News for 14 November 2016
All the news for Monday 14 November 2016
Bowdon Hightown hold Holcombe to a draw
Clifton Robinsons on the attack against Reading By Peter Smith
Holcombe lost ground at the top of the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division after being held to a 3-3 draw at Bowdon Hightown on Sunday.
Sarah Jones opened the scoring in the first minute, and doubled Holcombe’s tally to give them the lead at the break.
Goals from Lily Wolstenholme and Lisa Garbutt drew Bowdon Hightown level. However Eleanor Watton looked to have won the game for Holcombe four minutes from time with her fifth of the season.
But Garbutt had the final say, scoring her second of the game with two minutes left to play to earn the hosts a point and see Holcombe fall to third in the table.
A bumper crowd of over 500 turned out to watch Olympic gold medal winner Alex Danson make her debut for Clifton Robinsons, and they went home happy as the hosts ran out 5-1 winners against bottom side Reading.
Isabel Palmer (2), Claire Thomas, Joanna Leigh and Hannah Coulson were all on the scoresheet, and despite Maddison Rosser levelling the game 1-1 at half time, Clifton took all three points and move fourth in the table.
Leaders Surbiton made no mistake as they maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 3-0 win over Leicester.
Giselle Ansley and Sarah Page scored before the break, with Stephanie Addison adding a third to keep the hosts top.
East Grinstead moved second in the table after a 1-0 home victory against Slough.
Alice Pyrgos converted a 47th minute penalty corner to keep the hosts just two points off the leaders.
The University of Birmingham twice came from two goals down to earn a point in a thrilling 4-4 draw at home to Canterbury.
Two goals in two minutes from Mary Flint and Sarah Kerly had given the visitors the lead at half time, but were cancelled out by Amelia Andrew and Jo Turnbull.
Tinesha Carey and Mel Clewlow restored Canterbury’s two goal advantage with just seven minutes left, but Lily Owsley and a last-minute Erica Sanders goal, her tenth of the campaign, rescued a point for the hosts.
Investec Women's Conference East
Sevenoaks remain top of the Investec Women’s Conference North despite their first defeat of the season.
A single Maria Andrews penalty stroke was enough to wrap up all three points for Harleston Magpies in a very closely-contested game.
Wimbledon are now second on goal difference only, and they beat Southgate 6-2 with Libby Sherriff hitting a brace.
Northampton Saints continue to search for their first win after a 6-1 defeat at home against St Albans. Samantha Archer-Overall and Bethan Davies both scored twice for St Albans.
Elsewhere Chelmsford beat Cambridge City 1-0, and Hampstead and Westminster beat West Herts 3-0.
Investec Women's Conference North
Timperley came out on top in the clash of the bottom two in the Investec Conference North, beating bottom club Belper 4-2. Kate Goalen, Jessica Mortimer, Kim Nkonde and Leonnie Molloy were on target.
Brooklands Poynton remain at the top of the table after a 2-0 win over the University of Durham and Beeston are second, beating Liverpool Sefton 2-1.
A Bethan Merriman double helped Sutton Coldfield to a 3-1 win over Wakefield and Ben Rhydding drew 1-1 at home to Loughborough Students.
Investec Women's Conference West
It’s tight at the top in the Investec Conference West with just one point separating three teams.
Stourport still hold first place despite losing for the first time this season. It was second-placed Buckingham, now level on points, who beat them by 2-1 with goals from Abbie Brant and Phoebe Richards.
Olton and West Warwicks are third and played fourth-placed Trojans. Olton won 2-0 and the win puts them three points ahead of their opponents.
Bristol Firebrands picked up only their second point of the season with a 0-0 draw against Gloucester City and Isca University beat Swansea City 2-1.
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sunday, November 13, 2016):
Investec Women's Premier Division: Bowdon 3, Holcombe 3; Clifton Robinsons 5, Reading 1; East Grinstead 1, Slough 0; Surbiton 3, Leicester 0; University of Birmingham 4, Canterbury 4.
Investec Women's Conference East: Chelmsford 1, Cambridge City 0; Hampstead and Westminster 3, West Herts 0; Harleston Magpies 1, Sevenoaks 0; Northampton Saints 1, St. Albans 6; Southgate 2, Wimbledon 6.
Investec Women's Conference North: Beeston 2, Liverpool Sefton 1; Ben Rhydding 1, Loughborough Students 1; Brooklands Poynton 2, University of Durham 0; Sutton Coldfield 3, Wakefield 1; Timperley 4, Belper 2.
Investec Women's Conference West: Bristol Firebrands 0, Gloucester City 0; Buckingham 2, Stourport 1; Isca 2, Swansea City 1; Olton & West Warwicks 2, Trojans 0; Oxford Hawks 2, Exe 1.
England Hockey Board Media release
Irish Women's EY Hockey League Weekend Round Up
Nikki Evans’ last minute winner saw Hermes-Monkstown maintain their perfect start to the campaign following a huge tussle with Cork Harlequins whose 100% run came to an end as a result.
It provided a big statement victory for the Glenageary outfit as they look to retain the national title but they rode their luck at times in the closing 20 minutes when the Cork visitors went close on a number of occasions.
Liz McInerney’s close range finish gave Hermes-Monkstown a great start but Irish internationals Rebecca Barry and Yvonne O’Byrne swapped the lead by half-time.
Chloe Watkins slapped home an equaliser in the third quarter before Quins had their chances. But the champions showed their ability to grind out a result, Nikki Evans’ snap-shot after receiving the ball with her back to goal found the bottom corner for 3-2.
Elsewhere, UCD moved second with a 3-2 win over Pegasus at Belfield with Sorcha Clarke’s double guiding the way. They led throughout, building a 2-0 lead in the first quarter and they stayed out of reach despite a concerted Pegasus comeback in the second half.
