News for 16 February 2017
All the news for Thursday 16 February 2017
Scotland men defeat France in first test match
Scotland’s senior men have defeated France 2-0 in Le Touquet in the first of three test matches between the two. The games are part of final preparations for World League 2, held in Belfast next month.
Scotland dominated the first half; keeping possession and playing slick hockey. The early dominance was rewarded when Alan Forsyth bagged the opening goal at the end of the first quarter. Callum Duke won the ball for Scotland and passed to Cammy Fraser, he found Forsyth in the D who took the ball past the goalkeeper to score and give Scotland a 1-0 lead.
The second quarter was similar to the first and Scotland doubled their lead half way through the quarter. The goal came from another counter attack; Forsyth lobbed the French goalkeeper, but the shot was going wide until Lee Morton turned up to finish in an attempt that resembled a slam dunk. It gave Scotland a well-earned 2-0 lead at half time.
France came back into the game in the third quarter, and probably edged the second half performance in terms of possession. David Forrester in goal for Scotland made a number of good saves from penalty corners. William Marshall also had a good game, but it was the solid team performance which was the most important thing as the French struggled to cause any serious problems for the Scots.
Scotland defended well and still managed to create chances to advance their lead - Ben Cosgrove and Patch Christie both had good chances to add a third for Scotland. The former suffered a hairline crack to his thumb in the game and will miss the remaining test matches.
In the end it finished 2-0 and it’s a promising result and performance as Scotland prepare for World League 2 in Belfast next month.
Scotland men’s Head Coach Derek Forsyth said, “It was a good team performance and I’m very pleased by the effort of the boys. I’m looking forward to the next match, and we’ll take confidence from the win, but I expect to see a different France in the next game.
“What’s important is that we improve in each game. This is our last camp before World League 2 and already we’ve made improvements from our last camp in Spain.”
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Dabang Mumbai snatch 3-2 win against Delhi Waveriders 
New Delhi: A resilient Dabang Mumbai showed class yet again with a magnificent comeback in the dying minute of the match to hand home side Delhi Waveriders a heartbreaking loss. It was Florian Fuchs’ 60th minute field goal that fetched Dabang Mumbai a 3-2 win.
Delhi Waveriders were desperate for a win and it was evident from their efforts today when they put up an inspired fight against table toppers Dabang Mumbai.
Though the home team, backed by a packed Shivaji Stadium, got off to a strong start making several forays into the circle, they could not make the chances count. They were quick to earn two PCs in the initial minutes but their woes with converting them continued to haunt as they failed to convert as many as seven PCs today.
Dabang Mumbai, on the other hand, were not the ones to let go of their chances. A video referral by the visiting team was upheld by the umpires and they were awarded a PC in the 24th minute. Australian drag flicker Kieran Govers was inch-perfect when he improvised on the injection to send the ball past Vincent Vanasch giving his team a 1-0 lead. Though the Delhi Waveriders earned an opportunity to equalize in the 26th minute, Rupinder Pal Singh’s attempt was padded away by David Harte to ensure his team kept the lead at half-time.
Post the ten-minute break, Dabang Mumbai came back strongly to put pressure on the home side. It paid off when Gurjant Singh and Affan Yousuf worked in tandem to win their team a PC in the 42nd minute. But Delhi Waveriders’ Vincent Vanasch was brilliant when he saved Jeremy Hayward’s attempt. A breakthrough finally came in the 44th minute for the Delhi Waveriders when Junior World Cup star Mandeep Singh proved why he is Delhi Waveriders’ most bankable player. Mandeep struck a brilliant field goal, picking up a perfect assist from Talwinder Singh, only to beat the defenders in the circle and send the ball past Harte. The goal not just enthralled the home crowd but also snatched the lead from Dabang Mumbai ending the quarter at 2-1.
The last quarter was nothing short of a thriller with the Delhi Waveriders doing everything they can to keep the lead. They won two PCs within the first four minutes of the quarter but couldn’t make it count yet again. Dabang Mumbai are known for making a comeback in the dying minutes of the game and they did just that when skipper Florian Fuchs scored his 10th goal of the season with just 24 seconds to go for the final hooter handing a heartbreak loss to Delhi Waveriders denting the team’s hopes of a Semi Final berth.
Mandeep Singh of Delhi Waveriders was awarded with a prize money of Rs 50,000 for scoring the Coal India Goal of the Match from Ms Shanti Lata Sahu, Director Personnel Northern Coal Fields Ltd.
