News for 13 February 2017
All the news for Monday 13 February 2017
Spain triumph at Valencia HWL Round two
Host nation Spain beat Poland after a HWL R2 campaign that demonstrated how much the team had learnt during both their recent Olympic experience and on the back of a strong 2015 HWL campaign. Scotland beat Ukraine for third spot – a result that could be vital when the final teams are announced for the HWL Semi-Finals being held later this year in South Africa and England. The Czech Republic beat Russia in a tremendously close encounter to decide fifth place, while Turkey upset the rankings when they beat Ghana – again an intriguingly close and hard-fought match.
The final: Spain v Poland 2-0
With Spain ranked 11 places above them, and riding on a double wave of vociferous home support and confidence from a great campaign, Poland was always going to be the under dog in this match. In fact, Poland’s captain Marlena Rybacha, had already alluded to the fact that her team had surpassed expectation by making it to the final: “To be honest, I think we were surprise of the tournament. We didn’t come here as the highest ranked team, and with not a great preparation, so no one really expected us to be in the final.”
While Poland are delighted to have qualified for the next stage and to still be in with a chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, they will be very aware that they have some work to do before June, if they are to close the gap on Spain. This highly impressive Spanish team has gone through the competition looking more assured with every performance. A tough match in the semi-final against Scotland was perfect preparation for the encounter with an obdurate Polish defence.
The deciding goals came from two of the more experienced players in the team. Beatriz Perez has more than 120 caps for her country and in this tournament, she has added two more goals to her tally. Her latest, from open play in the ninth minute, set her team on the winning trail. The second goal didn’t come until the 56th minute as Poland had worked incredibly hard to contain the busy Spanish midfield and attack. When it did come, it was again through open play, with Begona Garcia (58 caps) finding the net and scoring her fourth goal of the competition.
Speaking after the event, a delighted Adrian Lock said: "I believe that this team can go as far as it wants. At the moment we have a little way to go to challenge top seven sides on a regular basis, but with the experience of these first four years behind us and with the vast majority of the group continuing, with the addition of some exceptionally talented under 21 players, I have no doubt that we have the talent. We'll keep improving physically and technically, and we are gradually gaining experience and maturity. This tournament has shown that we can be strong mentally and now its a case of getting our heads down and doing the ground work to be able to compete with all the top teams in the HWL Semi-Finals, the Europeans and, if all goes really well, the HWL Finals too.
3/4 place: Scotland v Ukraine 1-0
Scotland and Ukraine played out a tightly defensive game with just a single penalty corner from Alison Howie separating the two teams. This was scored in the 30th minute, and despite a determined and disciplined response from the Ukraine side, there was no way that Scotland were going to give up on third place in this competition.
Gordon Shepherd’s team must now wait to see if they can still qualify for the HWL Semi-Finals in Belgium and South Africa. Under FIH regulations, two places can be awarded to the highest ranked teams finishing third. Scotland’s fate depends upon the outcome of the third Round Two event, taking place in Canada in April.
5/6 place: Russia v Czech Republic 2-3
The final minutes of this match was as close as the rankings (Russia 28, Czech Republic 25) suggested it would be. In the end, Czech Republic prevailed but a Russian fightback kept the spectators on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
The opening quarter seemed to indicate that Czech Republic would cruise to victory as the team sped to a 2-0 lead. The goals came in the seventh and 14th minute, the opener from Katerina Lacina – a neat goal after some good build up play – and the second from a penalty corner. Barbara Haklova delivered the perfect strike.
The Czech Republic were then forced to wait until the 42nd minute as Russia came to terms with the speed of the game. This time it was Nikol Babicka who scored from open play.
Russia finally found their stride in the final quarter and Marina Fedorova and the tournament’s top scorer Bogdana Sadovaia both found a way past the Czech defence to bring the score to 3-2. This come back was despite being reduced to 10 players after Aleksandra Leonova was sent off for 10 minutes in the 46th minute. The Russian effort was too little, too late for Anthony Thornton’s side but the Czech Republic would have been relieved to hear the final whistle.
7/8 place: Ghana v Turkey 6-2
Turkey came to Valencia as a reserve team but the southern Europe side have won fans and earned plaudits for their determined and skilful play. They finished the tournament in style by beating the higher ranked team of Ghana in a thrilling match that kicked off finals day in the Valencia HWLR2.
Turkey took the lead in the fifth minute through the prolific Perihan Kucukkoc but that lead was wiped out two minutes later when Nafisatu Umaru evened things up through a penalty corner. Ghana then moved into he lead when Ernestina Coffie slotted home a penalty corner.
One thing has been evident at this event and that has been Turkey’s resilience and so it proved again. Ghana played free-running and skilful hockey but Turkey stuck to their defensive responsibilities and looked for counter-attacking opportunities. These came in the form of two penalty corners, which Kubra Guzelal and Kucukkoc both took full advantage of.
The final score, 3-2 to Turkey, was against the world rankings but fully deserved.
Final placings:
Spain
Poland
Scotland
Ukraine
Czech Republic
Russia
Turkey
Ghana
The next women’s HWL event takes place 1-9 April in Vancouver, Canada.
#HWL2017 #MakeYourMark
FIH site
Scotland defeat Ukraine to finish third in Valencia
Scotland v Ukraine
Scotland defeated Ukraine 1-0 to finish third at women’s World League 2 in Valencia. It was a deserved victory for the Scots, avenging their defeat to Ukraine in their earlier Pool encounter.
The Scots were enjoying a lot of possession in the opening sections of the game, showing some slick passing and moving the ball around the pitch very well. The Ukraine defence was proving stubborn, however, and gave not even the slightest hint of an opening in the first quarter.
The theme of the match, Scottish possession and Ukrainian defence, continued into the second quarter. It looked like the first half was going to end in stalemate; that was until Scotland were awarded a penalty corner right on half time. It was set up for Amy Costello who picked out Ali Howie right in front of goal and she made no mistake with the finish. 1-0.
Into the second half and Scotland nearly doubled their lead immediately. An excellent run into the D by Ali Howie, saw her smash the ball towards goal but a last ditch block prevented another goal.
