma McLeish (NSW)
Madeleine Murphy (TAS)
Emily Seccull (VIC)
Madeleine Smith (QLD)

Stewart Fenton said: “The squad is a good mix of very exciting youth and experience. We have 7 players who went on the development tour to South Africa in December 2015. At the other end we have players like Emma McLeish and Tegan Boucher who have played at multiple Indoor World Cup’s and Kyah Gray and Clare Comerford, who whilst both still being very young played in the successful 2015 World Cup." 

On behalf of the Australian Women’s Indoor Hockey team we would like to thank ACT Hockey and the AIS for the use of their world class facilities and their support in hosting the Australian Indoor Camp last month at their facilities in Canberra. Without their continued support it would be extremely difficult to continue to run these quality programs

In January 2017, the Australian National Indoor Hockey Championships will be held in Unanderra, NSW. From the National Championships the Australian Indoor Hockey World Cup squad, of approximately 28-30 athletes, will be selected. This squad will travel to Canberra, ACT, in July 2017, where they will take part in a three-day selection camp. After the camp the Australian Indoor Hockey World Cup Teams will be selected to represent Australia at the 2018 Indoor Hockey World Cup.

Hockey Australia media release



Jackson returns to Holcombe with East Grinstead


East Grinstead's Ashley Jackson in action for Great Britain at the Rio Olympics. Credit Frank Uijlenbroek

East Grinstead travel to Holcombe in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division on Sunday, with GB Olympic ace Ashley Jackson returning to his former club for the first time since rejoining East Grinstead.

Just two points separate leaders Holcombe and third-placed East Grinstead, and with both teams averaging at least three goals per game a thrilling clash is in prospect.

“We’re very excited and looking forward to playing Holcombe,” said James Leman, first team manager at East Grinstead who have signed Martin Scanlon from Brooklands who should be available for selection.

“Both teams are in top form and there is the added spice of Ashley Jackson going back to Holcombe.

“We had a couple of good games with them last year and we only lost by the odd goal, and I think we’re in better form than we were at this stage last season. We know it’s going to be tough, but we’re up for it.”

Elsewhere, second-placed Beeston are preparing to host a Hampstead and Westminster side who could leapfrog them with a win, while fourth-placed Wimbledon go to Reading aiming to continue their unbeaten run.

Surbiton go to Loughborough Students, while the other top flight match on Sunday sees Brooklands MU entertain Canterbury.

Averaging almost five goals per game, Men’s Conference East leaders Sevenoaks head to second-placed Southgate in a clash of two unbeaten teams. Meanwhile, Richmond will also want to preserve their unbeaten form as they go to Oxted.

Oxton gained their first win of the league season two weeks ago with a win over Doncaster, and they will need to be on top form again this Sunday when they play host to Men’s Conference North leaders the University of Durham.

And in the Men’s Conference West, leaders Cardiff and Met are gunning for a seventh straight victory when they head to Cheltenham. Meanwhile, the University of Exeter go to Chichester as they bid to keep pace with Cardiff.

FIXTURES – Sunday, November 6

Men’s Premier Division
Loughborough Students v Surbiton 14:00
Beeston v Hampstead and Westminster 14:00
Brooklands MU v Canterbury 14:00
Holcombe v East Grinstead 14:00
Reading v Wimbledon 14:30

Men’s Conference East
Oxted v Richmond 12:45
Brighton and Hove v West Herts 13:00
Teddington v Wapping 13:30
Indian Gymkhana v Cambridge City 14:00
Southgate v Sevenoaks 14:30

Men’s Conference North
Deeside Ramblers v Doncaster 13:30
Sheffield Hallam v Bowdon 13:30
Oxton v Univ of Durham 13:30
Preston v Olton & West Warwicks 14:00
Cannock v Leek 14:00

Men’s Conference West
Chichester v Univ of Exeter 12:15
Isca v Old Georgians 12:30
Cheltenham v Cardiff & Met 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Univ of Bristol 13:00
Fareham v Univ of Birmingham 13:30

England Hockey Board Media release



Top scorers face top defenders in Investec Premier Division


University of Birmingham's Katelyn Aitchinson in action against Beeston. Credit Andy Smith

The top scorers in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division, the University of Birmingham are preparing to take on the team with the best defence in East Grinstead on Saturday.

The students have scored an average of three goals per game in their first six league matches this season – but East Grinstead have only conceded three league goals all season.

“It’s always going to be an interesting match when you have two sides like this,” said the University of Birmingham’s Head Coach Phil Gooderham. “East Grinstead are showing once again that they deserve to be in this league and are a tough opponent, so we will be taking nothing for granted.

