News for 10 January 2017
All the news for Tuesday 10 January 2017
Scotland women defeated in close match against Spain
Scotland’s senior women’s hockey team lost 2-1 against Spain in a competitive match in Valencia. It was the first of four test matches against Spain as part of preparation for World League 2 in February.
The game got underway with pressure coming from the Spaniards but the hosts found Scotland defending strongly. Once the Scots settled they began to ask some questions of their Spanish hosts. Amy Brodie was playing well showing some good skills up the wing and some great defensive pressure when defending.
Scotland went driving towards Spain’s attacking circle - Robyn Collins sent a great aerial ball out from the back prompting a stealthy attack, but the Scots were unlucky not to fashion a clear opportunity to strike.
They didn’t have to wait long to create another opportunity however, and this time the Scots made it count. Some great work by Charlotte Watson and Fiona Burnet set up Millie Brown to finish off the move, and give Scotland a well-earned lead - 1-0. It was Brown’s first goal for Scotland and an excellent team goal for the visitors.
Scotland could have doubled their lead shortly after the opener; from a corner a straight strike by Amy Costello was just too high, and missed the mark.
Spain then had a good spell of attacking hockey but found Scotland goalkeeper Nicola Cochrane on top form. A string of saves by the keeper brought the end of the first quarter with Scotland leading Spain 1-0.
The Spaniards were on the hunt from the start of the second quarter but a brilliant defensive, and specifically goalkeeping, effort kept them at bay. Hardworking defensive pressure from the Scots resulted in the Spanish struggle to find a way through. Some more excellent goalkeeping by Cochrane maintained Scotland’s lead until half time.
Shortly after the restart, Scotland nearly bagged a second goal when Jen Eadie struck after a fast break from Scotland through another of Collins’ aerials.
It was Spain however who took control of the game and dominated the third quarter. Eventually, Spain’s pressure paid off and they struck an equaliser. After an initial save by the impressive Cochrane the follow-up second shot was a rocket into the net - 1-1.
From heavy Spanish pressure, a brilliant run by Ali Howie from Spain’s corner nearly led to a counter attack goal but the final effort narrowly missed the target.
Spain then took the lead when a quick exchange carved open Scotland’s defence before a composed finish made it 2-1 to the hosts.
At the start of the final quarter Spain nearly put the game to bed but were denied by Collins with a last ditch challenge to deny the Spanish and early goal.
With three minutes on the clock, player of the match Cochrane made way and Scotland finished the game with 11 outfield players in the hunt for an equaliser. It was a nail-biting finish but Spain held on to win the first game of the series 2-1.
Scotland Women’s Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said, “There were positives tonight but also there’s areas to improve on. The first quarter was very good, but in the second we backed off them a bit and became reactive. The third quarter was the most disappointing as that’s when the goals came, but the fourth quarter was a lot better.
“Tomorrow, we’ll need to apply more pressure and stop them dominating the game. There will be four or five changes to allow other players to show what they can do ahead of selection for World League 2.”
The remaining matches will take place on the 10th, 14th, and 15th of January
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Incorrect score
Yesterday there was an article on the Iranian Indoor team "thrashing" Croatia in the final of the Croatia Indoor Cup 2017. The story reported the final score as being 15-3. The Croatian Hockey Federation have pointed out that this was an incorrect score. The final score was in fact 5-3 to Iran.
Scorers for Iran: Abbas Aroei 2, Hamid Noraniyan, Vahid Vathi i Mohammad Asnaashari
Scorers for Croatia: Toni Premilovac 2, Anze Fujs, Petar Hrsak
Apologies for this incorrect score, but stories are carried verbatim from their acknowledged source which is where this incorrect score came from.
World League Begins For Green Army This Saturday
The Green Army will begin their World League 2 campaign this Saturday, January 14th, against Kazakhstan. The young squad will be competing in testing conditions with temperatures hovering in the low 30's accompanied by thunder storms and high humidity. The squad played a training match against hosts Malaysia this evening and notched up an encouraging 3-0 win, the first match the team have played since fixtures against Scotland in early November.
