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News for 20 October 2017

All the news for Friday 20 October 2017


India showed flair and sublime skills in clinical decimation of Malaysia

Sundeep Misra


India players congratulate Akashdeep Singh (hidden) after he scored their opening goal. Image courtesy: Neeraj Tiwari

With one foot outside the final, the baggage of a tight draw where tactically they seemed outplayed by South Korea, India could only recalibrate—play with flair, show sublime skills and get the goals. They did all three as Malaysia, looking for their third consecutive win over India, were a team stuck in the past.

Apart from that opening salvo in the first few seconds, Malaysia were dismantled quarter by quarter. It was only late in the fourth quarter, when India led 5-0, that Malaysia created attacks, winning penalty corners before getting two goals.

In the end, the 6-2 scoreline firmly established the story that if India play possession hockey, open up their shoulders and give wind to the sails of the forwards, goals do come. The brilliant part of this victory was not only the setting up of the goals, but also the fact that six different players were involved. In the end, India coach Sjoerd Marinje, relief written all over his face, said, “It’s very positive that six different players got the goals as that makes it extremely difficult for the opponent to zero in on just one or two players.”

In modern hockey, the less the errors, the more control you have over the opponent. That was exactly what India did. Manpreet Singh, playing deep in the match against Korea, was today two steps ahead. Sumit was not among the goal scorers, yet displayed such control on the flanks and in the middle that Malaysia were starved off the ball. Even Varun Kumar, who must have taken hell for the error against Korea, played with such panache, strength and muscular vigour that Malaysia wilted whenever he moved up with the ball.

Akashdeep had a few misses against South Korea in the first quarter. But on Thursday, he held the ball, controlled the pass and allowed attacks to build. After India messed up their first penalty corner, it seemed that the demons were back. But a lovely movement between Lalit Upadhyay and Ramandeep Singh—even though Lalit’s final shot was weak—established the fact that they wouldn’t be short on rhythm. The midfield with Manpreet and Chinglensana Singh was providing stable support and it was the captain’s long hit that saw Akashdeep Singh trap and swing it into the Malaysian goal.

It wasn’t that Malaysia were only defending. But with numbers being thrown back as India attacked, the few balls that found their way into the Indian half, lacked forwards to try and find an equaliser. Yet Rosli Ramadan was smack in the middle of the Indian striking circle. But trying to hit a fast cross on the run and that too sideways requires a special talent.

Malaysia had a penalty corner which was saved before India got two in a row and Harmanpreet Singh powered his best flick of the tournament past Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam. At 2-0, the breaks were clearly falling for the Indians as Suraj Karkera saved the second Malaysian penalty corner. India regrouped as they rotated the ball all over the pitch. A clearly frustrated Malaysia were losing structure as India found the gaps on the flanks.

SK Uthappa found form and a goal when a ball sent into the Malaysian striking circle rebounded off a Malaysian stick to find him perfectly positioned. A deft shot beat Subramiam on the corner. India led 3-0 at the break and Malaysia were now seriously in danger of conceding more as India controlled the match.

Three minutes after the break another breakaway move by Akashdeep saw Gurjant Singh fire the goal in. Then, a Sardar Singh hit from the left flank saw the ball fly into the Malaysian goal off Sunil’s stick. At 5-0, the door had been bolted shut for Malaysia. Akashdeep also came back to pick up balls from the midfield ensuring some lovely moves between Lalit, Ramandeep, Gurjant and Sunil.

Till the third quarter, India held the match by the scruff of the neck. Sumit, still the initiator and also the player who destroyed Malaysian moves in the midfield, grew in the match. Incidentally, it was in the 1-0 2017 Azlan Shah defeat against Malaysia that he played his best hockey. At least, on Thursday his best play of the tournament came against an opponent that he would have relished to be on the winning side.


Not only were India brilliant in attack, their players also defended in numbers. Image courtesy: Neeraj Tiwari

The Malaysian coach Van Huizen was happy that even with five goals down his team didn’t give up and kept looking for the goals. “That’s a positive thing for us,” he said. “In the fourth quarter, probably India relaxed but we still went on looking to get a few consolation goals.”

India didn’t relax but that control and dexterity that they showed in the first three quarters deserted them for some time. Simple traps, pushes and passes went to the Malaysian sticks and on the sidelines, India coach Marinje was getting frustrated and upset. No coach would want to gift goals to the opposition and India in a way did gift wrap them to Malaysia.

First a penalty corner, Malaysia’s fifth, went in off Akash Chikte’s stick. It was here that Malaysia had four penalty corners in a row, eight in all, that rattled the Indian defence. And then suddenly off a free ball in the Indian striking circle with no defender in sight, Rosli Ramadan shot in for Malaysia to cut the score to 2-5.

Victory almost wrapped up, India made a final attack with Sardar the initiator and playing in tandem with Gurjant before getting the ball and hitting a brilliant reverse shot, falling at the same time, past the shell-shocked Malaysian goalkeeper. Almost the entire team fell over Sardar in delight recognising the run that came from the former captain. Maybe those few critics who keep pointing at his age and say that his best is over will now take a step back.

Marinje said ‘speed’ was the difference between the 1-1 draw against South Korea and the huge win against Malaysia. “But we still need to think about the next match against Pakistan as we still need a win to take a place in the final.”

India top the four-team pool with four points, while Malaysia have three, South Korea two and Pakistan one. If India beat Pakistan on Saturday, they walk straight into the final with seven points and the winner between Malaysia and defending champions South Korea take them on. But the entire table can be thrown upside down if Pakistan somehow carve out a win and Malaysia draw with Korea. Goal averages would then come into play.

With the win over Malaysia, India keep their Asia Cup record against them spotless. According to hockey statistician, BG Joshi, India have played Malaysia seven times in the Asia Cup, winning six and drawing once.

Overall, India have played 115 matches, winning 80 of them, drawing 17 with Malaysia winning 18. It’s a proud record and one that got enhanced at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium. In a display full of grit, power and some sublime skills, does the captain Manpreet feel slightly vindicated? “Of course, but we still have work to do, play Pakistan and reach the final.” In a season of shifting momentums, nothing would give more happiness and delight to the hockey fan than India winning their last two matches here at the Asia Cup.

Firstpost



Majestic show by India over Malaysia


s2h team



India showed glimpses of its vintage stuff when it slotted five goals without answer till the third quarter before taking in a brace int he fourth quarter against hitherto all-win Malaysia, a boost which enhances its quest to annex its third Asia Cup in four decades. Marauding India won Malaysia 6-2.

India surprised Malaysia with an all attacking mode it put itself into ab initio, and it paid huge dividends.Goals by Akashdeep Singh (14’), Harmanpreet Singh (19’) and SK Uthappa (24’) that gave India a 3-0 head start followed by Gurjant Singh (33’), SV Sunil (40’) and Sardar Singh (60’) ensured fireworks for India on its Diwali day.

After a draw in the opener of the Super 4s, India was under pressure to win remaining two matches and it seemed it understood the urgency.

India leads Malaysia 3-0 at half time.

Its a sweet revenge for India as it had suffered two back-to-back loses to Malaysia this year. After withstanding Malaysia's earlier attacks, India achieved a break-through in the 14th minute when Manpreet Singh set up Akashdeep Singh inside the circle with a fiercely-struck long pass. The Indian forward was impeccable in his attempt to improvise the pass to beat the Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam to take a 1-0 lead in the first quarter. undefined

The second quarter saw Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera make brilliant saves that had the Dhaka audience in raptures. His first big save came only two minutes into the second quarter when Malaysia won a PC. Karkera was resolute to pad it away. Later in the 23rd minute, another PC was averted when Karkera saved a fiercely struck drag flick to keep Malaysia from converting. Earlier, Harmanpreet Singh was at his best when he found the centre of the goal to take India’s lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute. A good assist by SV Sunil saw SK Uthappa score India’s third goal in the 24th minute.

Post the 10-minute half-time break, India scored two more goals to stamp their supremacy over Malaysia. It was Gurjant Singh in the 33rd minute followed by a splendid goal by SV Sunil brilliantly-assisted by Gurjant Singh who worked in tandem to score India’s fifth goal. A trademark reverse hit by Gurjant from the left flank to Sunil who made a diving attempt to push the ball into the post ensured the local crowds were thoroughly entertained. This goal by SV Sunil was also adjudged as the goal of the match.



The final quarter saw India make a few defensive errors that saw them concede PCs. With 10 minutes to the final hooter, Malaysia’s Razie Rahim utilized the chance to put one past a diving Akash Chikte in the 50th minute. Malaysia won another PC in the 54th minute but Chikte was outstanding in his save. Almost immediately, Malaysia won another PC but an alert Chikte averted a goal again. Malaysia won two back-to-back PCs in the 58th minute but couldn’t make the chance count. Though their second goal came through in the 59th minute via Ramadan Rosli, India extended their lead in the 60th minute when stalwart Sardar Singh picked up a brilliant assist by Akashdeep Singh to effect a reverse shot on goal on running.

On 21 October 2017, India will take on Pakistan at 17.00 hours IST in their last Super 4s encounter.

Stick2Hockey.com



Dominant India crush Malaysia 6-2

Hijam Raju Singh

NEW DELHI: India displayed how dangerous they can be when they play an all-out attacking game as they pummelled Malaysia 6-2 in their second game of the Super 4s stage of the Asia Cup hockey in Dhaka on Thursday. With the win, India jumped to top of the Super 4s standings with four points from two games.

Unlike yesterday, when they secured a 1-1 draw with a last-gasp equaliser against South Korea, India played a dominating game against the in-form Malaysian side. And the approach paid off well for the world no. 6 India as they led Malaysia by five goals to nil after three quarters.

India scored five field goals through Akashdeep Singh (14th minute), SK Uthappa (24th), Gurjant Singh (33rd), SV Sunil (40th) and Sardar Singh (60th), while Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 19th minute. Malaysia's goals came from the sticks of Razie Rahim (50th - PC) and Ramadan Rosli (59th).

Malaysia came all out in the final quarter and scored two goals but it was too little too late for them. Veteran Sardar made sure that India scored at least a goal in each quarter by pumping in the sixth in the final minute of the match.

India will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their final match of the Super 4s stage on Saturday.

Akashdeep scored a brilliant field goal in the 14th minute to give India advantage over Malaysia at the end of the first quarter. The constant attack in the final five minutes of the Q1 paid off for them.

Harmanpreet then converted India's third PC of the match in the 19th minute to double the lead for India before Uthappa made it 3-0 in the 24th minute. Uthappa combined with Sunil brilliantly and open the Malaysian defence before hitting it hard towards the left corner of the goal box, giving no chance to the goalkeeper. India went into the half-time break with 3-0 lead.

In the third quarter, Akashdeep made a great run from the right and sliced the defence as well as goalkeeper to pass the ball towards Gurjant in front of an open goal-mouth. Gurjant then made no mistake to make it 4-0 for India.

The hero of the match Gurjant played his part in the fifth goal too. He made a brilliant solo run from India half on the left flank before releasing a decisive pass towards Sunil. Sunil dived in and tapped the ball inside the Malaysian goal to make it a commanding 5-0 after three quarters.

