News for 13 November 2017
All the news for Monday 13 November 2017
Claxton: Hockeyroos Chasing Redemption In Adelaide
Ben Somerford
Hockeyroos’ South Australian midfielder Jane Claxton says redemption is up for grabs when Australia play Japan in this week’s three-Test series in Adelaide starting Wednesday 7pm local time.
The Hockeyroos missed out on the International Festival of Hockey Final after losing 3-2 to the Japanese on Saturday, settling for third place with a 5-0 win over USA.
Australia will now play Japan in a three-Test series at Adelaide’s State Hockey Centre in Gepps Cross, with games on Wednesday (7pm local time), Thursday (7pm local time) and Saturday (2pm local time).
Claxton, who is a product of Adelaide’s Burnside Bulldogs Hockey Club, said there was plenty to play for.
“I think Japan is a hard team to play,” Claxton said.
“They work so well together, they play a team game.
“It’s definitely something I think we need to work on playing against.
“It’s my hometown so I hope everyone comes out and watches us.”
Australia have made a number of changes for the Adelaide series where they’ll trial several players ahead of squad selection for 2018 which includes the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
In light of Sunday’s 5-0 win over USA, Claxton said the young Hockeyroos were still trying to prove themselves.
“We wanted to prove ourselves and to the rest of the world that we can mix it with a top 10 in the world,” she said.
“We don’t have World League coming up, but we do have the Japan series, so we wanted a good result leading into that to give us some confidence and get some goals on the board.”
Hockey Australia media release
Kookaburras Ready For World League Final
Ben Somerford
Kookaburras forward Jake Whetton says the side cannot wait for the upcoming World League Final in India where they’ll test themselves against the world’s best.
Australia have won the Oceania Cup and International Festival of Hockey (IFOH) titles over the past month and head to India at the end of next week for the World League Final in Bhubaneswar.
The Kookaburras have been grouped with England, Germany and India in the eight-team tournament.
“We're off to India in about two weeks' time, so we're really looking forward to getting over there,” Whetton said after Australia’s 2-1 win over New Zealand in the IFOH Final on Sunday.
"We'll see where we're at as a group, we're looking to get over there and put in a good performance.
“Hopefully we’ll do well over there.”
Australia won the last World League Final two years ago in India and were runners-up to the Netherlands in 2013.
Reflecting on the IFOH, Whetton added: “It was fantastic for us to play in front of our home crowd. It’s something get to do too often. It was fantastic.”
Hockey Australia media release
HA Congratulates Chris Ciriello On International Career
Ben Somerford
Hockey Australia today congratulates Chris Ciriello after he announced his retirement from international hockey after a decorated career with the Kookaburras.
Ciriello has retired after making 194 appearances and scoring 115 goals for Australia, having debuted against Germany in January 2008.
The 32-year-old Victorian played in two Olympics Games, both in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He was part of the side which won bronze in London.
He was also played in two Commonwealth Games, winning gold in both Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow in 2014, scoring in both finals including a hat-trick at the latter event.
Ciriello also was part of the Kookaburras side which won the 2014 World Cup, again scoring a hat-trick in the final.
He also helped Australia win four Champions Trophy gold medals along with a bronze.
In 2014, Ciriello, affectionately known as ‘The Big Dog’, achieved the remarkable feat of scoring hat-tricks in three consecutive tournament finals at the Azlan Shah Cup, the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
Hockey Australia President Melanie Woosnam said: “We congratulate Chris on a distinguished career with the Kookaburras.
“His contribution across nine years has been outstanding, winning a number of team honours along with individual accolades.
“Chris’ ability to deliver in the big games is something which separates him from others and means he leaves international hockey with a lasting legacy.”
Ciriello said he’d miss the team environment and achievements more than anything.
“I’ll miss the camaraderie when you create history with such a great group of guys, being number one in the world and winning big tournaments,” Ciriello said.
“A lot of people would have loved to have played one game for their country so to play almost 200 is a great honour.
“To score and be counted on when it mattered in big tournaments is something I hold dearly and it’s been a privilege to represent the team and the country.”
