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News for 24 April 2017

All the news for Monday 24 April 2017


Kiwis get a spanking Malaysia turn on the style in first Test

by S. Ramaguru


Full concentration: Malaysia’s Faiz Jali (left) and New Zealand’s Stephen Jenness vie for the ball during the Test match at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday. Malaysia won 8-2. — M. AZHAR ARIF/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Nik Mohamed Aiman Nik Rozemi was the hat-trick star as Malaysia stunned world No.8 New Zealand 8-2 in the first hockey Test.

It was Malaysia’s biggest win over New Zealand. Both teams are preparing for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from April 29-May 6.

National coach Stephen van Huizen refused to get overly excited, saying it was just a Test match.

“New Zeland only arrived on Saturday. They could have been a bit lethargic,” said Stephen.

“The difference today is that we took our chances well. It was a good effort. We are trying out all the players and this is the chance for the players to earn their spurs,’ he added.

New Zealand coach Darren Smith was unfazed by the big loss, but credited Malaysia for making good use of their chances.

“It was certainly not our best game. It’s a good lesson and one that the players have to learn from. I don’t think the long journey here affected the players,” said Smith.

Malaysia had a perfect start at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday, grabbing a two-goal lead after only six minutes.

Nik Mohamed Aiman capitalised on a defensive lapse to open the floodgates in the third minute.

In the sixth minute, Malaysia earned their first penalty corner and Mohamed Razie Rahim scored with a drag flick.

George Muir then pulled a goal back for the Kiwis in the seventh minute off a field attempt.

But the Malaysians were in no mood to relax with Mohamed Ramadan Rosli scoring a field goal in the 28th minute to make it 3-1.

Malaysia earned their second penalty corner in the 29th minute and this time Faizal Saari scored with an easy drag flick.

The Kiwis, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup champions in 2012 and 2015, were not their usual selves and it did not come as a surprise when Mohamed Haziq Shamsul scored Malaysia’s fifth goal in the 37th minute.

Nik Aiman was on target again with a field goal in the 42nd minute. He completed his hat-trick in the 49th minute.

Young defender Mohamed Najmi Jazlan also put his name on the scoresheet when he converted a penalty corner in the 45th minute for an 8-1 lead.

New Zealand, however, managed to reduce the deficit through Dominic Newman in the 48th minute.

Both teams will play their second Test at the same venue at 6pm today.

The Star of Malaysia



Malaysia hammer New Zealand 8-2

By Jugjet Singh

MALAYSIA hammered New Zealand 8-2 in the First Test at the Tun Razak Stadium Sunday, leading towards the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh next weekend.

The hosts will be up against Australia, Great Britain, India, Japan and New Zealand in the Azlan Shah Cup on April 29-May 6.

The Malaysian goals were scored by Nik Aiman Rosemi (third, 42nd, 49th), Razie Rahim (sixth), Ramadan Rosli (29th), Faizal Shaari (29th), Haziq Samsul (37th), Najmi Jazlan (45th),

George Muir (seventh) and Dominic Newman (48th) scored for New Zealand.

The Second Test will be held Monday at 6pm, at the same venue.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Black Sticks take heavy defeat from Malaysia


Photo: www.photosport.nz

The Vantage Black Sticks Men have suffered a heavy 8-2 defeat from hosts Malaysia in the first of two warm up games ahead of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Played in hot conditions, the Kiwis were not able to fire against the Malaysians who scored four goals in each half.

New Zealand’s two goals came from a George Muir field goal right on halftime and Sam Lane’s consolation strike in the 48th minute.

North Harbour defender Cory Bennett notched up his 50th test during the match.

The Vantage Black Sticks play Malaysia again this evening before their opening game at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup against Australia at 10pm this Saturday.

All New Zealand games will be broadcast live on SKY Sport.

CLICK HERE for more on the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS 2: (George Muir, Sam Lane)
MALAYSIA 8: (Aiman Nik Rosemi 3, Razie Rahim, Ramadan Rosli, Faizal Saari, Haziq Samsul, Najmi Jazlan)
Halftime: Malaysia 4-1

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Vantage Black Sticks Women to host India



Photo: www.photosport.nz

The Vantage Black Sticks Women have been confirmed for a five test series against India in Auckland and Hamilton next month.

The first three matches will be played on 14th, 16th and 17th May at Rosa Birch Park in Pukekohe before tests on 19th and 20th May at the Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton.

New Zealand last played India at the International Hockey Open in Darwin in May last year, where the Black Sticks came away with a 4-1 result.

The Kiwis, coached by Mark Hager, are currently ranked fifth in the world while India are 12th but come into the series fresh from winning the FIH World League Round 2 event in Canada.

Presale tickets for all five games will be on sale from 10am this Wednesday through the Black Sticks website (www.blacksticks.co.nz)

A Vantage Black Sticks team to compete at the series will be announced next week.

MATCH SCHEDULE

Rosa Birch Park, Pukekohe
Sunday 14th May, 3pm
Tuesday 16th May, 7pm
Wednesday 17th May, 7pm

Gallagher Hockey Centre, Hamilton
Friday 19th May, 2pm
Saturday 20th May, 2pm

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Home series against India looms for Black Sticks women


The Black Sticks women will take on India next month in a five match home series. PHOTOSPORT

The Black Sticks women will take on world No 12 India in a five test series in Auckland and Hamilton next month.

The first three matches will be played on May 14, 16 and 17 at Rosa Birch Park in Pukekohe, before tests on May 19 and 20 at the Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton.

New Zealand last played India at the International Hockey Open in Darwin in May last year, where the Black Sticks came away with a 4-1 result.

The Kiwis, coached by Mark Hager, are ranked fifth in the world while India are 12th, but come into the series fresh from winning the FIH World League round two event in Canada.

A Black Sticks squad to compete at the series will be announced next week.

Stuff



Five-test series looming for Black Sticks women


New Zealand celebrate a goal by Samantha Harrison. Photo / Photosport

The women's Black Sticks are to play a five-test series against 12th-ranked India in Auckland and Hamilton next month.

The first three matches, on May 14, 16 and 17, are at Rosa Birch Park in Pukekohe with the last two, on May 19 and 20 at Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton.

The last time fifth-ranked New Zealand played India was at the International Open in Darwin last May, when they won 4-1. India are coming off winning the World League round two event in Canada. New Zealand's squad will be named next week.

Meanwhile the men's Black Sticks have taken a serious thumping from hosts Malaysia in the first of two internationals in Kuala Lumpur leading up to the Azlan Shah tournament in Ipoh.

The 14th-ranked Malaysians beat world No 8 New Zealand 8-2 with New Zealand's
goals coming from a George Muir field goal on halftime and Sam Lane early in the fourth quarter.

The teams are meeting in a second international late tonight.