Manpeet of Dabang Mumbai won the prize of Rs 25,000 for being the Hero Young Achiever of the Match from Mr. Harbinder Singh, Olympian.
The Airtel Most Entertaining Player of the Match was awarded to Benjamin Stanzl of Delhi Waveriders that came with a prize money of Rs 25,000 and presented by Ms Elena Norman, CEO, Coal India Hockey India League.
Surender Kumar of Delhi Waveriders was declared the Man of the Match and was awarded a prize money of Rs 50,000 by Mr. Raj Chauhan, General Manager, Zabardast Hit 95 FM.
Official HIL site
Dabang Mumbai defeat Delhi Waveriders
s2h Team
Last minute goal by Florian Fuchs gives Dabang Mumbai a win over Delhi Waveriders by 3-2
Dabang Mumbai made a comeback in the dying minute of the match to hand home side Delhi Waveriders a heartbreaking loss. It was Florian Fuchs’ 60th minute field goal that fetched Dabang Mumbai a 3-2 win.
The home team Delhi were quick to earn two PCs in the initial minutes but their woes with converting them continued to haunt as they failed to convert as many as seven PCs.
A video referral by the visiting team Mumbai was upheld by the umpires and they were awarded a PC in the 24th minute. Australian drag flicker Kieran Govers converted the PC to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Though the Delhi Waveriders earned an opportunity to equalize in the 26th minute, Rupinder Pal Singh’s attempt was padded away by David Harte to ensure his team kept the lead at half-time.
Post the ten-minute break, Dabang Mumbai came back strongly to put pressure on the home side. It paid off when Gurjant Singh and Affan Yousuf worked in tandem to win their team a PC in the 42nd minute. But Delhi Waveriders’ Vincent Vanasch was brilliant when he saved Jeremy Hayward’s attempt.
A breakthrough finally came in the 44th minute for the Delhi Waveriders when Mandeep struck a brilliant field goal, picking up a perfect assist from Talwinder Singh, only to beat the defenders in the circle and send the ball past Harte. The goal not just enthralled the home crowd but also snatched the lead from Dabang Mumbai ending the quarter at 2-1.
The last quarter was nothing short of a thriller with the Delhi Waveriders doing everything they can to keep the lead. They won two PCs within the first four minutes of the quarter but couldn’t make it count yet again.
Dabang Mumbai are known for making a comeback in the dying minutes of the game and they did just that when skipper Florian Fuchs scored his 10th goal of the season with just 24 seconds to go for the final hooter handing a heartbreak loss to Delhi Waveriders denting the team’s hopes of a Semi Final berth.
AWARDS:
Goal of the Match: Mandeep Singh
Young Achiever of the Match: Manpeet
Most Entertaining Player of the Match: Benjamin Stanzl
Man of the Match: Surender Kumar
Stick2Hockey.com
Dabang extends lead with victory over Waveriders
Uthra Ganesan
SWEEPING STRIKE: Dabang Mumbai’s Kieran Govers scores via a penalty corner against Delhi Waveriders. Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena;Sandeep Saxena -
Florian Fuchs did the star turn for Dabang Mumbai yet again. He was in the right place at the right time to score 24 seconds from time for a 3-2 win over Delhi Waveriders here on Wednesday and extend his team’s lead at the top of the Hockey India League (HIL) table to an incredible 33 points.
This was Mumbai’s sixth win in nine games as the team continued its trend of scoring in the dying minutes. Coach Jay Stacy had admitted that the team had lost several close games in the previous season, had learnt its lessons and was converting them to close victories in the fifth edition of the competition.
An unmarked Fuchs, who has led from the front for the team both in terms of scoring and setting up teammates, tapped in a one-touch pass from Kieran Govers to end Delhi’s winning streak at home. Delhi is now fifth in the six-team league but with just one point each separating the bottom four sides, it is an open race to the semifinals.
For a large part, however, the contest was evenly matched. Mumbai, having already qualified for the playoffs, had the luxury of experimentation and Stacy made full use of it.
The team seemed keen on working on the one area it hasn’t optimised yet — scoring through penalty corners — and the players clearly looked to have been instructed on trying to create PCs instead of going all out to score.
Mumbai earned four but could convert only one. Interestingly Harmanpreet Singh, who has made his mark as a drag-flick expert, did not attempt any as Stacy tried out his other options, Govers and Jeremy Hayward with the former managing to put Mumbai ahead in the 24th minute.