The Green Army will be the second highest ranked team in the tournament as they sit 16th with only Italy, 15th, ranked above them. Ireland will be joined by hosts Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong in Pool B; ranked 21, 33, 37 respectively. Pool A see’s Italy joined by Thailand, Wales and Singapore with rankings of 15, 31, 32 and 43 respectively. The tournament will mark the first opportunity in over a year for the Green Army to earn vital FIH World Ranking points as they bid to climb the rankings once more.
Speaking about the upcoming tournament, head Coach Graham Shaw said “Selection for World League 2 was incredibly competitive showing how much our full squad has grown and developed over the past year. We are looking forward to getting to Malaysia where we will set up a pre camp to prepare fully for the conditions in Kuala Lumpur”. The squad are taking no chances with the testing conditions in Kuala Lumpur where highs can reach 32 degrees centigrade in January along with challenging humidity.
Shaw added “Our No 1 goal for 2017 is qualification for the World Cup as we have not qualified since 2002. Likewise we are very much looking forward to competing at the Eurohockey Championships in Amsterdam, our first time competing in the A Division since 2013. We feel we have a strong squad which must start with a successful World League 2”.
Squad:
1. Ayeisha McFerran- University of Louisville- GK
2. Clodagh Cassin- UCD- GK
3. Hannah Matthews- Loreto- Defender
4. Cliodhna Sargent- Cork Harlequins- Defender
5. Yvonne O Byrne- Cork Harlequins- Defender
6. Shirley McCay- Ulster Elks- Defender
7. Zoe Wilson- Harvestehuder- Defender
8. Lena Tice- UCD- Defender
9. Roisin Upton- Cork Harlequins- Midfield
10. Lizzie Colvin- Loreto- Midfield
11. Gill Pinder- UCD- Midfield
12. Chloe Watkins- Hermes/Monkstown- Midfield
13. Nicci Daly- Muckross- Midfield
14. Katie Mullan- UCD- Midfield
15. Anna O Flanagan- Hermes/Monkstown- Forward
16. Naomi Carroll- Cork Harlequins- Forward
17. Nikki Evans- Hermes/Monkstown- Forward
18. Rebecca Barry- Cork Harlequins- Forward
Non-Travelling Reserves
1. Sinead Loughran- Munchner SC- Forward
2. Emma Russell- UCD- Forward
3. Emily Beatty- KHC Dragons- Forward
4. Ali Meeke- Loreto- Forward
Unavailable For Selection
1. Megan Frazer- Mannheimer HC
2. Deirdre Duke- UCD
3. Chloe Brown- Ards
4. Grace O’Flanagan- Railway Union
Irish Hockey Association media release
Warriors make timely comeback
National champs recover from loss to win second match in Africa tourney
By Elizabeth Mburugu
Butali player Zack Aura jumps to give way after a Ghana Police player hit the ball during the Africa Cup Championship at City Park. Nairobi. ON 09/01/2017 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE
Butali Sugar Warriors bounced back from their disappointing start to defeat Ghana Police 3-1 in the ongoing Africa Cup for Club Championships yesterday, at City Park.
Two goals from international Brian Musasia and one from Dutchman Joost Rijksen were enough to revive Warriors’ hopes of advancing to the knockout stage.
The sugarmen launched their title quest on a losing note after they lost 2-0 to Egyptian giants Sharkia in their opening match. The Kenyan side must now win their last pool B match against Nigeria’s Niger Flickers and hope that Ghana Police, who defeated Flickers 5-2, draw or lose to Sharkia.
Butali stand-in coach Meshack Senge was delighted with the outcome and said they will build on the win as they prepare for their their final group match against Niger Flickers.
“The early goal gave us some confidence and we settled quickly. The second half was scrappy, but we were able to maintain our lead all the way to the final whistle,” Senge said.