Railway Union ended their run of three defeats to beat Ulster Elks 4-2 and return to the top four as Michelle Carey put in an inspired performance. She scored twice, adding to efforts from Emma Smyth and Cecelia Joyce, to build an imposing 4-0 advantage with Hannah Irwin’s double coming too late for the Jordanstown outfit.
Ards continued their winning ways with a third consecutive three-points, beating Belfast Harlequins 2-0 with Chloe Brown and Kerry Harvey scoring in the second quarter.
Loreto, meanwhile, were 3-1 victors in the Dublin derby against Pembroke, consigning the Dublin 4 outfit to a sixth successive defeat.
Niamh Small set Loreto on their way from Ali Meeke’s prompting; Freya McDermott’s corner made it 2-0 before Jilly Ringwood got one back to put the tie back in the mix.
Sarah Evans, however, sealed the deal at the death with a last minute clincher.
Results: Hermes-Monkstown 3 (L McInerney, C Watkins, N Evans) Cork Harlequins 2 (R Barry, Y O’Byrne); Belfast Harlequins 0 Ards 2 (C Brown, K Harvey); Loreto 3 (N Small, F McDermott, S Evans) Pembroke 1 (J Ringwood); UCD 3 (S Clarke 2, G Pinder) Pegasus 2 (V Surgeoner, A Speers); Railway Union 4 (M Carey 2, E Smyth, C Joyce) Ulster Elks 2 (H Irwin 2)
Extended day six match reports
Hermes-Monkstown 3 (L McInerney, C Watkins, N Evans) Cork Harlequins 2 (R Barry, Y O’Byrne)
Nikki Evans’s last minute winner saw Hermes-Monkstown maintain their perfect start to the campaign following a huge tussle with Cork Harlequins whose 100% run came to an end as a result.
Liz McInerney gave the hosts an early lead from the first of many corners on the day, scrambling home from close range to get the vital touch. Rebecca Barry equalised before the end of the first quarter, though, when she got on the end of a brilliant cross.
Quins then moved ahead following a great run by Yvonne O’Byrne, creating space in the circle and hammering home. Their momentum was slowed, however, when Barry was shown a yellow card for dissent as temperatures rose with both sides contesting many decisions.
Hermes-Monkstown got back on terms in the second half from their fifth corner with Chloe Watkins slapping home from the top of the circle. Quins, though, bossed the period either side of the three-quarter break and forced a couple of top saves from Liz Murphy.
Amber Barnwell had to scoop another chance off the line while O’Byrne deflected one corner inches wide. Two corner shots were blocked from a clever defensive running pattern – foregoing a number one runner to hang back and eliminate switch options – with Anna O’Flanagan and Sarah Greene cleaning up the chances.
Hermes-Monkstown withstood that spell and duly forged the crucial chance in the closing seconds, working the ball to Evans at the top with her back to goal from where she unleashed a low reverse that the impressive Emma Buckley could not get enough of a boot on with the ball pinging in off her toe and off the post and in.
Belfast Harlequins 0 Ards 2 (C Brown, K Harvey)
Ards made it three wins in succession to continue their rise away from the bottom of the table as goals from Chloe Brown and Kerry Harvey lifts them to the top half of the table for the first time.
They served notice of their attacking intent in the fourth minute via a Jayne Kilpatrick run and strike that Jade Lamont saved well while Chloe Brown’s corner shot was deflected over.
Both goals came in the second quarter with Brown showing a sublime piece of individual skill to create space on the left which allowed her to fire a low reverse into the net. Good team play then led to Harvey tapping in at the far post in the 32nd minute for a 2-0 half-time lead.
Quins best chance came in the second half when Claire Kilpatrick’s corner shot was cleared off the line but they were unable to find a route back into the tie with Ards closing out the game well.
Loreto 3 (N Small, F McDermott, S Evans) Pembroke 1 (J Ringwood)
Loreto grabbed their third win of the campaign with a 3-1 win over Pembroke to move into sixth place as Pembroke remain in search of their opening points of the campaign.
The Beaufort side – powered by Hannah Matthews’ balls from the back – forced the issue in the first quarter, winning three corners with no return in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the goals come with Nikki Keegan and Ali Meeke's work rate and determination to drive the midfield forward was key. Meeke found Niamh Small who finished well for 1-0. Freya McDermott then swept home a corner to double the half-time advantage.
With Orla Macken to the fore, Pembroke changed things up in the second half and got a foothold in the game after the big break. They got their reward when Jilly Ringwood fired home a backhand shot to bring the game right back into the mix.
And it stayed that way until the dying moments as Pembroke defended well but were caught at the death. Meeke linked up with Keegan to deliver a well-worked passage of play down the right side and into the path of Sarah Evans to finish off in a clinical manner.
UCD 3 (S Clarke 2, G Pinder) Pegasus 2 (V Surgeoner, A Speers)
UCD moved into second place as Sorcha Clarke’s double under-pinned their fifth win from six outings. They lead 2-0 from the outset, Gillian Pinder breaking the line from a counter-attack and finishing with a composed strike for 1-0. Clarke deflected home a cross to extend the advantage.
Alex Speers got one back for Pegasus from an attack along the baseline but Clarke finished off a fantastic team goal – with strong build-up work by Emma Russell and Sarah O’Loughlin – to make it 3-1 in the third quarter.
Pegasus bossed the final quarter and got back within range when Vanessa Surgeoner scored from a corner. Despite a flurry of further corners in the closing minutes, Pegs could not find an equaliser with captain Sarah Robinson leading by example for UCD in defence for a hard-fought win.
Railway Union 4 (M Carey 2, E Smyth, C Joyce) Ulster Elks 2 (H Irwin 2)
Railway ended a run of three consecutive defeats to return to the top four thanks to a 4-2 win over Ulster Elks at Park Avenue. They were out of the blocks the quickest and went 1-0 up in the 11th minute when Emma Smyth drove around the top of the circle and flashed her shot past Rebecca Davidson.