Mumbai was also the more enterprising team, building its attacks gradually from the back and advancing from both flanks together. Delhi was the more desperate and, expectedly, pushed harder upfront.
Mandeep Singh, Talwinder Singh and Parvinder Singh marshalled Delhi’s attacks and the young trio did its best to trouble David Harte.
The Irishman, however, proved why he is rated so highly — he not only saved six penalty corners but also brought off back-to-back saves from Manuel Brunet and Talwinder Singh in the 21st minute. Mandeep put through by Talwinder in the 44th minute, dodged past his marker, turned and slotted in to give Delhi a 2-1 lead.
Just when it looked like Delhi would strengthen its chances of advancing by the slimmest of margins and keep its winning momentum before travelling out, Fuchs proved his class all over again.
The result:
Dabang Mumbai 3 (Florian Fuchs 2 FG, Kieran Govers 1 PC) bt Delhi Waveriders 2 (Mandeep Singh 2 FG).
The Hindu
Fuchs' late goal guides Mumbai to 3-2 win over Delhi
NEW DELHI: Skipper Florian Fuchs last-minute goal helped table-toppers Dabang Mumbai edge past Delhi Waveriders 3-2 in the Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) at the Shivaji Stadium on Wednesday.
German striker Fuchs' deflection from point-blank angle gave the visitors 3-2 win after Mandeep Singh's 44th-minute field goal had given the hosts the lead after the visitors were put ahead by a penalty corner conversion from Kieran Govers in the 24th minute.
Mumbai, having already qualified to the semi-finals for the first time, got a win that will go a long way in sealing the top spot at the end of the league phase.
Delhi, who are yet to enter the semi-finals, squandered as many as seven penalty corners. They are fifth with 16 points.
Both teams, coming into the match with a two-match winning streak, started the proceeding on a good note by putting pressure on each other. Delhi, who were eyeing their third consecutive victory in their home turf got the first chance to take the vital lead through penalty corner.
Skipper and star drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh, however, missed the opportunity as he flicked the fall straight at custodian David Harte, who avoided the trouble.
The attacking game from Delhi saw one more chance to take a 1-0 lead. But Santa Singh missed the chance as his shot went wide from the goalmouth.
The visitors were almost successful in the dying minutes of the first quarter, however, Delhi's defence stood firm to deny the chance.
The second quarter saw some dramatic action, with Delhi pushing hard for a goal but goalkeeper Harte saved two important attempts one from Manuel Brunet stick and the second from Talwinder Singh.
Soon, Mumbai, who were displaying some good hockey, started counter-attacking and in the process they were rewarded with a penalty corner.
In the 24th minute, Australian drag-flicker Govers' flick hit rusher Santa Singh before entering the the right corner to take the crucial 1-0 lead.
After conceding a goal, Delhi, who were given two green cards, pulled up their socks and started playing in Mumbai's half. As a result, they were given three penalty corners but failed to convert any of them.
Playing with nine players, Delhi failed to match up the pace with the table toppers and the half-time saw Mumbai leading with one goal to nil.
Harte was kept busy through the third quarter as well with Delhi making forays into the circle.
The third quarter proved to be lucky for the home team as Mandeep's brilliant field goal helped Delhi to take 2-1 lead. In the 44th minute, Mandeep slammed a reverse hit and found the back of the net to give his team a much needed 2-1 advantage.
Continuing their attack, Delhi got two more chance to seal the match through penalty corner but skipper Rupinder, who was struggling to find his rhythm, once again disappointed.
The last 10 minute of the match saw Mumbai battling it out to regain their lead and they got it with just 25 seconds to go as an unmarked Fuchs deflected in a long ball from Harmanpreet Singh at the left post to make it 3-2.
The Times of India
Dabang Mumbai book semifinal berth after narrow win over Delhi Waveriders
Dabang Mumbai advanced to the semi-finals of the Hockey India League. Twitter/@HockeyIndiaLeag
New Delhi: Dabang Mumbai rode on skipper Florian Fuchs' last-minute field goal to eke out a close 3-2 win over Delhi Waveriders and seal their place in the semifinals of the fifth edition of Hockey India League at the Shivaji Stadium in New Delhi on Wednesday.
German Fuchs (60th minute) struck from a field effort just at the stroke of regulation time to continue Dabang Mumbai's impressive run in the tournament.