Into the final quarter and while Ukraine battled hard, Scotland were looking very comfortable. Ukraine had a chance when they were awarded a penalty corner; the ball was launched goal ward but some solid defending kept Scotland’s lead intact.
Then it was Becky Ward to the rescue for Scotland, producing a great block from another Ukrainian penalty corner.
As the minutes ticked down Ukraine threw everything they had at the Scots but found the Scots resolute in defence. A great double save by Nikki Cochrane from a scramble in the D kept Ukraine out right at the end, and Scotland held on to claim third place at women’s World League 2 in Valencia.
Scotland women’s Head Coach Gordon Shepherd said, "The girls played well and were very positive in their approach today. They got a bit nervous in the last quarter but saw the game out, and I can only praise such a young squad for what they have done during this tournament."
Photos by John Preece
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Fiji Hockey ready for Bangladesh
Pravin Narain
The Fiji mens hockey team after their training yesterday.Picture ATU RASEA
NATIONAL hockey men's team is ready for the Hockey World League Round 2 which will held in Bangladesh next month.
The Fiji Hockey Association president Robin Mitchell said they faced problems with the funding for the tournament in terms of transportation and levy for the players. However, it had been sorted out.
"We had both teams qualified, but the women's team were to go to Malaysia last month, but after looking at our situation we decided not to go.
"The women have higher chances of improving their rankings in the Oceania Cup in Sydney, Australia in October," Mitchell said.
"The main purpose of the competition is to get our team qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia next year.
"We have decided to focus on the men's team as they are ranked 18th in the Commonwealth Games.
Mitchell said the players had been preparing well with the coach Hector Smith.
"The funding is going on quite well as we have paid our air tickets and it is those little things which adds up that we have to address and we would prefer to have money because there are also ongoing programs," he added.
"We also have got the under-18 qualification for the Youth Olympic Games. We have selected the squad after a secondary school competition.
"We are leaving in two and a half weeks and we have got confirmation of the grants given where the levy of the players is paid and we are also doing our own fundraising."
The team leaves for Bangladesh on March 1.
The Fiji Times
Delhi Waveriders beat Kalinga Lancers 6-4 on home turf 
New Delhi: Crucial goals by Rupinder Pal Singh (57’) and Simon Child (59’) in the dying minutes of the match saw Delhi Waveriders get past the dangerous Kalinga Lancers with a 6-4 win here at the Coal India Hockey India League.
While a win for the Kalinga Lancers tonight would mean that they would almost certainly confirm their spot in the Semi Final Weekend in Chandigarh on 25 February 2017, the home team Delhi Waveriders vied for their second win in the league to keep their hopes intact to stay in contention and the home team did not disappoint as they came up with an inspired performance ensuring a strong start to put pressure on the visitors.
Kalinga Lancers’ keeper Abhinav Kumar Pandey was kept busy at the post early in the game, thanks to the heroics of Mandeep Singh who worked in tandem with Junior India teammate Santa Singh to put pressure by finding gaps in the circle, creating chances at scoring in the initial minutes of the game. They handed an early blow to the visiting team when Talwinder Singh played one-to-one with Simon Child before he could take the strike at the post. The 9th minute goal put them in a bold 2-0 lead.
Mandeep Singh continued to enthrall the home crowd with his exceptional stick work when he won his team their first PC in the 21st minute. But Rupinder Pal Singh’s flick to the center of the post was padded away promptly by Abhinav Kumar Pandey denying the Delhi Waveriders a further lead. Interestingly, Rupinder has been successful at converting just one goal from the 10 PCs he has attempted this season. In the 24th minute, Mandeep earned yet another PC for the home side but Justin Reid-Ross’s attempt was denied. Though Kalinga Lancers won their first PC with just two minutes to go for the first-half, they failed to convert it. But the Delhi Waveriders rallied to work a set piece almost immediately when they earned three back-to-back PCs in the 29th minute. They were third time successful when Justin Reid-Ross fired the ball away to the keeper’s left to extend their home advantage to finish the quarter with a 3-0 lead.
Moritz Fuerste played a crucial role in earning his team a PC in the 38th minute after he made a perfect assist to Adam Dixon who found Rupinder Pal Singh’s foot in the circle. But a miss-trap denied them a goal. However, they came back strongly in the 40th minute when Fuerste came up with an inch-perfect dribble into the circle only to find an unmarked Dharamvir Singh who made no mistake in sending the ball past Delhi Waveriders’ keeper Vincent Vanasch. The field goal helped the visitors narrow the deficit to 2-3.
A video referral by Kalinga Lancers’ Glenn Turner saw them being awarded a PC in the 42nd minute. But Vincent Vanasch came up with a class-act to save the fiercely struck drag flick by Fuerste to deny them an equalizer. With just 13 seconds left for the third quarter to end, Glenn Turner helped his team win another PC but a miss-trap by Billy Bakker saw them try a desperate variation. Though Tom Craig converted a goal, it was denied by the umpires after a video referral by the home team was upheld.
The final quarter witnessed nail-biting action keeping the dynamic Delhi crowd on the edge of their seats. Though Delhi Waveriders did well with their defence to retain the lead, the dangerous Moritz Fuerste could not be stopped in the 54th minute when he was brilliantly assisted by Amit Rohidas that saw him beat Vincent Vanasch to earn a crucial 4-3 lead.
But skipper Rupinder Pal Singh spoiled the Kalinga Lancers party when he converted a PC in the 57th minute to equalize the score to 4-4. The action didn’t end there as Simon Child was successful in converting a field goal after he was set up by Mandeep Singh to hand the home team a 6-4 victory.
Dharamvir Singh of Kalinga Lancers was awarded with a prize money of Rs 50,000 for scoring the Coal India Goal of the Match from Shri. G.K. Vashisht, General Manager, Sales & Marketing Coal India Ltd.
Mandeep Singh of Delhi Waveriders won the prize of Rs 25,000 for being the Hero Young Achiever of the Match from Mr. Hans Erik Tuijt, Chairman, Euro Hockey League.