Earlier in the day, Korea and Pakistan played out a 1-1 draw in another Super 4s match. After two games each in Super 4s, India are on top with four points followed by Malaysia (three points), Korea (two points) and Pakistan (one point). As per the rule, the top two teams in the stage will play in the final and other two will vie for third place on Sunday.

The Times of India



India inch closer towards final after dominant win over Malaysia


India thrashed Malaysia 6-2 in a second-round clash to take a big step towards qualification of Hockey Asia Cup final. Image courtesy: Twitter @TheHockeyIndia

Dhaka: India thrashed Malaysia 6-2 in a second round clash to take a big step towards qualification for the final of the Asia Cup hockey championship in Dhaka on Thursday.

Akashdeep Singh (15th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (19th), SK Uthappa (24th), Gurjant Singh (33rd), SV Sunil (40th) and Sardar Singh (60th) scored the goals for a ruthless India.

India were already 5-0 up when Razie Rahim and Ramadan Rosli struck for Malaysia, who in their previous match had stunned Pakistan 3-2.

With this win, India now have four points from two matches, while second-placed Malaysia have three points.

South Korea, who drew 1-1 with Pakistan earlier in the day, hold the third spot.

Top two teams will qualify for the final, while the teams finishing third and fourth will vie for the bronze medal.

On Saturday, India will meet Pakistan needing at least a draw to seal their place in the final on 22 October.

Malaysia will face South Korea on Friday also searching for a point to reach the final.

But the Malaysians need to put up a better performance that they did against India.

Having won all their matches thus far in the tournament, Malaysia raced out of the blocks at a frenetic pace, attacking India constantly.

They made two strong circle entries at the start of the game but an alert Indian defence kept them out of scoring.

India's first breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Manpreet assisted Akashdeep inside the circle with a fiercely-struck long pass. The Indian forward was impeccable in his attempt to improvise the pass to beat the Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam to take a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera make brilliant saves that had the Dhaka audience in raptures. His first big save came only two minutes into the second quarter when Malaysia won a penalty corner. Karkera was resolute to pad it away.

Later in the 23rd minute, another penalty corner was averted when Karkera saved a fiercely struck drag-flick from Rahim to keep Malaysia from converting.

Earlier, Harmanpreet Singh was at his best when he found the centre of the goal to take India's lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute. A good assist by Sunil saw Uthappa score India's third goal in the 24th minute.

Post the 10-minute half-time break, India scored two more goals to stamp their supremacy over Malaysia. It was Gurjant in the 33rd minute followed by a splendid goal by Sunil brilliantly assisted by Gurjant who worked in tandem to score India's fifth goal.

A trademark reverse hit by Gurjant from the left flank to Sunil, who made a diving attempt to push the ball into the post, ensured the local crowds were thoroughly entertained. This goal by Sunil was also adjudged as the goal of the match.

The final quarter saw India make a few defensive errors that saw them concede penalty corners. With 10 minutes to the final hooter, Malaysia's Rahim utilised the chance to put one past a diving Akash Chikte in the 50th minute.

Malaysia won another penalty corner in the 54th minute but Chikte was outstanding in his save.

Almost immediately, Malaysia won another set-piece but an alert Chikte averted a goal again. Malaysia won two back-to-back penalty corners in the 58th minute but couldn't make the chance count.

Though their second goal came through in the 59th minute via Rosli, India extended their lead in the 60th minute when veteran Sardar employed a reverse-hand strike.

Firstpost



Malaysia take a sound beating from India in Super Fours

By S. Ramaguru


Mohamed Razie Rahim

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia were brought down to earth with a bump when they went down 6-2 to a rampaging India in the Super Fours of the Asia Cup in Dhaka.

The Malaysians went into the match unbeaten after four matches and looked good to take the game to the Indians at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium.

But three goals in the first half and another two in the second destroyed them. The Indians were not in a charitable mood yesterday after they were held 1-1 by South Korea.

The win puts India in pole position to enter Sunday’s final. India lead the Super Fours with four points and will play Pakistan in their final game tomorrow.

Malaysia’s hopes of a final appearance is still intact despite the huge defeat.

They play South Korea in their last match and a draw will see them through to the final. Malaysia have three points after the 3-2 win over Pakistan in their opening Super Four match.

For the Indians, the win was very satisfying as they stopped a two-match winning sequence by their opponents.

Malaysia won 2-1 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and beat India again 3-2 at the World Hockey League Semi-final in London.

Yesterday’s match was their 116th meeting and India have an 80-18-18 record.

Indian opened accounts in the 14th minute through a field goal by Akashdeep Singh and extended their lead five minutes later from a penalty corner goal by Herman-preet Singh.

S. Uthappa added the third goal in the 24th minute for a 3-0 first-half score.

Gurjant Singh and Sunil Sowmarpet added two more goals in the 33rd and 40th minute before Malaysia found the net.

Mohamed Razie Rahim (pic)scored with a penalty corner in the 50th minute while Mohamed Ramadan Rosli sounded the board in the 59th minute.

India immediately hit back in the last minute through Sardar Singh.

Team manager Mohamed Nasihin Nubli said the players were a little tired after the match against Pakistan.

“It’s not easy coming through the preliminary round and then playing two tough back-to-back matches.

“Credit to India for taking their chances well. But we are not out yet.

“We need to get a good result against South Korea. It will be tough as they badly need a win to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

“We will take a good rest, regroup and we’ll be ready for them,” he added.

The Star of Malaysia



Insight into India-Malaysia feats

s2h team

Traditionally Malaysia has been a tough customer for India. It was more so in the context of Asia Cup, which commenced in the early 80s to arrest the decline of Asian hockey.

The numbers prove the point.

India and Malaysia have met six times in the annals of Asia Cup barring the running one.
The split up is like this

Both met in

Pools: Thrice
Semifinals: Twice
Bronze Match: Once

India has all win record though one match in 1999 Hiroshima Asia Cup was tied 1-1.

Otherwise it has been touch and go affair for India though on record it has won five matches till Dhaka.

POOL: It was 2-0 in the pool in 1982, a goal more in 1985
SEMIFINALS: The duo met in the semis of Hiroshima Asia Cup with India winning 3-2.
They again met in the Semis in the last Asia Cup at home in Malaysia, which India won 2-0.
BRONZE: Only time they met for medal match was in Kuala Lumpur in 1999 where too India walked away with victory with a 4-2 win.

The above number showcase how close their contests have been.

India’s Dhaka performance on Thursday in their second Super 4s match gains huge importance.

Its first time in Asia Cup, Malaysia conceded more than four goals.

Again, first time India posted 4-goal margin win over Malaysia otherwise its 1985 was the biggest till Dhaka

On Malaysia’s favour, its third time it struck two goals against India, including Dhaka.

India’s fluent victory over Malaysia recorded the other day compares in terms of quality and significance to India’s 7-2 win over Korea in the 2007 finals

Stick2Hockey.com



2017 Asia Cup: Pakistan draw 1-1 with South Korea


PHOTO COURTESY: ASIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

Pakistan on Thursday drew their second Super-4s match against South Korea in the 2017 Asia Cup.

Pakistan, in the match played in Dhaka, led with the first goal in the match courtesy Ijaz Ahmed.

Pakistan beaten 3-2 by Malaysia in Asia Cup 2017

South Korea equalized later to end the game in a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan will now face India in their last match of the Super-4s round.

Earlier, Pakistan lost 3-2 against Malaysia in the first match of their Super-4s round.

Pakistan earned a spot in the Super-4s round courtesy a 7-0 victory against Bangladesh, a 2-2 draw against Japan and a 3-1 loss to India in their Group A.

The Express Tribune



Stats Speak: India likely in final,Korea have to beat Malaysia

By B.G.Joshi (Sehore-Bhopal,India)

India thrash Malaysia 6-2 in Dhaka Asia Cup yesterday. By virtue of this win India is virtually in final, unless they lose to Pakistan by 3 goals difference on Saturday’s last medal pool match.It will  be 8th appearances  of India in Gold Medal match of Asia Cup.  Malaysia have never enterd in final. Korea have to beat Malaysia in their medal pool match on Saturday to make 6th appearance in final.

Asia Cup final –at  a glance:
Asia  Cup: The Finals

Year

Venue

Teams

Score

Scorers

1982

Karachi

Pakistan-India

4-0

 

Qasim Zia(2), Kalimullah,Hasan Sardar

1985

Dhaka

Pakistan-India

3-2

Hanif Khan, Hasan Sardar, Kalimullah/ Mohd.Naim,Hardeep Singh

!989

New Delhi

Pakistan-India

2-0

Shahbaz Ahmad, Arif Bhopali

!993

Hiroshima

South Korea-India

1-0

Park Shin Heum

1999

Kuala Lumpur

South Korea-Pakistan

5-4

Jong Hyung,JongHyunHwang,Yeo Woon Kon,Jong Ha,SeongTae Song/ Atif,Sarwar,Ali Raja, Kashif

2003

Kuala Lumpur

India-Pakistan

4-2

Dhanraj(2),Ignace,Prabhjyot/Sohail(2)

2007

Chennai

India-South Korea

7-2

Prabhjot(2),Rajpal(2),Shivendar,SVSunil,Ignace Tirkey/ Jang Jong Hyun, Oh Dae Keun

2009

Kuantan

South Korea-Pakistan

1-0

Kim Byung Hoon

2013

Ipoh

South Korea-India

4-3

Jang Jong Hyun,You Hyo Sik,Nam Hyun Woo,Kang Moon Kwown/Rupinderpal,Nikkin Thimmaiah,Mandeep Singh

 Fieldhockey.com



Undefeated United States in the Drivers Seat. Canada and Argentina Both Within Striking Distance. Womens Indoor Pan Am Cup

Trinidad & Tobago Best Hosts Guyana to move up table. Uruguay Split Matches


2017 Indoor Pan American Cup - USA vs Barbados. Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Canada 2 v Uruguay 1

A big match opened Day 4 of the Pan Am Cup.  Canada looked to remain undefeated while Uruguay needed a win to stay in contention.  The first half was a goalkeeping showcase with  Kathryn Williams and Rosanna Paselle keeping their sheets clean.

In the second half Alison Lee scored the opening goal with a powerful first strike on a penalty corner.  Canada seemed to have the edge until an unlikely bounce resulted in a fast break for Uruguay that Maria Viana Ache deftly deflected home.   Uruguay had a penalty corner chance with a minute to play however their attempt went wide.  With 30 seconds to play Canada pressed forward and earned an end of game penalty corner.  On her second attempt Allison Lee buried her strike to lift Canada to victory 2-1.

United States 10 v Barbados 0

A victory for the USA would put them at the top of the standings while Barbados were looking for their first points.  Sammy Popper provided a quick start with an opening minute tally for the USA.  Ali Campbell continued her penalty corner prowess with three strikes to push the USA into a strong lead.

Barbados had small incursions into the USA circle in the second half, but nothing the Americans couldn’t handle.  Campbell with 4 goals, Popper with 3 gave the USA another dominant victory.

Trinidad & Tobago 6 v Guyana 3

Trinidad & Tobago opened strong with quick goals from Arielle Williams and Krizia Layne.  Nicole Eastman responded quickly from the field to liven the spirit in the stadium and bring Guyana within one.  They strength in numbers with TTO down a player for a penalty and Leigh Sandison took advantage with a great run to earn a penalty corner.  They scored the equalizer from a powerful Marzana Fiedtkou layoff strike.  Feidtkou added another direct strike to put Guyana ahead 3-2 much to the delight of the crowd.