The New Zealand Herald



Comeback kings Surbiton take men's title


Alan Forsyth scores in shootout League Finals 2017

Surbiton pulled off a remarkable comeback against Wimbledon to be crowned champions of the Men’s Hockey League.  Wimbledon had taken a 3-0 lead and seemingly put the game out of sight but three goals in the final eight minutes from Surbiton sent the game to shoot-out. In a dramatic finale, Mark Pearn’s side netted three times to clinch a 3-2 victory. 

Surbiton had the better of the opening exchanges with David Goodfield flashing a shot wide of the post and Alan Forsyth being denied by the glove of James Bailey. They were soon left ruing their missed opportunities when Wimbledon took the lead in the ninth minute. Phil Roper picked out Phil Ball with a fantastic reverse stick cross, for the striker to turn home first time.
 
Wimbledon came closest to doubling their lead in the second half when Ian Sloan dragged his shot wide of Harry Gibon’s left post. The well worked penalty corner routine resulted in the ball being slipped to the number eight but he couldn’t direct his effort on target. Surbiton almost equalised from their own penalty corner on the stroke of half time but Bailey and the Wimbledon backline defended bravely to maintain their 1-0 lead at the break.

Wimbledon charged out the blocks at the start of the second half, with Simon Mantell’s powerful shot stinging the gloves of Gibson. When Luke Noblett was shown a green card in the 33rd minute, Wimbledon were able to capitalise on their one man advantage. The penalty corner strike was charged down by Brendan Creed but the rebound fell kindly to Mikey Hoare at the top of the circle. He smashed in a shot, for England and Great Britain teammate Henry Weir to get the faintest of touches to evade Gibson. At the other end, a goal line clearance from Wimbledon’s defence prevented Surbiton from halving the deficit heading into the final quarter.

Mantell forced the Surbiton defence into making a mistake in the 50th minute to give his side a 3-0 lead. His persistent pressure resulted in the defence gifting the ball to Johnny Kinder and in a two on one situation, Kinder unselfishly slipped the ball back to Mantell for the forward to turn and finish.

However,  Surbiton didn’t give up and three goals in seven minutes turned the game on its head. Forsyth pulled a goal back straight from the restart to give his side a glimmer of hope, sending a powerful reverse strike past Bailey. With four minutes left on the clock Surbiton earned themselves a further two penalty corners and up stepped Gareth Furlong. The number fourteen’s two identical strikes from the top of the circle crashed past Bailey into the goal, sending the game to a shoot-out.
 
Wimbledon were up first and Gibson denied both Ian Sloan and Steven Ebbers. Bailey saved from Lewis Prosser but couldn’t stop Forsyth from calmly finishing on his reverse. With Phil Roper then scoring and Bailey keeping out David Goodfield, the score was tied at 1-1 after three penalties each. Mantell and Noblett both held their nerve but when Ball was unable to convert it was advantage Surbiton. David Beckett, the final penalty taker kept his cool to clinch a 3-2 victory for his side, sending the Surbiton fans wild.

Wimbledon 3 (1)
Phil Ball, 9 (FG)
Henry Weir, 34 (PC)
Simon Mantell, 50 (FG)

Surbiton 3 (0)
Alan Forsyth, 52 (PC)
Gareth Furlong, 56, 59 (PC, PC)

Surbiton win 3-2 in the shoot-out.

Shoot-out detail
Wimbledon, X, X, O, O, X, 2
Surbiton, X, O, X, O, O, 3

England Hockey Board Media release



Surbiton stun Wimbledon to win England’s Hockey League to go with EHL place



Surbiton pulled off a remarkable comeback against Wimbledon to be crowned champions of the Men’s Hockey League. Wimbledon had taken a 3-0 lead and seemingly put the game out of sight but three goals in the final eight minutes from Surbiton sent the game to shoot-out. In a dramatic finale, Mark Pearn’s side netted three times to clinch a 3-2 victory.

Wimbledon had taken the lead in the ninth minute when Phil Roper picked out Phil Ball with a fantastic reverse stick cross, for the striker to turn home first time. They carried that lead into the second half and charged out the blocks at the start of the second half, with Simon Mantell’s powerful shot stinging the gloves of Gibson.

When Luke Noblett was shown a green card in the 33rd minute, Wimbledon were able to capitalise on their one man advantage. The penalty corner strike was charged down by Brendan Creed but the rebound fell kindly to Mikey Hoare at the top of the circle. He smashed in a shot, for England and Great Britain teammate Henry Weir to get the faintest of touches to evade Gibson.

Mantell forced the Surbiton defence into making a mistake in the 50th minute to give his side a 3-0 lead. His persistent pressure resulted in the defence gifting the ball to Johnny Kinder and in a two on one situation, Kinder unselfishly slipped the ball back to Mantell for the forward to turn and finish.

However, Surbiton didn’t give up and three goals in seven minutes turned the game on its head. Alan Forsyth - the English league's player of the season - pulled a goal back straight from the restart to give his side a glimmer of hope, sending a powerful reverse strike past Bailey. With four minutes left, Surbiton earned themselves a further two penalty corners and up stepped Gareth Furlong. The number fourteen’s two identical strikes from the top of the circle crashed past Bailey into the goal, sending the game to a shoot-out.

Wimbledon were up first and Gibson denied both Ian Sloan and Steven Ebbers. Bailey saved from Lewis Prosser but couldn’t stop Forsyth from calmly finishing on his reverse. With Phil Roper then scoring and Bailey keeping out David Goodfield, the score was tied at 1-1 after three penalties each. Mantell and Noblett both held their nerve but when Ball was unable to convert it was advantage Surbiton. David Beckett, the final penalty taker kept his cool to clinch a 3-2 victory for his side, sending the Surbiton fans wild.

Surbiton had earlier beaten Holcombe on Saturday to reach the final and earn themselves a Euro Hockey League place alongside Wimbledon for next season.

Euro Hockey League media release



Holcombe net seven goals to secure third place finish


Holcombe celebrate League Finals 2017

Holcombe secured third place in the Men's Hockey League, beating Hampstead and Westminster 7-3 in an action packed game.

Robert Field opened the scoring in the 16th minute with a goal from open play for Holcombe but soon Hampstead were awarded a penalty stroke which Kwame Browne cooly slotted away to draw things level at the end of the first quarter.

Holcombes second goal was a great team effort; Dan Fox flung himself over the halfway line to knock the ball into Ian Lewers who drove down the right into the circle. He taped it to Nick Bandurak who pivoted on the spot to lift the ball over the keeper and into the goal.

Hampstead were fighting hard and forced George Pinner to make some crucial saves. James Steadman furthered Holcombe's lead after some nice work by Barry Middleton along the base line. On the 28th minute Middleton got on the score sheet after beating the keeper and lifting the ball in the net. A penalty stroke was awarded to Holcombe after Sam Ward was knocked down in the circle and Lewers calmly lifted it in to the top corner to give Holcombe a 5-1 lead at half time.