Ciriello said he would look to continue to represent Victoria in the Australian Hockey League having led his state to back-to-back titles as captain in 2016 and 2017.
Hockey Australia media release
Jonker snatches late draw for Kampong in classic Oranje-Rood battle
©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
Constantijn Jonker grabbed a 68th minute equaliser for SV Kampong to draw their topper with Oranje-Rood 3-3 in Eindhoven following a mad-cap match.
Indeed, there five goals in the first 22 minutes with Jonker starting the scoring in the first minute before Niek van der Schoot and Mink van der Weerden made it 2-1. Martijn Havenga equalised from a corner but Thomas Briels made it 3-2 with 48 minutes still to go.
From there, the scoring slowed down before Jonker scored the vital late goal that keeps Kampong in a share of first place in the division.
"It was a really great match. A spectacle for the public,” Oranje-Rood’s Bob de Voogd told hockey.nl after the game. “This draw does feel like two points lost. We defended hard but it was just not enough for a victory. "
For Jonker, he said: "I think 3-3 is a good result. We created a lot of opportunities but our conversion could have been better. I would like to compliment Pirmin Blaak, the keeper of Orange-Rood. He has made a beautiful saves."
Bloemendaal moved level with Kampong thanks to a 1-0 win over Den Bosch, Yannick van der Drift scoring the only goal in the 50th minute.
AH&BC Amsterdam remain in touch, two points off the leaders, thanks to their 2-0 win at Tilburg with Mirco Pruyser scoring in the eighth and 12th minute.
HC Rotterdam succumbed to a 3-2 loss to Pinoke. The Amstelveen club went 3-0 ahead inside 38 minutes and while Sebas Molkenboer and Simon Egerton pulled back a pair of goals, Pinoke held on for the win which leaves Rotterdam in fifth place.
Euro Hockey League media release
Lambeau rescues victory for Racing against surprise package La Gantoise
©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
Martin Lambeau scored a crucial winning goal for Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles to secure a 3-2 win over La Gantoise, the surprise package of the Belgian season so far.
Things looked to be going along nicely for Racing when Achille De Chaffoy broke the deadlock and Cédric Charlier doubled his lead in the second half.
Jeremy Gucassoff brilliantly saved a Juan Saladino stroke but Juan Agulleiro did reduce the gap in the 52nd minute before Etienne Thyvenez levelled two minutes later. But Lambeau netted a corner to deprive La Gantoise a point as they slip to fifth place with Racing staying in second.
Waterloo Ducks remain top as they built a 3-0 lead against Leuven in the first 13 minutes thanks to Victor Charlet, Renaud Pangrazio and Nicolas Dumont. Leuven got two goals back with 20 minutes still to go but the Ducks remain top for the winter break.
Dragons moved into the top three courtesy of their 4-0 win over Daring with Henri Raes, Alexander Hendricks, Florent van Aubel and Jeffrey Thys all on the score sheet.
Herakles got their fourth win of the season, a fine 3-1 success at Orée with a Nicolas de Kerpel hat trick. Leopold and Beerschot drew 3-3 and Braxgata beat Pingouin 3-1.
Euro Hockey League media release
Holcombe up to third in English Premier Division
©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
Holcombe moved third in the English Hockey League Premier Division after a 3-0 victory at home to Brooklands MU. Robert Field and Daniel Edwards put the hosts two up at half time before Barry Middleton completed the scoring on 44 minutes.
Beeston remain just two points behind leaders Surbiton after a 5-2 home victory over East Grinstead on Saturday. The Bees were second and East Grinstead third going into this round of games and it was the hosts who struck first through Marius Gemmel’s 29th minute penalty corner.
Gareth Andrew doubled Beeston’s lead with a wonderful reverse stick volley just before the break and it was three when Sam Ward found the top corner from a penalty stroke seven minutes after the restart.
Gareth Griffiths scored 12 minutes later to put the game beyond doubt before Liam Ansell pulled one back for the visitors.
Gemmel grabbed his second less than a minute later before Simon Faulkner’s consolation for East Grinstead rounded of the scoring.