TTO pulled even through Blair Wynne in the opening minutes of the 2nd half.  They continue to apply pressure and Guyana held for a while, however they finally were unable to rebuff the onslaught and TTO pulled away with 3 goals in the final 5 minutes.   Trinidad & Tobago top their Caribbean rivals 6 – 3 for their first points of the competition.

Canada 1 v Argentina 2

A battle between continental rivals opened the evening session on Day 4.  Canada looking to maintain their unbeaten record started well with Alison Lee earning a penalty corner.  Her direct shot was blocked and Argentina on the counter attack earned a penalty corner of their own that was smartly defended by Canada.

The teams battled through the first half with no clear advantage to either team. Argentina took advantage of a Canadian error to earn a penalty corner late in the half.  This was smartly finished by Maria Nimo to give Argentina the lead at half.

Canada absorbed further pressure and Angela Lancaster held steady on defence, she managed to pick up a loose ball near the circle and her shot sounded the board to tie the match up for Canada.  From there the pace increased and both teams had to withstand fast attacks from their opponents.

Argentina struck next on a penalty corner, Maria Paz with a low penetrating shot that slipped by Kathryn Williams in goal and Lee on the line.  Canada added a sixth attacker for the final two minutes.  Argentina narrowly missed a chance to score in the open goal as Canada pushed forward.  A penalty corner in the last minute had Maria Pastor making a big save for Argentina.  The games final chance when to Canada Shannon Pereira whose low shot just went wide.   Argentina rebound from their loss earlier today and keep their eyes on the cup.

Uruguay 12 v Barbados 0

Uruguay began Day 4 needing both a victory and a large goal margin in order to keep their hopes alive for the finals.   The first half began well with goals from Agustina Nieto and Maria Teresa Viana Ache in the first 5 minutes.  However, Barbados settled in and held the half time score to 3-0.

The second half was a different story.  Uruguay scored 9 including five by Camila de Maria to sail to a 12 – 0 victory.   They have an outside chance of making the final with a good performance on the final day.

United States 7 v Guyana 1

The final women’s match of Day 4 featured the home side Guyana playing undefeated United States in front of a boisterous crowd.  Guyana looked to strike first as an American defender disrupted a scoring opportunity and Guyana were awarded a stroke.  That was well saved by Samantha Carlino in the USA goal.  This put Guyana on their heels and quick goals by Ali Campbell and Sammy Popper set Guyana back 2.  The USA added two more goals before the half time break.

Guyana regained some footing in the second half and held the USA for a bit.  Marzana Fiedtkou scored a penalty corner to give Guyana a chance to celebrate in front of the crowd.  But in the end the USA dominated the scoreline 7-1 and finished the night with a perfect 5-0 record.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Trinidad & Tobago Maintain Perfect Record with Canada and Argentina just behind. Mens Indoor Pan Am Cup

Guyana sit in fourth while Barbados and Mexico winless


2017 Indoor Pan American Cup - Guyana vs Canada. Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Trinidad & Tobago 13 v Mexico 2

A quick start for Mexico resulted in their first goal of the competition courtesy of Luis Solorzano.   Their celebration may have refocussed TTO as they responded x times in the half to enjoy a comfortable 6-1 lead at half time.

The second half was a similar story, TTO with the bulk of the pressure but once again the plucky Mexicans struck with Luis Aguilar tallying early in the second half.  Nevertheless Trinidad & Tobago received full points in their 13-2 win and topped the standings with four wins.

Guyana 5 v Canada 8

Evening settled in at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall as Guyana hosted Canada for a key matchup.   Tied in points after three matches both teams would be looking for a victory.  Canada nearly struck first after a great run by Ken Pereira setup Lyle Fernandes, but a diving save by Anthony Cole kept it out.  Cole made another high glove save to deny the Canadians moments later.  Canada finally got on the scoreboard with a powerful drag flick corner goal by Jonathan Roberts.  Guyana had their share of chances but they were turned back by Pardeep Koonar.

Roberts pounced on a loose ball in the final minutes of the first half and buried it into the back board.  This was followed up by a stunning run and setup by Micah Teixeira to Roberts for his third of the game.

Canada continued to push for goals.  Teixeira scored on his own corner rebound to build a four goal lead, but Guyana’s Jamarj Assanah took advantage of a Canadian mistake and score their first.

Roberts scored Canada’s sixth on a Penalty Corner.  That was matched by a thrilling strike by Marvin Dannett.   It was a brief respite from the show Roberts was putting on, as he scored his sixth goal soon therafter,  this time from the field.

Guyana wasn’t finished, Assanah scored a thriller as he drove left and then spun inside for the finishing shot.  The match got rough with both teams trading yellow cards and Guyana pulling their keeper for the extra attacker.

It paid dividends for them with Aroydy Branford scoring on a blistering shot and Assanah completing his hat trick from a beautiful Branford pass.    Their comeback was thrilling for the crowd but ultimately not enough as Jonathan Roberts’ six goals led Canada to an 8 to 5 victory.

Barbados 1 v Argentina 6

The final match of the day featured Argentina who were looking to improve their chances of making the final and Barbados who were looking to gain their first points.  Argentina took an early lead from Leandro Lotta and added goals from Agustin Ceballos and Alfredo Sosa to take a 3-0 lead into the half.

Argentina were looking to boost their goal difference before their final pool match, however Barbados held strong with tough defensive performances by Dave Cox and Laurando Davis.   Barbados was thrilled to put a late tally on the scoreboard with a great strike by Akeem Rudder.    Final score Argentina 6 – Barbados 1

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Strong Scoring Performance Over Barbados Keeps Indoor USWNT Undefeated at IPAC


Image courtesy of Yan Huckendubler/PAHF

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - October 19, 2017 - In the first of their double game day, the U.S. Women's National Indoor Team scored five goals in each half against Barbados to earn their fourth win at the 2017 women's Indoor Pan American Cup in Guyana. The strong scoring performance has kept them undefeated in round-robin competition as they are set to face hosts Guyana this evening at 7:00 p.m. ET.

A penetrating run by Anarose McDonough (Kennett Square, Pa.), who’s pass was swept into the net by Samantha Popper (Blue Bell, Pa.), set the tone for the game. A hat-trick of penalty corner goals from Ali Campbell (Boyertown, Pa.) put USA comfortably ahead, and Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.) finished off a lovely move involving Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.) and McDonough to give the Indoor USWNT a 5-0 lead just before half time.
 
Popper started the second half in similar fashion, deflecting a long ball from Campbell into the net. McDonough made another fine run down the left and pulled it back to Popper who completed her hat-trick. Campbell added her forth in the 36th minute and Barham went on a solo run across the top of the circle to score with a neat shot. Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.) rounded out the scoring when she got her stick on a penetrating pass from Campbell, to deflect the ball high into the net to make the final score USA 10, Barbados 0.

“I was pleased that we were able to create quality scoring opportunities from the field today” said Jun Kentwell, Indoor USWNT Head Coach. “We must continue to build from one game to the next."

The Indoor USWNT is back in action this evening against hosts Guyana at  7:00 p.m. ET.

Goal Scoring Summary:
Team     Minute     Player     Action     Score
 USA      1      #10 Popper      FG      1 - 0
 USA      7      #5 Campbell      PC      2 - 0
 USA      9      #5 Campbell      PC      3 - 0
 USA      12      #5 Campbell      PC      4 - 0
 USA      18      #12 Wirth      FG      5 - 0
 USA      21      #10 Popper       FG      6 - 0
 USA      35      #10 Popper      FG      7 - 0
 USA      36      #5 Campbell      PC      8 - 0
 USA      38      #3 Barnham      FG      9 - 0
 USA      40      # 9 Orobono      FG     10 - 0

USFHA media release



Indoor USWNT Defeats IPAC Hosts and Becomes Points Leader


Image courtesy of Yan Huckendubler/PAHF

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - October 19, 2017 - In their second match of the day at the 2017 women's Indoor Pan American Cup, the U.S. Women's National Indoor Team defeated host Guyana, 7-1, in front of a home-spirited crowd that featured the USA Ambassador of Guyana. The victory continues their undefeated streak and also places USA as the overall leader in the points column heading into the final day of round-robin play.

Guyana did the early pressing, forcing a penalty corner which was stopped on the line by a foot. From the resulting penalty stroke, USA goalkeeper Samantha Carlino (Kennett Square, Pa.) made a diving save to her left to deny Guyana in front of a large partisan crowd. The Indoor USWNT were awarded a penalty corner in the 5th minute at the other end which Ali Campbell (Boyertown, Pa.) converted to give USA a 1-0 lead. A minute later, a passing move which included all five players on the court finished with Samantha Popper (Blue Bell, Pa.) scoring on a first time shot. In the 17th minute, Anarose McDonough (Kennett Square Pa.) found Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.) open in the circle to give USA a three goal lead, and right before half time Campbell converted another penalty corner to make it 4-0.
 
With USA controlling the second half Barham took a ball off the left board, cut across to the right edge of the circle and fired in a goal to give USA a 5-0 lead. Guyana converted their first penalty corner of the half off the outstretched glove of Carlino to put one goal back at 5-1. USA's Sierra Espeland (Fredericksburg, Va.) took over in goal to earn her first international cap, while at the other end Campbell converted two more penalty corners to give USA a 7-1 victory.

“We knew this was going to be a difficult game," said Jun Kentwell, Indoor USWNT Head Coach. "Guyana is a fast and dangerous team and we could not give them opportunities. Fortunately, Sam Carlino did not allow them to take the upper hand with a great penalty stroke save early on. I am pleased Sierra earned her first cap today, she is a very important part of our squad”

The Indoor USWNT will face No. 9 Canada tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET in their final round-robin game before crossovers are set. For more information about the 2017 women’s Indoor Pan American Cup, including event schedule, results and live stream, visit the IPAC Event Page. #IPAC2017

Goal Scoring Summary:
Team     Minute     Player     Action     Score
 USA      5      #5 Campbell      PC      1 - 0
 USA      6      #10 Popper      FG      2 - 0
 USA      17      #3 Barnham      FG      3 - 0
 USA      19      #5 Campbell      PS      4 - 0
 USA      31      #3 Barnham      FG      5 - 0
 GUY      36      #5 Fiedtkou      PC      5 - 1
 USA      38      #5 Campbell      PC      6 - 1
 USA      39      #5 Campbell      PC      7 - 1

USFHA media release



Vieira nets beaver in 13-2 Mexico drubbing

Nigel Simon


T&T’s Mickell Pierre, left, takes cover as Barbadian Neil Franklin goes flying over his back in their 2017 Indoor Pan American Cup Women’s match at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Guyana on Wednesday night.T&T won 8-2. PHOTO: YAN HUCKENDUBLER.

Jordan Vieira scored a beaver-trick to lead T&T ‘Calypso Stickmen’ to another come-from-behind victory, 13-2 against Mexico for a fourth straight win at the Indoor Pan American Cup Men’s Tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, in Georgetown, Guyana, yesterday.

Bottom of the table Mexico, without a point after three matches, stunned unbeaten T&T by taking a second minute lead through Luis Solorzano, however it was all one-way traffic after that as T&T then scored six goals without reply to lead 6-1 at half-time.

