News for 02 October 2017
All the news for Monday 2 October 2017
Indoor USWNT Wins Closely Contested Second Match against Australia
SPRING CITY, Pa. - In a closely contested match, the U.S. Women's National Team won the second game of the six-match training series against Australian's Women's National Indoor Development Team in front of a good crowd at The Training Center in Spring City, Pa. These preparatory matches come before the Indoor USWNT will depart for Georgetown, Guyana for the women's Indoor Pan American Cup October 16-21.
A more rested Australia team came out fast from the opening whistle and earned a penalty corner in the second minute of play. Amelia Leard converted giving Australia an early lead. The quick start was short lived as USA drew a penalty corner just two minutes later which Katherine Gerzabek (Springfield, Pa.) scored with a strong shot. Gerzabek added another two minutes following that off a USA penalty corner. A minute after that Ali Campbell (Boyertown,Pa.) put home another penalty corner to give USA a 3-1 lead.
In the 14th minute, Australia added one to the scoreboard when Sydney King tallied from a penalty corner to cut the goal margin. It didn't take long for USA to respond as two minutes Mary Beth Barham's (Fairfax, Va.) field goal gave Team USA a two goal increase just before halftime.
The Indoor USWNT took control at the beginning of the second half in route to scoring three field goals from fast flowing play. Gerzabek made it 5-2 before Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.) added two, her second coming from a beautiful pass from Anarose McDonough (Kennett Square, Pa.) to make it 7-2 in the 29th minute. Learn put one back for Australia from another penalty corner, and both teams gave a battle in the last five minutes as USA came out with the 7-3 win.
The third game of the Indoor USWNT against Australia's Development Team will take place tomorrow, Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Training Center in Spring City, Pa. Admission is free to all matches so come out and support Team USA. There is a chance to win some great raffle prized donated by Harrow Sports.
Goal Scoring Summary:
Team Minute Player Action Score
AUS 2 #4 Leard PC 0 -1
USA 4 #4 Gerzabek PC 1 - 1
USA 6 #4 Gerzabek PC 2 - 1
USA 7 #30 Campbell PC 3 - 1
AUS 14 #6 King PC 3 - 2
USA 16 #3 Barham FG 4 - 2
USA 24 #4 Gerzabek FG 5 - 2
USA 28 #19 Wirth FG 6 - 2
USA 29 #19 Wirth FG 7 - 2
AUS 34 #4 Leard PC 7 - 3
USFHA media release
Hockey Proteas get a shake-up
Ryan Julius is looking forward to representing South Africa in Egypt. Photo: @theryanjulius via Twitter
The South African hockey selectors have named 18-player men’s and women’s squads to participate in the bi-annual African cup of nations in Ismailia, Egypt, from the October 22-29.
South Africa will be looking to retain the title for the eighth consecutive tournament and will have to be their very best in the games against Egypt. The winners of this tournament will qualify to play in the lucrative FIH Hockey World Cup in India 2018.
South Africa and Egypt are the top two teams on the African continent and every international encounter between the two countries is always highly competitive.
The Pharaohs have beaten SA in two of the last four competitive matches.
Now South Africa have made six changes to the squad from July. Sheldon Rostron, the SA women’s coach, will be taking the reins of both teams for this tournament following Fabian Gregory’s resignation as the men’s mentor.
Exciting keeper Siya Nolutshungu, and defenders Tyson Dlungwana and Gareth Heyns have been added to the defensive unit. Experienced midfielder Clinton Panther returns from injury and strikers Ryan Crowe and new cap Melrick Maddocks complete the changes.
SA men: Rassie Pieterse, Siya Nolutshunga, Jethro Eustice, Tyson Dlungwana, Dan Bell (WP), Gareth Heyns, Rhett Halkett, Tim Drummond, Jonty Robinson, Clinton Panther, Reza Rosenberg, Ryan Julius, Dan Sibbald, Nqobile Ntuli, Ryan Crowie, Julian Hykes, Tevin Kok, Melrick Maddocks
SA women: Phumi Mbande, Nicole le Fleur, Nicolene Terblanche, Celia Evans, Kara Botes, Jess O Connor, Erin Hunter, Quanita Bobbs, Steph Baxter, Shelley Jones, Ilse Davids, Izelle Verster, Lillian du Plessis, Candice Manuel, Tarryn Glasby, Sulette Damons, Dirkie Chamberlain, Sylvia van Jaarsveldt
Sunday Tribune
Kazan land Russian title as Elektrostal take positives ahead of EHL ROUND1
Dinamo Kazan claimed the Russian title once again and the country’s top European spot as they won the second leg of their best of three final against Dinamo Elektrostal.
With the first leg already in the bag, they got off to the perfect start with Anton Kornilov netting twice in the first seven minutes before Andrey Isaev scored a third in the 17th minute.
Dmitry Laptev gave Elektrostal some hope with a corner goal but Linar Fattahov’s field goal pushed the Kazan lead out to 4-1. Elektrostal bounced back once again when Georgii Arusiia netted in the 43rd minute and Marat Khairullin reduced the gap further with plenty of time still remaining.
But Nikolai Komarov’s late goal out the game out of sight for Kazan, earning a 5-3 win and their 2-0 victory in the games.
For Elektrostal, while they lost the final series, it did provide two high-quality games ahead of their departure for the EHL ROUND1 in Barcelona.
Speaking ahead of their battles with Cardiff & Met on Saturday and Uhlenhorst Mulheim next Sunday, Mikhail Proskuryakov says it did give the side an elevated standard of competition to get themselves in shape for the battle ahead.