“We are not off the hook yet, but if we win the coming match, this will enhance our chances as we aim to remain in the competition,” he added.
Butali started well and should have taken a quick lead two minutes into the game when Musasia got a rare chance, but he failed to find his mark, with his effort going wide. However, he made amends for the miss a minute later after he tapped home a rebound off Zack Aura’s initial shot.
Butali wasted two short corners moments later, but got it right at the third attempt as Rijksen sounded the boards to double the team’s lead on 16 minutes. Butali continued to press and should have extended their lead when Seth Oburu failed to score with the goal-mouth at his mercy.
Ghana Police eventually settled in the match, but were unable to make the two short corners they got count as Butali led at halftime.
The second half was a physical affair that saw several players booked. Musasia got his second goal of the game and Butali’s third after finishing off Aura’s lay-off. Police pulled one back two minutes to the final whistle through Richard Adjei, who beat Butali goalkeeper, Salman Akbar, at his near post.
Meanwhile, Sliders suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat to guests Kada Queens of Nigeria in a women’s match. Faith Ikiriko, Beauty Iruughene, Alfa John, Evelyn Noredia and Roseline Ovoh netted for Kada, while Rhoda Nyambura scored for Sliders.
The Standard Online
Police face daunting task in club hockey tourney
By Elizabeth Mburugu 
Kenya Police Richard Birir with the ball when they played Mombasa Sports Club when they played Premier League at City Park. Police scored 8-0. ON 06/09/15 PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE
Kenya Police face an acid test against continental champions Eastern Company in their second men's pool A match of the Africa Cup for Club Championships at City Park.
The Kenyan team, which launched their campaign with a 4-2 win over a hard-fighting Wananchi of Uganda, will be hoping to overcome Egyptians and bag maximum points.
A win for the law enforcers will increase their chances of securing a semi-finals slot. However, they will need something special to outclass their guests, whose prowess on the pitch is near perfect and cannot be faulted in all aspects of the game.
Eastern Company made a statement of intent in their opening match after they defeated Uganda's Weatherhead 14-0.
Police coach Kenneth Kaunda said Eastern's forward unit is lethal and the only way they can contain them is by having a strong and vigilant defence.
"They have a very swift and lethal attack and we must find ways of handling them. With an opponent like that, you require an equally strong defence," Kaunda said.
He added that police will also have to restrict Eastern from their circle and be mean on penalty corners, which might prove costly.
"They (Eastern) are excellent in short corners and to them, it amounts to a goal. We have to minimise on those because I believe that whoever wins the match will have higher chances of topping the pool," he added.
In another men's group A tie, it will be a Ugandan affair when Wananchi and Weatherhead clash. In pool B, former holders Sharkia tackle Ghana Police in a quest to secure a semifinal spot.
Meanwhile, African women champions Telkom Orange take on neighbours Weatherhead in a pool A contest. In pool B, Heartland of Nigeria will play Ghana Police, while Dar Ladies of Tanzania meet Wananchi.
Butali Sugar Warriors will resume their campaign tomorrow.
The Standard Online
Terengganu to face Maybank in final
by S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: It was a breeze for Terengganu as they whipped Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 7-2 to reach the final of the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Knockout Trophy.
The east coast side will play Maybank in the final today. Maybank beat Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) 5-1 in the other semi-final.
Maybank were supposed to start the first semi-final at 6pm at the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium yesterday. But as the pitch could not be watered due to a burst pipe nearby, the match was postponed to 10.30pm.
With the help from Bomba, the Terengganu-KLHC match kicked off first at 8.30pm. Despite the delay, it did not affect Terengganu’s momentum at all.
South Korean Jang Jung-hyun was the hero, netting a hat-trick in the 11th, 30th and 32nd minutes. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (16th), Faizal Saari (58th) and Mohamed Firhan Azhaari (59th and 60th) were the other Terengganu scorers.
KLHC replied through Mohamed Shamsul Haziq (13th) and Mohamed Noor Faieez Ibrahim (57th).