First, Mickell Pierre tied up the score at 1-1 for T&T in the third minute followed by items from captain Solomon Eccles (fifth), Aidan De Gannes (ninth), Vieira (tenth), and a double from Australian-based Akim Toussaint.

Two minutes into the second-half, Vieira got his second to extend T&T’s advantage to 7-1quickly followed by Pierre’s second in the 24th before Luis Aguilar, netted Mexico’s second in the 27th minute for the North Americans to trail 8-2.

With assistant coach Darren Cowie belting out instructions to go for more goals in the absence of head coach Raphael Govia, who returned home on Wednesday morning due to family reasons, the ‘Calypso Stickmen’ piled on the pressure with Marcus James making it 9-2 in the 28th before Vieira added items in the 29th and 32nd minutes to complete his beaver-trick and an 11-2 cushion.

Toussaint then completed in the 33rd minute, and De Gannes grabbed another in the 37th as T&T completed the resounding win to move to maximum 12 points from four matches and a healthy goal-difference of plus-24 ahead of its final round-robin clash with defending champions, Canada from 3.45pm today, with a win or draw securing a spot in tomorrow’s final from 7pm at stake.

In yesterday’s other matches, Guyana and Canada, both with six points from three matches faced off while Argentina, also with six points tackled Barbados.

On Wednesday night, Guyana stayed in contention for a top three finish with a 12-0 mauling of Mexico, while Argentina toppled Canada 5-3 to move into a three-way tie for second.

Today, Barbados and Mexico meet from 5pm followed by Argentina and Guyana to conclude the six-team round-robin series, at the end of which, the top two teams will contest the final on Saturday, from which the winner will qualify to the Indoor World Cup in Berlin, Germany, next February.

Krizia Layne and Blair Wynne scored two goals each to lead T&T ‘Calypso Stickwomen’ to a first win in five matches, 6-3 over host Guyana at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, in Georgetown, yesterday.

Beaten in their previous matches against USA (7-2), Uruguay (4-0), Argentina (4-0) and Canada (3-0), the ‘Calypso Stickmen’ were eager for a better outcome against the Guyanese, who entered the match on the back of a first win, 5-1 over Barbados.

Arielle Williams handed T&T the perfect start when she opened the scoring from a penalty-corner play in the second minute and three minutes later, Layne silenced the home crowd with the ‘Calypso Stickwomen’ second, from open play.

However, spurred on by the home crowd, the Guyanese fought their way back into the contest with Nicole Eastman, cutting the deficit in half, a minute later before Marzana Fiedtkou scored in the 18th and on the stroke of half-time, to give the host a 3-2 lead.

The T&T women coached by former Guyana international Jerazeno Bell, came out firing on the resumption and drew level within two minutes thanks to Blair Wynne.

Both teams then struggled to find the go-ahead goal until four minutes from full-time when Layne got her second to put T&T ahead 4-3, then captain Alanna Lewis made it 5-3 from the penalty-spot, a minute later followed by Wynne’s second item on the match on the stroke of full-time to seal a 6-3 triumph.

With the win, T&T moved to three points in sixth spot, level with fifth placed Guyana, which has a better goal-difference.

Today’s Matches

Women

Argentina vs Uruguay, 12noon
T&T vs Barbados, 1.15pm
Canada vs USA, 2.30pm
Sixth Place playoff, 7.30pm

Men

Canada vs T&T, 3.45pm
Barbados vs Mexico, 5pm
Argentina vs Guyana, 6.15pm

The Trinidad Guardian



Dlungwana's next goal is Africa Cup hockey


Tyson Dlungwana © SuperSport.com

University of Johannesburg hockey star Tyson Dlungwana has some long-term goals on his mind, but his immediate priority will be to confirm his prowess when he competes in the Africa Cup from Sunday.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who has nine tests under his belt, is a member of the South African senior squad who will be defending their title at the continental tournament in Ismailia, Egypt.

Having worked to improve his game in several areas, he said it was a massive honour to be chosen for his country.

“Being recognised at the highest level is actually pretty cool, because it gives you the feeling of knowing that the hard work has paid off,” said Dlungwana, who was named the age category sportsman of the year at the UJ Sports Gala awards function last week.

The second-year education student, who grew up in Maritzburg but now is in residence at UJ, said he had focused on a number of specific areas to ensure he grew as a player.

“Firstly, my one-on-one defensive work has improved as this was a weakness at one stage.

“Secondly, I have been working on my long-ball distribution, something I had ignored by not learning the basics at a young age. However, I am confident in that area so it’s safe to say I have it waxed now.”

Focusing on always being stronger and quicker than his opponent, the UJ star said he would need those qualities at the Africa Cup.

“Going to any country on this continent will always have its challenges, but ultimately the biggest test for us will be beating hosts Egypt,” he said.

“We will need to show the character to do to them what they did to us when they beat us (2-1) in the World League semifinals in Johannesburg this year.”

The SA men's team will need to win the tournament to qualify for next year's FIH Hockey World Cup in India.

Dlungwana wants to take his national representation to another level when the next Olympics roll around in 2020.

“My biggest goal ever since I started playing this sport seriously has been to represent South Africa at the Olympics in Tokyo,” he said. “Every year I feel I am a step closer, but only time will tell.”

The promising midfielder paid tribute to the UJ squad and his parents for his progression through the ranks.

“I must give big credit to my teammates, who continuously push me to be a better hockey player,” he said.

“My coaches, trainers and medical team are also a major part of my success, while my folks are my biggest fans. Without all of those people, none of this would have been possible.”

Supersport



Kenya sides off to Egypt for Nations Cup

By BRIAN YONGA


Kenya's forward Audrey Omaido drives forward during a training session at City Park Stadium on October 17, 2017 in preparation for the Africa Cup of Nation tournament to be held in Egypt. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya men and women’s hockey teams depart the country Friday night for Ismailia, Egypt ahead of the 11th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The continental showpiece begins on Sunday.

The teams, made up of 18 players each, will fly aboard the Emirates Airline from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 10.45pm and are scheduled to land in Dubai where they will take the connecting flight to Ismailia.

The week-long continental showpiece will also act as a 2018 World Cup qualifier with the winners of the men and women’s competition representing the continent in next year’s World Cup in India and UK respectively.

Six nations, among them, champions South Africa, Kenya,  Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and the hosts will do battle at the Suez Canal Authority Hockey Stadium.

With South Africa women’s team already qualified for the World Cup after finishing fifth during the World League Series in August, it means that one of the five countries have a shot at making it to next year’s World Cup.
Related Content

KENYA HOT FAVOURITES

Ghana and Kenya are favourites to clinch the slot.

The women’s coach Wilson Otieno believes the country has a golden chance to make it to their maiden World Cup.

“We have a real shot of finally making it to the global stage and we have fate in our own hands. The team is in high spirits and they are fired up to get going,” said the former international, who took over from Nixon Nyangaga early this year.

Otieno’s team has one debutant, Strathmore Scorpions defender Jane Muragu.

Telkom’s Lilian Aura will captain the side with hockey-cum-footballer Pauline Naise making a return to the side after a three-year absence.

The men’s team, under coach Meshack Senge, on other hand face a tall order with champions South Africa seeking the continental ticket to reach the World Cup.

SENGE OPTIMISTIC

Senge is optimistic his charges can defy all odds and reach their third World Cup after appearances in 1971 and 1973.

“We have been here before, our biggest challenge will come from Egypt and South Africa but we believe we can beat them,” Senge said. Senge’s side has seven new players. The Kenyan teams won bronze at the last edition held in South Africa in 2015.

Both sides have never won the continental title. The women’s team take on champions South Africa in their opening match on Sunday, while their male counterparts will face Ghana in their first match on the same day.

The top two teams at the end of the round-robin competition will face off in the final.

TEAMS

Women

Goalkeepers: Onyango Cynthia (Telkom), Kerubo Rachel (Amira)

Defenders: Rachel Ousa (Telkom), Mutiva Flavia (Telkom), Muragu Jane (Strathmore), Ngombo Elizabeth (Strathmore), Teresa Juma (Telkom)

Midfielders: Aura Lilian (Telkom) – Captain, Vodoti Sandra  (USIU-A) , Karanja Tracy (Telkom) , Guchu Caroline (Telkom) ,Rachel Wangui (USIU-A) , Karanja Yvonne (Strathmore)

Forwards: Pauline Naise (Amira) , Okumu Maureen (Telkom) , Omaido Audrey(Telkom) , Rhoda Nyambura (USIU-A), Gilly Okumu (Strathmore, assistant captain) - V. Captain

Men

Goalkeepers: Linus Kipkemboi (USIU-A, Allan Agesa (Park Road)

Defenders: Wakhura Constant (Butali), Oungo Samuel Paul (K. Police), Birir Richard (K. Police)

Maxwell Mutahi (Butali, captain)- Captain, Munialo Kennedy (Wazalendo), Masibo Robert Papa ( K. Police)

Midfielders: Okeyo Willis (K. Police - assistant captain), Iningu Allan (Sikh Union), Kariuki Francis (Strathmore), Francis Esikuri (Sikh Union), Echenje Oliver Obala (K. Police), Vincent Odhiambo (Butali)

Forwards: Mutira George (Chase Sailors), Onyango Festus (Strathmore), Wabwire Danstone (MMU), Amos Barkibir (K. Police)

Daily Nation



Burras Set For Sultan Of Johor Cup Title Defence

Ben Somerford



Australia’s campaign at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup commences on Sunday against the United States in Malaysia.

The seventh edition of the tournament runs from 22-29 October with six teams competing for the title.

The Burras will play the US, Japan, Great Britain, India and Malaysia, in that order, before the classification matches.

Australia are the reigning champions with current Kookaburras Blake Govers and Tom Craig the top scorers last year.

Eighteen members from the National Junior Squad have been selected to represent Australia at the Sultan of Johor Cup.

You can watch Australia’s first game via this link

2017 Sultan of Johor Cup team

Athlete (Hometown, State)

Jacob Anderson (Stafford, QLD)
Jonathon Bretherton (Brighton, VIC)
Lachlan Busiko (South Plympton, SA)
Nathan Ephraums (Keysborough, VIC)
Isaac Farmillo (Tamworth, NSW)
Matthew Finn (Paddington, QLD)
Liam Flynn (Hillarys, WA)
Coby Green (Salter Point, WA)
Ehren Hazell (Tamworth, NSW)
Jake Harvie (Dardanup, WA)
George McGeoch (Cottesloe, WA)
Zach Meaden (Eltham, VIC)
Joel Rintala (Carina, QLD)
Andrew Scanlon (Werribee, VIC)
Ben Staines (Goulburn, NSW/ACT)
Damon Steffens (Wheelers Hill, VIC)
Nathaneal Stewart (Narellan, NSW)
Blake Wotherspoon (Bulimba, QLD)

Hockey Australia media release



U-21 USMNT Ready for Tough Competition at Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia



JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia. – The U.S. U-21 Men's National Team and coaching staff departed yesterday to travel to Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the 7th annual Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC). Taking place October 22 to October 29, the tournament provides valuable competition for a growing squad as prepare to face the highest level possible among some of the top junior teams in the world.