“Yes, of course, it is good preparation for EHL games. Dinamo Kazan is the best team in Russia and games against them are always difficult and interesting,” he told the EHL website.
“In general, our squad is ready for EHL ROUND1. We had a hard preparation for this season and our fitness level is good. Some players, including me, have minor injuries but I think it will not be a problem. I believe that we are sufficiently prepared.”
This week, they will have a training session on Monday before flying out to Barcelona on Wednesday before playing a challenge match against a local club and a further training session.
And Proskuryakov hopes it will give the side the chance of reaching the KO16 for the second time in their history.
“First of all, every participation in EHL is a valuable experience and an excellent chance to play against the strongest teams and players. We are looking forward to it so much.
“Both Cardiff and Mulheim are strong opponents with professional players and some real hockey stars. So, we must be very concentrated and direct all our energy and power to reach the EHL KO16. I hope, we can do it!”
Euro Hockey League media release
Bann derail Union in sole pre-EHL ROUND1 tie
Banbridge won their only pre-EHL ROUND1 match on Saturday afternoon as they eased to a 4-0 win over Railway Union on the delayed opening day of the EY Hockey League.
Jamie Wright gave them a very early lead before Luke Witherow – on debut for the club – netted a rebound for a 2-0 half-time lead. Another new arrival, Alex Tinney scored the third goal and Dane Ward completed the win from close range.
Despite this comfortable win for Bann – who won two of the three national trophies last season – it has been a tough start to the campaign for Mark Tumilty’s side.
The last two weekends had seen national level competition cancelled due to a dispute between Hockey Ireland and the Irish Hockey Umpires Association relating to support for the umpires development plan and expenses.
It has left Tumilty with few games to get ready for the EHL in Barcelona, especially as he looks to forge a new defensive unit following Matthew Bell’s move to Crefelder HC in Germany and Kyle Marshall to Beeston in England.
Injuries sustained on Ireland duty in the summer for Eugene Magee and Jonny McKee has also made things difficult.
“Pre season hasn’t been great due to availability of players due to injuries,” Tumilty said of his preparation. “I am delighted with the players we have added to the group. I feel we have added some very young and exciting talent who will be major players for Banbridge in the coming seasons.
“We will miss Matthew Kyle and Jake who have moved on but this is a common problem for Irish teams now so we just have to get on with our season.”
“It has been very frustrating not having games. When you look at some other teams coming into this EHL weekend, they will have played four or five competitive games.
“Eugene probably won’t make the tournament as it will probably come a weekend too soon for him. Unfortunately, Johnny was back playing last weekend but picked up a nasty ankle injury and is now out for a number of weeks.”
Banbridge were one of the stars of EHL ROUND1 last October, delighting a raucous home crowd when they beat France’s Saint Germain and then eliminating Royal Leopold when they drew with them on the Sunday afternoon.
They once again have Belgian opposition on the cards with Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles next Sunday following a Saturday date with WKS Grunwald Poznan.
“Racing are a top class side with talent all over the pitch. They will be firm favourites going into the weekend and will be looking to progress a lot further in the competition.
“Our big game is against Poznan as our aim is to ensure Irish Hhckey maintain two places in the EHL. Poznan will be a very difficult game with substantial EHL experience. I expect a very physical game and a dangerous penalty corner.
“We do have a large travelling support as always. Last year was a fantastic journey with an amazing group of supporters. They had a huge impact last year, none more so than in the second half against Leopold. I am certain they would love the same opportunity next weekend against Racing!”
Euro Hockey League media release
Stralkowski’s Mülheim confident despite long injury list
©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
Uhlenhorst Mülheim star man Thilo Stralkowski says his side is in superb early season form given they have a crippling injury list that has seen them short of several major players.
They ran up their fourth win of the season on Sunday, beating Munich SC 6-1 with Stralkowski scoring the second goal, adding to two goals from Canadian international Gabriel Ho-Garcia and one each from Ferdinand Weinke, Victor Häbel and Roderick Muster.
The Olympic gold medal winning Stralkowski has scored in each of his club’s games so far this season, helping them make it four wins from six games so far, sitting in fifth place in the rankings.
While they would prefer to be in the top four, the powerful striker said he is “really happy with our competitive spirit, especially the game in Hamburg [against leaders Harvestehuder THC] was really close and we deserved a different result.
“Some guys are really taking their opportunities which is a positive but, as a team, we have to raise our level of efficiency – defensively and also on the offensive end.”
Those chances have become available in the team because as many as eight players have been out of action in the early weeks due to a variety of injuries.
“Obviously this makes it a lot tougher, especially when you are missing players like Benedikt Fürk, Lukas Windfeder and Timm Herzbruch, who has a torn ligament and will be out until the beginning of 2018.
“But we always value and emphasize the development of our young players. That is something extremely important to our club. So the last couple of weeks, many of our young guys had the chance to learn and perform at a very high level which is great for their individual development. But of course, we would love to have our top players back for EHL ROUND1.”
Included among those young players are the likes of Jan Schiffer, Malte Hellwig and Niklas Bosserhoff who were in the German Under-21 panel in Valencia.
Uhlenhorst have not been involved in the EHL for the last three seasons and it’s something that Stralkowski is glad to rectify following their excellent run in the German league last season. They previously reached the KO16 twice and the KO8 once.
“The last three seasons have been tough to watch the EHL games from the outside, especially for an 'older' player like me.
“Many of our young players haven’t had the opportunity to play against the best teams in Europe, so we are going to try everything possible to reach the KO16 next year.
“Some great memories and big games come to my mind when I think about the EHL; in the past we often came up just short. So this season we are very hungry and want to win as many games possible.”