“We play an open and attacking style of hockey, but we need to make sure we score more than we concede!

“We’re happy to be third but there’s a long way to go yet. The girls felt that they didn’t do themselves justice at Lee Valley last season, so we’re aiming to get into the play-offs again and put that right.”

Elsewhere, leaders Surbiton head to a Slough side who bagged their first win of the season in their last match. Second-placed Holcombe entertain Clifton Robinsons who are fourth in the table. Either side could leapfrog Surbiton into top spot if results go their way.

Canterbury head to Leicester for a match in which both sides will be keen for the points to stay in touch with the sides above them. Bottom of the table Reading, who have yet to register a point, are at home against eighth-placed Bowdon Hightown and will be desperate not to get cut adrift from safety.

In the Investec Conference East, leaders Sevenoaks face a tough match against third-placed Hampstead and Westminster on Saturday. Meanwhile, second-placed Wimbledon entertain Northampton Saints.

Leaders Brooklands Poynton head to Liverpool Sefton in the Investec Conference North on Saturday, while Beeston will be looking to regain top spot when they play at Loughborough Students.

And the top two clubs face each other in the Investec Conference West, with leaders Stourport hosting Olton and West Warwicks. Third-placed Trojans could also go top of the table, and they head to Swansea City.

FIXTURES – Saturday, November 5

Investec Women’s Hockey League

Investec Premier Division
Holcombe v Clifton Robinsons 12:00
Univ of Birmingham v East Grinstead 12:30
Slough v Surbiton 13:00
Reading v Bowdon Hightown 13:30
Leicester v Canterbury 14:00

Investec Conference East
Cambridge City v St Albans 12:00
West Herts v Southgate 13:30
Chelmsford v Harleston Magpies 14:00
Wimbledon v Northampton Saints 14:00
Sevenoaks v Hampstead and Westminster 17:00

Investec Conference North
Liverpool Sefton v Brooklands Poynton 12:30
Loughborough Students v Beeston 12:30
Timperley v Sutton Coldfield 12:30
Wakefield v Univ of Durham 13:30
Ben Rhydding v Belper 13:30

Investec Conference West
Swansea City v Trojans 12:00
Buckingham v Oxford Hawks 12:00
Gloucester City v Isca 12:30
Exe v Bristol Firebrands 13:00
Stourport v Olton & West Warwicks 18:00

England Hockey Board Media release



Captaincy question lingers over Black Sticks


Stacey Michelsen during the quarterfinal match against Australia at the Rio Olympics. Photo / Getty Images

Without retired captain Kayla Whitelock the question remains as to who will captain the Black Sticks women's hockey team at the trans-Tasman trophy.

The team of 18 includes eight of their players in their first action since the Rio Olympics but will miss Anita McLaren, Gemma Flynn and Charlotte Harrison.

Veteran Stacey Michelsen says a rotation of captaincy between senior players will be expected.

She says it is an honour to be the captain of the black sticks team.

But Michelsen says there is a strong group of leaders who will carry on for the next couple of years.

Radio Sport



DI: Weekend College Games

With post-season conference tournaments taking place, USA Field Hockey is highlighting each conference in Division I, II and III.

DIVISION I CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS:

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

Syracuse
Wake Forest
UNC
Virginia
Duke
Louisville
Boston College

The ACC Field Hockey Championship is underway this Thursday in Charlottesville, Va. beginning with Quarterfinals. Only three teams have ever won an ACC Championship: Wake Forest (4 titles), Maryland (10 titles) and North Carolina (18 titles). Last year’s defending champions are the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This year the Deacons are the No. 2 seed in the tournament and Syracuse heads into the tournament as the undefeated regular season champions. The ACC is considered one of the toughest field hockey conferences in Division I, which is supported by the 17 NCAA Championships that the ACC has claimed. The last NCAA Championship final where the ACC was not represented was in 1998.

Thursday, November 5 - Quarterfinals

11:00 a.m. EST        No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 5 Duke
1:30 p.m. EST        No. 2 Wake Forest vs. No. 7 Boston
4:00 p.m. EST        No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Louisville

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

1:00 p.m. EST        No.4/No. 5 Winner vs. No. 1 Syracuse
3:30 p.m. EST        No. 3/No. 6 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 7 Winner

Sunday, November 7 - Final

1:00 p.m. EST        Semifinal Winners

Big Ten

Maryland
Michigan
Indiana
Ohio State
Northwestern
Penn State
Iowa
Michigan State
Rutgers

The Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament starts Thursday at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Heading into the tournament, Maryland is the favorite with an undefeated record in Big Ten conference games. Maryland maintains their dominance after claiming their first regular season title in 2014. Northwestern is the defending Big Ten Tournament Champion. The Big Ten has only won two NCAA Tournament Championships (1986 Iowa and 2001 Michigan). Iowa, Maryland and Penn State have had the most NCAA Tournament Appearances with 22, 27 and 30 respectively. Penn State has the most Big Ten Tournament Titles with six, followed by Iowa and Michigan with five each.