Elks sat deep for the remainder of the quarter with Canadian Anna Kozniuk controlling things for her team in the middle of the pitch.
Nonetheless, Railway continued in the box seat with Michelle Cary, Emma Smyth, Kate McKenna and Hannah de Burgh Whyte creating chances. Two minutes before the break, Cecelia Joyce's shot was deflected into the goal by Michelle Carey for 2-0.
Ulster Elks marked their intention to take a more attacking approach in the second half, winning the first corner of the game but Kozniuk’s shot was saved by Grace O'Flanagan.
Railway then resumed their ascendancy with Michelle Carey waltzing past a number of players into the circle and round the keeper to get Railway's third. She went close to a hat trick moments later before Joyce got her side’s fourth goal, finishing off a lovely passing movement through the circle.
Elks got a couple back in the closing quarter from Hannah Irwin but it was too little too late for the Jordanstown outfit.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Irish Men's EY Hockey League Weekend Round Up
Banbridge went top of the men’s EY Hockey League as Matthew Bell’s 53rd minute penalty stroke saw them beat their Co Down rivals Lisnagarvey 1-0 at Comber Road.
It was something of an arm-wrestle with both sides defensively robust, offering minimal sights on goal.
As it was, Jonny McKee’s brilliant run along the baseline led the stroke when his stick got checked and Bell did the necessary from the spot. It lifts Bann to top spot on 14 points with Monkstown and Cork C of I a point back on 13. Garvey and Three Rock Rovers are tied for fourth on 11.
In stark contrast to the top table clash, Glenanne produced one of the most spectacular comebacks in the EY Hockey League’s history as they came back from 4-0 down, and subsequently 5-2 in the closing 10 minutes, to draw 5-5 with UCD at St Mark’s.
The students looked to be easing to victory thanks to a pair from Irish call-up Jeremy Duncan along with Ben McCrea and Andrew Meates. But Stephen Brownlow and David Keogh kept Glenanne interested with goals in the third quarter before McCrea appeared to make the game safe with 10 minutes to go.
But a penalty stroke from Shane O’Donoghue and two late goals from Brownlow secured a stunning draw. The Glens remain in the bottom three while UCD stay sixth.
Elsewhere, there were routine wins for Cork C of I and Three Rock Rovers with their respective goalscorers Julian Dale and Luke Madeley celebrating their first senior international call-ups in style.
Dale scored a six-minute hat trick for C of I in the second quarter to set them up for a 3-1 win over Instonians.
Madeley, meanwhile, scored in the first and third quarters as Rovers beat struggling Railway Union 2-0 at Park Avenue.
Monkstown were comprehensive 4-1 winners over Pembroke. Andrew Ward dove onto Geoff Cole’s cross for an 11th minute lead which was extended out to 4-0 in the second half when Kyle Good scored twice and Stephen Cole flicked in from a corner. Harry Spain got a late consolation goal.
Men’s EY Hockey League
Saturday: Railway Union 0 Three Rock Rovers 2 (L Madeley 2); Cork C of I 3 (J Dale 3) Instonians 1 (J Watson); Glenanne 5 (S Brownlow 3, D Keogh, S O’Donoghue) UCD 5 (J Duncan 2, B McCrea 2, A Meates); Monkstown 4 (K Good 2, A Ward, S Cole) Pembroke 1 (H Spain)
Sunday: Lisnagarvey v Banbridge, 3pm, Comber Road
Men’s EY Hockey League – day six reports
Lisnagarvey 0 Banbridge 1 (M Bell)
Matthew Bell’s 53rd minute penalty stroke saw Banbridge move top of the men’s EY Hockey League, beating the reigning champions Lisnagarvey 1-0 in something of an arm-wrestle.
Indeed, chances were at a premium throughout with precious few openings of note as defences dominated proceedings. Bann had marginally the better of the first half chances though neither goalkeeper was tested in any meaningful way, mishit shots from Frazer Mills and Eugene Magee the pick of the chances.
The tempo increased in the second half with Bann keeper Gareth Lennox forced into his first touch of note, albeit from a miscued Daniel Nelson shot that bounced awkwardly at his feet.
As it was, the game was settled in the 53rd minute when Jonny McKee showed a flash of inspiration, beating two on the left baseline before his stick was checked, leading to a stroke. Bell converted calmly.
Magee produced another moment of magic before unleashing a rocket of a shot that James Milliken did well to palm away, denying a second. Thereafter, Garvey tried to force the issue but got minimal change out of a defence marshalled by Bell.
Glenanne 5 (S Brownlow 3, D Keogh, S O’Donoghue) UCD 5 (J Duncan 2, B McCrea 2, A Meates)
Stephen Brownlow’s hat trick saw Glenanne produce one of the unlikeliest of comebacks as they came back from a 5-2 deficit in the last 10 minutes to draw 5-5 with UCD in one of the most spectacular ties in the EY Hockey League’s short history.
It looked to be plain-sailing for UCD in the first half as Jeremy Duncan used his 3D skills to set up a chance and finished from a tight angle to give the students the lead. They increased their advantage when a ball ended up on the penalty spot for Andrew Meates to score.
Glenanne let four corners in the second quarter before UCD punished them further with a penalty corner drag for 3-0 at half-time. Indeed, UCD were in complete control early in the second half when Duncan ran free to score his second and his side’s fourth goal.
However, you can never write the Glens off and they pulled one back from a Stephen Brownlow drag high to the roof of the net. Within minutes, it was 4-2 when David Keogh dived to net a loose ball in the circle.
McCrea put three goals between the side with his second corner goal for what should have been a clinching goal. But the Glens dug deep and won a stroke which Shane O'Donoghue scored from.
Glenanne were now in the ascendency and an attack down the left saw Keogh slide a pass across the circle for Brownlow to slide in and score at the back post.