They meet two new opponents in the form of Cardiff & Met and Dinamo Elektrostal so, while the Germans will be favourites, it will be a different challenge that they will have to acquaint themselves with.
“We haven’t see them that often and both teams are rather new to us which makes it a little bit difficult to prepare. But our coaching staff will give us the most important stats and information about our opponents.
“They will definitely want to make it as tough as possible on us. Those are two teams that are going to play hard, want to defend well and will not back down from anything. So we have been warned.
“With that said, we want to concentrate on our game plan and our performance. We want to play aggressively at both ends. If we do that and play as a unit, I’m sure we will win both games. On paper we might be the team to beat in Pool B. We are ready to take on that challenge!”
Euro Hockey League media release
Four from Taylor helps Surbiton to win
The above photo shows Surbiton’s Luke Taylor, who scored four times for Surbiton against Sevenoaks. Credit: Tim Reder.
Surbiton scored six goals for the second week running as their great start to the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division continued with a 6-2 win over newcomers Sevenoaks on Saturday evening.
Home debutant Luke Taylor scored four times as the reigning champions put Sevenoaks to the sword with a fine display, particularly from penalty corners, with all Taylor’s goals coming from the set piece.
David Goodfield and James Gall also scored as Surbiton showed Sevenoaks no mercy.
Reading are the only other side in the Premier Division who have a 100 per cent record, after beating Canterbury 5-0.
Tim Atkins and Ben Boon had put the hosts ahead with first half goals, before Tom Carson, Nick Park and Lee Morton extended their advantage.
Elsewhere, David Flanagan scored twice and brother Peter Flanagan scored another as Brooklands Manchester University beat East Grinstead 4-3.
Andrew Jackson scored the home side’s other goal, while two from Tijn van Groesen and another from Simon Faulkner were not enough to stop East Grinstead losing.
Sam Ward scored for Beeston as they beat his former side Holcombe 2-0, with Gareth Andrew scoring the other goal.
Local rivals Wimbledon and Hampstead and Westminster battled out a 2-2 draw. Peter Friend and Nat Stewart scored for the hosts, while Matt Guise Brown and Stephen Dowds were the scorers for Hampstead, both their goals coming in the final 17 minutes.
Men’s Conference North
Newcomers the University of Nottingham top the table in the Men’s Conference North, after securing a 3-2 win over Deeside Ramblers.
James Pratt had given Deeside the lead after just two minutes, and the University of Nottingham trailed until the 30th minute when James Hodgkinson scored.
Ben Lamont gave the Ramblers back their lead, only for the students to hit back and win with goals from Josh Pavis and Noah Darlington.
Loughborough Students also have a 100 per cent record after winning 3-2 over Bowdon on Saturday.
Josh Pettinger and Matt Gibson both scored twice for Doncaster as they beat Leeds 5-2, while Cannock overcame Preston 3-2 and the University of Durham secured a 1-0 away win at Sheffield Hallam.
Men’s Conference East
A hat-trick from Joe Naughalty wasn’t enough for Brighton and Hove, who had to settle for a point from a thrilling 4-4 draw at Teddington in the Men’s Conference East on Sunday.
With goals from Andrew Pett (2), Phil Lewis and Charlie Brooke Teddington might’ve thought they had the win secured, only for Naughalty to score with just two minutes left to take a share of the spoils.
Oxted have a 100 per cent record after winning 3-2 over Southgate, while Old Loughtonians’ 2-1 win against Chichester on Saturday ensured they also have six points.
Elsewhere James Tindall scored four times for Old Georgians in a 5-1 win over West Herts, while Cambridge City were 2-1 winners at Richmond.
Men’s Conference West
Scott Wall scored a hat-trick for the University of Birmingham, but they could only draw 4-4 with Havant who were drawing for the second match running in the Men’s Conference West.
The University of Exeter top the early table and have a 100 per cent record after winning 3-2 at home against Cheltenham, while Team Bath Buccaneers won by the same scoreline at Olton and West Warwicks to secure their second victory of the league campaign.
Fareham also won 3-2 with Luke Cornish scoring twice and Martin Gough once, while Cardiff and Met were 3-1 winners at Clifton Robinsons, Luke Hawker scoring twice and Ioan Wall once.
* Full results, tables and fixtures from the Men’s Hockey League is available here - http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/page_noside.asp?section=2343§ionTitle=Fixtures%2C+Results+%26+Standings
England Hockey Board Media release
Irish Men EYHL Weekend Round Up
Lisnagarvey recorded the big win of the weekend as they struck twice in the second half to beat Monkstown 4-2 on the opening day of the men’s EY Hockey League season.
The two sides figured prominently in the EY Champions Trophy playoffs last term and are fancied to contend once again. The Dubliners got off to a flying start when Karl Lynch scored a rebound but an equaliser from Matthew Nelson and another goal from James Corry – following his move from Instonians – made it 2-1.
Andrew Ward levelled for the second time to keep the game in the balance at the big break. But a James Lorimer corner and a counter effort from Andy Williamson saw Garvey race to an important victory.
Reigning Champions Trophy champions Three Rock Rovers swept to a comfortable 7-1 win over Annadale courtesy of five second half goals. Richard Pautz opened the scoring in the third minute with the first of his four goals in his first appearance for Rovers with Ben Walker also scoring twice.
Banbridge completed their preparation for the Euro Hockey League ROUND1 in Barcelona with a simple enough 4-0 win over Railway Union, scoring once in each quarter with Alex Tinney and Luke Witherow getting their first goals for the club.