In mid-September, U-21 USMNT Head Coach Rutger Wiese confirmed the 15-athlete roster, which contains a very young team, to compete in Malaysia. Sections for this invitation-only event took place at the Junior U.S. Men’s National Team Talent Identification Camp held at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. in July. Additional athletes were selected after a 6-day training session held in Moorpark, Calif. in August.

Prior to departure, the U-21 USMNT held a final training camp in Moorpark, Calif. where local athletes and some former U.S. Men's National Team players came out to support and scrimmage the squad for preparation. Upon arrival, the team will have a few practice sessions before opening play on Sunday, October 22 against defending champions Australia. Other involved teams in the round-robin competition are Great Britain, men’s Hockey Junior World Cup champions India, Japan and Malaysia.

The Sultan of Johor Cup organizing committee has informed us that all matches of the event will be live streamed from the television broadcast on their webpage and a link will be made available on their Twitter page, @SOJCup. USA Field Hockey will provide a link to watch the games on the Sultan of Johor Cup Event Page by clicking here. *USA Field Hockey realizes that the provided webpage is out of date and contains 2016 information. We have informed the SOJC committee and are waiting on a reply. All other streaming information will be made public upon knowledge.

Sultan of Johor Cup Pool Matches:

Sunday, October 22         USA vs. AUS        6:05 a.m. ET
Monday, October 23        USA vs. GBR        6:05 a.m. ET
Wednesday, October 25        USA vs. IND        6:05 a.m. ET
Thursday, October 26        USA vs. MAS        6:05 a.m. ET
Saturday, October 28        USA vs. JPN        8:35 a.m. ET

Click here for the full Sultan of Johor Cup schedule.

The week-long tournament, Sultan of Johor Cup was founded seven years ago in October, 2011 by Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. The concept was to bring together six-teams in the U-21 age division to participate among top world-ranked teams. It is the first field hockey championships held yearly on an international platform besides the Junior World Cup, which is organized every four years.

U.S. U-21 Men’s National Team Sultan of Johor Cup Roster:
Payton Breslow (Moorpark, Calif.), Alex Curtis (London, United Kingdom), Gerald Cutone (Reading, Mass.), Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.), Jack Gallucci (Trubell, Conn.), Zaid Hassan (Santa Clara, Calif.), Liam Hawley (Ventura, Calif.), Vincent Heller (Stuttgart, Germany), Colin Hennessy (Marlborough, Mass.), David Kristof (Darien, Conn.), Nate O’Lari (Orange, Mass.), Finlay Quaile (Tauton, United Kingdom), Dean Schiller (Alexandria, Va.), Puneet Singh (San Jose, Calif.), Cameron Spach (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)

USFHA media release



Will home advantage spur Black Sticks to success?


New Zealand will be hoping home fans can inspire them to victory in Auckland Photo: FIH/Getty Images

Sam Charlton and Sally Rutherford are two long-serving New Zealand players who have been part of a squad that has been on the verge of greatness for some time. Two fourth place finishes at the London and Rio Olympics; a silver at the Hockey World League Final in 2015 and a bronze in Brussels at the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Finals and it is clear this is a team that is consistently good without breaking through the final barrier.

Now the Black Sticks have a chance to win big on home soil as New Zealand prepares to host the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final for the first time.

Midfielder Sam and goalkeeper Sally took time out of their tough training schedule to talk about their hopes for the event and with her usual straight talking, Sally addressed the issue of not making it over the finish line in the hunt for medals: “Typically we have not done well in the last two games of major tournaments, however, the team we have now has experience of regularly playing for medals, and it was pleasing to see that we could bounce back from such a narrow semi-final loss against the Dutch to get third place at Hockey World League Semi-Finals. We have proven we can win medals, now we have to prove we can do it regularly.”

Both women were also upfront about the Black Sticks poor record in shoot-out situations, something that has cost them medals on a number of occasions.

“We don't hide behind the fact that we don't have a successful record when it comes to shoot outs,” says Sam. “We know it is something that has let us down more than once and know it is something we need to work on, but we are confident in our ability to be able to win one. We are trying to implement a range of different approaches technically, tactically and mentally to ensure that we will be successful.”

“And”, added Sally with a rueful smile: “We can’t get much closer than we did in Brussels [against the Netherlands] – we were 0.2seconds away from winning I believe.”

This is the first major international that New Zealand has hosted at its new national stadium in Auckland and both players are looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd, although they admitted that there would be some additional pressure and a higher-than-usual expectation upon the team.

“We do need to make sure we don’t get distracted by being so close to home,” said Sally. "We spend so much time travelling as a team that we are a pretty tight knit bunch on and off the turf, and will need to make sure nothing changes that.”

The Black Sticks have been through some tough training since their third place finish in Brussels and a recent encounter with Australia at the Oceania Cup [they finished second to Australia] gave them some challenging opposition in the run-up to the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final.

“We need to get three points against the Dutch. You can’t ask for a better start than playing the top team in the world at home in the opening game of the tournament.”
Sally Rutherford, New Zealand

For Sam, Brussels highlighted some areas the team needs to improve upon before they face the seven best teams in the world. “We didn't quite hit the mark in Brussels, and finishing third was below our target that we had set for ourselves, so there are definitely some aspects of our game both technically and physically we are working to improve.

“We know that in Brussels we weren't as clinical in the attacking third as we would have liked to have been so this is something we have been looking to implement in training. Efficiency in both attacking and defensive circles is key to winning matches so our coaches work with us to ensure we are always improving in these areas.”

The opening game for New Zealand is a re-run of the semi-final in Brussels earlier this year as they face the world number one side Netherlands. It is an encounter that the Black Sticks goalkeeper is relishing. “The better the team, the better the challenge,” she says, adding that her favourite moments in a game usually involve a match-up against the drag flickers. Sally Rutherford versus Caia van Maasakker is all set to be an epic battle in the opening match of the tournament.

For New Zealand, as with every other team at this event, a longer-term goal is the Hockey World Cup in London next year. As Sally points out, this is a great opportunity to get more experience against the top teams in the world: “We don’t often get the European teams coming down to New Zealand, so having the chance to play them on our turf is great, for this team, and for our young kids to see the different styles of hockey that the European teams play.

“For us, it will be our last chance to match up against the European teams before the World Cup in 2018. Argentina and the Asian teams play such a different style to ourselves that the more chance we get to play them the better.”

Of course the players and coaches will be totally focused on the action at North Harbour but when it comes to down time, Sam has this advice: “My ideal morning in Auckland would be a walk along one of the many beaches around the area, such as Takapuna Beach, followed by a coffee and brunch at some of the best cafes around. There are so many beautiful locations around the area so make sure you get outdoors and explore.”

For Sam, who is approaching 200 caps for her country and Sally, who has more than 150 caps, the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final is a chance for the team that has promised so much to deliver.

“We know that we can't afford to have one or two 'off' games in a tournament, so we think consistency is key and we know that if we prepare well going into the tournament in Auckland we can certainly achieve that,” says Sam.

“We need to get three points against the Dutch,” says Sally. “You can’t ask for a better start than playing the top team in the world at home in the opening game of the tournament.”

Follow all the action from the Sentinel Homes Hockey World League Final Auckland 2017 by using #HWL2017.

FIH site



Vantage Black Sticks squad named for camp


Photo: Planet Hockey

Vantage Black Sticks Men’s head coach Darren Smith has named a squad of 34 players for an upcoming selection camp in Auckland.

The purpose of the camp is to assess talented players who stood out this year at the Vantage Under 18s, Vantage Under 21s, Ford National Hockey League and Australian Hockey League tournaments.

Athletes will be put through an extensive six days of hockey, physical, psychological and leadership challenges from 5-10 December.

Performances at the camp will help decide final selections of the 2018 National and Development squads.

Not all 2017 National Squad members will take part in the camp with several being moved immediately onto their physical programme following an intense 12 months of international and European club commitments.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to bring players who have come through our talent system into the Vantage Black Sticks environment and see how they stack up,” Smith said.

“You look at the likes of Hayden Phillips, who came into the national programme as a 17-year-old and ended up earning a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

“We have a lot of talented athletes around the country so the sooner we can expose them to top level hockey and everything that comes with that the better.”

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS MEN – NATIONAL CAMP
5-10 December, Auckland

PLAYER NAME

REGION

POSITION

AGE

Reuben ANDREWS

Midlands

Defender

19

Cory BENNETT

North Harbour

Defender

26

David BRYDON

Canterbury

Defender

21

Malachi BUSCHL

Southern

Midfielder

18

James COUGHLAN

North Harbour

Midfielder

27

George CONNELL

Canterbury

Defender

27

Rob CREFFIER

Central

Midfielder

25

Dom DIXON

Southern

Goalkeeper

21

Nick ELDER

Southern

Midfielder

24

George ENERSEN

Canterbury

Goalkeeper

26

Connor GREENTREE

North Harbour

Midfielder

18

Daniel HARRIS

North Harbour

Striker

20

Cam HAYDE

Canterbury

Striker

26

Sam HIHA

Central

Striker

20

Kalyan JERAM

North Harbour

Striker

20

Richard JOYCE

North Harbour

Goalkeeper

25

Jonty KEANEY

Midlands

Striker

22

Kim KINGSTONE

Auckland

Midfielder/Striker

23

Mick LAMMERS

North Harbour

Goalkeeper

23

Harry LAWSON

Central

Midfielder

18

Dane LETT

Capital

Defender

27

Harry MISKIMMIN

Capital

Defender

23

Leo MITAI-WELLS

Midlands

Midfielder/Striker

22

George MUIR

North Harbour

Midfielder

23

Dominic NEWMAN

Canterbury

Midfielder/Striker

20

Kieran O’CONNOR

Southern

Midfielder/Striker

22

Jared PANCHIA

Auckland

Striker

24

Brad READ

Capital

Defender

22

Hayden PHILLIPS

Central

Midfielder

19

Aidan SARIKAYA

Midlands

Midfielder

21

Jacob SMITH

Capital

Striker

26

Dylan THOMAS

Central

Striker

21

Benedict van WOERKOM

Capital

Midfielder/Striker

25

Mac WILCOX

Central

Striker

21

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Hockey can reach new heights in Ireland if cards are played right

Hockey Ireland needs help in how to sell healthy, drug-free World Cup-qualified teams

Johnny Watterson


Ireland’s Maurice Elliot celebrates with Shane O’Donoghue during a Test match against Pakistan in June. Photo: Mervyn McClelland/Inpho

The uplifting news that both the men’s and women’s national teams qualified for next year’s World Cups passed with barely a murmur outside the hockey family.

As women’s rugby now eclipses hockey in its profile and place in the public imagination despite much greater numbers playing hockey, you wonder where it has gone wrong.

It is true that both men and women have full time coaches, whereas the lack of the appointment of a fulltime women’s coach in rugby makes it on to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Two senior teams with Olympic status have now qualified for World Cups next year in hockey and Rugby 7s. That has not happened before.

Hockey can take credit for treating its male and female athletes equally and can take credit for having a system, which like rugby begins in the schools, very often the same schools as rugby, but if hockey didn’t appoint full time coaches would the national broadcaster take it up?

Hockey Ireland has a chance this year, as they did last year in the run up to Rio and as they did the few other times Irish teams have qualified for World Cups, to better the lot of their elite athletes, who will have full schedules in 2018.

The men will start their program with a tri-nations tournament in Spain at the end of January and compete in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in March. The program will also include some home games to be finalised.