Coach Sarjit Singh said that the early goals helped them settle down.
“There was some concern and tension before the game due to the water problem. But once the players got going the match was in our control. Now we need to rest and recover for the final,” said Sarjit.
Terengganu were 1-0 up when their penalty corner in the 11th minute resulted in a penalty stroke. Jung-hyun made no mistake.
KLHC, however, restored parity two minutes later as their first penalty corner also ended in a penalty stroke. National player Mohamed Shamsul easily converted.
After conceding the goal, Terengganu stormed back with Tengku Ahmad scoring from close range in the 16th minute.
Jung-hyun scored his second goal off a penalty corner in the 30th minute for a 3-1 lead.
He completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute when he fired home another penalty corner.
Mohamed Noor gave KLHC a glimmer of hope by reducing the deficit in the 57th minute.
But Faizal scored a minute later for Terengganu to douse their hopes of a comeback.
Mohamed Firhan then got into the scoring act with late goals in the 59th and 60th minutes to complete the rout.
Maybank were just too strong for MBPJ, surging to a 3-0 after only eight minutes.
Hafifihafiz Hanafi was the star for the Tigers with a three-goal show, scoring in the eighth, 48th and 51st minutes. Mohamed Sabrie Shamsudin (fourth) and Jang Soon-chan (fifth) were the other scorers.
The Star of Malaysia
German indoor season approaching crunch time
Harvestehuder THC, Blau-Weiss Berlin, Mannheimer HC and Rot-Weiss Köln are leading their respective groups as the German indoor league’s group stages approaches crunch-time.
Blau-Weiss are in the best position with six wins from six games in the eastern division, beating main rivals Zehlendorfer Wespen 3-2 thanks to a last minute goal from Florian Donnermeyer. They followed up with a win over Mariendorfer 6-2.
They now have 18 points, six clear of Zehlendorfer with four rounds of games to be played over the next two weeks.
The north division looks to be a three-horse race for the playoff places. Harvestehuder THC lost their perfect record with a 4-4 draw against Club an der Alster, salvaging the result with late goals from Killian Pöhling and Michael Körper.
It cost Alster their perfect record, too, and they also drew on Sunday against Hannover 76 6-6 with coach Russell Garcia saying of the performance: "We can not be satisfied today. We started too slowly, our attitude was simply not the right one today.”
The result allowed UHC Hamburg to come back into range with an 8-3 win over Clipper on Friday night before beating Heimfeld 4-3.
In the west, Rot-Weiss have a five point gap over a trio of teams – Krefeld, Dusseldorfer and Uhlenhorst Mülheim – thanks to two wins over the weekend with Jonas Gomoll scoring four times in the 9-3 win over Schwarz-Weiss Köln.
Mannheimer lead the southern division on 13 points with Münchner SC a point back on 12. Mannheim swept to a massive 16-4 win over Ludwigsburg with four goals from Paul Zmyslony and three each from Fabian Pehlke and Patrick Hablawetz.
Euro Hockey League media release
Reading and Sevenoaks join Surbiton and EG on Wembley way
Picture: Lewis Prosser/Twitter
There was drama on the final day of the English men’s Premier Division in the Super 6s Indoor Championship, with Reading and Sevenoaks booking their places in the finals at the SSE Arena Wembley later this month.
Surbiton and East Grinstead had secured their places in the finals on Saturday, while Reading and Sevenoaks had to play some scintillating hockey to join them in the top four.
Reading moved up to third with a 7-7 draw with Sevenoaks and a 10-8 win over East Grinstead. Harry Jawanda scored five goals in total on Sunday, taking his total to 13 for the tournament, while his Reading team-mate Andy Watts chipped in with three on the final day.
Reading had been 7-3 ahead against Sevenoaks, before four unanswered goals saw their rivals fight back. And as well as Reading winning against rivals East Grinstead, Sevenoaks also took the points, beating them 1-0 in a close match which was only decided by George Torry’s 32nd minute goal.