Alan Sothern’s pair of goals saw Pembroke get the better of newly promoted Cookstown at Steelweld Park. He made it 2-0 at half-time and while the Co Tyrone side fought back in the second half with Michael Kerr and Stu Smyth scoring, Cedric Mushiete – a new arrival from Belgium – netted a classy finish for Pembroke for a 3-2 win.
On Sunday, Richie Shaw scored twice in the last 11 minutes to give Glenanne a winning start to the campaign, beating Cork C of I 2-1 in Garryduff.
Men EY Hockey League
Saturday: Annadale 1 (P Caruth) Three Rock Rovers 7 (R Pautz 4, B Walker 2, R Canning); Cookstown 2 (M Kerr, S Smyth) Pembroke 3 (A Sothern 2, C Mushiete); Lisnagarvey 4 (M Nelson, J Corry, J Lorimer, A Williamson) Monkstown 2 (K Lynch, A Ward); Railway Union 0 Banbridge 4 (J Wright, L Witherow, A Tinney, D Ward).
Sunday: Cork C of I 1 (J Dale) Glenanne 2 (R Shaw 2)
Men’s EY Hockey League – day one round-up
Saturday: Cookstown 2 (M Kerr, S Smyth) Pembroke 3 (A Sothern 2, C Mushiete)
Alan Sothern’s double strike saw Pembroke hold newly promoted Cookstown at bay at Steelweld Park with Belgian newcomer Cedric Mushiete’s goal also helping them land a 3-2 success.
The Dubliners were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to Sothern’s pair and while the Co Tyrone side fought back, Pembroke stayed just out of range.
The first goal came in the fifth minute. Harry Spain worked it wide to Richard Lynch whose reverse across the goal from the left hand side was missed by everyone except player of the match Alan Sothern who smashed it into the bottom corner for 1-0. Cookstown did threaten but a lack of composure in the opposition 25' really worked against them. At the other end they had Daniel Crooks to thank for many last ditch interventions.
Keith Black and Nick Burns swapped early opportunities in the second quarter before Cookstown goalkeeper Josh McCabe reacted well to a deflection from Sothern. Mushiete was excellent in the build-up to Pembroke's second goal, showing great skills down the left to win a short corner. Sothern thumped home at the second attempt for 2-0.
While Pembroke had the majority of the first half, Cookstown powered back into it in the second half. Stu Smyth raced clear in the fourth minute to draw an all-important touch from Mark Ingram.
They got on the board when captain Jonny Ames made an important interception before picking out Smyth’s run. His cross broke to Michael Kerr whose squeeze-hit went over Ingram’s head for 2-1. Mark Rooney might've got another a minute later with a deflection from a cracking Ryan Millar pass.
But it was Pembroke who extended their lead with the goal of the day. Great interplay down left hand side opened up the Cookstown defence and Mushiete was pinpoint with a reverse half volley across face of goal into the bottom corner.
Pembroke had a potential fourth goal chalked off in the third quarter before Cookstown threw everything at them in the closing stanza. With three minutes remaining, Ingram made a very impressive triple save to deny Smyth, Greg Allen and, finally, Mark Crooks. Smyth whipped home a drag-flick from a corner to make for a tense finish but Pembroke held out for all three points.
Railway Union 0 Banbridge 4 (J Wright, L Witherow, A Tinney, D Ward)
Banbridge got off to a confident start as they look to defend the EY Hockey League regular season title they won last term with a 4-0 win at Railway Union. They did so in spite of the absence of Jonny McKee and Eugene Magee who are both still out having sustained injuries in the summer.
Jamie Wright just a couple of minutes into the tie with a neat finish to set the tone and Bann made most of the early moves. Philip Brown saw a drag-flick charged down while Stephen O’Keeffe made a double save from another set piece in the opening quarter. Railway spurned their one corner chance from a rare break-out at Park Avenue.
Luke Witherow – on debut – doubled the advantage early in the second quarter with a sharp rebound chance, building a 2-0 lead that Bann held into half-time.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern with Alex Tinney – another recent arrival – eventually finding the finish with a powerful drive. Dane Ward, Sam Farson and Owen Magee all went close to further goals before Ward guided in a corner deflection to complete the win.
It was a confident start to the campaign in a week when Banbridge will travel out to Barcelona to play in EHL ROUND1.
Annadale 1 (P Caruth) Three Rock Rovers 7 (R Pautz 4, B Walker 2, R Canning)
Five second half goals saw EY Champions Trophy winners Three Rock Rovers put promoted Annadale to the sword after a reasonably tight first half at Strathearn School.
Richard Pautz – three minutes into his Rovers career – broke the deadlock for the Dubliners, the only goal of the opening quarter, firing home on his reverse. Rovers also hit the crossbar in this phase as their crisp passing penned Dale back.
Ross Canning made it 2-0 from the penalty spot when Jonny Moore was adjudged to have fouled an attacker. The hosts did grow into the tie with player-coach drawing a top stop from Conor Quinn in the 23rdminute and he made a couple of other decent stops before Caruth pulled one back before half-time following a left-wing attack that he had initiated.
But Rovers pulled away in the second half with Pautz scoring his second of the day from close range. Ben Walker nabbed another for 4-1 at three quarter time. Walker added a fifth following another swift team move. Pautz completed his hat trick on the hour mark and then scored a fourth from a corner rebound with three minutes to go.
Lisnagarvey 4 (M Nelson, J Corry, J Lorimer, A Williamson) Monkstown 2 (K Lynch, A Ward)
Two goals in the closing six minutes saw 2016 EY Hockey League champions Lisnagarvey score a significant opening win of the new season, seeing off last year’s Champions Trophy finalists 4-2 at Comber Road.