The Tallaght side poured forward straight from the tip off, forcing a turnover and earned another corner. Brownlow completed his hat-trick with another drag. They had the chance to win it at the death with a last minute corner but UCD just about survived with a point.
Railway Union 0 Three Rock Rovers 2 (L Madeley 2)
Luke Madeley’s pair of corner goals saw the defender celebrate his Irish senior call-up in style as part of a reasonably routine win for Three Rock Rovers at Park Avenue. He netted on the stroke of quarter-time for 1-0 in a game shy of major chances.
The sides traded corners in the third quarter with Madeley converting Rovers’ effort for a 2-0 lead. Railway’s efforts to make a comeback were stymied by a trio of yellow cards, Mark English, Kenny Carroll and Jeremy McKeever all spending time in the bin with Rovers suffering one green.
It meant Rovers eased to a third clean sheet in four games, conceding just once in that time. They were denied a third goal by Carroll’s superb save when Railway pulled their goalkeeper for the closing stages. Rovers handed a debut to former Railway man Ravin Nair.
Cork C of I 3 (J Dale 3) Instonians 1 (J Watson)
Julian Dale’s hat trick of goals in the second quarter meant he enjoyed a week to remember, adding the treble to his maiden senior international call-up, delighting a large crowd gathered ahead of the Andrew Chambers Memorial match in aid of the Irish Heart Foundation.
After a scoreless first quarter, C of I – who were without John Jermyn on the day – cut loose in the second stanza. Dale’s drag-flick in the 22nd minute made it 1-0. Three minutes later, Philip Brownlow went on a mazy run along the right baseline, beating three players before being tripped by goalkeeper Sam Brown to win a penalty stroke. Up stepped Dale to convert.
The hard running Alex Burns won the ball in midfield, passed it to Dale who beat two defenders before lobbing the onrushing Brown to complete a six-minute hat-trick.
Inst fought back in the second half, winning four corners but the home defence snuffed out each effort from William Robinson. John Watson did get them on the board when he was found on the left of the circle and shot low and hard into the corner.
The Belfast side had more of the chances in the closing quarter but C of I were not overly troubled and held on for a fourth win of the campaign.
Monkstown 4 (K Good 2, A Ward, S Cole) Pembroke 1 (H Spain)
Monkstown eased to a 4-1 win over Pembroke for their fourth win from six outings to date in the men’s EY Hockey League. Andrew Ward gave the Town a half-time lead when he dove onto a Geoff Cole cross in the 11th minute.
Kyle Good scored the second, intercepting the ball before breaking into the circle on the left and shooting his tomahawk into the roof. Town had a third disallowed moments before actually registered for 3-0, Stephen Cole scoring on the switch.
Good tapped home the fourth from a rebound off a Geoff Cole slap at goal. Harry Spain got a consolation goal late in the game for Pembroke who remain in seventh place.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Bell shoots Banbridge to top in Ireland
Matthew Bell’s 53rd minute penalty stroke saw Banbridge move top of Ireland’s EY Hockey League, beating the reigning champions and fellow EHL KO16 side Lisnagarvey 1-0 in something of an arm-wrestle.
Indeed, chances were at a premium throughout with precious few openings of note as defences dominated proceedings. Bann had marginally the better of the first half chances though neither goalkeeper was tested in any meaningful way, mishit shots from Frazer Mills and Eugene Magee the pick of the chances.
The tempo increased in the second half with Bann keeper Gareth Lennox forced into his first touch of note, albeit from a miscued Daniel Nelson shot that bounced awkwardly at his feet.
As it was, the game was settled in the 53rd minute when Jonny McKee showed a flash of inspiration, beating two on the left baseline before his stick was checked, leading to a stroke. Bell converted calmly.
Magee produced another moment of magic before unleashing a rocket of a shot that James Milliken did well to palm away, denying a second. Thereafter, Garvey tried to force the issue but got minimal change out of a defence marshalled by Bell.
It moves Banbridge one point clear of Monkstown and Cork C of I after six rounds of matches with Lisnagarvey and Three Rock Rovers two points further back in a tight top five.
Euro Hockey League media release
Judge hails midfield battle in OR win over Amsterdam
Oranje Rood produced an important 3-1 win over EHL rivals AH&BC Amsterdam to move into the top four of the Dutch Hoofdklasse in what is shaping up to be a huge battle for the playoff places.
Speaking afterwards, coach Lucas Judge said of the win: "Being realistic, it was very important for us today. Amsterdam is a direct competitor and the distance between us is very small.”
The coach said the key battle was in midfield where he felt OR got on top: "We tried to stop the creativity of Amsterdam, particularly in midfield with Billy (Bakker), Vali (Verga) and Jan-Willem (Buissant). It was the basis for this result. "
Agustin Mazzilli gave OR a fifth minute lead before Mirco Pruyser tied the game up at half-time but second half goals from Niek van der Schoot and Caspar van Dijk lifted the Eindhoven club to a 3-1 lead.
Bloemendaal continued their perfect start to the campaign with an 8-2 win over Qui Vive, making it 10 wins from 10 to lead the table by a massive nine points.
HGC and Kampong both dropped down the table due to their 2-2 draw as Tristan Algera and Jorrit Croon’s goals were countered by Martijn Havenga and Jip Janssen’s corner goals. They fall to sixth and seventh respectively with Kampong due to play Oranje-Rood next weekend.
Den Bosch went up to third with Sebastien Dockier scoring twice in a 4-1 win over Pinoké. Rotterdam also moved on up with Jeroen Hertzberger on the double in a 4-1 win over Hurley. They move into fifth place.
Euro Hockey League media release
Dohmen swoops for Ducks to go top in Belgium
Waterloo Ducks took the lead in the Belgian Audi Hockey League with a 3-2 win over Daring in Molenbeek, moving ahead of KHC Dragons.
The Ducks came back from two goals down as Austrian star Dominic Uher scored a pair of corners. Waterloo bounced back with efforts from Jared Panchia and Blair Hilton. And they won the game two minutes from the end via skipper John-John Dohmen.