Earlier, Australian Kieran Govers gave Dabang Mumbai the lead by converting their first penalty corner in the 24th minute before forward Mandeep Singh scored from a field strike in the 44th minute.
By virtue of this win, Dabang Mumbai have consolidated their position at the top of the standings with 33 points from nine games, while the Waveriders are languishing at the lower half of the table with 17 points from seven matches.
While Dabang Mumbai have one game left in their kitty ahead of the knockout stage of the tournament, the Waveriders cannot afford a slip in their remaining three games to stay in hunt for a semifinal spot.
Having virtually assured of a place in the semifinals before today's encounter, there was hardly any pressure on Dabang Mumbai and the visitors expectedly started on a promising note, building up some good moves but without any success.
The Waveriders, on the other hand, were slow to get off the blocks but improved their game as the match progressed.
The first real scoring chance of the match went to Dabang Mumbai, in the fifth minute, but Manpreet's reverse hit from top of the D was kept away by Waveriders goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch.
After the initial hiccups, the hosts created some good chances and managed to secure two penalty corners but both went wasted.
While skipper Rupinder Pal Singh's try from the first set piece was saved by Mumbai custodian David Harte, Santa Singh failed to stop the push from their second penalty corner.
Dabang Mumbai finally tasted success in the second quarter when Govers converted their first penalty corner with a low flick.
There were chances galore for the Waveriders as the hosts secured three more penalty corners in the second quarter but failed to convert a single one.
A minute from half time, Parvinder Singh shot over Dabang Mumbai's post as Waveriders went into the breather trailing by a goal.
Firstpost
Shahril forces draw against KLHC
By Jugjet Singh
NATIONAL player Shahril Saabah scored a last minute goal to hand Tenaga Nasional an upset 3-3 draw over Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Wednesday.
All-local outfit Tenaga were 0-2 down by the 19th minute, but played a super game after the second half to hold KHLC who have four foreign imports and nine national players at their disposal.
The draw saw KLHC back on level terms with Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) on 30 points with two more matches to decide the League champions.
"We had noting to lose and gave our very best against KLHC to try and finish third in the League. Credit to my players who did not give up until the last second to steal a point from favourites KLHC," said Tenaga coach Amin Rahim.
On Sunday, Universiti Kuala Lumpur and THT played to a 2-2 draw which faoured KLHC to lift the title, but today the cards changed hands again after KLHC drew with Tenaga.
THT have two more matches to complete their leage -- aganst Maybank and KLHC next weekend.
While KLHC have UniKL before playing THT for the title.
KLHC coach Ahmad Anuar Sham said: "It was an unfortunate draw with a last minute equaliser. Now, we have two more tough matches to win if we want to lay our hands on the League title."
For the record THT are the defending League and Overall title holders.
Yesterday, Anton Poul Fritz (15th), Rashid Baharom (19th) and Casey Dawsond (57th) scored for KLHC, while Najib Abu Hassan (22nd), Azammi Adabi (38th) and Shahril Saabah (60th) delivered for Tenaga.
RESULTS: Kuala Lumpur HC 3 Tenaga Nasional 3, Terengganu Hockey Team 3 TNB Thunderbolts 0,
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
KLHC’s title hopes dim after draw
by Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: The race for the Premier Division title in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) is set to go down to the wire after leaders Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) could only draw 3-3 with Tenaga Nasional.
KLHC, who began the day two points ahead of nearest challengers Terengganu, now find themselves level on 30 points with the east coast side.
Terengganu, who beat TNB-Thunderbolt 3-0 at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu yesterday, lead the standings on goal difference with two matches left.
While Terengganu will be pleased with how the day turned out, KLHC must be kicking themselves for dropping two precious points at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium.
KLHC actually began well against Tenaga, taking a 2-0 lead through Anton Poul Fritz Ebeling (15th minute) and Muhd Rashid Baharom (19th).
Undaunted, Tenaga hit back through Muhd Najib Abu Hassan (22nd) and Muhd Azammi Adabi (38th).
Although KLHC went ahead again through Hammod Casey Dawson in the 57th minute, Muhd Shahril Saabah ensured Tenaga got a share of the spoils when he equalised in the last minute off a penalty corner.
KLHC team manager Ahmad Anuar Sham Kamar felt that they were very unlucky not to have taken all three points.
“We played well and were so close to collecting full points.