Hockey calls the system it operates self-funding which means the coaches are paid and the administrators are paid and now the umpires are paid, while the athletes are asked to pay to represent Ireland. That all seems plain wrong.

It may sound churlish to raise the issue now but with national coaches Craig Fulton and Graham Shaw looking towards a tough, tough year ahead, it would help if Hockey Ireland upped its game and sought help in how to sell healthy, drug-free World Cup-qualified teams to a wider Irish audience.

And it would make sense if there was similar state funding for all teams. Let’s watch that space.

The Irish Times



Racing coach Reckinger adds Die Danas top job to his roles


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles coach Xavier Reckinger has been elevated to the role of head coach with the German women, taking over from Jamilon Mülders.

Mulders – who also worked with Rot-Weiss Koln last season – moved on after five years with Die Danas to take on a new coaching job in China. Reckinger moved up as a result from the assistant coach role which he took on in the spring of this year.

He becomes the first foreigner to coach the German women; “It’s a big honour” Reckinger said of the new role.

"The team had a very successful 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Since then, a lot of young, talented players have joined the panel with some quite experienced players – a good balance in my view.

“Now the 2018 World Cup is the next big challenge and I know the team has a high ambitions. I can continue to build on the solid platform created by Jamilon Mülders with the Danas but I will also contribute my own ideas to continue the development that has taken place since we came together in the spring of 2017.”

“As a player in my time in Australia, New Zealand and Holland, I have been influenced by very different coaches and game systems.”

He will continue his role with Racing – whom he joined from Herakles this summer – with the club president Thierry Le Saux welcoming the news: "The Royal Racing Club of Brussels congratulates Xavier Reckinger on his appointment as head of the German women's national team.

“Xavier will continue, as planned, to perform his duties as head coach of the Ladies 1 and DH Messieurs du Racing teams with his deputies Alexandre de Chaffoy and Lucas De Mot "

The 33-year-old Reckinger is one of the most decorated players in Belgian history with 328 caps, playing in the national team until 2014, captaining the red lions for four years.

Since retiring, he has already coached in New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands as well as with the Belgian U-18 and U-21 teams.

Euro Hockey League media release



Double headers in Premier Division


East Grinstead action

East Grinstead could give their Premier Division campaign a big boost this weekend as they face two matches in two days in the Men’s Hockey League.

With two games this weekend East Grinstead have a chance to jump up the table. A home clash against bottom of the table Canterbury on Saturday evening is then followed by another match at Saint Hill Road the following day against last season’s runners-up Wimbledon, which was postponed a fortnight ago due to Wimbledon’s involvement in the EuroHockey League.

“We’ve got a little bit of momentum now after a blip in the first week,” said East Grinstead’s First XI Manager James Leman. “We’ve had two good wins, so we’re looking forward to both games this weekend.

“There are quite a few new faces in our squad so we will get a good idea of where we are at this weekend, especially against Wimbledon.

“We’ve got a few people unavailable for this weekend so we will mix and match, but it will be pretty much the same team for both games.”

Wimbledon could also benefit from two matches this weekend, starting with a game at Reading on Saturday evening.

Elsewhere, leaders Surbiton head to Holcombe on Saturday in a repeat of last season’s Semi-final, while unbeaten Beeston play host to third-placed Hampstead and Westminster in a match both sides need to win to keep pace with Surbiton.

Sevenoaks are still looking for their first points of the season and they are at home against Brooklands MU on Saturday.

The top two sides in the early Men’s Conference North table meet with the University of Nottingham heading to Loughborough Students in a match which could prove crucial later in the season. Meanwhile, third-placed Leeds are at home against fourth-placed University of Durham.

Men’s Conference East leaders Oxted will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the season as they entertain Chichester on Saturday, while second-placed Cambridge City host a West Herts side who are desperate to secure their first points of the season.

Cardiff & Met face a tough double header weekend in the Men’s Conference West as they catch up after their EuroHockey League campaign.

They are at home against table-toppers the University of Exeter on Saturday and then go to last season’s champions Team Bath Buccaneers on Sunday.

In other Conference West action, second-placed Olton & West Warwicks host the University of Birmingham on Saturday.

Fixtures
Saturday, October 21 2017

Men’s Premier Division
Beeston v Hampstead & Westminster 14:00
Sevenoaks v Brooklands MU 14:00
East Grinstead v Canterbury 18:00
Holcombe v Surbiton 18:00
Reading v Wimbledon 18:30

Men’s Conference East
Southgate v Brighton & Hove 14:30
Cambridge City v West Herts 16:45
Old Loughtonians v Old Georgians 17:00
Oxted v Chichester 17:00
Richmond v Teddington 18:00

Men’s Conference North
Sheffield Hallam v Preston 13:30
Bowdon v Deeside Ramblers 13:45
Leeds v Univ of Durham 17:30
Cannock v Doncaster 18:00
Loughborough Students v Univ of Nottingham 18:00

Men’s Conference West
Olton & West Warwicks v Univ of Birmingham 12:00
Cardiff & Met v Univ of Exeter 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Clifton Robinsons 13:00
Fareham v Cheltenham 13:30
Isca v Havant 14:00

Sunday, October 22 2017

Men’s Premier Division
East Grinstead v Wimbledon 16:00

Men’s Conference West
Team Bath Buccaneers v Cardiff & Met 13:00

England Hockey Board Media release



Greensharks tackle Badgers in hockey league

By BRIAN YONGA


Vivian Achieng' of Amira Sailors drives the ball during their their Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match against Multimedia University at City Park Stadium on October 14, 2017. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Second-placed Greensharks will be looking to close the gap on leaders Kenya Police when they take on Parkroad Badgers Friday afternoon in a Kenya Hockey Union men’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium, Nairobi.

The fixture is one five matches scheduled for Mashujaa Day with four more set for Saturday and the same number on Sunday.

Amira Sailors take on Kenyatta University Titans in the only women’s top flight match on the cards. KU’s men’s team, the Vultures, battle United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) in a universities derby.

Greensharks will be playing their third straight match in as many weeks and with Police not in action again this weekend, the Nairobi-based side will look to make some ground on the runaway leaders. Sharks are on 34 points.

Sharks coach Ben Owaga wants his charges to bury their chances early on to avoid late drama in matches.

“We dropped two points against TUK because we were not clinical enough in front of goal and I hope we can rectify that against Parkroad,” Owaga said.
Related Content

Chris Muchwanju and the on-form Victor Osiche will be the danger men for the Sharks.

Fifth-placed Badgers can move level on points with Wazalendo should they claim the three points.

“We are in a good position and the key is to maintain our consistency this season and see where it gets us at the end of the season,” Badgers coach Cyrus Kanyi said.

Fresh from bagging maximum points in their 1-0 win over Technical University of Kenya on Wednesday, KU Vultures will be hoping to continue with their fine form against the varsity counterparts.

With their first leg clash having ending in a 1-1 stalemate, both sides will be seeking to snatch the victory. KU coach Moses Kagochi has said that he is looking out for improvement from his charges.

The Vultures are currently 10th on the league standings, while USIU-A are four places above them. Wazalendo will be hoping to overcome Parklands in a quest to dislodge former champions Butali Sugar Warriors from third place. Wazalendo trail Butali by one point and a win is all they need to move into the top three.

The fight for Premier League promotion intensifies with Bay Club from Kisumu, Mvita XI, Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) and Mombasa West bringing their battle to City Park from Saturday.

FIXTURES (All matches at City Park Stadium)

Friday: Men’s Premier: Wazalendo v Parklands (12pm), Greensharks v Parkroad Badgers (2pm), KU v USIU-A (4pm);
National Men: Wazalendo Masters v Mvita XI (6pm);
Premier Women: Amira Sailors v KU (10am);
Saturday: Men’s National: Thika Rovers v Mvita XI (12pm), UoN v Bay Club (2pm), Wazalendo Masters v Mombasa West (4pm), Impala v MSC (6pm);
Sunday: Men’s Premier: Chase Sailors v KCAU (1:30pm); Men’s National: Daystar v MSC (9am), Impala v Mombasa West (10:30am), JKUAT v Bay (12pm)

Daily Nation



Top 10 ACC, Big Ten matchups highlight weekend's best games

Pat Ralph, Excelle Sports


UNC hosts No. 2 Duke Friday night at 6 p.m. in the lone Top 5 matchup of the weekend. Jeffrey A. Camarati | UNC Atheltics

The three best games in college field hockey this weekend all feature top 10 teams. While a pair of ACC showdowns will feature teams ranked in the top 10 in the country, the Big Ten will also showcase a top 10 matchup this weekend too. The ACC is the best conference in college field hockey, but the Big Ten is close on its heels. Here are the three best games we recommend watching and checking out this weekend:

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 5 North Carolina

Friday October 20th, 6:00 p.m.

There’s arguably no greater rivalry in college sports than the Tobacco Road rivalry between Duke and North Carolina, two ACC rivals separated by a mere eight miles. And this year’s edition of the rivalry features two of the five best teams in the country this season going head-to-head in a conference showdown. Duke (12-2) enters Friday’s game on a three-game winning streak, including wins last weekend at home over No. 13 Wake Forest 2-1 and unranked Miami (Ohio) 2-0. The Blue Devils are 3-2 in the ACC right now and are currently tied with the Tar Heels (12-3). Before beating unranked VCU on the road 4-1 last Sunday, North Carolina’s eight-game winning streak was snapped at the hands of Louisville 3-2 at home last Friday. While this is Carolina’s lone game this weekend, Duke travels to unranked Liberty on Sunday. Needless to say, this rivalry game is huge for both teams as the field hockey season comes down the stretch and teams jockey for conference tournament positioning.

No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 8 Northwestern

Friday October 20th, 4:00 p.m.

As mentioned at the onset, the ACC has been the premier conference in college field hockey this year. But the Big Ten has had an impressive season of its own too, and it offers field hockey fans with a top 10 matchup that will certainly determine seeding in the Big Ten Tournament next month. Right now, the class of the conference is the Maize and Blue of Michigan. The Wolverines (13-2) enter Friday’s game on a 10-game winning streak and 7-0 in the Big Ten, establishing themselves as the heavy favorite to win the conference. Last weekend, the Wolverines continued their strong play on the road with a 2-0 win over unranked Indiana on Friday and a 3-2 win over No. 22 Iowa on Sunday. But it won’t be an easy match when they go up against the Wildcats (12-4) at home on Friday. Northwestern stands at 5-1 in the Big Ten and enters Friday’s game on a six-game winning streak, including a pair of overtime wins against No. 22 Iowa on the road (5-4) and No. 23 UMass at home (2-1). As a result, the Wildcats moved up from No. 9 in the polls. After facing the Wolverines, Northwestern closes out its regular season on Sunday at home against Michigan State. Michigan will travel on Sunday to Louisville for a huge late season non-conference game against the Cardinals. Along with No. 6 Penn State, both Michigan and Northwestern are two of the best in the Big Ten.

No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 7 Louisville

Saturday October 21st, 12:00 p.m.