Speaking afterwards, Gauthier Boccard said of the Ducks’ win: " In the first half, we were too soft and too nice. But, after the first two goals, we started playing.
“Being top at this stage is not the most important thing. We just want to settle quickly and comfortably into the top four but we will do everything to finish the first round with another success against Racing, next Sunday, on the last day [before the winter break]."
The win meant they overtook Dragons who drop to second after their 3-3 draw with Racing Club de Bruxelles who slipped to fourth.
All the goals came in the second half with a Florent van Aubel peach adding to an Alexander Hendrickx drag-flick. Simon Gougnard scored twice to bring it level at 2-2 in the 67th minute.
Thomas Verheijen finished to put Dragons up once more but Jerome Truyens’s hotly contested deflection effort with the last play earned a share of the spoils.
Herakles continued their super rise through the rankings with a 1-0 win over Leuven, new international Nicolas de Kerpel scoring the only goal in the 53rd minute.
Royal Leopold lost ground on the top four with a 5-4 loss to lowly Braxgata while, at the bottom, Orée beat Wellington 4-1 while Beerschot defeated Antwerp 3-1.
Euro Hockey League media release
Superb Telkom Orange clinch 19th title
By BRIAN YONGA
Telkom Orange hockey players celebrate after they retained their Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier league title after a 4-0 win against Amira Sailors at City Park Hockey Stadium on November 13, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU NATION MEDIA GROUP
Telkom Orange on Sunday retained their Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League title after beating Amira Sailors 4-0 in their final league match at City Park Stadium.
The win moved Orange to 22 points, two more than Strathmore University Scorpions, who finished on 20 points after they hammered Daystar University Falcons 9-0 in an earlier match.
The win fired Orange to a record 19th title. A brace from prolific striker Jackline Mwangi and further strikes from Maureen Okumu and Flavian Mutiva saw Orange clinch a deserved win.
Orange coach Jos Openda was pleased with the team's achievement noting that his team won without being at their very best.
" It has been a short season and we did not really hit top gear but nonetheless, it feels good to be champions once again. We did just enough and our consistency and experience carried us all through, " Openda told Daily Nation Sport.
Scorpions, who started the day two points behind Orange and also had a chance to win the title, put the pressure on Orange after they thrashed bottom placed Falcons to go top of the table.
Orange took to the pitch afterwards knowing they had to avoid defeat to retain the title. After a dull 10 minutes in which both sides struggled to settle, Orange went ahead from their first short corner.
Kenya international Audrey Omaido played a one -two with Situma before the former squared to Mwangi who flicked the ball past Amira keeper Rachel Kerubo.
Orange were awarded another short corner in the 20th minute but veteran defender Terry Juma failed to convert with the goal at her mercy. Another short corner was also wasted four minutes later as Orange continued to dominate proceedings.
Amira were struggling to settle in the match but almost hit back at the halfhour mark when forward Susan Oketch weaved her way past three Orange defenders but was unable to finish off.
The miss proved costly as Orange broke and Lillian Aura fed Okumu who slotted the ball past Kerubo to double Orange' advantage with two minutes to the half time break.
Amira faded off in the second half and Orange went forward in search of more goals. Mwangi got her second of the match in the 57th minute as she deflected another Omaido strike. Four minutes to the end, Mutiva added the fourth to underline Orange's dominance.
The final whistle drew celebrations from the Orange players as they broke in song and dance. Orange now turn their attention in defending their African Club Championship title. The continental event will be held in Kenya from January 7-15 next year.
Orange have won the continental title eight times.
Daily Nation
Telkom Orange make league’s winning call
By Elizabeth Mburugu
Amira Sailors Lorraine Nondi(L) and Orange Telkom player Maureen Okumu fight for the ball when they played Premier Ladies at City Park yesterday, on 13/11/2016 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE
Telkom Orange retained their Kenya Hockey Union women's league trophy after beating newcomers Amira Sailors 4-0 in their last league match yesterday at City Park.
The win moved the champions to 22 points, two more than Strathmore University Scorpions, who finished on 20 points after they defeated Daystar University 9-0 in an earlier match at the same venue.
The win saw Telkom capture a record 19th title. A brace from veteran striker Jackline Mwangi and goals from Maureen Okumu and Flavian Situma gifted Telkom the coveted gong.
Telkom coach Jos Openda was elated with the achievement.
"It has been a short season with less matches, nonetheless, it feels good to be champions once again. We did just enough and our consistency and experience carried us all through, " Openda told Feverpitch.
Telkom went to the pitch in need of a clear win as a loss would have denied them the gong. After a slow start in which both sides struggled to settle, Telkom took the lead from their first short corner.
Kenya international Audrey Omaido combined well with Situma before Omaido setup Mwangi, who did not hesitate to score past a hapless Amira goalkeeper Rachel Kerubo. Telkom were awarded another short corner in the 20th minute, but veteran defender Terry Juma failed to convert.
Another short corner was also wasted four minutes later as Telkom took control of the contest.
Amira struggled to settle in the match, but almost hit back at the half-hour mark when dependable foward Susan Oketch weaved her way past three Telkom defenders, but was unable to complete the job.
The missed chance proved costly as Lillian Aura fed Okumu, who slotted in to give Telkom a 2-0 advantage with two minutes to halftime.
Amira seemed lost and fizzled out in the second half as the champions went hunting for more goals. Mwangi got her second in the 57th minute. Four minutes to fulltime, Mutiva added the fourth and with that, there was no turning back for Telkom.
The final whistle drew wild celebrations from Telkom faithful.
The Standard Online
UConn advances past Syracuse in double overtime
Connecticut Athletics
UConn needed two overtime periods to overcome Syracuse in an instant classic. Connecticut Athletics
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — For the fourth straight season, the UConn field hockey team is heading to the NCAA Final Four, after an incredible 3-2 double-overtime win over third-seeded Syracuse on Sunday afternoon at Coyne Stadium.