Wimbledon dropped out of the top four after losing 5-3 to Team Bath Buccaneers and 9-3 to Surbiton.
A hat-trick from Andy Pett helped Team Bath to victory, while they drew 5-5 with Surbiton with Peter Scott and Ben Mackey both scoring two, while Alan Forsyth found the net three times in that game for Surbiton. Captain Lewis Prosser scored a hat-trick in Surbiton’s 9-3 win over Wimbledon.
Loughborough Students avoid the drop after coming from behind to beat Bowdon 7-5 and drawing with Canterbury 4-4 with Ed Horler scoring eight of their 11 goals on Sunday.
Canterbury also drew 5-5 with Bowdon, but it wasn’t enough to avoid finishing second bottom of the Premier Division table.
Euro Hockey League media release
We're on our way to Wembley!
Sevenoaks celebrate at Wembley
The second qualifying weekend for the Super 6s finals promised to be an action-packed and spectacular one and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The top four saw off some fierce competition and with just three points between sixth place and the fourth and final qualifying place the final ticket to Wembley was not decided until the last game of the qualifiers.
Topping the table were Surbiton who proved to be the great entertainers in the competition. They averaged over seven goals a game as they plundered 58 in eight matches. Their defence proved to be the meanest in the competition, conceding just 27 times, giving them a goal difference of +31. These are staggering figures from the Sugden Road side who will be in confident mood going into their first ever finals day.
East Grinstead also qualified in relative comfort as the Sussex outfit go in search of their ninth consecutive title. With a side mixing youth and experience, Grinstead showed plenty of flair in attack and were their usual mean selves at the back. Ben Allberry popped up with 12 goals in eight games whilst Adam Seccull’s seven goals were more than useful on their way to finals day.
Reading will return to finals day for another tilt at the title but they certainly left it late to secure their qualification. Going into the final match of the pool stage they needed a positive result against reigning champions East Grinstead. With goal difference possibly a factor, Andy Watts threw caution to the wind and sent his team out with six outfield players and no goalkeeper. The “we’ll score more than you" approach paid off and the ‘Ding won an incredible encounter 10-8 to take their place at finals day in dramatic style.
The fourth and final qualification spot went to Kent side Sevenoaks who are back for the third year in a row. It’s been quite a journey for the team from Holly Bush Lane who started out in indoor hockey just eight years ago at the bottom of the pyramid. Through much hard work and dedication they have worked their way up the ladder and are now, rightly considered one of the best indoor outfits in the country. Nearly men the last two years will Sevenoaks makes it third time lucky this time around?
We have our four semi-finalists. The stage is set for an amazing day of hockey.
England Hockey Board Media release
Wembley, here we come!
Eliza Brett and Sarah Kerly celebrate a Canterbury goal
The Women’s Super 6s qualifying phase concluded this past weekend with the four semi-finalists now known. In an incredibly tight competition, just six points separated Slough in top spot from Reading in seventh with almost all the teams in the top flight in contention right up till the end.
In the end, Slough were the team to finish top of the pile. Thanks in part to the eye for goal shown by Dilly Newton (nine goals) and Ashpal Bhogal (eight goals) the Pink and Blacks who were semi-finalists in this competition in 2015 made their way to finals day thank to five wins from eight games, with just one loss on the way. Ultimately their qualification was secured in style after a 7-2 win over Buckingham gave them not only the points the needed but top spot as well.
Bowdon Hightown had already confirmed their place at finals day with two games to spare and so their losses to Canterbury and Sutton Coldfield mattered not. They are a competitive unit however and will be keen to right those wrongs at Wembley and win the title they captured in 2015. Sally Walton showed her class once again, finishing on 13 goals for the competition ably assisted by Tina Cullen who bagged nine of her own. Hightown play “proper” indoor hockey and will be raring to go when it comes to the big occasion.