Surbiton stay top but were made to work hard for the three points after a 5-3 home win over Reading. Ed Carson opened the scoring for the visitors after ten minutes but the leaders took control from there, Alan Forsyth netting twice to become the division’s leading marksman with 12 goals, while David Goodfield and Luke Taylor were on target to make it 4-1.
Reading fought back, James Carson and Ben Boon cutting the lead before Arjan Drayton Chana settled any nerves scoring a fifth for Surbiton in the last minute.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon made it three consecutive wins after a 2-1 home victory over bottom side Canterbury. Ed Horler and Simon Mantell scored for the hosts with Michal Nowakowski last minute penalty corner proving to be just a consolation for Canterbury.
Euro Hockey League media release
Three Rock fight back to beat Banbridge
©: Adrian Boehm
Three Rock Rovers recorded a rare win at Havelock Park as their 4-1 win over Banbridge continued the Co Down side’s tough run, a third loss in succession in Ireland’s EY Hockey League.
It was a battle between the two sides that qualified for the EHL, winning the three main trophies last season in Ireland but both have had slow starts to their campaigns.
Also, both clubs were shy some key men with Eugene Magee, Owen Magee and Jonny McKee all out for Bann while Jody Hosking, Richard Pautz, David Kane and James Walker – out until January – were out for Rovers. On the flip side, Irish Under-21 John Mullins made his Rovers’ debut .
Three Rock started well, moving the ball at pace and winning three corners which Gareth Lennox dealt with before Bann got a foothold.
During that time, the hosts won a corner and a double switch fell to Neil Gilmore to thump home via deflection for 1-0. Against the run of play, Rovers got back on terms from a melee with Kevin Mullins the scorer. Lennox made a blockbuster save to deny Luke Madeley from pc4 before Rovers went in front via Mitch Darling – though Bann argued it hit a foot in the build-up.
The hosts bossed the early stages of the second half with the key moment coming when Jamie Wright won a corner which was upgraded to a stroke when it hit a body on the line. Jamie Carr, though, saved from Philip Brown in one of his first acts of the season having coming on at half-time for his first appearance since the Euro Under-21s.
Rovers took full advantage of the reprieve with Ross Canning slotting home from the top of the circle in the 54th minute for 3-1. Ben Walker then deflected in a corner for the fourth.
Glenanne lead the table thanks to a 2-0 win over Railway Union with Stephen Brownlow and Shane O’Donoghue scoring corner goals in the third quarter.
Lisnagarvey saw their perfect record come to an end due to a 2-2 draw with lowly ranked Cookstown, Scott McCabe the scorer of the equalising goal. Irish internationals Jonny Bell and Neal Glassey had put Garvey in front twice.
Euro Hockey League media release
University of Birmingham go joint top
Univ of Birmingham's Kath Somerville defends against Leicester's Maeve Macdonald. Credit Andrew Smith
The University of Birmingham moved level with Surbiton at the top of the Investec Women’s Premier Division after they defeated Leicester 4-1 at home whilst Surbiton lost to Buckingham.
Playing on Saturday, Birmingham opened the scoring through Harriet Mitchell’s 28th minute penalty stroke, just three minutes after the hosts’ goalkeeper Kath Somerville had denied a Leicester penalty stroke to keep the scores level.
The hosts took control after the break, Lydia Macdonnell, Rosie Henderson and Holly Munro all finding the net, before Liz George pulled one back for Leicester with 15 minutes to play.
The margin of victory proved crucial for Birmingham as they now share an identical record with defending champions Surbiton who lost 2-1 at home to Buckingham.
Sarah Page put Surbiton ahead five minutes into the second half of Sunday’s match, but the visitors fought back to claim the points in dramatic fashion.
Kitty Higgins tied the game with six minutes to go before Lauren Thomas converted a penalty corner for her third of the season to snatch victory for Buckingham, who themselves now sit just a point behind the leading pair.
On Sunday, Holcombe and East Grinstead both picked up important victories which saw them cut their gap to the top of the table to just three points.
Holcombe won 3-0 at home against Slough, Sarah Jones scoring after just two minutes before Emma Trunks and Dirkie Chamberlain secured the points in the second half.
Much of the action came late on as East Grinstead edged out Clifton Robinsons 4-3, Zoe Burrell netting a hat-trick.