The Airtel Most Entertaining Player of the Match was awarded to Benjamin Stanzl that came with a prize money of Rs 25,000 and presented by Ms. Marijke Fleuren, Member FIH Executive Board & President European Hockey Federation.
Rupinder Pal Singh of Delhi Waveriders was declared the Man of the Match and was awarded a prize money of Rs 50,000 by Mr. V.K. Aggarwal, Managing Director, Prayag Polymers India Pvt. Ltd.
Official HIL site
Waveriders score over Lancers
Kamesh Srinivasan
Talvinder Singh’s early field goal provided Delhi Waveriders the momentum. Photo Credit: R_V_Moorthy
NEW DELHI: An amazing piece of stickwork by the ever vibrant Mandeep Singh, with two minutes left on the clock, clinched a 6-4 victory for Delhi Waveriders over the second-placed Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League at the Shivaji Stadium here on Sunday.
After having led 3-0 at half-time following an early strike by Talwinder Singh and a penalty corner conversion by Justin Reid-Ross, Delhi looked to have lost the momentum following two swift strikes by Dharamvir Singh and captain Moritz Fuertse for Kalinga, which counted for two goals each, in the third quarter.
In between, Kalinga had a penalty corner goal disallowed following a video referral, which proved the decisive change of fortunes.
However, Delhi, cheered by a noisy crowd, did not lose hope and equalised through a stinging shot by Rupidner Pal Singh, who converted the team’s eighth penalty corner.
The team had managed to convert only one of the seven penalty corners in the first half, and it was a bolt from the blue for the host. It showed the determination in the ranks with three minutes left for the final hooter.
Of course, converting the penalty corners was a tough proposition for both the teams on one end as it was difficult to trap the bouncing ball that often jumped awkwardly.
Quite cleverly, Justin had flicked one gently high to catch the defence and the goalkeeper off guard for the only penalty corner conversion that consolidated Delhi’s position in the first-half.
As time was ticking, Mandeep made repeated attempts and followed up on the rebound to flick one home and send the crowd into a delirium.
It was a well-deserved victory for the host, which had revived its fortunes in the last match with a thumping victory over Uttar Pradesh.
In its first home match earlier, Delhi had given a good account of itself before losing a close encounter to Punjab, which is fourth.
However, there was no doubt that with five points coming for a victory, Delhi could still fancy its chances of a semifinal berth with three more matches to go. Quite notably, two of them will be at home.
For a team that drew a blank from its first four matches, Delhi has really recovered lost ground to stay in the race for the knock-out phase.
The fact that in the normal course it would have been a 4-2 victory for Delhi proved its domination on the day. It should not be lost that the goals fetched a point for Kalinga Lancers even in defeat and consolidated its position at the second spot.
The result:
Delhi Waveriders 6 (Talwinder Singh 2 (FG), Manpreet Singh 2, Justin Reid-Ross, Rupinder Pal Singh) bt Kalinga Lancers 4 (Dharamvir Singh 2 (FG), Moritz Fuertse 2 (FG)).
The Hindu
Delhi Waveriders beat Kalinga Lancers in a goal fest to record second win
Delhi Waveriders celebrate a goal against Kalinga Lancers in the HIL 2017. Twitter/ @HockeyIndiaLeag
New Delhi: Crucial goals by Rupinder Pal Singh and Simon Child in the dying minutes of the match saw Delhi Waveriders get past the dangerous Kalinga Lancers with a 6-4 win in New Delhi at the Coal India Hockey India League in New Delhi on Sunday.
While a win for the Kalinga Lancers tonight would mean that they would almost certainly confirm their spot in the semifinals in Chandigarh on 25 February.
Delhi Waveriders vied for their second win in the league to keep their hopes intact to stay in contention and the home team did not disappoint as they came up with an inspired performance ensuring a strong start to put pressure on the visitors.
Kalinga Lancers’ keeper Abhinav Kumar Pandey was kept busy at the post early in the game, thanks to the heroics of Mandeep Singh who worked in tandem with junior India teammate Santa Singh to put pressure by finding gaps in the circle, creating chances at scoring in the initial minutes of the game. They handed an early blow to the visiting team when Talwinder Singh played one-to-one with Simon Child before he could take the strike at the post. The ninth minute goal put them in a bold 2-0 lead.
Mandeep Singh continued to enthrall the home crowd with his exceptional stick work when he won his team their first PC in the 21st minute. But Rupinder Pal Singh’s flick to the center of the post was padded away promptly by Abhinav Kumar Pandey denying the Delhi Waveriders a further lead.
Interestingly, Rupinder has been successful at converting just one goal from the 10 PCs he has attempted this season.
In the 24th minute, Mandeep earned yet another PC for the home side but Justin Reid-Ross’s attempt was denied. Though Kalinga Lancers won their first PC with just two minutes to go for the first-half, they failed to convert it. But the Delhi Waveriders rallied to work a set piece almost immediately when they earned three back-to-back PCs in the 29th minute.
They were third time successful when Justin Reid-Ross fired the ball away to the keeper’s left to extend their home advantage to finish the quarter with a 3-0 lead.
Moritz Fuerste played a crucial role in earning his team a PC in the 38th minute after he made a perfect assist to Adam Dixon who found Rupinder Pal Singh’s foot in the circle. But a miss-trap denied them a goal. However, they came back strongly in the 40th minute when Fuerste came up with an inch-perfect dribble into the circle only to find an unmarked Dharamvir Singh who made no mistake in sending the ball past Delhi Waveriders’ keeper Vincent Vanasch. The field goal helped the visitors narrow the deficit to 2-3.
A video referral by Kalinga Lancers’ Glenn Turner saw them being awarded a PC in the 42nd minute. But Vincent Vanasch came up with a class-act to save the fiercely struck drag flick by Fuerste to deny them an equaliser. With just 13 seconds left for the third quarter to end, Turner helped his team win another PC but a miss-trap by Billy Bakker saw them try a desperate variation. Though Tom Craig converted a goal, it was denied by the umpires after a video referral by the home team was upheld.