“Tenaga’s last-gasp equaliser has put us in a tight spot,” said Ahmad.
KLHC’s last two matches are against Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) tomorrow and Terengganu on Sunday.
Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh was relieved to see his team back in contention to retain the league title.
Double champions Terengganu’s goals against TNB-Thunderbolt were scored by Muhd Firhan Ashaari (16th), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (56th) and Nicolas Enrique Della Torre (57th).
“The race is on between us and KLHC for the league title.
“We have a tough match against Maybank on Friday.
“And then we will have a stiff challenge against KLHC on Sunday,” said Sarjit.
The Star of Malaysia
Malaysia Hockey League preps David Carter for busy year with Canada
Shaheed Devji
David Carter plays for Maybank in a clash with Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club in Malaysia Hockey League action in February 2017 (By PMFS Sports Images)
Over the last several years, David Carter has had some memorable experiences on the field.
Playing in his first Olympic Games last summer is among the highlights, and this winter, Carter added to the list by becoming the first Canadian to play in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The 35 year-old native of Vancouver, British Columbia was signed by the Maybank Tigers for this year’s edition of the MHL, a league which has been in operation since 1985 and has recently begun to bring in international players in an effort to capitalize on the popularity of hockey around the world and the success of rival leagues such as the Hockey India League.
It is his first time playing club hockey overseas.
“Apart from the financial incentive of playing for Maybank and playing in the MHL, the bigger factor was to essentially knock an item off my bucket list,” he says from Malaysia. “I’ve done so many things I’ve wanted to do in my hockey career – from the Olympics, to the Pan Am Games, Commonwealth and World Cups – playing in overseas league is something I’ve wanted to do for a few years.”
Carter was the go-to-guy between the pipes for Canada’s men’s field hockey team in the three years leading up to the 2016 Olympic Games. He put in an all world performance at World League Round 3 in Argentina in June 2015, where Canada upset New Zealand in the quarterfinal, essentially earning a spot at the 2016 Olympics.
And it was at the Olympics this past summer where the Tigers’ coaching staff took note of his play, and in December the two parties ironed out an agreement to bring him to the MHL.
“I definitely think that the events of World League Round 3 (in 2015) and my Goaltender of the Year nomination (the same year) played a role in putting my name on the map for some of these leagues,” he explains. “This year, I think after the Olympics, I think they saw the opportunity to bring a recent Olympian to their side.”
Carter is no stranger to Malaysia, having competed in multiple editions of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, an annual competition held in Ipoh, and the Champions Challenge in Kuantan in 2014.
But the MHL experience has been a unique one for the Canadian net minder, who is one of only a few foreigners on a predominantly Malaysian team.
“I was very fortunate to come over not knowing who my fellow foreign players would be,” he says. “When I found there were two Aussies, I realized we had the English language in common and hopefully we could get along. But then, it turns out they’re great guys and we’ve forged quite a good bond.”
Carter spends a lot of his free time with the two Australians, but has been grateful for how he has been treated by the Malaysians on the team, after being nervous about how it would go, with Canada and Malaysia having had quite the on-field rivalry for decades.
“I’ve got nothing but good things to say, nothing but great experiences from the team to the management and the staff,” he says. “All the players are so accommodating. They always want to pick your brain to see how you’re finding Malaysia and what it’s like back in Canada. They often use that time to work on their English, and they even lead team talks in English even though it’s their second language.”
It’s an experience that Carter won’t soon forget. And while he has knocked one more item off his bucket list, he also knows the importance of the experience when it comes to hockey.
“I think at first it was definitely more for the experience, just to really know what it was like to play in an overseas league,” he says of the decision to go to Malaysia. “But that being said, just being able to play 20 high level games in seven short weeks, it has been an invaluable experience in terms of the hockey, honing my skills, and getting myself ready for quite a busy international season.”
Carter has played every minute for the Tigers this season and will do so as the season comes to an end over the next weeks, before he heads back to Vancouver and joins his Canadian teammates as they prepare for the first competition of the year: World League Round 2 in Trinidad and Tobago from March 25-April 2.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Playing hockey with heart
Anelle hopes to create a legacy that will ignite a passion for hockey in Northern KwaZulu-Natal like never before.
by Estella Naicker
Anelle van Deventer hopes to turn her passion for hockey into a legacy that will inspire Northern KZN to pay more attention to the sport.
AT the age of 23, Anelle van Deventer has already represented South Africa in 52 hockey tournaments.