In the second half Field bagged his second of the game to increase Holcombe's lead to 6-1. In the final quarter Bandurak scored his second, swiftly after Hampstead fought back with two goals. The first came from Richard Alexander followed by a superbly executed goal for Rupert Shipperley to leave the final score standing at 7-3.

Hampstead and Westminster 3 (1)
Kwan Browne, 8 (PS)
Richard Alexander, 55 (FG)
Rupert Shipperley, 60 (FG)

Holcombe 7 (5)
Robert Field, 6, 40 (FG, FG)
Nick Bandurak, 17, 53 (FG, PC)
James Stedman, 24 (FG)
Barry Middleton, 28 (FG)
Iain Lewers, 30 (PS)

England Hockey Board Media release



Super Surbiton make it four in a row


Giselle Ansley and Georgie Twigg League Finals 2017

Surbiton secured their fourth straight Investec Women’s Premier Division title with a 3-1 victory over Holcombe. Goals from Giselle Ansley and Rebecca Middleton put Surbiton into a 2-0 lead before Ellie Watton’s strike threatened a Holcombe comeback heading into the final quarter. However Surbiton pulled further ahead in the closing stages through Naomi Evans’ clever deflected goal which put the result beyond doubt.

It was a memorable day for the London club whose men were also victorious in their final securing a special league double. The opening quarter was a tense affair with both sides largely cancelling each other out. Defences held firm restricting their opposite numbers to a handful of half-chances.

It was Surbiton captain Sarah Haycroft who carved out the best chance just before the break, her quick thinking bought her time to release a shot but Grace Lawes was equal to it in the Holcombe goal.

Surbiton then began to take a hold of the game putting pressure on Holcombe and soon took the lead. Five minutes before the break Giselle Ansley broke the deadlock as she converted the first penalty corner of the game with aplomb.

Minutes after the restart Surbiton extended their lead from another penalty corner fired firmly at goal by Hollie Webb. Holcombe though responded instantly through Ellie Watton from a corner of their own.

Holcombe started the final quarter the stronger of the two sides but it was Surbiton who grabbed a crucial third goal when Naomi Evans deflected home. Jenna Woolven’s went close to putting the game beyond all doubt but her strike was well dealt with by Lawes before Surbiton safely saw out the remaining minutes to secure the title.

Surbiton 3 (1)
Giselle Ansley, 26 (PC)
Rebecca Middleton, 32 (PC)
Naomi Evans, 52 (FG)

Holcombe 1 (0)
Eleanor Watton, 38 (PC)

England Hockey Board Media release



Men's Hockey League Play-Offs


Canterbury celebrate League Finals 2017

With Sevenoaks already promoted, Canterbury were in need of a draw in their final Men's Hockey League Play-Off match to retain their top flight status. They comfortably ran out 7-3 winners against their local rivals to ensure the Kent Derby becomes a permanent fixture for the 2017/18 season.

With 21 minutes on the clock, Canterbury broke the deadlock with Sam Barrett's tidy finish, striking low past Dan Curley in the Sevenoaks net. The opening goal was a huge boost to Canterbury and of course allowed them to settle into the game more.

They further stretched their lead in the last few minutes of the half, Will Heywood smacking home an excellent finish from the left after being played in on the counter-attack. Pinching the ball in midfield, Canterbury broke with real aplomb and the celebrations after the second goal showed the potential importance of the strike.

Sevenoaks were not to be written off, and before the interval Chris Barker touched home a penalty corner to halve the deficit.But right on the whistle, Canterbury had a penalty of their own and made it count in fine fashion, Tom Bean lashing home high into the net.

Into the second half, Bean once again converted from a corner to create a three-goal lead, only for Sevenoak's Duncan Parnish to fire home smartly and make it 4-2 on 47 minutes.

When Sam Barrett tidily made it 5-2 with 14 minutes to go, the game was well and truly over as a contest. Then Hamish Roberts added a sixth and Canterbury were running riot. Parnish then turned home a Sevenoaks corner to score the ninth goal of the afternoon, and the tenth went to 'Bury's Bean as he completed his hat trick from penalty corners.

Sevenoaks 3 (1)
Chris Barker, 34 (PC)
Duncan Parnis, 47, 62 (FG, PC)

Canterbury 7 (3)
Sam Barrett, 21, 56 (FG, FG)
Will Heywood, 31 (FG)
Tom Bean, 35, 45, 67 (PC, PC, PC)
Hamish Roberts, 58 (FG)


Bath v Durham League Finals 2017

Two goals in two minutes saw Durham University fight back to draw their final Men's Hockey League Play-Off game with Team Bath Buccaneers. Samad Suleman’s quick-fire brace helped Durham restore parity after Bath had worked their way into a 3-1 lead. Earlier Will Hewer and Harry Skinner had twice put Bath ahead either side of Rory Patterson’s strike before Oli Stone extended the lead.

Bath were quickest out of the blocks and caught Durham cold when Hewer flicked calmly home from close range after just four minutes. Durham though did respond before half time through captain Patterson who struck with an impressive reverse stick strike.

Once again Bath flew out of the traps after the break and were soon back in front thanks to a clever deflected goal from Skinner. Their lead was soon doubled as Matthew Boote broke down the right and his pinpoint cross was turned in by Stone.

However the game was far from over as Durham’s attacking trio of Suleman, Tom Graham and Charlie Stubbings turned on the style. The three combined in a flowing move to give their side hope and almost straight from the restart completed the trick to level the game in spectacular style.

Both sides pushed to try and grab a winner and the best chance fell to Bath who broke with just seconds remaining. Stone couldn’t make the desired connection though at the back post as the final hooter sounded.

Team Bath Buccaneers 3 (1)
Will Hewer, 4 (FG)
Harry Skinner, 40 (FG)
Ben Stone, 48 (FG)

Durham University 3 (1)
Rory Patterson, 22 (PC)
Samad Suleman, 50, 51 (FG, FG)

Men's Hockey League Play-Offs - Final standings

Team, P, W, D, L, F, A, GD, Pts
Canterbury, 3, 2, 1, 0, 13, 6, +7, 7
Sevenoaks, 3, 2, 0, 1, 9, 11, -2, 6
Team Bath Bucaneers, 3, 0, 2, 1, 7, 8, -1, 2
Durham University, 3, 0, 1, 2, 6, 10, -4, 1

England Hockey Board Media release



Investec Women's Hockey League Play-Offs


Buckingham get promoted League Finals 2017

A jubilant Buckingham clinched promotion to the Investec Women’s Hockey League in a seven goal thriller at the expense of a heartbroken Wimbledon. It was a must win game for Jane Scott’s side, who got pegged back twice, before two goals in five minutes gave them an unassailable lead. 