The final quarter witnessed nail-biting action keeping the dynamic Delhi crowd on the edge of their seats. Though Delhi Waveriders did well with their defence to retain the lead, the dangerous Moritz Fuerste could not be stopped in the 54th minute when he was brilliantly assisted by Amit Rohidas that saw him beat Vincent Vanasch to earn a crucial 4-3 lead.
But skipper Rupinder Pal Singh spoiled the Kalinga Lancers party when he converted a PC in the 57th minute to equalise the score to 4-4. The action didn’t end there when Simon Child was successful in converting a field goal after he was set up by Mandeep Singh to hand the home team a 6-4 victory.
Firstpost
Wimbledon beat rivals Holcombe
Michael Hoare of Wimbledon. Credit Simon Parker
In-form Wimbledon extended their lead at the top of the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division with a 2-1 win against their closest competitors, Holcombe, on Saturday.
Now unbeaten in 12 games this season, Wimbledon lead the division by four points. Jonny Kinder got Wimbledon off the mark after 32 minutes and with Holcombe still reeling, they quickly grabbed a second through Chris Gregg.
Robert Field pulled one back for Holcombe in the 63rd minute but Wimbledon held on for all three points.
Hampstead and Westminster battled back from 3-1 down to take a point against hosts Brooklands Manchester University on Sunday.
It was the visitors that opened the scoring, but Brooklands went 3-1 up with a double from Peter Flanagan and another from Oliver Clarke.
With six minutes left on the clock, Sam French pulled one back for Hampstead and Westminster and then in the final minute, Matt Guise-Brown struck from a corner to make it 3-3.
Despite that result, Hampstead and Westminster lost fourth place to Beeston as goals from Richard Lawrence and Gareth Griffiths helped them take a 2-0 win against bottom of the table Loughborough Students.
Surbiton missed their opportunity to put pressure on second-placed Holcombe through no fault of their own – their game against struggling Canterbury was postponed due to snow.
Men’s Conference East
Sevenoaks’ four-goal haul in their 4-0 win over bottom club Indian Gymkhana saw them retake top spot in the Men’s Conference East after Teddington had temporarily gone top 24 hours earlier.
Two goals each from George Torry and Ali Taylor helped put Sevenoaks back ahead of Teddington on goal difference.
However, Teddington are still very much in contention and beat Richmond by the same score on Saturday with Tim Davenport scoring twice.
Oxted beat West Herts 5-3 with Robbert Schenk getting a hat-trick for the winners. Dan Webster also scored a hat-trick, for West Herts.
Elsewhere, Cambridge City beat Brighton and Hove 1-0 and Southgate took a 3-0 win over Wapping.
Men’s Conference North
The University of Durham are now 11 points clear at the top of the Men’s Conference North and stamped their authority on their position with a dominant 5-1 win against second-placed Bowdon.
Tom Graham scored twice, while other goals came from Angus Spittles, Rory Patterson and Jack Waller.
Martin Ebbage and Steve Batten scored two goals each in a 5-1 win over Deeside Ramblers for Olton and West Warwickshire.
Matt Gibson and Travis Cresswell also scored twice each as Doncaster took a 5-2 win against Oxton.
A last-gasp equaliser from Andrew Jackson saw Sheffield Hallam earn a 2-2 draw with Leek and Preston beat Cannock 2-0.
Men’s Conference West
The University of Exeter put on a fantastic display of attacking hockey as they beat the University of Birmingham 8-1 in the Men’s Conference West. Ed Matts led the scoring with a hat-trick and Ben Francis bagged a double.
Cardiff and Met were in European action and so Team Bath Buccaneers looked to close the gap at the top. They beat Chichester 4-3 with goals from Adam Croutear, Sebastian Golding, Ben Mackey and Ben Stone.
Fareham earned only their sixth point of the campaign, drawing 1-1 with Isca who are just one point above them.
In the other game, James Tindall scored twice as Old Georgians beat Cheltenham 3-1.
Men’s Hockey League (Saturday, 11 February 2017):
Men's Premier Division: Wimbledon 2, Holcombe 1. Postponed: Canterbury v Surbiton.
Men’s Conference East: Teddington 4, Richmond 0; Wapping 0, Sevenoaks 4.
Men’s Hockey League (Sunday, 12 February 2017):
Men's Premier Division: Brooklands Manchester University 3, Hampstead and Westminster 3; Beeston 2, Loughborough Students 0.
Men’s Conference East: Cambridge City 1, Brighton and Hove 0; Oxted 5, West Herts 3; Indian Gymkhana 0, Sevenoaks 4.
Men’s Conference North: Deeside Ramblers 1, Olton and West Warwickshire 5; Sheffield Hallam 2, Leek 2; Preston 2, Cannock 0; Doncaster 5, Oxton 2; Bowdon 1, University of Bowdon 5.
Men’s Conference West: Chichester 3, Team Bath Buccaneers 4; Cheltenham 1, Old Georgians 3; University of Exeter 8, University of Birmingham 1; Fareham 1, Isca 1.
England Hockey Board Media release
Wimbledon strengthen lead in English Premier Division
In-form Wimbledon extended their lead at the top of England’s Hockey League Premier Division with a 2-1 win against their closest competitors, Holcombe, on Saturday.
Now unbeaten in 12 games this season, Wimbledon lead the division by four points. Jonny Kinder got Wimbledon off the mark after 32 minutes and with Holcombe still reeling, they quickly grabbed a second through Chris Gregg. Robert Field pulled one back for Holcombe in the 63rd minute but Wimbledon held on for all three points.
Hampstead and Westminster battled back from 3-1 down to take a point against hosts Brooklands Manchester University on Sunday.
It was the visitors that opened the scoring, but Brooklands went 3-1 up with a double from Peter Flanagan and another from Oliver Clarke.
With six minutes left on the clock, Sam French pulled one back for Hampstead and Westminster and then in the final minute, Matt Guise-Brown struck from a corner to make it 3-3.
Despite that result, Hampstead and Westminster lost fourth place to Beeston as goals from Richard Lawrence and Gareth Griffiths helped them take a 2-0 win against bottom of the table Loughborough Students.