Karl Lynch had snapped up a corner rebound to give Town an early lead but the advantage was short-lived with Matthew Nelson equalising. Garvey went in front from a corner second phase via James Corry only for Andrew Ward to level the game for a second time before half-time.
And it stayed that way until the latter stages when James Lorimer whipped home a drag-flick and the game was made safe when Sean Murray broke out of defence to set up Andy Williamson for the fourth goal and the points.
Sunday: Cork C of I 1 (J Dale) Glenanne 2 (R Shaw 2)
Richie Shaw’s pair of goals in quick succession in the closing quarter helped Glenanne land a narrow 2-1 win over Cork C of I in Garryduff. It was a tie that took its time to get going with the first three quarters ending scoreless with precious little by the way of goalmouth action other than from penalty corners for each side.
Simon Wolfe did have an effort disallowed early on while Shane O’Donoghue had three corners for the Glens denied. John Jermyn drew the best from Iain Walker at the other end before Julian Dale save one off the line.
The game finally burst into life 11 minutes from the end when C of I’s David Lynch went close. From Glenanne’s ensuing counter-attack, they won a corner which Richie Shaw was credited with the scoring touch. Four minutes later, he scored again for a 2-0 lead with nine minutes left. Dale did get one back on the closing whistle but it was too late to affect the destination of the points.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Irish Womens EYHL Weekend Round Up
Cork Harlequins ended UCD’s 20-game unbeaten streak – dating back to March 2016 – in the regular season of the EY Hockey League as they came from a goal down to record a famous win at Belfield.
It was a gritty performance, surviving a wealth of penalty corners, and was settled by an excellent winning goal from Naomi Carroll in the second half. Deirdre Duke had given the treble winners the perfect start with the opening goal early on.
But Roisin Upton levelled matters before half-time with a corner bullet. The Limerick woman then picked out Carroll to thump home the winner in a 2-1 result which may prove hugely significant later in the campaign.
Elsewhere, it was a fine day for Ulster clubs with Ards, Belfast Harlequins and Pegasus all winning their battles with Leinster opposition.
Belfast Quins’ 3-2 success against Hermes-Monkstown was probably the most significant result, showing the shift in strength of both sides after a summer of changes. Quins added internationals Zoe Wilson and Lizzie Colvin while Monkstown lost Chloe Watkins, Anna O’Flanagan and Nikki Evans to European clubs.
Last season, this tie ended 10-1 to the Dubliners but Rachel Johnston’s late corner strike saw Quins win out 3-2.
Ards were also grateful to a late goal as Chloe Brown struck in the 68th minute to beat Pembroke 2-1, all the goals coming in the closing 11 minutes. Francesca Brown and Aisling Naughton swapped goals in quick succession before that winner.
Pegasus swept to a big 6-1 success over newly promoted Trinity despite going a goal down in the first few minutes to Rachel O’Brien’s effort. Steph Thompson’s double swapped the lead while over goals from Katie McKee and Hannah Grieve made it 4-1 at half-time.
Railway Union came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Loreto in their Dublin derby as Niamh Carey earned her side a share of the spoils. Niamh Small had given Loreto the lead against the run of play when she slotted home. Carey, however, finished off a fine team move to level in the third quarter to see both sides off the mark with a point.
Women’s EY Hockey League: Ards 2 (F Brown, C Brown) Pembroke Wanderers 1 (A Naughton); Belfast Harlequins 3 (L Geddes, Z Wilson, R Johnston) Hermes-Monkstown 2 (L Lloyd, S Hoban-Logan); Loreto 1 (N Small) Railway Union 1 (N Carey); Pegasus 6 (A Speers 2, S Thompson 2, K McKee, H Grieve) Trinity 1 (R O’Brien); UCD 1 (D Duke) Cork Harlequins 2 (R Upton, N Carroll).
Extended day one match reports
UCD 1 (D Duke) Cork Harlequins 2 (R Upton, N Carroll)
Cork Harlequins ended UCD’s 20-game unbeaten streak – dating back to March 2016 – in the regular season of the EY Hockey League as they came from a goal down to record a famous win at Belfield.
The students started well and went ahead via Deirdre Duke’s shot after sustained pressure in the circle. Harlequins fought back, though, in the second quarter and got their reward when Roisin Upton picked out the bottom left corner. It was a just reward as they began to dictate the pace and show greater urgency.
UCD enjoyed plenty of chances in third quarter but the Quins defence managed to block the majority of crash balls into the circle while Orla Patton’s yellow card slowed the UCD pace for a time.
The winning goal came from a superb Quins move, working the ball through five passes, first back, then left then back into Upton in the middle who slipped the ball into the path of the free-running Naomi Carroll. She cracked a shot in from the right edge of the circle that took a slight deflection on the way in.
UCD had all the possession after that but, despite 13 penalty corners throughout the match, they failed to trouble the scorers again.
Pegasus 6 (A Speers 2, S Thompson 2, K McKee, H Grieve) Trinity 1 (R O’Brien)
Pegasus gave Trinity an early insight into the elevated standard of the EY Hockey League as – despite a first quarter concession – they ran up a half-dozen goals and a strong start to their campaign.
The students run to promotion was built on a tight-knit defence but they were unable to stop the Pegasus flight. Rachel O’Brien did give Trinity a dream start when the ball dropped to her to score from close range though the hosts argued the ball had hit a body in the build-up.
No matter, the Ulster side struck four times before half-time to swap things around. In the 24th minute, excellent pressure from captain Alex Speers stole the ball on the 23 and she pushed into the circle to win a corner which Steph Thompson netted from a slip move.