Buckingham got off to the perfect start, scoring from a penalty corner after four minutes. Lauren Thomas swept the ball in from the top of the circle onto the stick of Kitty Higgins to deflect into the goal. It wasn’t long before Wimbledon were back on level terms though, scoring from their own penalty corner. Crista Cullen’s initial strike was charged down but the loose ball fell to Libby Sherriff to slam home.

Tash James was next to get herself on the score sheet, to restore Buckingham’s lead. Persistent play from Phoebe Richards led to a goal mouth scramble, with James on hand to net from close range. Six minutes later, Sherriff had her second to pull Wimbledon back to 2-2. Nikki Lloyd drove down the right before firing an inch perfect cross to Sherriff on the back post to deflect home first time.

Wimbledon started the second half the brighter of the two sides, pressing the Buckingham defence into making mistakes. Rachel Macpherson forced a turnover inside the circle but her snapshot was saved by Ella Jackson’s outstretched foot.  With Wimbledon unable to take their chances, Buckingham took advantage, capitalising from two penalty corners. First, Zoe Shipperley’s powerful hit from the top was deflected into the roof of the net off a defender’s stick before the captain turned provider to set up Higgin’s for her second and Buckingham’s fourth.

Wimbledon, in need of a draw to secure promotion, continued to press forwards. With 52 seconds left on the clock, Cullen sent the Wimbledon fans wild, scoring from a penalty corner but it was too little too late and Buckingham held on to clinch a 4-3 victory and Premier Division hockey for the 2017/18 season.

Wimbledon 3 (2)
Libby Sherriff, 7, 19 (PC, FG)
Crista Cullen, 69 (PC)

Buckingham  4 (2)
Kitty Higgins, 4, 50 (PC, PC)
Natasha James, 13 (FG)
Zoe Shipperley, 45 (PC)


Bowdon celebrate champagne

A last gasp strike from Lisa Garbutt rescued a point for Bowdon Hightown in their clash with Brooklands Poynton. Bowdon had already retained their Premier Division status after winning their previous two games. Brooklands looked set to grab a consolation win in their Play-Off campaign after goals from Tor Hughes and Clare Wallace had put them ahead in the second half. However Garbutt’s second goal of the game levelled the score with just seconds remaining to deny Brooklands all three points.

Hughes converted a penalty corner midway through the first half but Bowdon responded immediately, Garbutt smashing home into the bottom corner after collecting a clever cut-back.

The second half belonged to Maud Lelkens in the Brooklands' goal who made a string of stunning saves to keep her side in the game. The highlight a triple save in quick succession to prevent Garbutt from adding to her tally.

Almost immediately Brooklands headed down the other end and won a penalty corner. Wallace reacted quickly on the near post to deflect past keeper into the top right corner.

However they couldn’t hold this lead as Bowdon piled on the pressure in the final minute. A bobbled cross made its way across the face of goal and Garbutt was well placed to turn home.

Bowdon Hightown captain Kayleigh Humphreys spoke to England Hockey after the game. 

"It is very exciting. It has been a long season as we have had quite a few downs but we have fought on. Throughout the season we have lost games by just one goal, so it has been quite a frustrating, so to come here and play the way we have is brilliant. I am really chuffed and very relieved! I think it has been great to see articles from other teams  supporting  northern teams, so we are just so proud to keep north on the map."

Brooklands Poynton 2 (1)
Tor Hughes, 23 (PC)
Clare Wallace, 58 (PC)

Bowdon Hightown 2 (1)
Lisa Garbutt, 26, 69 (FG, FG)

Investec Women's Hockey League Play-Offs - Final standings
Team, P, W, D, L, F, A, GD, Pts
Bowdon Hightown, 3, 2, 1, 0, 7, 5, +2, 7
Buckingham, 3, 2, 0, 1, 6, 4, +2, 6
Wimbledon, 3, 1, 0, 2, 6, 8, -2, 3
Brooklands Poynton, 3, 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, -2, 1

England Hockey Board Media release



Banbridge Win EY Hockey League



Banbridge claimed the second EY Hockey League laurels as they held off a rampant Three Rock Rovers with a big win over Railway Union to land the title on goal difference on a dramatic final day of the regular season.Going into the final tie, Bann were level with Rovers on points but had six goals on goal difference in the tank.

But any thoughts that it would be an easy buffer were quickly put to the test with news that Rovers had gone 3-0 up on Instonians in the first eight minutes of their tie at Grange Road.

Bann, though, were in high-scoring form too with Fraser Mills netting two first half goals in addition to a penalty stroke for Matthew Bell before half-time. By that stage, Rovers had gone 6-0 up on Inst with Luke Madeley on course for a hat trick, halving their deficit.

And the gap was down to two goals on goal difference by the end of the third quarter with Rovers 8-0 up and Bann 5-1 to the good against Railway as phones were frantically checked for updates from either end of the M1.

Nerves were eased, though, when Ross Beattie added a sixth Bann goal while William Robinson fired in a consolation goal for Inst against Rovers that all but swung the balance Bann’s way.

They closed out their 6-1 win with Rovers’ 9-1 result proving three shy in a thrilling end to a cracking campaign with precious little between the top two.

Banbridge earn a return trip to the Euro Hockey League as a result.Both clubs go into the EY Champions Trophy next week with Bann facing Monkstown in their semi-final while Rovers play Lisnagarvey.

Monkstown rubber-stamped their ticket with a 4-3 win over Garvey, Geoff Cole scoring the winner with two minutes to go.At the bottom, UCD will go into the relegation playoff after they let slip a half-time lead against Pembroke to lose 4-2. It meant that Railway Union – despite their heavy loss – stay in the top tier for another season.

Glenanne closed out their campaign in seventh place with a third win in their last four games, beating Cork C of I 1-0 courtesy of Eddie O’Malley’s single goal.

In the EYHL provincial playoffs, Annadale will return to the top tier thanks to their final victory over Cookstown, Peter Caruth inspiring a 3-1 win with Fergus Gibson, Craig Getty and Oli Brown on the mark.

Men’s EY Hockey League: Three Rock Rovers 9 (L Madeley 3, K Mullins 2, R Canning, M Darling, J Hosking, C Empey) Instonians 1 (W Robinson); Lisnagarvey 3 (T Cockram 2, A Williamson) Monkstown 4 (D Carson 2, M Romoli, G Cole); Banbridge 6 (F Mills 2, M Bell 2, E Magee, R Beattie) Railway Union 1 (M English); Pembroke 4 (J Ryan 2, D Quinn 2) UCD 2 (J Duncan, A Keane); Glenanne 1 (E O'Malley) Cork C of I 0

EY Provincial Playoffs, semi-finals: Cookstown 1 (M Crooks) Corinthian 0; Annadale 5 (C Getty, M Crookshanks, A McAllister, P Caruth, B Wallace)

Final: Annadale 3 (F Gibson, C Getty, O Brown) Cookstown 1 (R Millar)

Day 18 extended reports

Banbridge 6 (F Mills 2, M Bell 2, E Magee, R Beattie) Railway Union 1 (M English)

Banbridge produced the goals they needed to stay clear of Three Rock Rovers in dramatic fashion, managing to do enough to win the EY Hockey League title on goal difference on a day of frantic checking of phones between Havelock Park and Grange Road.