Surbiton missed their opportunity to put pressure on second-placed Holcombe through no fault of their own – their game against struggling Canterbury was postponed due to snow.
Euro Hockey League media release
Uhlenhorst Mulheim the European indoor champions
Uhlenhorst Mülheim landed the men’s European indoor club championship title with a 3-2 final win over Austrian hosts SV Arminen in Vienna today.
Michael Minar gave the hosts the perfect start in just the third minute but the German side were back level at the half-time break via the experienced Thilo Stralkowski on the half-time whistle.
Immediately after the break, Mülheim earned a stroke for a foul on Stralkowski which top scorer and player of the tounament Timm Herzbruch easily converted for 2-1.
The Austrians were under near constant pressure in the second half and Uhlenhorst got the crucial third goal in the 30th minute via a Stralkowski corner.
Patrick Schmidt got one back for Arminen with a couple of minutes to go while Mülheim suffered a pair of sin-binnings in the closing stages but survived to land the win.
AH&BC Amstderdam came third thanks to a 4-2 win over East Grinstead. They built a four-goal lead thanks to two efforts from Robert Tigges and one each from Johannes Mooij and Boris Burkhardt before the English side reduced the deficit late on.
Dinamo Stroitel and CH SPV Complutense, meanwhile, survived relegation due to a 1-1 draw on Sunday, the result being enough to drop Sweden’s Partille and Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan to the second tier.
Euro Hockey League media release
Irish Men's EY Hockey League Weekend Round Up
Lisnagarvey and Pembroke produced an EYHL tie to remember as the Ulster men overturned a two-goal deficit to claim a 5-4 win in the dying minutes at Comber Road.
Garvey won 11 corners to Pembroke's zero, but the Dubliners were clinical with every chance they got after Matthew Nelson's stunning opener for the hosts. His Roger Federer-esque one-handed smash to the net of a looping deflected cross set the tone, but David Quinn's magnificent diving shot to the roof of the net and the first of Alan Sothern's treble turned the game on its head for Pembroke.
Sothern completed his hat-trick either side of a James Lorimer drag to put Pembroke 4-2 up, but Garvey expertly reeled the visitors in with a Nelson deflection and Timmy Cockram drag-flick before Paul Gleghorne slid in at the back post from their final corner to win it for the hosts.
With the other top four sides - Banbridge, Cork C of I and Three Rock Rovers - also winning, it remains incredibly tight at the top with just two points separating those four, while Monkstown are also still in touch by virtue of some games in hand.
Bann are top on goal difference from Garvey and did their tally no harm with a routine 6-0 win over Instonians. Johnny McKee joined Sothern in notching a hat-trick while Bruce McCandless had two and Eugene Magee completed the scoring.
Cork C of I's counter-attacking exploits in the third quarter saw Philip Sweetnam and Stephen Sweetnam share three breakaway goals in their 3-1 success at UCD. Ben McCrea's consolation strike came far too late for the students, who are without a win since early November and could be dragged into the relegation battle.
Three Rock were another side to succeed playing on the break away from home - they also produced a 3-1 win at Glenanne. Quick hands and quicker thinking from Jody Hosking and Luke Madeley gave Rovers a two-goal cushion against the run of play, with Shane O'Donoghue replying for Glens.
But Mitch Darling capitalised on some slack defence to restore a two-goal advantage and despite shipping three yellow cards in the final quarter, Rovers kept their goal intact.
Day 12 - Extended match reports
Lisnagarvey 5 (Matthew Nelson 2, James Lorimer, Timmy Cockram, Paul Gleghorne) Pembroke Wanderers 4 (Alan Sothern 3, David Quinn)
Lisnagarvey prevailed in a nine-goal thriller that showcased the best of the EYHL at Comber Road, with quality goals and attacking play abounding as the hosts successfully recovered a 4-2 deficit.The hosts' Matthew Nelson set the ball rolling with an audacious and unusual goal of the season contender as a deflected cross from the right looped high towards him at the back post. Backpedalling quickly, the recently-capped Irish international executed a tennis-style, one-handed overhead smash to score.Despite Garvey building well from there, Pembroke turned the game on its head with a pair of goals in as many minutes. Waterford man David Quinn's diving shot found the roof of the net before Alan Sothern's reverse nestled in the corner.Garvey claimed an equaliser when a corner won by Andy Williamson was dispatched by James Lorimer on 22 minutes, but Pembroke's slick counter-attacking saw them work the ball to Sothern at the back post for a 3-2 half-time lead.Sothern underlined his status as one of Ireland's most lethal finishers with another well-taken goal to put his side two goals to the good, but Nelson halved the deficit with a skilful deflection over Mark Ingram from one of Garvey's four penalty corners in the third quarter.Timmy Cockram's drag levelled it with 12 minutes left and from their 11th penalty corner, Garvey found a winner in the dying minutes as Paul Gleghorne's far post deflection broke Pembroke's defences.
UCD 1 (Ben McCrea) Cork C of I 3 (Stephen Sweetnam 2, Philip Sweetnam)
A trio of ruthless counter-attacks in the third quarter gave Cork C of I all three points from their visit to Belfield to keep the squeeze on the top two.A tame first half saw little in the way of goalmouth action with the hosts mostly in charge. But C of I sprung into life after the break, catching the students on the break twice in quick succession with Philip Sweetnam and Stephen Sweetnam being left with the simplest of jobs at the back post.Stephen Sweetnam deflected home C of I's third as the game opened up thereafter, but UCD have come back from the dead numerous times this season and withdrew their keeper to force the issue.They could only manage a late consolation as Ben McCrea found the bottom corner, and they are now in danger of being drawn into a relegation dogfight having failed to win since November 5.