The second top 10 ACC matchup of the weekend takes field hockey fans to Louisville where the Cavaliers and Cardinals will face off in a huge conference showdown. Virginia (12-3) and Louisville (11-4) enter Saturday’s clash tied at the top of the ACC at 4-1, with each team having three games left on their regular season schedule before the conference tournament kicks off. Last weekend, the Cavaliers picked up a big 2-1 road win over No. 10 Syracuse before falling to former ACC rival and No. 12 Maryland in a non-conference matchup. The Cardinals jumped up from No. 11 in the polls after a huge 3-2 road win over UNC last weekend. On Sunday, Virginia will travel to face unranked Miami (Ohio) while Louisville will host Michigan in a big non-conference matchup. With it being both teams’ last conference game of the year, the winning team on Saturday will all but likely capture the ACC regular season title and claim the top seed in the ACC Tournament. This game should be great.

NCAA



Weekend College Games



Each week, USA Field Hockey highlights some of the top college games in Division I, II and III.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20

DI: No. 19 St. Joseph's vs No. 23 Massachusetts | 3 p.m. ET
The match-up between these two Atlantic 10 teams will be a great game to watch. St. Joseph’s looks to continue their four-game winning streak versus Massachusetts this Friday. The Hawks are coming off a huge upset win over defending National Champions Delaware this past weekend, having scored two second half goals for the 2-1 victory. The win is the first for them over a top-10 team since 2009, as they improved to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play this season. Massachusetts is coming off a 2-1 double overtime loss to higher-ranked Northwestern as they drop to 11-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Both teams are 5-1 in conference play so tune into see which team moves up in the Atlantic 10 conference.

St. Joseph's assistant coach and Massachusetts graduate Hannah Prince, is currently representing the U.S. Women's National Indoor Team at the 2017 women's Indoor Pan American Cup.

DI: No. 2 Duke vs No. 5 North Carolina | 6 p.m ET
The Battle of the Blues on Tobacco Road will be the game to watch in Division I field hockey this Friday. The match-up between Duke and North Carolina is one of the greatest rivalries in college sports. Fueling the rivalry is the fact that these two universities are only ten miles apart from one other and this game will be the final Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season match-up for both teams. Duke and UNC are both currently 2-3 in ACC play, meaning that this match-up will impact their ACC tournament ranking heading into post season. Duke is coming off back-to-back wins this past weekend over Wake Forest and Miami (Ohio). The Blue Devils improved to 12-2 overall. UNC split the previous weekend losing to Louisville, but they bounced back to beat Virginia Commonwealth University the following day. Tune into see who ends up being the better shade of blue this season!

DII: No. 9 Limestone vs Newberry | 7 p.m. ET
After suffering back-to-back losses, Limestone bounced back last Friday when they defeated Belmont Abbey, 5-0. Limestone got off to a quick start scoring in the first two minutes and never looked back. The victory was the eighth Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) win for Limestone this season. The Saints are now 12-2 overall and 8-1 in conference play and will be looking for their ninth conference victory when they take on Newberry this Friday. Newberry is coming off a 3-1 loss to Queens this past Sunday. During the first half, stats were relatively even but in the second half Queens began to take control. Newberry dropped to 6-9 overall and 3-4 in conference play and need a big conference win over Limestone to get back on track.

DIII: No. 17 Skidmore vs No. 19 Rochester | 4:00 p.m. ET
Skidmore College earned their fifth straight victory after defeating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 3-1 this past Sunday. With the win, they clinched a spot in the Liberty League conference postseason playoff and improved to 11-4 overall and 5-0 in conference play. This game is key because if Skidmore defeats Rochester, the Thoroughbreds will outright clinch the regular season Liberty League title. Rochester defeated Union College 6-0 this past Sunday and has won their last four games improving to 11-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play. Over those wins, the Yellowjackets have scored 14 goals while only allowing one score against. Tune into see which team will be Liberty League regular season champions.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

DI: No. 14 Princeton vs No. 15 Harvard | 12 p.m. ET
Both teams will look to remain undefeated in Ivy League conference when they battle it out on the pitch this Saturday. In the NFHCA Coaches poll released Tuesday, these two teams were ranked side-by-side with Princeton being No. 14 and Harvard coming in at No. 15. The Tigers are coming off a 3-0 win over Northeastern this past Sunday, improving to 8-6 overall and 4-0 in conference play. They will close out regular season play with three consecutive conference games. Harvard meanwhile is coming off a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against Cornell this past Saturday. Now 10-3 overall and 4-0 in conference play, Harvard has more overall wins this year, but Princeton has played more top opponents this season. Tune into see which team will remain undefeated in the Ivy League Conference.

DI: No. 3 Virginia vs No. 7 Louisville | 12 p.m. ET
Louisville comes in to this weekend with seven straight wins including four wins over top-15 ranked ACC teams. In the last seven victories, Louisville defeated Wake Forest, Syracuse, Boston College and North Carolina, who they recently beat in a huge 3-2 upset win. The Cardinals are now 11-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Virginia is coming off a disappointing loss to Maryland on their Senior Night on Tuesday. Although UVa scored first, Maryland tallied on five unanswered goals to take the lead. The Cavaliers battled back, but ultimately fell 5-4 in the thrilling match. Virginia dropped to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Will Virginia be able to bounce back or will Louisville extend its winning streak?

DII: No. 4 Saint Anselm vs No. 5 LIU Post | 1 p.m. ET
The match-up between these two closely ranked teams will be the game to watch in Division II field hockey this weekend. LIU Post extended their winning streak to five when they defeated Bellarmine 4-0 this past Monday, as they improved to 12-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Saint Anselm defeated conference foe Bentley 3-0 this past Friday, and the victory marked the third straight win and shutout for the Hawks. Saint Anselm is now 13-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play. The Hawks will hope to have another strong defensive stand when they take on NE10 conference foe LIU post this Saturday.

DIII: No. 6 Tufts vs No .7 Williams | 1:00 p.m. ET
Tufts field hockey is coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss to conference team Bates this past Saturday. The Jumbos came away with the advantage in shots (8-6) and penalty corners (6-2) but were unable to capture the win, moving them to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play. Tufts will look to get back on track by notching another conference win versus Williams this Saturday. Williams earned their seventh straight win of the season by defeated Keene St. 3-1 this past Tuesday. The Ephs improved to 11-2 overall and 6-2 in conference play, with two losses of the season coming in overtime against conference opponents. Tune into see who moves up in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22

DI: No. 24 Ohio State vs. No. 25 Iowa | 1 p.m. ET
Ohio State is coming off a big weekend in which they earned their first BIG Ten win of the 2017 season defeating then No.18 Rutgers, 2-0, this past Sunday. The Buckeye's defensive discipline was the game changer against Rutgers, as they improved to 8-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Iowa has lost their last three games including two BIG Ten losses. On the other side, the Hawkeyes are coming off a 2-3 loss to higher-ranked conference rival Michigan last weekend. Michigan jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half but Iowa battled back to close the gap in the second. With the loss, Iowa dropped 5-10 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Both teams will be looking to get their second BIG Ten win this weekend.

DII: Lindenwood vs Mercy | 11 a.m. ET
Lindenwood is coming off a huge win over higher-ranked and ECAC conference team Limestone this past Sunday. With the 1-0 win, Lindenwood improved to 10-2 overall and 6-1 in conference play. Lindenwood will look to get their seventh ECAC win of the season against Mercy this Sunday. It appears like Mercy has finally bounced back from their six-game losing streak. The Mavericks have won their last two including their most recent win over ECAC foe Bellarmine this past Saturday. Mercy defeated Bellarmine 1-0, improving to 4-10 overall and 1-7 in conference play. Will Lindenwood get its seventh conference win or will Mercy be able to keeps its positive momentum going?

DIII: Wooster vs DePauw | 12 p.m. ET
Wooster will look to respond after back-to-back losses this past week, when they lost 6-2 loss to Wittenberg this past Saturday. Wittenberg scored quickly and Wooster was unable to recover. With the loss, Wooster dropped to 8-6 overall and 5-5 in conference play. DePauw is coming off a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to conference opponent Kenyon this past Sunday. The second time this season these two teams met and the second-time Kenton walked away with the victory. DePauw dropped to 8-6 overall and 6-4 in conference play. Tune into see who moves up in the North Coast Athletic Conference rankings.

* DI Rankings are based off NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll (Posted October 18, 2017)
** DII Rankings are based off NFHCA Division II Coaches Poll (Posted October 18, 2017)
*** DIII Rankings are based off NFHCA Division III Coaches Poll (Posted October 18, 2017)

USFHA media release



Columbus Academy's Horton Earns 500th Career Win



COLUMBUS, Ohio - After reaching a career milestone on October 11, Columbus Academy field hockey coach Anne Horton quickly deflected the attention away from herself.

Horton earned her 500th career win with a 9-0 victory over visiting Lancaster, but she gave the credit to her assistant coaches and players.

“You can’t do it alone,” Horton said. “You have to have great support. They give me the confidence to continue to push forward. I can’t say enough about (assistant coach) Danielle Sparks. JoAnne Adams is the face of our lower-level program and she gets them ready for us. It’s collaborative teamwork.”

Horton was recognized after the game, including receiving a letter of acknowledgement and congratulations from Gov. John Kasich. The letter was read by head of school Melissa Soderberg.

Horton was 428-33-27 in 26 seasons with the Vikings before they played Dublin Coffman in the first round of the district tournament Tuesday, October 17 at home. She previously coached at Asheville (North Carolina) School and North Ridgeville Lake Ridge Academy and was 502-59-37 overall.

The second-seeded Vikings were 14-2 before playing the 15th-seeded Shamrocks. The winner plays seventh-seeded UA or ninth-seeded Olentangy Orange in a semifinal Tuesday, October 24, and that winner plays fourth-seeded Olentangy Liberty, sixth-seeded Worthington Kilbourne, 10th-seeded Bexley, 11th-seeded Dublin Jerome or 16th-seeded Dublin Scioto in a district final October 28 at Liberty.

“We’re ready for the tournament,” Horton said. “We’ve been very open and honest up front, they need to own this. If they want to get where they want to be, they have to be thinking about it and taking responsibility for their actions. It’s been a very vivid part of where our journey is this year and the kids are eager to see what they can do.”



Content Courtesy of ThisWeekSports and Frank Direnna

USFHA media release



Olak continue to be the hotbed of young hockey players

By Aftar Singh


Giving full attention: Olak manager Joseph De Silva (second from left) talking to the players before a training session at the Pandamaran Hockey Stadium in Klang. On the left is coach Paul Raj. — FAIHAN GHANI / The Star
 
OLD La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) are one of the most successful hockey clubs in Malaysia.

Since their inception in 1995, Olak are among the pioneer clubs in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

And they did quite well to win the title three times.

They have also produced several national players since 1998 and among them are Roslan Jamaluddin, defender Mohd Amin Rahim and midfielders Mohd Madzli Ikmar and Reduan Ponirin.

Roslan played a pivotal role in helping Malaysia win the silver medal in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.

Skipper Madzli led the national team to a silver medal in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games which saw Amin scoring six goals from penalty corners.

After retiring from the game, Amin and Madzli went on to become coaches.

Amin guided the Malaysian men’s indoor team to the gold medal in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August.

A Tenaga Nasional employee, Amin is currently the national team assistant coach at the ongoing Asia Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Madzli is coaching the Negri Sembilan junior team.

Eric Koh, who played for Olak in 2005, is an international umpire and works as a pilot with Malaysia Airlines.