After nearly 100 minutes of play, it was the Huskies (22-1) who came out on top when junior Charlotte Veitner scored the game-winner in the 91st minute, assisted by Amanda Collins, that gave UConn a stunning victory over the Orange.
In two overtime periods — both seven on seven — the Huskies answered the challenge, despite being outnumbered at certain points due to penalty time. UConn charged down the field in the 91st, and despite being tired and beaten up, it found one more spark in Veitner’s score.
UConn’s breakaway left Collins with the ball in the circle, who nudged the ball forward and past the Syracuse defender, where Veitner tapped it past Orange goalkeeper Regan Spencer. It was Veitner’s second goal of the game.
The Huskies overcame the odds, knocked off Syracuse and are heading to Norfolk, Virginia, for the Final Four next weekend — their 14th in program history.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Nina Klein was stellar all afternoon, but especially late in the game — knocking away shot attempts by the Orange. Her biggest save came on a Syracuse corner in the 38th minute of regulation, which kept the game tied at that point.
Junior Karlier Heistand led the defense, making several key plays to thwart the Syracuse attack. Seniors Anna Middendorf and Olivia Bolles, as well as junior Casey Umstead, formed a solid backline.
UConn and Syracuse played aggressively in the second half, resulting in four yellow cards being awarded to players. In the 66th minute, the Orange tied the game on a penalty corner conversion — bringing the game to overtime.
UConn’s ability to earn penalty corners in the first half made the difference, as both goals came off corner opportunities. The Huskies had five penalty corners to Syracuse’s one, resulting in a 2-1 halftime lead.
Veitner was instrumental in the final corner of the half, dribbling into the circle and earning it for the Huskies. Umstead then delivered, shooting a ball that was blocked, but following up her shot and putting it in the lower part of the cage.
Umstead’s 18th goal of the season gave UConn a crucial 2-1 lead heading into the half — giving all of the momentum back to the Huskies.
Earlier in the half at the 23-minute mark, Veitner deflected in a pass from senior Anna Middendorf on a corner, breaking a scoreless tie. Veitner entered the ball, then snuck near the far post for the tap in.
UConn’s 1-0 lead was short-lived, as the Orange scored on a penalty corner in the 25thminute to tie the game. Through the half, Middendorf had two hard shots on corners that were both saved by the Syracuse goalkeeper.
For the game, UConn held a 10-9 shots edge and 7-4 advantage in penalty corners.
The No. 6 Huskies advance to play the No. 4 North Carolina next Friday in the NCAA semifinals on the Old Dominion campus. But for now, the Huskies will rest.
NCAA
Hens rally past Duke in OT, earn field hockey Final Four
Delaware’s Greta Nauck is mobbed by her teammates after scoring the game-winning goal on Sunday, as the No. 8 Blue Hens came from behind to upset No. 1 Duke, 3-2, in overtime in the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament second round. Delaware advances to the tournament semifinals. (Delaware sports information/Mark Campbell)
DURHAM, N.C. — Delaware’s dream all year was to make the NCAA Division I Final Four in field hockey.
But, trailing No. 1 Duke by two goals with less than 10 minutes left on Sunday, that dream was fading fast.
All of which made the eighth-ranked Blue Hens’ 3-2 overtime victory over the Blue Devils in the NCAA quarterfinals all the more stunning.
Delaware scored twice in the final nine minutes of regulation to send the game into OT before standout Greta Nauck tallied the game-winner on a breakaway three minutes into overtime.
The sophomore midfielder was mobbed by her teammates after the Hens (21-2) earned the program’s first ticket to the field hockey national semifinals since 1982.
“That is an excellent question, ‘What just happened?’” said Nauck, a native of Krefeld, Germany. “We didn’t play Delaware hockey in the first portion of the game. We didn’t follow our game plan, but we never stopped believing, even when we were down by two goals.
“We’ve worked so hard to achieve our goal of reaching the Final Four. In the end, we played Delaware hockey and finished the game strong.”
“Wow, what an amazing experience and accomplishment for our program,” said Delaware coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. “I am so proud of, happy and excited for our players group, staff and all Blue Hens. Back in February, we set out our quest to punch a ticket to the NCAA Final Four, and today we did just that.”
The Hens will face No. 14 Princeton (12-7) in Friday’s national semifinals at Old Dominion’s L.R. Hill Complex at 4:45 p.m. The Tigers upset seventh-ranked Virginia on Sunday.
Delaware has won 17 straight games since losing to Princeton, 4-2, on Sept. 11. The Hens’ only other loss came at ODU on Sept. 2.
No. 4 North Carolina plays No. 6 Connecticut in the other semifinal with the national championship game slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
Down 2-0 against Duke (16-4), Nauck netted her 30th goal of the year off a penalty corner with assists from seniors Maura Zarkoski and Kayla Devlin. Freshman Ally Pollak then tied the game at 2-2 in the 68th minute as she tapped it in at the back post. Devlin assisted on the goal.
Delaware junior goalie Emmeline Oltmans came up big again for the Hens as she tied a career-high and set a program NCAA Tournament record with 11 saves. The Devils outshot Delaware, 23-13, but that margin was only 12-11 after halftime.
“They played extremely well, but we kept going and fighting,” said Oltmans. “Our first goal this season was to get the CAA championship and we’ve now reached our second goal of the Final Four. This really means a lot as we’ve all worked so hard to get to this point. We’ve won four CAA titles, but we’re not ready to stop playing.”
Delaware State News
Maryland field hockey’s season ends with a 3-0 loss to UNC in the NCAA quarterfinals
By James Crabtree-Hannigan
North Carolina scores a goal as goalkeeper Sarah Holliday attempts to block the shot during the Terps' 3-0 defeat to UNC on Nov. 13, 2016. (Sammi Silber/For The Diamondback)
Three of Maryland field hockey team's eldest players walked to the bench in silence after the team's 3-0 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinal round.