Glenanne 1 (Shane O'Donoghue) Three Rock Rovers 3 (Jody Hosking, Luke Madeley, Mitch Darling)
Three Rock's charge into title contention continues as they again played perfect counter-attacking hockey to leave with all three points in Tallaght.After Glens had monopolised possession in the first quarter, Rovers knocked them for six in the second. A quick free from Jody Hosking allowed him space to enter the circle and arrow a reverse-stick strike to the backboard, before Luke Madeley stepped around the first runner at a short corner and improvised a low drag-flick for their second.Olympian Shane O'Donoghue was finding his range from a couple of Glenanne set-pieces and eventually found a way past Jamie Carr to give Glens a lifeline in the third quarter, but Mitch Darling capitalised on poor defending at the other end to beat Leo Micklem with a flicked effort.Rovers shipped three yellow cards in the final quarter amid a big defensive effort as Glens dinged the post and tested Carr on multiple occasions, but they couldn't find a way back into the game.
Instonians 0 Banbridge 6 (Johnny McKee 3, Bruce McCandless 2, Eugene Magee)
In-form Banbridge were untroubled by Ulster rivals Instonians as they did their goal difference no harm to keep their place at the top of the table.Johnny McKee's fourth-minute reverse got the ball rolling and Bruce McCandless had them cruising in the 17th minute, finishing well after Inst had given the ball away in their own half. Bann raided the endline for McCandless' second before half-time while McKee completed his hat-trick with a pair of goals four minutes apart in the third quarter. Eugene Magee finished the rout with a penalty corner strike two minutes from time.The visitors are level with Lisnagarvey at the top of the standings on 26 points, but have a game in hand.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Irish Women's EY Hockey League Weekend Round Up
Belfast Harlequins struck a huge blow in the battle to avoid relegation from the EY Hockey League with a vital 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Ulster Elks on Saturday.
With just one win each in 11 attempts going into this encounter, both sides were seeking what could prove to be a vital three points and Quins started fastest via a fifth-minute Ruth Millar drag-flick.
Emily O'Leary's sharp penalty corner rebound levelled it in the third quarter but Amy Geddes' clinical finish and a Rachel Johnston deflection did the necessary for Quins before Annabelle Hamilton got one back for Elks with the game's final play.
At the other end of the table, UCD and Cork Harlequins both took advantage of Monkstown's enforced inactivity - their visit to Pegasus fell victim to a frozen pitch - to shake things up at the top.
UCD are at the league's summit for the first time this season as their unbeaten run continued with a 2-1 success over Railway Union. The students, who along with Monkstown are the only side yet to lose this term, led through Elena Tice's drag-flick but Zara Delany's pace got her in behind the UCD rearguard for an equaliser shortly after.
UCD's winner came in stylish fashion though, a seemingly pre-planned set play off the fourth quarter restart with Katie Mullan and Emma Russell linking up to tee up Sorcha Clarke to score.
Cork Harlequins were dominant in their 3-0 success over second-from-bottom Pembroke, Karen Bateman's magic half-volley getting them on the board after 28 minutes.
They did, however, miss a hatful of chances - hitting the post twice - before Kay Gaffney's short corner bunt and a fine team goal, walked into an empty net by Yvonne O'Byrne, made it safe in the final quarter.
Loreto kept the pressure on the top three with a hard-earned 2-1 victory at Ards. The hosts made all the early running but a pair of short corner goals from Ali Meeke and Freya McDermott built a useful lead before half-time. Lucy McKee finished Ards' fourth corner with eight minutes to go to give them a lifeline, but Loreto held firm to take all three points.
Day 12 - Extended match reports
UCD 2 (Elena Tice, Sorcha Clarke) Railway Union 1 (Zara Delany)
UCD went top of the table for the first time this season after a high-octane win over Railway Union ramped up the pressure on long-time leaders Monkstown.The students scored against the run of play from their first set-piece, Elena Tice dragging low and hard to the bottom corner. But Railway didn't have to wait long for an equalier, Emma Smyth wriggling free in midfield and teeing up Zara Delany, whose pace took her beyond the UCD rearguard before slipping the ball past goalkeeper Clodagh Cassin.Sally Campbell's bash to the back post just missed an onrushing UCD colleague in what was the game's best chance until UCD nicked a goal with a slick set play off the fourth quarter restart. Katie Mullan found the onrushing Emma Russell at the top of the circle, and her first-time touch into Sorcha Clarke's path saw the latter slot home what proved to be the winner.Railway redoubled their efforts in the search for an equaliser, getting three corners in succession after UCD were penalised for time-wasting, the students held firm for what could be a season-defining win.
Belfast Harlequins 3 (Ruth Millar, Amy Geddes, Rachel Johnston) Ulster Elks 2 (Emily O'Leary, Annabelle Hamilton)
Belfast Harlequins were deserved winners of this six-pointer at the bottom of the table despite getting a few scares from a fired-up Elks side.Ruth Millar's fifth-minute drag-flick put Quins on the board while Jenna Watt managed things at the defensive end, but despite dominating possession, the hosts couldn't increase their advantage in the first half.Emily O'Leary made them pay for that profligacy from Elks' only opportunity of the third quarter, calmly slotting home a penalty corner rebound to give the Jordanstown girls hope of a result.They had a massive opportunity to take a shock lead early in the fourth quarter when Harriet Dougan was put through one-on-one with Quins netminder Jade Lamont, but she scuffed her shot.Quins finally found their shooting sticks to put the game to bed thereafter. A fine break down the right and an early ball into the circle was expertly finished by Amy Geddes before Rachel Johnston's short corner deflection gave them breathing space. Annabelle Hamilton netted a consolation for Elks from another short corner with the game's last act.
Cork Harlequins 3 (Karen Bateman, Kay Gaffney, Yvonne O'Byrne) Pembroke Wanderers 0
Cork Harlequins dominated from start to finish against Pembroke at Farmers' Cross, the perfect start to their double weekend as they subsequently hit the road to travel north to take on Pegasus in the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals today.Roisin Upton's drag struck a post in the fourth minute to signal Quins' intent, with Rebecca Barry and Karen Bateman also threatening the Pembroke goal before Bateman's cracking half-volley off an Yvonne O'Byrne cross broke the Dublin 4 side's resistance after 28 minutes. Rebecca Barry had two big chances early in the second half, firstly being denied by Tiffaney Ellis before rounding the Pembroke netminder and shooting wide, with Pembroke testing Emma Buckley from their sole penalty corner at the other end.Naomi Carroll whistled a shot just wide before seeing a head-height deflection come back off the upright, but Kay Gaffney's short corner bunt with 10 minutes left finally gave the hosts some breathing space.They finished with a flourish, too, as O'Byrne walked the ball into an empty net after Olivia Roycroft and Rebecca Barry did the approach work to take Ellis out of the equation.