The third qualification place went the way of Canterbury. The Kent side’s young guns had left themselves plenty to do on the final day but a win over title rivals Sutton Coldfield in the first game of the day put them right into the mix and then a 5-3 win over Bowdon Hightown got the job done. Captain Sarah Kerly has led from the front with a superb 12 goals to her name whilst Grace Balsdon continues to impress showing defensive solidity and adding nine goals into the bargain as well. Canterbury have been to finals day plenty of times before, is this to be their year at last?
Sutton Coldfield, runners up in 2013 have made it back to Wembley for another shot at glory this time out. They went into the final day in a great position to qualify but suffered a setback in their first game of the day when they lost out to Canterbury. That left them with the difficult task of beating Bowdon Hightown for a chance to qualify. Goals from Sarah Parkinson-Mills, Sophie Manning, Julie Stowe and Vicky Woolford as well as two amazing goal line clearances from Laura Price got the job done in a 4-2 win that brought Sutton through to finals day once more.
With the trophy now within touching distance we are sure to have an incredible day of hockey ahead of us as the teams give their all in an attempt to get their hands on the silverware.
England Hockey Board Media release
2018 Australian Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup Squad Named
30 named in squad
Holly MacNeil
Hockey Australia has announced the men's Indoor Hockey World Cup squad that will form the core group of players as Australia look ahead to the Indoor Hockey World Cup in February 2018.
The recent Open men’s Indoor Australian Championships at the Festival of Indoor Hockey in Wollongong has provided experienced and up-and-coming players the opportunity to prove their abilities against the best in Australia.
The squad contains a mixture of highly experienced players and players who proved their ability to compete at a high level in a tough competition environment.
The squad includes Olympic medalists Glenn Turner, Kieran Govers and Tim Deavin. With Blake Govers joining his 2016 Rio Olympic Games teammates, Turner and Deavin.
Top goal scorer for the Championships, with 13 goals, and Player of the Tournament, Flynn Ogilvie was also named in the squad. Ogilvie represented Australia at the 2015 Indoor Hockey World Cup with his brothers Kurt and Heath. Flynn is also in the current Kookaburras squad and played in the 2014 and 2016 Champions Trophy.
Head Coach Steve Willer said: "There is an exceptional level of experience in the squad with numerous players representing Australia at Olympic level. There are also eight players who have competed at the Indoor Hockey World Cup, including Tim Deavin, Kieran Govers, Flynn Ogilvie, Heath Ogilvie, Kurt Ogilvie, Tom Sinclair, Matthew Hotchkis and Ben Rennie”.
“We have chosen a squad that we believe has the athleticism, attitude, team orientation and positional flexibility to achieve optimal team balance and the best possible results for Australia at the 2018 Indoor Hockey World Cup and beyond”.
Two players who were selected as shadow players for the 2015 Indoor Hockey World Cup have also been selected, Adam Seccull and Darren Parkes.
Adam Seccull is currently playing for English indoor champions, East Grinstead, who have won the English indoor title for the last eight consecutive years. Adam will represent East Grinstead in the English Super Sixes and European Club Championships this January and February.
Darren Parkes had an outstanding Indoor Australian Championships in Wollongong, showing his ability to play a variety of positions and lead by example on the court. He scored five goals in the tournament and was runner-up to Flynn Ogilvie as Player of the Tournament.
Assistant Coach Mark Sandhu said: “Whilst the emphasis of this squad is focused on the 2018 World Cup, the selection of younger squad members provides us with a solid foundation for the 2022 World Cup”.
The squad will come together in Canberra mid-year (June/July) to begin training with a three-day selection camp. The final twelve-player Australian Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup team will be selected from the camp.
At the conclusion of the Under 21 Indoor Australian Championships the Australian Indoor Development Squad will be announced from players competing in the Open and Under 21 Men’s Championships. The development squad will participate in a tour during 2017.