This natural born sporting talent obtained her Provincial colours in hockey in the year that she first picked up a hockey stick;
was selected to play in the SA under 21 hockey team at the age of 17;
was included in the 2012 Olympics training squad the very next year;
played in the Junior World Cup in her first year at the University of Potchefstroom in 2013;
played in the Senior World Cup and the Common Wealth Games in 2014;
played in the Africa Cup World League in 2015;
and finally in the PHL Premier League, hosted in South Africa last year.
This year, she relocated to Vryheid to take on a position, which she hopes will create a legacy that will ignite a passion for hockey in Northern KwaZulu-Natal like never before.
Anelle is the new Hockey Director at Hoërskool Pionier.
“I took on the position at the beginning of the school year. Since I started, I have been very excited about the raw talent I have seen in my pupils, which can easily be developed in the next month or two,” said Anelle.
“Vryheid reminds me a lot of Vanderbijlpark, where is grew up. The town hasn’t had a lot of exposure in terms of hockey, but Pionier now has a newly built Astroturf. We want to use the Astroturf to give people more exposure to hockey and to develop a passion for the sport in the area.”
Anelle first picked up a hockey stick at the age of 13 when she began high school at Hoërskool Driehoek.
“Because I am tall, I only ever played netball before that, but it felt good to hit something. Hockey is a more aggressive sport. It is more physical and there is more running. That is part of what I liked about the sport. I found that I had a natural talent for it, which developed very quickly.
“Making it into the Olympics training squad was shocking for me. I trained in Holland for about two months during my matric year. I trained with women, who had already represented their country 300 times and some of them were old enough for me to call ‘tannie’. I learned a lot from them, but one of the most crucial lessons I learned during that time was communication. Hockey is a team sport, and if team members don’t understand each other, both on and off the field, it can be a disaster. Playing a team sport, however, also means that you get to know the other players so well that they become like family. If you are down, there is always someone to pick you up, or give you a pat on the shoulder.”
Anelle has just completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics and International Trade and says she enjoys numbers just as much as she enjoys hockey. “Playing hockey professionally doesn’t really generate an income in South Africa so you have to ensure you have viable career options while you pursue your passion,” she explained.
Asked how her passion for hockey has shaped her personal outlook on life, Anelle responds by describing the deep disappointment she sometimes feels when she trains hard but isn’t selected to play in a match. “During those moments, you really start to doubt yourself and your ability, but my passion for hockey has taught me that if you are truly passionate about something, you will persevere through those moments of self-doubt and get back on the field, trying harder to be better than before.”
Anelle is planning to host her first public hockey clinic at Pionier on February 24.
Anelle van Deventer defends a goal at a hockey match.
Vryheid Herald
John Hurst Gold Medal GK Top Tips
Maddie Hinch celebrates
John Hurst was the manager and goalkeeping coach of the GB women’s team that won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics last summer, he decided he would finish on a high and took retirement from International hockey post Rio. Or at least slow down for now!
Hurst himself was the non travelling reserve goalkeeper for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul when GB men’s hockey team won gold. He has dedicated 47 years to hockey and has helped develop England and Great Britain's best. He has coached the likes of England greats, Jimi Lewis, Simon Mason and our current keepers Maddie Hinch and George Pinner.
Here are his top tips for any aspiring keeper, no matter what age or ability;
- ENJOY! Make every goalkeeping hour a happy hour and have FUN!
- WATCH THE BALL – Keep your eyes on the ball all the time, even when you are kicking it by your feet.
- Kick with the inside of your foot (not the toe). Keep your weight forward, follow through with the kick and be in line for the next action. “HOB” – “Head Over Ball”.
- Be BIG in the goal and make sure you get your ANGLES right, between the centre of the goal and the ball, about two steps off the line if you are in the centre, on the post if the action is along the goal line.
- Make sure you drive at wide shots with your leg. Lead with your head.
- Keep your hands high but comfortable. Preferably chest height.
- Don’t bat the ball with your hands or stick. Watch the ball and deflect it away wide with hands or stick.
- Dive on your side not your tummy. Make sure you watch the ball onto your hand or stick.
- Make every practice as real and match like as possible.
- At penalty corners, watch the ball leave the stick and react to it. DON’T GUESS!
You can find practices for your sessions via the Hockey Hub plus check out our coaching workshops and our goalkeeper specific sessions here!
England Hockey Board Media release