At three quarter-time, Rovers looked like they could potentially close the gap fully before a strong late showing for Bann meant they kept the lead they had held for so long.Bann started strongly with a Fraser Mills effort on target early on for 1-0, this was followed by a Ross Beattie reverse which hit the side board. Railway were sitting deep trying to hit the home side on the counter attack.

A great attack by Bruce McCandless set up the chance but Johnny McKee flicked just over. Then Matthew Allister sees his shot taken off the line, towards the end of the quarter Bann saw a Mathew Bell short corner flick hit the post.

They added another couple in the second quarter when a Peter Brown pass found Mills who scored his second.Railway’s keeper Stephen O’Keefe was very busy but proving difficult to beat. Bann did win a penalty stroke; Matthew Bell sending O’Keefe the wrong way for 3-0 at the break while Rovers were 6-0 up on Instonians in Dublin, halving the goal difference deficit.

The third quarter was a more even affair, but Bann continued to push for more goals. Brown was outstanding in midfield, winning possession and turning defence into attack. He was well supported by McCandless, Beattie and Sam Farson who put in great shifts but they did see Mark English pull a goal back from a corner for Railway to trim the gap.

Bann soon won another short corner, a great switch at the top saw Eugene Magee send a rocket goal bound only for the defender to stop it illegally on the line. Bell coolly sent the keeper the wrong way again to make it 4-1 to Bann. Ross Beattie then finished well to make it 5-1 to re-strengthen their position.

In the final quarter, Bann pushed for another goal with news from Grange Road that Three rock had scored again to make it 8-0. Railway were defending well as a team as they knew their EYHL league survival was on the line too.  A great bit of play between Peter Brown and Fraser Mills on the left saw a cross put in and there was Eugene Magee at the back post to score the 6th goal and make it 6-1 to Bann. With the news that William Robinson had scored for Instonians in Dublin, Bann could finally breathe easier, getting them over the line for a memorable league victory.

Three Rock Rovers 9 (L Madeley 3, K Mullins 2, R Canning, M Darling, J Hosking, C Empey) Instonians 1 (W Robinson)

Three Rock Rovers hammered Instonians 9-1 at Grange Road in their final EY Hockey League game of the season but the result proved not quite enough for them to overhaul Banbridge, missing out on the title by three goals on goal difference.

From the outset, they needed to outscore Bann by six goals and they got off to the perfect start with Mitch Darling scoring inside two minutes. Kevin Mullins forced home a second in the seventh minute and a Jody Hosking strike followed seconds later - a brilliant reverse stick effort - to build a 3-0 lead with just eight minutes gone.

Luke Madeley's drag-flick accounted for the fourth goal before Conor Empey slammed in the fifth on the half-hour mark after the ball bounced fortuitously off umpire Robert Johnston. Another Madeley drag made it 6-0 at the break. All the while, goals were raining down at Banbridge, too, extending the Rovers' required goals which slowed up somewhat in the second half.

Madeley completed his hat trick before Ross Canning coolly slotted home from close range for 8-0 by the end of the third quarter. At this stage, 11 goals was the target but the killer blow to Rovers' title hopes arrived when William Robinson scored from Inst's only corner. Mullins grabbed a second goal with time running out but Rovers ended three goals short of Banbridge, ending with an 11th successive win but second place on goal difference.

Pembroke 4 (J Ryan 2, D Quinn, A Sothern) UCD 2 (J Duncan, A Keane)

UCD let a half-time lead slip against Pembroke to see them fall into the EY Promotion-Relegation playoff game, setting up a repeat of last year’s game against Cookstown at the same stage of the playoffs.

Goals from Jeremy Duncan and Andy Keane had them in good shape before Pembroke struck three times after the break for the victory. Throughout Pembroke had to thank Ingram for several last man saves, making a first key intervention from Duncan on the reverse in the 12th minute.UCD scored in the 15th minute through Andrew Keane to make it 1-0 slightly against the run of play with Jack Ryan, Alan Sothern, Andrew Shekleton and Patrick Good all having efforts on goal.

Ryan did get them level in the 18th minute from a corner rebound but UCD went back in front as half-time closed in. It came from a Pembroke corner that was cleared quickly, leading to a corner at the far end. Duncan deflected home for 2-1.

The second half, though, saw Pembroke find a greater efficiency in front of goal. In the 41st minute, David Quinn showed how it should be done for a blistering reverse which flew into the UCD net, past his namesake Conor, to equalise the scores 2-2.  Quinn again was prominent from midfield and, in the 57th minute, he drove along the end line and his strong cross took a deflection off De Boe Agnew and nestled in the UCD net to give Pembroke the lead for the first time in the match.  There were more excellent saves by Ingram in the 61st and 62nd minutes as Pembroke were exposed by lofted balls. But, in the 65th minute, Ryan got his second goal on the reverse which flashed past Quinn in the UCD goals to make the game safe.

Lisnagarvey 3 (T Cockram 2, A Williamson) Monkstown 4 (D Carson 2, M Romoli, G Cole)

Monkstown rubber-stamped their place in the EY Champions Trophy playoffs with a 4-3 win over Lisnagarvey at Comber Road with Geoff Cole grabbing the winner two minutes from time.

Davy Carson’s snap-shot from close range gave Town a seventh minute lead which Timmy Cockram countered from a corner in first quarter stoppage time.It remained that way through to a mad-cap final quarter in which Williamson put Garvey in front before Carson nabbed his second for 2-2. Matteo Romoli restored Monsktown’s lead with mere minutes to go only for Cockram to tie things once again. Cole, though, had the deciding vote with his second goal of the week for a 4-3 success.

Glenanne 1 (E O'Malley) Cork C of I 0

Glenanne closed out their season in fine fashion, running up a third win in their last four games to end in seventh place overall as Eddie O’Malley’s single goal made the difference at St Mark’s.

After battling the rest of their province to get to Dublin, with a Munster exodus to the Aviva Stadium, the C of I squad arrived in Glenanne after a tortuous four and a half hour drive. Both teams started promisingly but found the pitch very dry and not conducive to flowing hockey, leading to something of a stalemate. C of I worked hard to press Glenanne while the hosts aimed to play on the counter but both defences held firm to half-time.