Ards 1 (Lucy McKee) Loreto 2 (Ali Meeke, Freya McDermott)
Ards will be hoping this wasn't the day their playoff hopes died as Loreto kept the pressure on the top three with a crucial win on the road.The hosts started brightest in terms of goal threat, Chloe Brown cracking a reverse to the back post that went unfinished before raiding the baseline, again without a final touch. Emma Reid and Ellen Robinson were both denied from the same short corner set-piece as Ards pressed for an opening.Instead it was Loreto who turned the game on its head in the second quarter. Ali Meeke orchestrated a neat penalty corner exchange at the top of the circle before finishing at the second attempt, and two more set-pieces had Ards scrambling. Naomi McKnight did well to save the first but Freya McDermott's disguised slap found a way through to double their lead.Ards redoubled their efforts after the break with Meeke charging down a Brown drag-flick. Both sides won more corners in the quarter with Lucy McKee giving Ards a lifeline with eight minutes to go, but Loreto successfully saw the game out for a vital three points.
Pegasus v Monkstown - postponed.
Irish Hockey Association media release
15-year wait over for Quins
Alan Good
Cork Harlequins celebrate their victory against Pegasus in the Women's Senior Cup semi-final in Belfast yesterday. Picture: Inpho
Cork Harlequins, despite playing two games in just over 24 hours, advanced to the Irish Senior Cup final for the first time in 15 years.
Stephen Dale’s charges kept their good EYHL form going with Karen Bateman’s magic half-volley the highlight of a 3-0 win over Pembroke on Saturday in Cork.
They then hit the road for Belfast where they took on Pegasus, Roisin Upton’s drag putting them in front before the hosts - who were fresher having seen their Saturday game postponed due to frost - levelled in the second half.
Quins keeper Emma Buckley excelled in the shootout, her side prevailing 4-2 on strokes.
They’ll face a UCD side in the final who are also flying high after a productive weekend.
They routed Pembroke 7-0 in their semi-final yesterday, showing no ill-effects from a tough EYHL clash with Railway Union the day before.
UCD now top the table for the first time after a clever move off a fourth-quarter restart helped Sorcha Clarke net the winner in a 2-1 win over Railway, taking advantage of long-time leaders Monkstown’s postponed tie at Pegasus.
Loreto kept up their push for the play-offs with a 2-1 win at Ards while Belfast Harlequins struck a major blow in their bid to avoid relegation, edging basement side Ulster Elks 3-2.
Munster’s Division 1 remains a three-way battle for the title with UCC, Catholic Institute and Cork C of I all winning.
Emma Barber’s winner helped College edge Bandon 2-1, Institute were 5-0 winners over Waterford and a Hollie Moffett-inspired C of I came back from a goal down to beat Ashton 4-1.
Lisnagarvey and Pembroke produced an EYHL tie to remember as the Ulster men overturned a two-goal deficit to claim a 5-4 win at Comber Road.
Matthew Nelson’s one-handed overhead smash to open the scoring is already a viral hit, but ‘Garvey will be more pleased at recovering from 4-2 down after Alan Sothern’s hat-trick and a magnificent David Quinn strike showcased Pembroke’s counter-attacking abilities.
Cork C of I and Three Rock Rovers had more success with playing on the break as they both won 3-1 away from home.
Philip and Stephen Sweetnam were amongst the third quarter goals for C of I at UCD, who are without a win since November 5, while quick hands and quicker thinking from Jody Hosking and Luke Madeley did the necessary for Rovers at Glenanne. Banbridge stay top on goal difference from Garvey and did their tally no harm by routing Instonians 6-0.
In Munster, Bandon reached the Munster Senior Cup final with a 3-1 win over Limerick while Calvin Casey’s brace against the run of play helped Ashton draw 2-2 at UCC in the league.
The Irish Examiner
Terengganu’s title defence hits a snag with draw
by Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Double champions Terengganu’s hopes of retaining the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Premier Division title suffered a jolt after they were held 2-2 by Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium.
The draw saw the east coast team drop to second in the eight-team league with 27 points from 11 matches with three matches left to play.
Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) now lead the standings after thrashing Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) 5-1 at the SSTMI pitch in Bandar Penawar yesterday.
KLHC are two points ahead of Terengganu and also have three matches left. UniKL stay third with 23 points.
Terengganu, who needed a win yesterday to stay top, earned three penalty corners in the first 20 minutes but South Korean international Jang Jong-hyun failed to convert.
In the 23rd minute, Terengganu were awarded a penalty stroke after UniKL defender Muhammad Toseeq Arshad brought down Mohd Fitri Saari in the semi-circle.
Jong-hyun made no mistake from the spot to score his 20th goal in the league.
But hardly a minute later, Toseeq equalised for UniKL via a field goal.
Terengganu regained the lead in the 30th minute with a fine effort by Fitri from the top of the D but UniKL drew level again, off a penalty corner converted by Muhd Najmi Farizal Jazlan in the 47th.
Terengganu then went all out for the winner but an in-form UniKL goalkeeper Thomas Santiago Salas kept them at bay.
Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh said the draw has made it difficult for his team.
“We can’t afford to drop any points in our next three matches. For the first time in the league, Jong-hyun failed to score from penalty corners in a match,” said Sarjit.
UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj praised his players for playing to their true form.
“We have crucial matches coming up next week and based on our performance, I believe we can achieve our top four target,” said Arulselvaraj.
The Star of Malaysia
‘PHF determined to hold hockey league this year’
By Syed Intikhab Ali
KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is making all efforts to organise the Pakistan Hockey League this year, assuring foreign players that they will get high-level security.