Two minutes later, new girl Lucy McKee wons Pegs’ third corner. A copy-cat corner saw Thompson double her total for a 2-1 lead. McKee was instrumental in winning another set piece with Katie McKee this time the scorer of the third goal. Hannah Grieve – from yet another corner – took the direct route to make it 4-1 at half-time.
Pegasus continued to dominate in the second half with Speers scoring the fifth goal a minute into the second half and she doubled her tally to close out the scoring. She worked a great exchange with Katie McKee for a comfortable victory.
Ards 2 (F Brown, C Brown) Pembroke 1 (A Naughton)
Chloe Brown got the critical strike amid a flurry of late goals at Londonderry Park, swinging the tie the way of the Ulster side in the face of a much-strengthened Pembroke side.
The first three quarters ended scoreless before a wide open final phase made for a cracking finale. Ards dominated possession from the first whistle with Francesca Brown having an early shot on goal well saved. Naomi McKnight kept out the best of Pembroke’s attacks.
Her counterpart at the far end – Iseult Cambay – kept out a couple of corners as the tie was very much in the balance at 0-0 at half-time. Cambay kept out a couple of further Ards’ chances in the third quarter, raising the tension for a big final phase.
The breakthrough came in the 59th minute when Chloe Brown played a quick free to Francesca Brown who netted for the go-ahead goal. Within four minutes, Pembroke were back on terms with Aisling Naughton getting a touch to Gillian Pinder’s cracking shot from a corner. But Ards summoned a late corner from which Chloe Brown found the target for what a strong start to the campaign.
Belfast Harlequins 3 (L Geddes, Z Wilson, R Johnston) Hermes-Monkstown 2 (L Lloyd, S Hoban-Logan)
Rachel Johnston’s excellent short corner finish earned Belfast Harlequins a big opening win over Hermes-Monkstown at Deramore Park. Both sides have made big changes over the summer with the Ulster side welcoming internationals Zoe Wilson and Lizzie Colvin while Monkstown have seen their international trio Chloe Watkins, Anna O’Flanagan and Nikki Evans move to European clubs for professional contracts.
A year ago, this fixture had ended 10-1 in Hermes-Monkstown’s favour on the opening day of the 2016/17 season but this was a far cry from that outcome. It was Quins new arrivals who were to the fore in their sixth minute opening goal with Wilson and Colvin’s interplay ending with a neat finish from Lucy Geddes. Quins continued to press with some fine saves from the Hermes-Monktown keeper Liz Murphy.
Then, against the run of play Hermes/Monkstown drew 1-1 with a fine finish from Lily Lloyd following a good overload down the left. And things got even better for the Dubliners when Sadhbh Hoban-Logan fired a tomahawk home to make it 2-1. Despite strong efforts from the impressive Wilson and Jenna Watt, Monkstown held the lead into half-time.
But the pressure told eventually in the second half after a number of corners came and went for the hosts. In the 49th minute, Quins won a penalty stroke which was neatly finished by Wilson to bring the game level.
And they finally finished off a polished performance with an excellent short corner finish from Johnston late in the day, capping an encouraging and a very different start to Harlequins season.
Loreto 1 (N Small) Railway Union 1 (N Carey)
Railway Union came from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Loreto in their Dublin derby as Niamh Carey earned her side a share of the spoils. Niamh Small had given Loreto the lead against the run of play when she slotted home.
Carey, however, finished off a fine team move to level in the third quarter to see both sides off the mark with a point.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Harlequins end UCD’s 20-game unbeaten run in Belfield
Stephen Findlater
Cork Harlequins ended UCD’s incredible 20-game unbeaten run in Belfield as Roisin Upton and Naomi Carroll struck for an excellent 2-1 win to open up the delayed women’s EY Hockey League.
It was a result that required plenty of defensive grit, Emma Buckley making a wealth of saves for the Farmer’s Cross side, allowing two moments of top quality decide the contest.
UCD swept to the treble of national titles last season and showed strong early intent when Deirdre Duke scored in the first few minutes. Quins, though, were back on terms via Upton’s powerful low drag-flick to make it 1-1 at the break. She played an integral part in the winner, too, starting off a chain of seven passes that ended up back with her, facing toward goal. She slipped it into the path of Naomi Carroll who slammed home from the top of the circle, unleashing some of the frustration that had seen her miss the international summer through injury.
From there, they kept out a spate of penalty corners to hold on to the points and a great start to the campaign.
Elsewhere, the diverging fortunes of Belfast Harlequins and Hermes-Monkstown over the summer were put into stark relief as the former won 3-2 as Zoe Wilson and Lizzie Colvin settled into their side perfectly. The corresponding tie 12 months ago saw Hermes-Monkstown win 10-1 but the departure of Chloe Watkins, Anna O’Flanagan and Nikki Evans to European clubs mean their aspirations are much more modest this season.
On the men’s side, Cork C of I succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Glenanne in their opening EY Hockey League tie at Garryduff with all the goals coming in the closing minutes.
The Cork side have seen a trio of players move up the road to Pembroke during the summer with the Dubliners fielding seven Munster men in their line-up to take on Cookstown. Alan Sothern was the star man in that tie with an early double while another import, Cedric Mushiete from Belgium, scored the crucial third in a 3-2 win.
In Munster, Catholic Institute continued their fine start to the women’s league with a second successive big win – 3-0 over Ashton. Bandon got their first win of the campaign as Katie Desmond’s double under-pinned a 3-0 success against Limerick. Bandon’s men, meanwhile, came from 2-0 down to beat Cork C of I B with the returning Clinton Sweetnam – after a year in Vancouver – scoring one and setting up another in a 3-2 win.