Thursday, November 5 - Quarterfinals

10:00 a.m. EST        No. 4 Northwestern vs. No. 5 Ohio State
12:30 p.m. EST        No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 8 Michigan State
3:00 p.m. EST        No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 Iowa
5:30 p.m. EST        No. 3 Indiana vs. No. 6 Penn State

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

1:30 p.m. EST         No. 4/No. 5 Winner vs. No. 1/No. 8 Winner
4:00 p.m. EST        No. 2/No. 7 Winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 Winner

Sunday, November 7 - Final

12:00 p.m. EST    Semifinal Winners

Atlantic 10 (A10)

Richmond
Massachusetts
Davidson
Saint Francis (PA)
Saint Joseph’s
Lock Haven
La Salle
Virginia Common Wealth|
Saint Louis

The A10 Championship jumps into action this Friday, November 6 in Philadelphia at the Ellen Ryan Field. The Richmond Spiders are the season favorites heading into the game and are also the defending champions. Massachusetts holds 14 A10 Tournament Championships while Richmond claims eight. Saint Joseph’s is the only other school who is currently an A10 member who has won an A10 Championship.

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

11:00 a.m. EST        No. 2 Massachusetts vs. No. 3 Saint Joseph’s
2:00 p.m. EST        No. 1 Richmond vs. No. 4 Davidson

Saturday, November 7 - Final

2:00 p.m. EST        No. 2 / No. 3 Winner vs. No. 1 / No. 4 Winner

America East

Albany
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
UMass Lowell
Stanford
University of the Pacific
California
UC Davis

Albany University is the favorite for this year's America East Tournament Championship and will host the tournament. Last year Albany claimed the regular season and tournament title before heading to the NCAA Tournament where they continued to the Semifinals before falling 0-1 to the eventual NCAA Champions, UConn. In current history, New Hampshire and Albany are the annual contenders for the league championships.

Thursday, November 5

2:00 p.m. EST        East No.1 Albany vs. West No. 4 UC Davis
4:30 p.m. EST        West No. 1 Stanford vs. East No. 4 Vermont

Friday, November 6

2:00 p.m. EST        West No. 2 Pacific vs. East No. 3 New Hampshire
4:30 p.m. EST        East No. 2 vs. West No. 3 California

Saturday, November 7

12:00 p.m. EST        Game 1 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner
2:30 p.m. EST        Game 2 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Sunday, November 8

12:00 p.m. EST        Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner

Big East

UConn
Old Dominion
Temple
Providence
Villanova
Georgetown

The Big East Tournament will take place in Norfolk, Va. at Old Dominion University this week. As the back-to-back defending NCAA Tournament Champions, UConn is the favorite for the Big East Tournament. The last time another team won the Big East Championship was in 2011 when Syracuse claimed the title. Providence and Villanova are the only other schools out of the current members to have won a Big East Tournament Championship (1991 and 1989 respectively).

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

2:00 p.m. EST        No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Old Dominion
4:30 p.m. EST        No. 2 Temple vs. No. 3 Villanova

Sunday, November 8 - Final

1:00 p.m. EST        No. 1 / No. 4 Winner vs. No. 2 / No. 3 Winner

Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA)

James Madison University
Delaware
Hofstra
Drexel
Northeastern
William & Mary
Towson

The CAA Tournament will get underway on Friday, November 6 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. After going 6-0 in conference, James Madison will host the tournament. Delaware are the back-to-back defending CAA Tournament Champions. The most prominent CAA Team in history was Old Dominion, who has since left the conference. Aside from ODU, the only other CAA team to have won a NCAA Tournament Championship Title was JMU in 1994.

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

3:00 p.m. EST        No. 4 Drexel vs. No. 1 James Madison
5:45 p.m. EST        No. 2 Delaware vs. No. 3 Hofstra

Sunday, November 8 - Final

2:00 p.m. EST        No. 4/No. 1 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 3 Winner

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)

Monmouth
Quinnipiac
Rider
Fairfield
Siena
Bryant
Sacred Heart

Monmouth, the defending MAAC Tournament Champions, will host the 2015 MAAC Tournament in Long Branch, N.J. The MACC has only existed since 2013 and both Quinnipiac and Monmouth both hold one title each.