The Glens stepped up right from the start of the 2nd half and won a number of corners with Shane O’Donoghue firing wide of the left upright. The deadlock was broken from another corner when the ball was switched left to Sam O’Connor who flashed a pass left of the keeper for a deft finish from O’Malley. C of I tried hard to get back into the game and, with Glenanne shipping a couple of cards, they created a number of openings but found Leo Micklem unbeatable, making a number of fine saves to deny an equaliser.   Back to full complement, the next goal looked more likely to come from Glenanne with a number of counter attacks being squandered. The final chance of the game came fell to C of I right on the final whistle but a goalward looping ball was picked out of the air by Joe Brennan for the win.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Bann set for Euro Hockey League return after goal difference league success



Banbridge claimed the Irish EY Hockey League laurels as they held off Three Rock Rovers with a big win over Railway Union to land the title on goal difference on a dramatic final day of the regular season.

It means that they will return to the Euro Hockey League next season as one of Ireland's representatives with the second side to be decided next week at the end of season Champions Trophy event.

Going into the final tie, Bann were level with Rovers on points but had six goals on goal difference in the tank. But any thoughts that it would be an easy buffer were quickly put to the test with news that Rovers had gone 3-0 up on Instonians in the first eight minutes of their tie.

Bann, though, were in high-scoring form too with Fraser Mills netting two first half goals in addition to a penalty stroke for Matthew Bell before half-time. By that stage, Rovers had gone 6-0 up on Inst with Luke Madeley on course for a hat trick, halving their deficit.

And the gap was down to two goals on goal difference by the end of the third quarter with Rovers 8-0 up and Bann 5-1 to the good against Railway as phones were frantically checked for updates from either end of the M1.

Nerves were eased, though, when Ross Beattie added a sixth Bann goal while William Robinson fired in a consolation goal for Inst against Rovers that all but swung the balance Bann’s way.

They closed out their 6-1 win with Rovers’ 9-1 result proving three shy in a thrilling end to a cracking campaign with precious little between the top two. Banbridge earn a return trip to the Euro Hockey League as a result.

Euro Hockey League media release



Trinity and Annadale Book Spots In Next Seasons EYHL

Women’s EY Provincial finals round-robin

Trinity battled their way through to promotion to the EY Hockey League  as they topped the Provincial Round-Robin series at Grange Road, leaping over Lurgan with a 2-0 win over Old Alex in the final game of the competition.

Indeed, it all came down to the last game with Lurgan, Old Alex and Trinity all in the mix. The Ulster champions, Lurgan, had held the advantage overnight following back to back wins over Greenfields (3-0) and Trinity in a 3-2 success, Sarah McClure’s hat trick of corner goals giving them a big advantage.

But they were pegged back by UCC on Sunday morning 1-1 with Claire O’Sullivan’s goal cancelling out Carly Johnston’s opening effort. Indeed, it might have been worse for Robbie McMinn’s side as Louise Egan was clean through on Susie Taylor with minutes to go but spurned the last ditch chance, meaning UCC had to settle for a draw which ended their hopes.

They had earlier drawn 0-0 with Old Alex and were edged out 1-0 by Trinity. The Cork side completed their weekend with a 3-1 win over Greenfields to end on five points. Galway’s Greenfields finished in fifth place with four losses.

Old Alex added a 2-0 win over the Connacht champions on day one to put them in the frame and they followed up with a feisty 1-1 draw with Lurgan. Sylvia O’Mahoney gave Alex an early lead but Johnston – with her second goal of the day – levelled at 1-1 and while Alex finished strong, they had to settle for a draw.

The result meant Lurgan had to wait to see how the last matches panned out with the outside chance – if Alex were to beat Trinity 5-3 – of a shoot-out to decide their final placing. A win for Trinity would have seen them top the group while Alex required a three-goal success against the students.

As it happened, Trinity were too strong as they produced a dominant performance with Ellie Noone netting twice. The first came from a messy penalty corner before half-time as the ball broke to the right of the circle where the Galway native thumped home.

Her side continued to press on, pushing for more goals as the tie progressed with Niamh Sweeney going close. The clinching goal came with 10 minutes to go as Jenny Long fired a reverse at goal that hit Leah Lenehan on the thigh in line with goal. Umpire Ali Keogh played a good advantage and Noone picked up the pieces to slot home.

They duly lasted out the last ten minutes without too much fuss to land the victory they needed to top the group. They go automatically up while Lurgan are destined for a promotion/relegation decider with Belfast Harlequins next weekend at Grange Road.



Women EY Provincial Finals round-robin
Saturday: Trinity 1 (N Sweeney) UCC 0; Lurgan 3 (C McCann 2, T McIlwaine) Greenfields 0; Old Alex 0 UCC 0; Lurgan 3 (S McClure 3) Trinity 2 (A Long, L McCollum); Old Alex 2 (F Bradish, A Barton) Greenfields 0

Sunday: UCC 1 (C O’Sullivan) Lurgan 1 (C Johnston); Trinity 3 (N Sweeney, A Long, J Long) Greenfields 0; Old Alex 1 (S O’Mahoney) Lurgan 1 (C Johnston); UCC 3 (C Sexton, C Moloney, K Harvey) Greenfields 1 (A O’Hara); Trinity 2 (E Noone 2) Old Alex 0

Standings: 1. Trinity 9pts (+5) 2. Lurgan 8pts (+4) 3. Old Alex 5pts (0) 4. UCC 5pts (+1) 5. Greenfields 0pts (-10)

Men’s EY Provincial Playoff Final

Annadale 3 (F Gibson, C Getty, O Brown) Cookstown 1 (R Millar)

A Peter Caruth-inspired Annadale will return to the men’s EY Hockey League for the 2017/18 as they swept to a 3-1 win over Cookstown in the EY Provincial Playoffs final at Grange Road.

The Olympian – and player-coach – was at the heart of the Carryduff side’s impressive win over their Ulster rivals who had edged them out of top spot in their regional league in the regular season.

Dale had swept through Saturday’s semi-finals with a 5-0 win over Bandon while Cookstown had a much tougher date against Corinthian, eventually prevailing 1-0 thanks to a Mark Crooks goal.

In the final, the opening phases were end-to-end with chances a plenty. Dale keeper Johnny Moore was required to keep out two big early chances for Cookstown while his counterpart Tobi Depperman did well to palm away Caruth’s looping deflection.

Three Annadale corners also went unconverted before they eventually took the lead in the 31st minute. Caruth was at the heart of it, getting to the baseline where he flicked into the faceguard of Depperman.

His save bounced up and with another poke of a stick, fell to Fergus Gibson who volleyed in from close range for 1-0.Three minutes later, Craig Getty made it 2-0 as Calum Robson played a clever diagonal pass out to Caruth on the right wing and he arrowed a cross into the centre which Getty met perfectly.

Cookstown got back into the tie early in the second half when Ryan Millar was let through one-on-one with Moore. He smartly dummied the goalkeeper before finishing calmly from the right of the circle with a push.