Irish Examiner
Vikings put more misery on varsity girls in hockey league
By BRIAN YONGA
Sliders' June Kangogo (right) battles with Vikings' Naomy Syombua during their Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League match on April 17, 2017 at City Park Stadium. Vikings won 2-1. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Bottom placed University of Nairobi are still waiting for their first win of the season after they went down 2-0 to Vikings in a Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League match at the City Park Stadium on Sunday.
Goals from Antoinette Abakhonje and Charity Juma condemned the newcomers to their 12th loss of the season, leaving them at bottom place with a just a single point from 13 matches played so far this season.
The win moved Vikings one spot up to sixth place, relegating Sliders to seventh spot.
The self-sponsored Vikings are now on 19 points, two points behind fifth placed Amira Sailors after chalking up their sixth win out of 13 matches.
It was also their first win of the second leg having lost 6-0 to leaders and champions Telkom 6-0 and drawing 0-0 with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in their last two matches.
VIKINGS PLEASED
The result pleased Vikings coach Clyde Mbaha who challenged his charges to build on the win in their remaining fixtures of the season.
“It is a relief to finally get three points after a bad start to this leg of the campaign. We were dominant and should have won by a wider margin which would have been ideal for our goal difference,” Mbaha told Nation Sport.
The win saw Vikings complete the double over their opponents this season. Vikings needed only nine minutes to take the lead from a well-worked move that carved open the students’ defence leaving Abakhonje with the simple task of placing the ball past UON second choice keeper Catherine Mbura.
The goal gave Vikings the confidence to attack further and they threatened with a couple of short corners just before the end of the first quarter. The students improved in the second quarter and began to work the ball well as Vikings eased the intensity resorting to sit back.
UON almost levelled in the 25th minute when a defensive lapse from their opponents gifted Faith Wanga with a glorious chance, but the winger could only fire wide with the goal at her mercy as Vikings survived.
They were made to rue the miss as Vikings doubled their lead three minutes later as Juma cut in from the right, exchanged passes with Sarah Bonareri before sounding the board to give her side a 2-0 lead at half time.
The last two quarters were largely uneventful with Vikings happy to keep possession and UON lacking any attacking intent.
“We have got to work on our finishing game, the confidence and basics are there but our forward line is wanting,” UON coach Nelson Ondeyo admitted.
In the men's second tier league, Wazalendo Masters thrashed Daystar University 4-0 as Impala nicked a 1-0 win against Thika Rovers at City Park.
Daily Nation
Marist teams win own tourney
Pravin Narain
Members of the Marist men's and women's hockey team with supporters after the final of the Geotech Drilling International Marist Eastgate Hockey tournament at the Fijian National Hockey Centre in Laucala Bay, Suva on Sunday, October 01, 2017. Picture: JONACANI L
IT was a double celebration for the Marist Hockey Club after winning the women's and men's competition in the 2017 Geotech Drilling International Marist Hockey Eastgate tournament at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday.
Marist men's defeated Ventures 5-3 in the final with four goals to Xavier Guy and one to Scott Bentley in the final while the Marist women's team defeated Ventures 3-1 in penalty shootout. Marist official Paul Fraser said he was glad to have won the tournament.
"It was a good win for both the teams and we have got the biggest number in the last 10 years which was witnessed this year," he said.
"We had not won the title for a long time, but we are happy to have won the men's and the women's title on the court and in front of our fans. We were behind 3-1 at halftime and we told the players to be disciplined and it made the difference in the second half."
Ventures coach Hector Smith said he was disappointed with the loss. "We gave away the penalty corners and we had ourselves to be blamed and Marist played well. We will come back stronger next year."
Both teams pocketed $1000 each.
The Fiji Times
Field Hockey Beats Penn, Extends Win Streak to Six
By Sean B. Chanicka
Co-Captain Ellie Cookson was one of Harvard's six goal scorers on Saturday afternoon. After beating Penn, 6-0, the Crimson extended its winning streak to six games. Timothy R. O'Meara
After defeating Holy Cross in a Wednesday night road game, 7-0, the No. 14 Harvard field hockey team (8-2, 1-0 Ivy) returned home to Berylson Field to face off against Penn on Saturday. (4-5, 1-1 Ivy).
Despite facing off against a Quakers team that had won four out of its last five games, the Crimson relied on its stingy defense and potent attack to emerge with a comprehensive 6-0 victory. With the result, Harvard extends its winning streak to six games. Over this span, the Crimson has outscored its opponents by a 31-5 margin.
On a day where six different players each scored one goal for Harvard, sophomore Maddie Earle got the action started in the 8th minute. After coming on as a substitute in the 6th minute, freshman forward Tessel Huibregsten played a pass that was redirected to Earle, who shot from the nearside for the opening goal.
In the 18th minute, junior forward Kathleen Young collected the ball from 30 yards out. After making a run towards goal, she fired her shot from a tight angle past the Penn goalkeeper for the score. The goal, Young’s 8th of the year, extended her scoring streak to seven games. During her personal streak, Young has scored 17 points on the strength of 7 goals and 2 assists.
“Kathleen can change the entire game with the unique energy that she brings,” sophomore midfielder Bente van Vlijmen said. “She could just take the ball, beat the defender to the circle for the score, and get the team into the flow that we need. The energy she brings and the way she speeds up our play is so incredibly important and so beautiful to see. This weekend, she showed how amazing she is.”
In the 27th minute, co-captain and midfielder Ellie Cookson scored her first goal of the season on a turnaround shot near goal. Then, freshman forward Mimi Tarrant closed out the Crimson’s high scoring first half with her goal off a reverse stick shot in the 35th minute. Tarrant, who now has tallied 17 points on the season, leads all Ivy League freshmen in the category.