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

11:00 a.m. EST        No. 1 Monmouth vs. No. 4 Fairfield
2:00 p.m.    EST        No. 2 Quinnipiac vs. No. 3 Rider

Sunday, November 8 - Final

11:00 a.m. EST        No. 1/No. 4 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 3 Winner

Mid-American Conference (MAC)

Miami of Ohio
Kent State
Ohio University
Longwood University
Missouri State
Central Michigan
Ball State

The MAC Tournament will take place in Mount Pleasant, Mich. at Central Michigan. Kent State is the defending MAC Tournament Champions. However, Miami of Ohio won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013. Longwood and Missouri State are the only two schools in the conference to have never won a MAC Tournament Championship.

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

11:30 p.m. EST        No. 1 Kent State vs. No. 4 Ohio University
2:30 p.m. EST        No. 2 Miami (Ohio) vs. No. 3 Missouri State

Saturday, November 7 - Final

2:00 p.m. EST        No 1/No. 4 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 3 Winner

Patriot League

Boston University
American University
Lafayette
Bucknell
Holy Cross
Lehigh
Colgate

The Patriot League Tournament will be hosted by Boston University this weekend. Boston claimed the regular season title and is also last years defending champion. American Head Coach Steve Jennings holds the most championship titles in the Patriot League. Bucknell is the only school in the conference to have never won a Patriot League Tournament Championship although they have made it to the Final five times.

Friday, November 6 - Semifinals

11:00 a.m. EST        No. 4 Bucknell vs. No. 1 Boston University
2:00 p.m. EST        No. 3 Lafayette vs, No. 2 American University

Saturday, November 7 - Final

2:00 p.m. EST        No. 4 / No. 1 Winner vs. No. 3 / No. 4 Winner

USFHA media release



Winning record on the line at Brown

Sarah Geach


Sarah Geach

The Yale field hockey team seeks victory over Brown this weekend to end its 2016 season on an Ivy League high.

The Bulldogs (7–9, 3–3 Ivy) have won their last three conference games and, if they are successful on Saturday, would capture their fourth consecutive Ancient Eight win — a feat the team has not achieved since 2011. The Elis square up against a Brown (7–9, 2–4) team, which, despite a six-game win streak early on in the season, has lost seven of its last eight games. The Bears have not defeated Yale since 2010, when they clinched a 3–2 win with just five minutes left to play.

“We are all very excited to play this [Saturday] because Brown is a really good team and we have the opportunity to have a winning Ivy League season,” forward Bridget Condie ’20 said. “I think everyone wants to end the season with no regrets, playing together and just having fun.”

The Elis will look to goalkeeper Emilie Katz ’17 to keep the winning momentum going in their direction when they take the field on Sunday. The 2015 first-team All Ivy netminder was named by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as one of 38 players who will play in the NFHCA Senior Game on Nov. 19 at William Smith College in Geneva, New York. Katz’s 0.743 save percentage, though slightly lower than her 0.791 clip from last season, still ranks first of all Ivy League goalkeepers. The senior also ranks second in total saves this season, one spot ahead of Brown’s Katie Hammaker.

The upcoming encounter with the Bears will mark the end of four Yale seniors’ careers. Katz, forwards Danee Fitzgerald ’17 and Alyssa Weiss ’17 and captain and midfielder Steffi Katz ’17 all played in their last home game against Quinnipiac last Sunday, where the Bulldogs were unable to emerge with a win in overtime. The quartet of seniors received a touching send-off to mark Yale’s Senior Day.

“There are different emotions and a different feel [on Senior Days]” Quinnipiac head coach Becca Main said after the Bobcats’ victory over Yale last weekend. “There are two different sets of emotions playing out on the field.”

The Bears feature five seniors on their roster who will also be searching for a glorious end to their collegiate careers. Senior forward Jaclyn Torres will be a force to be reckoned with as she leads Brown with seven of its 28 goals coming on 22 targeted shots. Torres is complemented by fellow senior Lucy Green, who has five scores to her name this year. Captain and back Katarina Angus averages a team-high 2.5 shots per game and has made three assists in total to go along with one game-winning goal for Brown this season.

The last time the Bulldogs met the Bears nearly 12 months ago, Yale annihilated Brown with four goals in the first half and emerged with a 6–2 victory. This was the Elis’ highest scoring output of any game last season, coming as a bit of a relief on the back of a 12-game losing streak. Forward Carol Middough ’18, who currently leads the Bulldog attack with nine goals and 21 points, scored twice in the 2015 defeat of Brown. Fellow forward Katie Smith ’18 made three assists in that game, and forwards Brooke Reese ’19 and Lily Smith ’18 each claimed one goal apiece. The Elis will likely look to these players to spearhead the attack on Sunday and potentially repeat the heroics of last year’s encounter.