But the game was won once and for all in the 48th minute when Oli Brown was picked out at the back post to turn in a thunderous crash ball from Peter Bland from left to right.

From there, Greg Allen clipped a corner shot wide in the moments after the goal but, after that, they struggled to create any chances of note as Annadale were content to sit deep and defend in numbers, holding out for the victory.

They go automatically up, replacing Instonians in the EY Hockey League, while Cookstown must travel to Dublin again next Sunday to face UCD in a repeat of last year’s promotion-relegation battle.



EY Provincial Playoffs, semi-finals: Cookstown 1 (M Crooks) Corinthian 0; Annadale 5 (C Getty, M Crookshanks, A McAllister, P Caruth, B Wallace)

Final: Annadale 3 (F Gibson, C Getty, O Brown) Cookstown 1 (R Millar)

Irish Hockey Association media release



Second win in a row for Punjab eves

Rohtak: Punjab registered their second win on the trot, hammering Chhattisgarh 4-0 in the Pool B match on Day 4 of the senior women’s hockey National Championships (Division A) here today.

Ramandeep Kaur scored two goals in two minutes to give Punjab a two-goal advantage by the 20th minute. Anu Bala (37th and 48th minutes) also got a brace as Punjab eased to a win.

In Pool C, Hockey Patiala beat Uttar Pradesh 2-0. It took till six minutes into the second half for Hockey Patiala to find the breakthrough. Teena converted a penalty corner. They held on to that slender lead till the 55th minute, when Pushpa Rani added the second goal.

In other matches, Railway Sports Promotion Board beat Association of Indian Universities 6-1, Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Tamil Nadu 11-0, Jharkhand beat Assam 9-0, Hockey Bhopal beat Maharashtra 2-1.

Services beat PSB in final

Bhopal: Services Sports Control Board won the junior men’s hockey National Championship (Division B) on Saturday. Services Sports Control Board thrashed Punjab & Sind Bank 4-0 to take the title.

In Division A matches on Sunday, SAI beat Chandigarh 5-1, while Haryana beat Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy 5-0.

The Tribune



Railways thrash Universities in women's hockey

K Kumaraswamy

Railways Sports Promotion Board beat Association of Indian Universities 6-1 in a Pool A match in the A Division of the Hockey India 7th Senior Women National Championships in Rohtak, Haryana, on Sunday.

Railways opened the scoring via Neha in the fourth minute. India international Anuradha Devi Thokchom doubled the lead in the sixth minute with a well taken goal before Neha added to her tally in the 49th minute.

Jyoti scored for Universities in the 60th minute.

Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy beat Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu 11-0 in their Pool C encounter. Karishma Singh (14', 39', 40', 45', 59') scored an incredible five goals in the rout. Sadhna Sengar bagged a brace (30', 47') in Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy's win.

In Pool C's second game of the day, Hockey Patiala beat Uttar Pradesh Hockey 2-0 in a tough encounter.

After a goalless first half, Teena converted a penalty corner to give Patiala the lead six minutes into the second half.

They held on to that slender lead for the rest of the quarter, and added one more to their tally in the 55th minute through Pushpa Rani to take the three points.

In Pool B, Hockey Punjab beat Chhattisgarh Hockey 4-0. Ramandeep Kaur (19', 20') and Anu Bala (37', 48') both scored a brace, in the match to give Hockey Punjab the three points, and their second win on the trot in the tournament.

Hockey Jharkhand beat Assam Hockey 9-0. Sangita Kumari scored five goals (16', 19', 24', 39', 48') and Deepika Soreng (30', 57') scored a brace to give them the victory.

Hockey Bhopal and Hockey Maharashtra played out a highly entertaining game in Pool D, Hockey Bhopal edging it 2-1.

The Times of India



Telkom Orange march on in title race

By BRIAN YONGA


Vikings goalkeeper Winnie Kiprop (left) tries to make a save from from Audrey Omaido of Telkom Orange (right) during their Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match at City Park Stadium on April 23, 2017. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU

Champions Telkom Orange on Sunday maintained their unbeaten run this season with a 5-0  win over Vikings in a Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium, Nairobi.

The win was Orange’s  fifth in as many matches and extended their lead at the top of the table to 15 points, nine more than their nearest challengers.

Goals from Kenya internationals Audrey Omaido, Maureen Okumu, Jane Ofula and Rachel Ousa set the 19-time champions on the path to another comfortable win.

Last season’s top scorer Jackline Mwangi was also on target in the lopsided encounter.

Orange assistant coach Josephine Ataro was left purring after the result sounding a warning to her team’s opponents.

“Another match, another five-star performance. We have managed to keep another clean sheet and I think if we keep playing like this we will be champions again,”  Ataro told Nation Sport yesterday.

Telkom Orange needed only four minutes to take the lead as Omaido poked the ball home as the champions showed their class.

Orange missed two more chances before they doubled their lead as Okumu reacted first to Mwangi’s saved shot.

Vikings were struggling to get a grip on the game with Lillian Aura and Ousa controlling the midfield. The duo combined to set up the third setting up Ofula who chipped the ball past Vikings keeper Winnie Kiprop.

Vikings had a rare chance at the start of the third quarter but Susan Muchai was wasteful with only Orange keeper Ruth Njoki.

They were made to rue the miss as Orange scored two more goals to secure the comfortable win.

Daily Nation



MBPJ show their pedigree by beating champs SSTMI

KUALA LUMPUR: Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) showed they are serious contenders for the Malaysian Junior Hockey League’s (MJHL) Division One crown.

Yesterday, they stunned defending champions SSTMI Thunderbolt 3-2 at the MBPJ Stadium to stretch their lead in the 10-team league to three points. MBPJ are unbeaten in four matches, garnering the maximum 12 points.

Mohamad Syabil Aizam, Mohamed Syafiq Izzudin Ibrahim and Mohamed Nur Asyraf Ishak were the scorers for MBPJ while SSTMI replied through Syed Mohamad Syakir Syed Cholan and Mohamed Fitri Khairul Ariffin.

Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) wasted a great chance to keep pace with MBPJ as they went down 3-2 to lowly Politeknik Malaysia at the MBMB Hockey Stadium in Malacca.

Mohamad Adam Zikri (45th), Mohamed Asyraf Idris (48th) and Mohamad Sufian Marsom (52nd) netted for Politeknik Malaysia.

UniKL replied through Mohamed Hilmi Zulkepli (10th) and Mohamed Shahzariq Haikal (49th).

The university side remain second on nine points, but they had already played six matches.

UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj was unamused after the match and blasted his players after their third loss of the season.

“The players did not play to instructions. We were leading 1-0 but conceded two goals when our opponents were playing with 10 players.

“Our players need to learn that hockey is a team sport.

“We were not focused and over-confidence also brought our own downfall,” said Arulselvaraj.