PHF president Brig Khalid Khokhar told ‘The News’ that security arrangements for the players would be foolproof.
PHF wanted to the make the year 2017 the year of revival of international hockey in the country, he said.
“By organising this league, we will assure our budding players that the national game is a sellable commodity in the country. The boys will know that if they play well, they will earn great money,” he added.
“From day one PHF wants to organise the event in Pakistan due to which we waited for a long time. We did not organise the event outside the country as others have done because it would not serve the interest of the national game,” said Khokhar.
“The best players of the world will be invited to participate in the event from Australia, Germany, Holland, England, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and Belgium,” he added.
He said there would be proper marketing of the league to ensure that it is successful financially.
“Some memorable programmes related to the golden history of Pakistan’s hockey would be prepared to revive the game,” the PHF chief said.
The PHF wants to involve all stakeholders in organising the event to make the event successful, he added. “Former greats of Pakistan hockey will be involved in the event. Their experience will certainly help us in making the event successful,” Khokhar said.
PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed said the salient features of the event would be made public gradually. “Our focus right now is on the qualifying rounds going to be held in June, but we are also working for the hockey league. Both are very different subjects and we are handling them separately. We don’t want to say anything definite about its timing right now,” Shahbaz said.
“The timing of the professional league will be announced when things are finalised,” the secretary said.
The News International
Hockeyroos & Kookaburras assistant coaches appointed
Guest, Arrold, Hammond and Potter named
Perth, Western Australi – Hockey Australia has today confirmed that two assistant coaches have been appointed to each of its national teams, the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos.
Joining the Hockeyroos coaching team is David Guest, who moves across from the Kookaburras coaching staff where he has been an assistant coach and analyst since 2014. Alongside Guest is former Hockeyroo Nicole Arrold, who most recently was a national selector for the women’s Junior World Cup, and the Hockeyroos tour to New Zealand and Melbourne.
Hockeyroos head coach Paul Gaudoin said: “The recruitment process was tough, but we have come away with two experienced hockey professionals who will add depth and experience to the Hockeyroos program as we look to build a strong and versatile team heading towards the Gold Coast next year and Tokyo 2020.”
The men’s coaching team will see former Kookaburra, and Burras Junior World Cup assistant coach Rob Hammond join the team as an assistant coach. Anthony Potter, a former Australian national hockey player and current coach in the Dutch league, will make the move from the Netherlands to join the Kookaburras coaching team.
Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch said: “After a thorough selection process, I’m really pleased with the two assistant coaches we have chosen to join the men’s national program. With a completely fresh team, I think we are in a really good place to begin building the foundations for a successful era with the Kookaburras.”
Guest, Arrold, Hammond and Potter were chosen by a selection panel following a recruitment process which saw many high quality national and international candidates apply for the much-coveted positions. The panel consisted of Hockey Australia High Performance Director Toni Cumpston, AIS performance advisor Ray Dorsett, Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch, and Hockeyroos head coach Paul Gaudoin.
Of the new appointments, Hockey Australia High Performance Director Toni Cumpston said: “The standard of applicants for the assistant coach positions was very high, making the final decision extremely hard to make.
“Ultimately, we believe that we have selected assistant coaches who will complement the head coaches of each of our teams, ensuring we have the best possible coaching team in place for the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos as we work towards success at Tokyo 2020.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our out-going assistant coaches Jason Duff, Mark Hickman and Nathan Eglington, for all of their work with the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras over the last 4-year cycle.”
In addition to the appointment of assistant coaches for both the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, it has been confirmed that Ben Bishop will retain his role as head coach of the national junior men’s team, the Burras. Guest, Arrold and Hammond will be in place at the high-performance program in Perth by the end of February, while Potter will arrive in Perth in late March.
About David Guest, Assistant Coach, Hockeyroos
Age: 35 Hometown: Burnie, TAS
Former Kookaburra David Guest played 103 international games for Australia before making the move into coaching in 2011. Since then he has acquired an extensive background in coaching and performance analysis, through time with the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, as an analyst at the Fremantle Dockers, along with working for WAIS and NSWIS. Most recently Guest was assistant coach with the Kookaburras, a post which he began in 2014.
About Nicole Arrold, Assistant Coach, Hockeyroos
Age: 35 Hometown: Canberra, ACT
Former Hockeyroo and two time Olympian Nicole Arrold played 215 games in the green and gold before her retirement in 2010. Since then Nicole has been steadily working her way through coaching qualifications, most recently completing the FIH Advanced Coaching Certificate and her Masters in Education which was an integral part of her coaching development. Nicole has a wealth of coaching experience having worked with Hale Hockey Club, WAIS, the Northern Territory Hockey Association and the Australian National Development Team.
About Rob Hammond, Assistant Coach, Kookaburras
Age: 35 Hometown: Townsville, QLD
Rob Hammond was a member of the Australian National Team, the Kookaburras from 2001 – 2014, playing 256 games for Australia. Since his retirement as a professional player, Rob has worked as the head coach of the WA Diamonds, and was assistant coach to the Australian National Junior Team, the Burras, at the recent Junior World Cup in Lucknow, India.
About Anthony Potter, Assistant Coach, Kookaburras
Age: 44 Hometown: Cairns, QLD
Anthony Potter has gained an abundance of international coaching experience over the last 15 years. While living in the Netherlands, Potter coached across the Dutch and Belgium national leagues; as well as being an assistant coach for Belgium U21 National teams. Potter was formerly an Australian national player, and was a member of the Australian indoor team from 1990 -2003 where he reached 90 caps.
World Rankings
Men
Australia
Argentina
Netherlands
Germany
Belgium
Women
Netherlands
England
Argentina
Australia
New Zealand
2017 FIH Major Events Schedule
Kookaburras
World League Semi-Finals: Johannesburg, South Africa (9 – 23 July)
World League Final: India (2 – 10 December)
Hockeyroos
World League Semi-Finals: Brussels, Belgium (21 June – 2 July)
World League Final: Auckland, New Zealand (18 – 26 November)
Hockey Australia media release