“Because it’s our last game, people will be really motivated to win and go out on a high note,” defender Kiwi Comizio ’18 said. “It would also be huge for us to end with a decisive score and another shutout.”

A Yale win would solidify the Bulldogs’ final conference record at 4–3, doubling their win total from the past two seasons combined. The Bulldogs will face Brown in Providence at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Yale News



No. 6 Penn State field hockey to face Indiana in Big Ten Tournament opener

Dylan Jacobs


Jenny Rizzo (5) blocks a shot from Maryland during the game at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex on Sunday Oct. 16 2016. Maryland defeated Penn State 5-4. Camille Stefani.

Following a regular season that resulted in the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, No. 6 Penn State will face Indiana, the No. 7 seed, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament tomorrow.

The Nittany Lions defeated the Hoosiers, 3-2, just a week ago in the final game of the regular season. However, the Lions will not have home-field advantage, as the game will be played on a neutral field in College Park, Maryland.

“[Indiana] was one of our best games to date, so I think we’re just really trying to build on our performance,” coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss said. “I think that we were able to have success with our passing game, and just watching video yesterday as a team, if we can improve our ball speed a little bit, we can do a better job possessing the ball.”

Brooke Birosik stood out in the regular season finale, scoring twice. Another stellar performance from her would aid the Lions’ chances of moving on in the tournament.

“[Birosik] just has been working really hard and we need her to work a little bit more [and] show a bit more poise in some situations,” Morett-Curtiss said, “but her energy that she brings to the field, the way she runs around and the physicality that she brings is very positive for the team.”

The Lions’ offense had no issue getting shots on goal when they last met, recording 25 shots. However, finding the back of the cage will not be a given as the Hoosiers’ goalkeeper Katie Johnson was solid in goal, making 12 saves.

Although the Lions have no problem aggressively shooting the ball, to Morett-Curtiss, possession is key.

“We need to get the ball in our offensive end, keep it in our offensive end for a little bit longer periods and not play a frantic style,” Morett-Curtiss said.

For a more decisive win than Friday’s, the Lion defense will have to keep the Hoosiers from getting a high amount of shots like the last time they met. The Hoosiers recorded 13 shots; however, goalkeeper Jenny Rizzo kept all but two out of the cage.

Rizzo has given up three goals in the past two games, and sustaining that level of play will be key for the Lions’ success in the tournament.

“[Rizzo] is probably the most competitive player on the field, she hates to lose,” Morett-Curtiss said. “Even in our little team dodgeball games that we have for practices. We just need Jenny to keep her composure and get her body in front of the goal and not really overthink what’s happening past the game.”

Should the Lions win, they will face the winner of No. 10 Michigan and Michigan State in the semifinals.

The Daily Collegian



CIS-FHS Women's Field Hockey Championship week underway in Toronto

Shaheed Devji


Kevin Light Photography

On Thursday the 42nd annual Canadian Inter-university Sport (now known at USports) Field Hockey Canada Women’s Field Hockey Championships kick off at the University of Toronto.

The four-team tournament consists of the same four teams as last year’s Championship: the top-ranked University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (Canada West Champion), second-ranked University of Toronto (OUA Champion/host), third ranked University of Victoria Vikes (Canada West runners-up), and the fourth-ranked University of Guelph Gryphons (OUA runners-up).

UBC is looking to retain the title for the 6th straight year and the 17th in program history.

Each team will play each other once in the preliminary round beginning Thursday. The full schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 2
9:30 All-Canadian Awards Brunch (Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel)

Thursday, Nov. 3
16:00 Game 1: Victoria vs. Guelph
18:30 Game 2: UBC vs. Toronto

Friday, Nov. 4
16:00 Game 3: UBC vs. Victoria
18:30 Game 4: Toronto vs. Guelph

Saturday, Nov. 5
12:30 Game 5: UBC vs. Guelph
15:00 Game 6: Toronto vs. Victoria

Sunday, Nov. 6
12:30 Bronze medal
15:00 Championship final

Full coverage including scores, schedules, and streaming information will be available at the tournament website.

The 2016 USports Women’s Field Hockey Awards were handed out in Toronto on Wednesday.

Canadian National Players Hannah Haughn (UBC), Stephanie Norlander (UBC), Kathleen Leahy (UVic), and Rosie Beale.(UVic) were named to the All-Canadian team.

The full list of award winners can be seen here.

Field Hockey Canada media release

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