By going into the half up by four goals, Harvard continued its recent trend of starting games with an unrelenting attack. Over the course of its six game win streak, the Crimson has scored an average of 2.6 goals with an average of 7.3 shots in the first half.
“What we try to do is make a statement,” van Vlijmen said. “Our focus is to start off really hard and get either a corner or a goal in the first five minutes. We want that aggressive start. If you don’t bring that intensity in the first five minutes, it won’t be there for the rest of the game.”
The second half saw the home team continue to put on a strong offensive display. In the 48th minute, van Vlijmen scored off of a penalty corner to extend Harvard’s lead to 5-0. In the 62nd minute, senior midfielder Emily Ott scored her first goal of the season to cap off the Crimson’s offensive outburst.
In addition to a strong offensive effort, Harvard relied once again on its back line to get a decisive result. The team outshot Penn 17-5, with the Quakers failing to register a single shot on target. As for penalty corners, the Crimson only conceded one while taking 8 of its own. Junior goalkeeper Libby Manela earned her third win of the season and her second shutout with the result.
Harvard hopes to continue its strong run of play when it returns to action on Friday against Brown. While the Bears do enter with a losing record, they remain a dangerous opponent, one the Crimson will have to overcome on its quest for an Ivy League title.
“Our method is to take it game by game, and approach each game as we prepare for whoever it is,” Harvard coach Tjerk van Herwaarden said. “If we keep doing the right things and keep developing ourselves, then we will put ourselves in a great position to be successful.
The Harvard Crimson
Head coach Sandy Miller picks up 400th win for No. 1 East Stroudsburg
East Stroudsburg Athletics
ESU's Sandy Miller, who won a national championship in 2015, picked up her 400th career win. East Stroudsburg Athletics
INDIANA, Pa. - No. 1-ranked East Stroudsburg University scored twice in each half, giving head coach Sandy Miller her 400th career win with a 4-0 victory at IUP in PSAC field hockey on Saturday afternoon.
Miller becomes the fourth coach in PSAC history, and fourth in NCAA Division II history, with 400 career victories, improving to 400-266-11 in her 34th season, including the 2015 national championship.
ESU (9-2, 2-1) rebounded from a 4-1 loss at No. 2 Shippensburg on Wednesday and notched its second PSAC win of the season. The Warriors won 3-0 vs. IUP in a non-conference game on Sept. 9 at Whitenight Field.
Senior forward Melanie Shambaugh scored 1:19 into the game, her eighth goal of the season and the 10th of her career, for an early 1-0 lead.
Junior forward Bailey Quinn doubled the lead to 2-0 just before halftime, scoring with 1:04 left in the opening 35 minutes, for her fifth of the season and the 13th of her career.
The Warriors pushed their edge to three goals with just under 15 minutes left on a goal by sophomore midfielder Karly Conway, her second of the year. Senior back Sydney McCarthy had the assist, giving her eight goals and eight assists through the first 11 games.
Junior midfielder Kelli Shapiro finished ESU's scoring with 7:10 remaining, netting her second goal of the season and the fifth of her career.
ESU scored on four of its 10 shots, holding a 10-4 edge, and had an overwhelming 11-1 advantage in penalty corners.
Senior goalkeeper Halle Frisco did not see a shot on goal in recording her fourth solo shutout and sixth overall shutout of the season.
Alyssa Lerda had two saves for IUP (4-6, 1-2).
Miller joins Bloomsburg's Jan Hutchinson (591 wins from 1978-2009), Lock Haven's Pat Rudy (553 wins at four schools from 1978-present) and Shippensburg's Bertie Landis (486 wins at two schools from 1980-2016) as PSAC and DII schools with 400 career wins.
The Warriors improve to 43-10 (20-3 PSAC) since the start of the 2015 season and have won a share of the last two PSAC regular season titles, along with the 2015 PSAC Tournament and NCAA DII championships, both the first in school history.
ESU hosts Bloomsburg (5-4, 1-1) in a PSAC game on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
NCAA
Vibeke Stisen Appointed HA GM – Commercial & Communications
Ben Somerford
Hockey Australia (HA) today announces Vibeke Stisen has been appointed as its new General Manager – Commercial and Communications.
Stisen is a high performing and well-credentialed commercial executive who joins HA after most recently working as General Manager Commercial for Melbourne Sports Hub.
She has also held roles as Head of Brand, Membership and Communications at the Australian Institute of Management and Global Marketing and Communications Manager of Australian Made, Australian Grown Logo.
She currently serves on the Finance and Investment Committee of Australia’s largest not-for-profit family services provider, MacKillop Family Services.
Throughout her roles, Stisen has overseen areas such as business development, marketing, communications, sponsorship, membership, events and brand, providing ideal experience for her new role at HA.
HA Chief Executive Matt Favier said: “I am really pleased that Vibeke has chosen to join the leadership team at Hockey Australia.
“Vibeke’s experience in leading and implementing commercial strategies, managing and engaging key stakeholders, along with a strong marketing and communications background at both the Melbourne Sports Hub and the Australian Institute of Management positioned Vibeke very uniquely for this role.
“There are challenging but also exciting times ahead for hockey and it is important that we invest in the right people to help grow the game.”
Stisen, who also has a Bachelor of Journalism and Master of Business, will commence at HA on Monday 16 October.
Stisen said: "The opportunity to join one of Australia's most loved sports and work with a smart and talented team was too good to miss. I am absolutely delighted and humbled to join Hockey Australia.
“Hockey Australia has a very ambitious and clear vision and these next few years will see some really exciting new developments for the sport. I can't wait to be part of the journey."
Hockey Australia media release