The Star of Malaysia



West Vancouver plays perfect host

Hockey World League Round 2 (women)

Sarah Juggins


Ian Baggott, Field Hockey Canada President and long-time West Vancouver FHC Member, gives the Best Junior Player Award to Denise Krimerman (CHI). (Photo: ©Chris Wilson. All rights Reserved)

It was September 2016 when West Vancouver Field Hockey Club (WVFHC) accepted the invitation to host the third and final women’s HWL Round Two event in April 2017. It is fair to say that the months between accepting the invitation and the moment that the gates were shut after the final match were a heady mix of frenetic activity, the occasional panic and a huge sense of achievement.

WVFHC’s ability to host a major international event was proven when the club partnered with Field Hockey Canada (FHC) to host a series of Canada versus USA men’s matches. The success of this test series, both from a playing and an administrative point, demonstrated that the club was ready to step up to the challenge of an eight-team event. [It was eventually a seven team event as France decided not to take their place in HWLR2].

Emma Gibbons is manager of West Vancouver Field Hockey Club and she says, “When we heard we had been invited to host HWLR2, we were excited to accept and to leverage the opportunities hosting such an event would present.”

West Vancouver Field Hockey Club has a 40-year history and has its roots in an earlier West Vancouver Girls League that was founded in 1968; many of those girls became active members and enrolled their children. In the early days, WVFHC played on the grass pitches at Hugo Ray Park but in 2011, after 10 years of fundraising and lobbying, Rutledge Field was opened, becoming the new home to WVFHC and one of only a handful of dedicated field hockey facilities in the greater Vancouver area. 

The club has a large membership – more than 2000 active members – and currently supplies six of the men’s national team and eight of the women’s national team.

So it was from a base of a strong, supportive and hard-working hockey community that the club, working with Field Hockey Canada, the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) and the International Hockey Federation (FIH), set about preparing for the event.

First, a Local Organising Committee (LOC) was set up, comprising members of the club and representatives from FHC. Among the personnel who were recruited from the club membership to fill specific areas of expertise were a medical officer, a Technical Director and a General Manager – the latter two both having international hockey event experience. Several meetings, either face-to-face or via teleconference, were held to ensure all the planning and implementation was on track. The club also communicated and met with the District of West Vancouver on a regular basis to navigate the various event requirements and permits necessary to put on an event of this scale at the field.

FHC provided the link between the LOC and the FIH and PAHF. The national association was also the budget-holder for the tournament and successfully applied for financial support from the Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada.

One of the steepest learning curves for the LOC, says Gibbons, was the level of complexity involved in running an international tournament. FIH event manager Geraldine Heinen was on hand to provide guidance but, for many of those on the ground, this was new territory. All elements of hosting a tournament were managed and tracked throughout the planning and hosting process to ensure nothing was overlooked. The LOC created ‘leads’ for each area, who reported back on a regular basis.

But all the planning in the world cannot mitigate every issue. Technical director Geoff Matthews takes up the story: “The weather was our largest challenge. Vancouver has unpredictable weather, particularly during the spring time. We had a cold winter followed by an extremely rainy February and March. This created the challenge of ensuring that the field drained properly so that the tournament schedule was not jeopardized. To mitigate this, work went on in the months leading up to the tournament to intensively clean the field and improve the drainage. We had an extraordinary group of field maintenance volunteers who were at the field every day during the tournament from early morning to evening.  During the heaviest rainfall, we organised volunteers to ‘sweep’ the rain off the field toward the drains. We are very proud that there were only two games delayed by 45 minutes throughout the duration of the tournament.”

There was also the question of how to keep the remainder of the club happy with the level of club hockey provision for the tournament’s duration. HWLR2 coincided with the start of the Spring League, a program involving more than 1,600 junior players. For two weeks, the logistical nightmare for the club’s committee was catering for the juniors at alternative venues. But the payback, in terms of involving and inspiring the young players in an event of this calibre, was felt to be worth all the effort.

And of course, this wasn’t the only benefit. As Gibbons says, “An event such as this raises the profile of the sport and the club. The tournament attracted attention from local and international media and showcased our club and the facilities to a wider audience. We worked hard to leverage this, proactively contacting the local media and inviting VIPs to the event.”

The LOC were keen to involve the local community as much as possible. Local schools came to watch the hockey and local retailers were invited to get on board by donating goods for welcome packs and appreciation packs for the athletes, officials and volunteers.

There is also the question of legacy. Rutledge now boasts a new seating stand, new goals, and a better internet service. And, within the ranks of the club members, there is some invaluable knowledge gained from running an event of this magnitude. Local umpires and technical staff managed the training games and a new army of more than 100 volunteers understand what it takes to make an event progress smoothly.

For Gibbons and her team at WVFHC, the enormity of the task ahead had always been clear. This was a case of a domestic club stepping up to host a circus of activity which, at that level, is so much more than just about the action on the field. There was the media, the officials and VIPs to accommodate, the catering, the medical facilities – the list is endless. “The level of detail and attention paid to the overall event experience was a surprise,” admits Matthews. “Our primary focus was creating an excellent field of play for the athletes, however we had to pay equal – if not more – attention to all the other elements that create the event experience.”

While the hockey action was the star, how it was reported was vital and to this end, the PAHF had a strong communications team working with FHC and the LOC. Ali Lee was PAHF Media Officer at the event. She explains why her role is so important: “On-site media is now, more than ever, an important part of having a successful event. Whether it's local journalists, social media experts, television or video personnel, it's important to tick the boxes on the minimums and do those well. This includes strong, reliable internet connection along with power and a secure, covered area for journalists and photographers to do their work. A dedicated wi-fi network for host media is also useful as so much can be done on smart phones and the emerging social media trends are reliant on things such as Facebook live, snapchat or Instagram stories which all need to be done remotely.

“In addition, having clear communication to teams about proper post-game protocol, like walking through a mixed zone, and a professional looking area for interviews will showcase that media operations are an important part of hosting an event.

“The event in West Vancouver had a smooth media operations team between the great communications from Field Hockey Canada to the many, many volunteers. Team liaisons helped communicate and/or translate for post-game interviews, volunteers did a great job securing the media area, and FHC's communications team always ensured all of the technical requirements were met daily even in extreme weather conditions.”

The HWLR2 event in West Vancouver was a success and the people involved are able to look back and congratulate themselves for a job well done despite the problems created by the weather. But, as Gibbons points out, hosting an event is far from plain sailing. Finances and budgeting will always create issues and local providers often have to use innovative solutions to see the standards of provision set by FIH. At WVFC, for example, tents were used to provide offices for medical services, umpire rest areas and the volunteers. A tent in a car-park played host to a drinks area. Food for the volunteers was donated by local food retailers.

The story of West Vancouver Field Hockey Club and its first venture into hosting major internationals is a successful one that really highlights the importance of working closely with all the parties involved and talking with each other through every step of the journey.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release

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