One person who has been loyal to the club since their debut in the MJHL is Joseph De Silva, who has been managing the club for 23 years.

Joseph said Olak are indebted to their first president Datuk Jeffrey Ng Keng Keong who gave them the green light and financial support to feature in the MJHL in 1995.

The club not only rope in young players throughout the country to play in the Under-19 national league, they are also given the opportunity to study in local colleges.

With the help of PKT Logistics (a trading company in Port Klang), they have given out scholarships to study at the Peninsula College in Shah Alam since 2014. The club also provide job opportunities for the players.

“Our objective is to train the youngsters and then expose them in the MJHL. Our efforts have reaped dividends as a number of our players went on to represent the state and national team,” said the 62-year-old Joseph.

“We must thank PKT Logistics and Century Logistics for their continued support through the years not only in sponsoring the club but also in providing scholarships and job opportunities for our players,” said Joseph.

“We are happy with the response from players who want to play for us in the MJHL. Olak will continue to hire players as our objective is to nurture them not just to become better players but also better human beings,” added Joseph.

Olak will be celebrating their 27th anniversary on Oct 28 at the Top Glove Ballroom, Level 9, Top Glove Tower Persiaran Setia Indah, Alam Nusantara, Selangor.

FACT FILE

Club: Old La Sallians Association of Klang (OLAK)
Formed: 1991
Address: No. 8, Jalan Station, 41000, Klang, Selangor
President: Kenneth Lee An Tzan
Vice president: Surendran Menon
Secretary: K. Selva Rajah
Treasurer: Ho King Ming
Sponsors: Century Logistics Sdn Bhd, PKT Logistics Sdn Bhd.
Coaches: P. Kalaichelvam, S. Chandran, Paul Raj, S. Sivabalan
Olak players who represented the national team:
Roslan Jamaluddin (goalkeeper), Mohd Amin Rahim (defender), Mohd Madzli Ikmar (midfielder), Redzuan Ponirin (midfielder), Faizal Daud (forward).
Olak players who went on to become coaches:
Abdul Aiziz, Wira Osman (Perlis), Dedi Saptera (Sabah), Awang Soh (Terengganu).

ACHIEVEMENTS
1995: Won the Selangor League title
1997: Won the Under-19 Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) league title and finished overall second.
1998: MJHL league and overall champions
1999: MJHL league and overall champions
2000: MJHL overall champions and league runnersup

The Star of Malaysia



Kenyan legend recalls glory days


Avtar Singh Sohal led his team at the 1971 Barcelona Hockey World Cup Photo: Sikhs in Hockey

When you think of hockey powerhouses in the 21st century, you tend to think Netherlands, Argentina, Australia and India; however, back in the 1960s, one of the top teams in the world was the East African nation of Kenya.

Kenya appeared at every Olympic Games from 1956 until 1972, with two further appearance in 1984 and 1988. The team’s best finish was sixth in 1964.

Captain of the Kenyan team in 1964, 1968 and 1972 was Avtar Singh Sohal, now 78 years old but as devoted to the game as he always has been. Sohal is revered in his adopted country of India, where he is known as ‘Tari', and has been described by journalists and hockey fans as the greatest Indian sportsperson of all time outside India.

"After watching magician Dhyan Chand in a match, I developed a keen interest in hockey. His dribbling and dodging were out of this world."
Avtar Singh Sohal, Kenya

The Indian hockey family’s devotion to Sohal is mirrored by the Olympian’s love for his adopted country. “I came here [to India] with the Kenyan side in 1962 for the first time to play test matches against the Indian side,” says Sohal. “When I reached the Bombay airport, I touched the pious soil of India. That feeling cannot be described in words.”

Sohal played for Kenya 167 times between 1957 and 1972, competing in four Olympic Games. While he was intensely proud of Kenya’s performances at those Olympic Games, the thing that still sticks in his mind was the terror attack at the 1972 Munich Olympics, when 11 Israeli athletes were killed, along with a German police officer. Even now, the memory can bring tears to the eyes of this compassionate man.



One of Sohal’s best memories however is associated with the 1971 World Cup, where the team came close to securing a bronze medal, eventually losing 2-1 to India. Kenya’s goal in that match was scored by none other than Sohal.

It was inspiration from another Indian hockey icon that first caused Sohal to pick up a hockey stick rather than a cricket bat. Sohal explains: “I still remember when the Indian hockey side came to Kenya in 1948 under the captaincy of Dhyan Chand. Those were exciting times. After watching magician Dhyan Chand in a match, I developed a keen interest in hockey. His dribbling and dodging were out of this world. My father had also encouraged me to play hockey rather than cricket.”

A Sikh himself, Avtar Singh Sohal says that it was people from India, especially Sikhs, who introduced hockey to Kenya. Mahan Singh was elected President of the Kenya Hockey Union in 1957 and the Sikh Union Club of Nairobi was the backbone of the Kenya national hockey team. The Sikh Union Club supplied the majority of players in the national team and won most of the domestic trophies in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

After Sohal retired from the international scene, he took up coaching and was the Kenyan national coach from 1978-88, coaching the team at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He also took up umpiring and was awarded an FIH International Umpires badge in 1980. Sohal was a judge at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was appointed to the FIH Development and Coaching Committee in 1988. With his love for the game undimmed, Sohal was a keen spectator at the Rio Olympic Games, cheering on India in the absence of his home country.

“I cheer for the Indian side when they play against any other side except Kenya," he says with a smile.

Despite less involvement in the sport on a day to day basis, Sohal still plays a key role in the Internaitonal Hockey Federation's (FIH) 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy. Role models from past and present have a crucial role to play in helping hockey become a global game that inspires the next generation - the main aim of FIHs strategy.

For more information about hockey in Kenya, visit the Kenya Hockey Union Facebook page.

For more information about hockey in India, visit Hockey India's website.

Photos courtesy of Sikhs in Hockey.

#LoveHockey

FIH site



Former women's hockey team goalkeeper says was assaulted by head coach

Abu Bakar Bilal

Former goalkeeper for the Pakistan women's hockey team Syeda Sadia has accused the team's head coach, Saeed Khan, of harassment and assault, DawnNews reported on Thursday.

Sadia, who is also captain of the Railways hockey team, has alleged that Khan harassed and assaulted her on the night of October 8 after an argument.

According to Sadia, she had stayed back in Lahore after not making it to the national side in trials held on October 6 because her manager had asked her stay till her dues were cleared.

On the day of the incident, October 8, she said at night she was told to immediately leave the hockey stadium by Khan, who also abused her verbally. She alleged that Khan then followed her to her room and grabbed her arm.

According to Sadia, other players who witnessed the assault and rushed to help her were told to turn back by the coach.

He then tried to enter her room forcefully, gagged her and held her hand, she has alleged. She said the coach was forced to release her after she tried to scream and run.

After the incident, she was so distraught that she immediately packed her bags and left for home, she added.

She also alleged that, a few days prior to the assault, Khan had given her his phone number and asked her to call him "at night".

She wrote to Punjab Sports Minister Jahangir Khanzada on October 9 to report the matter and ask that Khan be immediately separated from the women he coaches.

In response to her letter, Khanzada had asked Director General Sports Amir Jan to investigate and submit a report within 10 days. However, no action has been taken so far.

Sadia had also written to the Pakistan Hockey Federation demanding justice. In a video message sent to media representatives, which emerged on Thursday, she urged that authorities look into the matter and to fire Khan immediately.

"He [Khan] has [harassed] me today. If he stays, he will harass other players as well," she said.

Khan rejected Sadia's allegations as "baseless", claiming that she was trying to "create a scandal" because she was dropped from the team.

Sadia had been part of the national team for five years.

Dawn



Ulster and Irish hockey pay tribute to Dukie


Philip Duke

Like all funerals, that of Philip Duke which took place at St Bartholomew’s Parish Church in Belfast on Monday was tinged with sadness, writes John Flack.

However, within moments of the start of the service, the packed congregation was moved to laughter – and you had the feeling Philip was reacting with his trademark impish grin as he looked down upon us.

The Rev. Kevin Graham remarked that only ‘Dukie’ as he was universally known, could have brought Belfast to a standstill for the occasion, referring to the state of lockdown in the city as ex-hurricane Ophelia made her way to Northern Ireland.

That set the tone for an emotional afternoon for Philip’s friends and family along with the hockey fraternity, from all over Ireland, who were in attendance, including scores from his beloved Belfast Harlequins club.

Iain Kelly, who still plays in goal for Quins first eleven, on behalf of the club, then paid a moving tribute to his dear friend, who died suddenly at the age of just 56.

Here are just some of the extracts from Iain’s address, which struck the perfect tone for what was also a celebration of the life of someone, who was the life and soul of Belfast Harlequins.

“We are now a club in mourning. Grown men and women have been shedding tears as we try to come to terms with the loss of our great friend Philip. Like everyone here today, we cannot comprehend as to why Philip has been taken from us so early…

“We have all lost a true character and friend. But at Harlequins we have lost somebody who was a player for many years, our past President, team captain, umpire and a guy who held the post of match secretary for 25 years – half the time of our entire existence. Philip was the guy who glued the club together – he was our “go-to” man.

“If you needed the time of a match changed, or needed people to umpire or a couple of extra players he sorted it. He had a little black book that would make Donald Trump feel jealous!”

Iain revealed that Dukie, who was a renowned goal-scorer, wasn’t quite so keen on midweek physical training sessions and he became adept at avoiding them when at all possible.

“Philip was mildly asthmatic – a condition that somehow always worsened on Tuesday evenings. If he thought there was likely to be a lot of running involved, the inhaler appeared out of no-where and he disappeared off to recover.”

“Those inhalers he used must have been very effective because by the time the physical training was over and the session had moved on to stick and ball, he had made a full recovery!

“In later years Philip took up umpiring and was well respected by all the teams he umpired as he had amazing empathy with players and spectators alike. In fact, he is the only umpire I have ever seen making a player laugh as he sent him off.

“At Quins we would say he was probably the greatest character ever in Ulster Hockey and we will stand by that claim forever. You only need to read the messages that we have received from throughout the world to show the respect he was given by scores of other clubs. Philip was respected by players from the ages of 15 to 65 and he always had time for them.

“He never had a bad word to say about anybody and nobody had a bad word to say about him. He was a true gentleman, in every sense of the word.

“This is Dukie – of the beaming smile, the gentle laugh and the superb sense of humour. Dukie – the larger than life character, the guy who would give you a big hug if you were down.

“Dukie – our friend, confidante and “go-to” man. We can’t believe he has gone. Dukie, you and that big smile may have left us but you will never be forgotten.”

Belfast Harlequins Club President Roisin Walsh, from the ladies hockey section, then recited a lovely poem specifically dedicated to the memory of Philip.

Towards the end of the service, Rev. Graham, who had spoken with eloquence and good humour in remembering Dukie, then urged the congregation to show their appreciation for his life and everyone rose to their feet amidst sustained applause in a spontaneous gesture of affection and respect for our much-loved friend.

Well known local singer and former Annadale hockey player, Peter Corry, delivered a marvellous rendition of ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ as the service came to an emotional end.

Everyone connected with Ulster and Irish hockey would like to express its sympathy to Philip’s father, Robert, his brother Peter and wife Juanita, his sister Jane, husband Nevin and their children Andrew and Rachel.

The Hook

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