The rest of the team walked down to the end of the field and formed a huddle. But senior forwards Welma Luus and Emma Rissinger and junior midfielder Lein Holsboer seemed to need a bit more time to process their season-ending loss.
They slowly leaned their sticks against the bench and walked towards their teammates. Luus then paused again, this time stopping at midfield to bend over and put her hands on her knees. This result marked the final game of her seven-year career as a part of Maryland athletics.
About three minutes earlier, the Terps appeared to waive the white flag. The team played the past three minutes with an empty net, but when North Carolina extended its lead to 3-0, coach Missy Meharg put goalkeeper Sarah Bates back on the field.
The lead was insurmountable at that point, meaning North Carolina would move onto the final four. Midfielder Ashley Hoffman score twice on penalty corners to lead the Tar Heels to their eighth consecutive semifinal appearance.
The game got off to a choppy start, as both teams spent most of their time in the midfield.
Three of the Maryland field hockey team's eldest players walked to the bench in silence after its 3-0 loss to North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinal round on Sunday.
Most of the team walked down to the end of the field and formed an impromptu huddle. But senior forwards Welma Luus and Emma Rissinger and junior midfielder Lein Holsboer seemed to need a bit more time to process their season-ending loss.
They slowly leaned their sticks against the bench and walked toward their teammates. Luus then paused again, this time stopping at midfield to bend over and put her hands on her knees. This result marked the final game of her seven-year career as a part of Maryland athletics.
"I feel like I've been here forever," Luus said. "Of course it's going to hurt, but it has to come to an end at some point."
About five minutes earlier, the Terps appeared to have raised the white flag. They had played the past minute without a goalie, but when UNC extended its lead to 3-0 against the empty net, coach Missy Meharg put goalkeeper Sarah Bates back on the field for the end of her team's season.
"I'm very proud of the women for the way that we competed," Meharg said. "Great game plan and they executed it very well. [But] it would have been nice to get some goals in there."
The lead was insurmountable at that point, meaning North Carolina would move onto the final four. Midfielder Ashley Hoffman scored twice on penalty corners to lead the Tar Heels to their eighth consecutive semifinal appearance.
The game got off to a choppy start as both teams spent most of their time in the midfield, and the teams combined to take less than 20 shots.
A string of chances for both sides, the strongest scoring threats of the game at that point, began in the 22nd minute and ended with the Tar Heels taking a 1-0 lead three minutes later.
Luus, the Terps' leading scorer who didn't play on Saturday due to a head injury, carried the ball down the baseline and into the circle, drawing UNC goalkeeper Shannon Johnson out of the net to clear it away.
Both teams failed to put away shots shortly after that, but North Carolina opened the scoring in the 25th minute.
The Tar Heels earned and converted the first corner of the game on Hoffman's goal, which snuck under goalkeeper Sarah Holliday as she dove to her left.
Holliday, who split time with Bates all year, made her first start since Oct. 16 on Sunday. In Saturday's first round of the NCAA tournament against UMass, Holliday entered for the penalty shootout and didn't allow a score, helping the Terps advance to Sunday's quarterfinals.
"The staff felt that just the momentum, being able to be put on that spot in that stage. "[Holliday] would be able to handle this game," Meharg said.
Hoffman repeated that act less than two minutes into the second half, doubling her team's lead and prompting Meharg to replace Holliday with Bates — a redshirt junior — shortly after.
The Terps had three chances to net the equalizer in the 48th minute when they earned three consecutive penalty corners. The Tar Heel defense, though, held strong all each of them to maintain their two-goal advantage.
"Actually, getting eight shots, I'm pretty happy about that, and [the] five penalty corners," Meharg said. "Carolina's ruthless. They were very ruthless in their defense today."
North Carolina outshot the Terps, 11-8, and had four penalty corners to the Terps' five.
"Keep fighting," the team yelled after Meharg called a timeout with 15 minutes left. The team did keep trying, earning a pair of penalty corners after that stoppage and pulling its goalie with six minutes left.
Still, it couldn't crack North Carolina's defense, and the Tar Heels scored an empty net goal with about five minutes to go, ending any hopes of a Terps' comeback.
"It's the last game of your season. It's knockout time," Meharg said. "Credit to Carolina."
The Diamondback
UVa field hockey falls in NCAA quarters
The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team (16-8) had its season come to a close with a 3-2 loss to No. 14 Princeton (12-7) in the quarterfinals of the 2016 NCAA Field Hockey Championship on Sunday at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The game was tied 2-2 in the final seconds of the match and seemed destined for overtime. Princeton’s Sophia Tornetta fired off a shot as time was expiring, but the horn on the scoreboard was inaudible, making it difficult to tell if the shot was taken in time. After the two field referees and the sideline official conferred, it was decided to allow the goal, which sent Princeton on to the NCAA Semifinals next weekend in Norfolk. Video referral was not available during the NCAA Championship.
Virginia took 13 shots, with freshman Erin Shanahan and junior Tara Vittese scoring the Cavaliers’ goals.
Sophomores Nikki Freeman and Laura Schnatmeier had assists. Vittese ends her season with a team-high 41 points on 15 goals and 11 assists.
“I am proud of this team for having such a great season,” said Virginia head coach Michele Madison. “This was a terrible way to lose. The fourth years put their heart and soul out there on the turf. The one solace is that they did finish their careers as ACC Champions.”
Daily Progress
Michelsen nominated for player of the year
Black Sticks livewire Stacey Michelsen is one of five players shortlisted by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for Women’s Player of the Year.
The news came as the FIH announced nominees for the 2016 Hockey Stars Awards, the annual prizes which recognise the world’s best field players, goalkeepers, rising stars, coaches and umpires in a given calendar year.