2018 Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup Squad
Name (Hometown, State)
BRUTON Berkeley-John (NSW)
CAMPBELL Aidan (Ashgrove, QLD)
CLARKE Brad (High Wycombe, WA)
DEAVIN Tim (Launceston, TAS) *
ELLIS Mark (Bicton, WA)
GOVERS Blake (Wollongong, NSW)
GOVERS Kieran (Wollongong, NSW)
HAYES Jack (Albion Park, NSW)
HOTCHKIS Matthew (Canberra, ACT)
KNEE James (Bentleigh, VIC)
MACKAY Alexander (Wollongong, NSW)
MADDEN Tom (Morningside, QLD)
MCILWAN Will (Kew, VIC)
MEADEN Zach (Eltham, VIC)
NOBLETT, Luke (Gymea, NSW) *
OGILVIE Flynn (Wollongong, NSW)
OGILVIE Heath (Wollongong, NSW)
OGILVIE Kurt (Wollongong, NSW)
PARKES Darren (East Cannington, WA)
RENNIE Ben (Scarborough, WA)
ROSSITER Troy (QLD)
SECCULL Adam (Brighton, VIC) *
SECCULL Ben (Brighton, VIC)
SHERREN Jake (Glen Iris, VIC)
SINCLAIR Tom (Armadale, VIC)
STAINES Ben (Goulburn, NSW) (ACT Team)
SUTHERLAND Troy (Wodonga, VIC) (ACT Team)
TAYLOR Jared (Everon Park, QLD)
TURNER Glenn (Goulburn, NSW) (ACT Team)
* Hockey Australia Exemption from Indoor Australian Championships
Hockey Australia media release
2018 Australian Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup Squad
40 named in team
Holly MacNeil/
After the conclusion of the Open women’s Indoor Australian Championships, which form part of the 2017 Festival of Indoor Hockey played in Wollongong throughout January 2017, the 2018 women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup squad has been announced.
The squad contains an exciting mix of experienced players in addition to some very talented young players who have come through the junior ranks and development tours in recent years.
The squad includes ten players who played in the successful 2015 Indoor World Cup campaign. It also includes Hockeyroo and Junior World Cup player Renee Taylor and Ashlea Fey, Kalindi Commerford and Tamsin Bunt who all played for the Hockeyroos in the recent series against New Zealand and India in November 2016, and all of whom have a strong indoor hockey background.
Player of the Tournament and top goal scorer, 17 year-old Karri Somerville and 18 year-old Tasmanian Madeleine Murphy are just two of the highly talented young players who have made the squad and will push the more experienced players for selection in the Indoor World Cup.
Head Coach Stewart Fenton said, “I am so excited by the quality of this squad and am really looking forward to working with the players over the next 12 months as we head into the Indoor Hockey World Cup, to be played most likely in Berlin in February 2018. Most importantly, the depth of talent in this squad is stronger than ever and ensures that there will be fierce competition for a place in the team for the World Cup.
“The skill level, athleticism and the versatility of the players in this squad will give us the best possible opportunity for success whilst the quality of the younger players coming through ensures a bright future for indoor hockey in Australia.”
Assistant Coach and fellow selector, Gaye Tarrant added “With a shorter turn-around from the last Indoor Hockey World Cup the squad includes a number of experienced players from the last World Cup cycle along with some very exciting younger players who will push the more experienced players to keep developing and raise their standards higher.”
The squad will come together in Canberra mid-year for a three-day selection camp where the final team of 12 will be selected. At the conclusion of the Under 21 Indoor Australian Championships, the Australian Women’s Indoor Development squad will be announced. It is intended that a development tour will be undertaken during 2017 which will be selected from both the World Cup and Development squads.