Five male and five female nominees have been selected for each award with the Player, Goalkeeper and Rising Star awards selected by a panel consisting of the FIH Athletes' Committee, Continental Federations, Coaches and media.
All awards are based on performance at international events during the 2016 season, as well as the player's overall contribution to the sport.
Michelsen, who has played 216 tests for New Zealand, had a stunning year at events such as the Hawke’s Bay Cup and Rio Olympic Games.
“It is a huge honour to be nominated, particularly alongside the other nominees who I have a great amount of respect for as players,” Michelsen said.
“It's been a very tough year with the disappointment of not achieving what we set out to in Rio, but it has certainly motivated many of us to be better in the coming years.
“I am very much looking forward to the chance to play in the Word League tournaments in 2017, especially the final which will be hosted in Auckland.
“It provides Hockey New Zealand a great opportunity to showcase the sport and will also be very nice to play a major tournament in front of a home crowd, something we haven't had the chance of doing as a group.”
Award winners will be decided by the combined results of an online vote that is open to the public and a peer vote from international athletes.
Voting for all awards will open later this week with more details to come.
2016 WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stacey Michelsen (NZL)
Carla Rebecchi (ARG)
Kate Richardson-Walsh (GBR)
Alex Danson (GBR)
Naomi van As (NED)
2016 MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gonzalo Peillat (ARG)
John-John Dohmen (BEL)
Moritz Fürste (GER)
Tobias Hauke (GER)
Pedro Ibarra (ARG)
2016 WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Maddie Hinch (GBR)
Joyce Sombroek (NED)
Kristina Reynolds (GER)
Jackie Briggs (USA)
Belen Succi (ARG)
2016 MEN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Juan Vivaldi (ARG)
Jaap Stockmann (NED)
Vincent Vanasch (BEL)
David Harte (IRL)
Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh (IND)
2016 WOMEN’S RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (UNDER 23)
Maria Granatto (ARG)
Lily Owsley (GBR)
Nike Lorenz (GER)
Kathryn Slattery (AUS)
Florencia Habif (ARG)
2016 MEN’S RISING STAR OF THE YEAR (UNDER 23)
Arthur van Doren (BEL)
Christopher Rühr (GER)
Jorrit Croon (NED)
Harmanpreet Singh (IND)
Timm Herzbruch (GER)
2016 WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
Alyson Annan (AUS)
Karen Brown (GBR)
Janneke Schopman (USA)
2016 MEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR
Carlos Retegui (ARG)
Danny Kerry (GBR)
Shane McLeod (BEL)
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Malaysian Tigress to conquer fear in Kiwi Test
By Jugjet Sing
Malaysian Tigress undergo uphill training to prepare for the Kiwi Test, as well as the World League Round Two. Pic: Goh Thean Howe
THE Malaysian Tigress will play New Zealand in a Five-Test series next month, and coach K. Dharmaraj is not afraid of being thrashed out of shape.
The series was agreed upon after Malaysia played New Zealand Futures (their development squad) in the recent Australian Hockey League (AHL).
World No 5 New Zealand will host No 21 Malaysia at Stratford on Dec 12-18, and the numbers speak for themselves.
The Kiwi women lost 2-1 to Germany in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics bronze battle, while Malaysian women have yet to play in any Olympics.
In Rio, New Zealand beat Asian 'giants' South Korea 4-1 and China 3-0.
For the record, Asian women lined up at the bottom of the Rio de Janeiro heap with China ninth, Japan 10th, South Korea 11th and India
last on 12th.
Suicide or Kamikaze, came to mind when this Test series were announced.
"I know the statistics look bad and there is a high probability of my girls being hammered in this Test, but that's not my main concern and I am willing to face that as reality.
"My aim is to make my charges lose their fear of playing higher ranked teams, before I field them for the World League (Round Two) in Kuala Lumpur," said Dharmaraj.
And Dharmaraj will be aiming for one upset, and one draw in the Test.
"We were the underdogs in the recent AHL and also the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) and even though we did well not to lose by high margins against better teams, the collapse during crucial matches pulled us to the bottom of the pool."
In the AHL, the Malaysian girls had a chance to finish top-four, but collapsed when it mattered most. And in the ACT, they upset Japan 2-0 in the last pool match. India won the title, but Malaysia only lost 2-0 to them in the pool.
"Close, very close. But the tendency to collapse inside five minutes is what is bogging down the team. In the AHL, we lost one crucial match in three minutes when three goals were scored and the same happened against South Korea in the ACT where three goals were scored by Korea in three minutes to win 5-2.
"The 'Have No Fear' training has started and I hope to see my charges pull off one upset in New Zealand and even if they get thrashed in the other four matches I will be the happiest man in the world," said Dharmaraj.
In the World League in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 14-22, Malaysia will be up against ranked teams Italy and Ireland as well as Round One qualifiers Fiji, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand and Wales.
For the record, Malaysia has never broken the Round Two glass ceiling.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Olak may feature in the hockey big league next season
by S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Former junior league double champions Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) view the early staging of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) as a blessing.
Olak, who have always focused on the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL), see the chance to compete in the senior league as a way to expose their juniors.
The MHL will run from Jan 6-Feb 26 and the MJHL will start in the third week of March.
Olak will feature in Division One of the MJHL. They finished seventh in the MJHL this year.
Although Olak have not confirmed their participation in the MHL, they will still hold trials on Dec 4 to select players.
“Once we have a picked the core team, we will then look at the MHL ... as it will also depend on our sponsors,” said Olak team manager Joseph De Silva.
“We need to look at the financial aspects of the move. But, in the long run, it (taking part in the MHL) will benefit us.”
Joseph also said that they will make another attempt at winning a title in the MJHL this year.
They last won the a title in the MJHL in 2000 (overall). They were also overall champions in 1998 and 1999 and league winners in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
“If we can make a good start, we stand a good chance of being in the top four. Of course, the target is to win one of the titles at stake,” he said.
The Star of Malaysia