(Name, Hometown, State)
AUSTIN Lauren (Perth, WA)
BESTALL Jessica (Shelley, WA)
BOUCHER Tegan (Aspendale, VIC)
BRITTON Tayla (Innaloo, WA)
BUNT Tamsin (Aylmerton, NSW)
COMERFORD Clare (Lutwyche, QLD)
COMMERFORD Kalindi (Kaleen, ACT)
CRICK Natalie (Balmoral, QLD)
DUGUID Elizabeth (Nedlands, WA)
ECOMONOS Samantha (Balaclava, NSW) (Plays for ACT)
FARRELL Lisa (St Andrew’s, NSW)
FEY Ashlea (Wakerley, QLD)
GRAY Kyah (Shoalhaven Heads, NSW (Plays for ACT)
HOWARD Lindsey (Mount Gravett, QLD)
JUDD Erin (Atwell, WA)
McLEISH Emma (Albion Park, NSW)
MURPHY Madeleine (Riana, TAS)
PEDERSON Trudi (Maryborough, QLD)
PLUMB Kizziah (Crookwell, NSW) (Plays for ACT)
REID Emma (Perth, WA)
RIORDAN Emily (Mernda, VIC)
ROBERTS Anna (Shelley, WA)
SECCULL Emily (Brighton, VIC)
SMITH Madeleine (Norman Park, QLD)
SOMERVILLE Karri (Kensington, WA)
SUTHERLAND Peta (Canberra, ACT)
TAYLOR Emma (Aranda, ACT)
TAYLOR Renee (Everton Park, QLD)
WATSON Shelley (Kaleen, ACT)
WOODS Elanor (Wollongong, NSW)
Hockey Australia media release
Thanks to HIL, I can pay university fees, says Aus forward
NEW DELHI: Hockey India League (HIL) has been a financial boon to the players world over and is set to change the life of Australian forward Tom Craig, who intends to pay for his university fees with earnings from the upcoming event.
"That amount of money makes a massive difference to any hockey player, you'd think. Certainly, for me, I appreciate the opportunity that the HIL brings as far as professionalizing the game, and this money will most likely go straight towards my university fees," said Craig, who was bought by the Kalinga Lancers for USD 67,000.
Craig's ability to counter-attack is top notch and hockey lovers will get to see his delightful skills at the HIL beginning on January 21.
"I remember watching on TV when the first series of HIL was played, and absolutely loved it," says Craig, who made his debut for the Australian men's team in 2014 for the Test Series against India.
"Most young Australian hockey players have plenty of interest in the HIL, and I am no exception. It's such an exciting tournament and I cannot wait to be involved. India is a fantastic country and the crowds are brilliant. There's so much to look forward to," stated the 21-year-old ahead of his debut season.
Craig will be part of the Kalinga Lancers which is led by legendary German hockey star Moritz Fuerste. He will also have fellow Australians Glenn Turner, Matthew Dawson, Andrew Charter and Aran Zalewski joining him in the Lancers' camp.
For Craig, playing against his own teammates will be most exciting during the league. He says, "Every team has a wealth of unbelievable talent, but I would have to say I love playing against my Australian teammates the most, so I'm looking forward to that."
Ahead of a challenging season for his home team Australia, Craig feels his exposure will mean that he goes back with some valuable lessons. "This season hopefully exposes me a bit more to the world's best players, which will be such a valuable learning opportunity. We start the season fairly hard with the international team so a good few months in India playing good hockey will, with any luck, leave me sharper than what I would be without it," Craig added.
The Times of India
John Epps
England Hockey is sad to report the news over the Christmas period of the passing of John Epps, a long time member of Bowdon Hockey Club.
John was a Match Official in the England Hockey League for a number of seasons. He also umpired in Cumbria and the North West Hockey League.
In 2012 John volunteered for the Olympics in London and worked at the hockey competition in the Sports Information team. John was a huge hockey fan and an absolute gentleman He will be sorely missed.
John's funeral is to be held on Friday 20th January at 12noon at the United Reformed Church, 81 Cecil Road, Hale, Altrincham, Cheshire. WA15 9NT. His family have family flowers only. It will be followed by a wake to celebrate
his life, at the Mercure Bowdon Hotel, Langham Road, Bowdon WA14 2HT
Our thoughts and condolences are with John's friends and family at this time.
England Hockey Board Media release