Burrell grabbed her first on 14 minutes but the sides went in level thanks to Lisa Daley’s equaliser for Clifton.
The game sparked to life with a quarter of an hour to play, Burrell’s second restoring East Grinstead’s lead only for Abigail Porter to tie the game five minutes later.
Pippa Chapman restored the visitors lead for a third time just 60 second later before Burrell completed her hat trick, and despite Joanna Leigh pulling one back with three minutes to play East Grinstead held on.
Meanwhile, Canterbury claimed their first victory of the season after a 1-0 win over Bowdon.
Hannah Griggs scored the game’s only goal three minutes before the break as Canterbury closed the gap to their opponents at the at the foot of the table to just two points.
Investec Conference East
A hat-trick from Kate Reynolds helped Sevenoaks secure an emphatic 8-0 victory over Chelmsford in the Investec Women’s Conference East on Sunday.
Other goals came from Maddie Thompson, Jen Wilson, Alice O’Connell, Florencia Zappulla and Jess Denniff, giving them a victory which means they stay level with leaders Hampstead and Westminster, who won 3-1 at Wimbledon.
Lauren Turner, Annabeth Wijtenburg and Joyce Esser scored their goals, while Crista Cullen was Wimbledon’s only scorer.
Elsewhere Barnes and Cambridge drew 1-1 while Bedford and Harleston also drew by the same margin and on Saturday, Southgate and St Albans could not be separated in a 0-0 draw.
Investec Conference North
Beeston’s 100% record in the Investec Conference North was stretched to eight games after they comfortably defeated Sutton Coldfield 7-1 on Sunday.
Lauren Burrell starred for the leaders hitting a hat trick, with Esme Burge, Rosy Stephens, Nina Apoola and Sophie Robinson all on target.
Anna Baker and Claire Dobison both converted penalty corners as the University of Durham ran out 2-1 winners at Wakefield, whilst second half goals from Jo Ellis and Jenny Wilson helped Ben Rhydding to a 2-0 victory at Timperley.
On Saturday, Brooklands Poynton recorded a fourth successive win, this one a 3-0 triumph over Fylde to briefly go level on points with Beeston.
Meanwhile, Sophie Byrne opened her account for the season with a brace as Loughborough Students won 4-0 at Liverpool Sefton.
Investec Conference West
Reading are now top of the table and the only unbeaten team in the Investec Conference West after they secured a 4-1 victory over Oxford Hawks on Sunday.
Trojans’ 2-3 loss to Olton and West Warwicks on Saturday saw them lose the lead 24 hours later, as a hat-trick from Sophie Shakespeare and one from Emma Royce gave Reading the win over Oxford Hawks.
Elsewhere, Stourport remain third after a 3-1 win at Isca with Hannah Corcoran, Sarah Parkinson-Mills and Lora Symonds scoring their goals.
Gloucester City’s Danielle Gibson scored a hat-trick and Jessica Thomas added another as they won 4-0 at home against Team Bath Buccaneers, while Swansea City beat Cannock 1-0 thanks to Carys Gordon’s 42nd minute goal.
* Full results, tables and fixtures from the Investec Women’s Hockey League is available here - http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/page_noside.asp?section=2342§ionTitle=Fixtures%2C+Results+%26+Standings
England Hockey Board Media release
Irish Mens EYHL Weekend Round Up
Glenanne strengthened their place at the top of the men’s EY Hockey League with a hard fought 2-0 win over bottom side Railway Union, moving three points clear of Lisnagarvey who were pegged back by Cookstown.
For the Glens, both their goals came in the third quarter from penalty corners from a well-matched tie which showed the fine margins between top and bottom. Stephen Brownlow’s deflected push at goal put the Glens in front two minutes into the second half before Shane O’Donoghue made the game safe with 17 minutes to go. They were indebted to goalkeeper Iain Walker, though, who made a series of fine saves.
Second place Lisnagarvey, meanwhile, led twice against Cookstown but second half goals from Stu Smyth and Scott McCabe cancelled out efforts from Jonny Bell and Neal Glassey to make it 2-2.
It was the first points Garvey had dropped this term while it continued an excellent week for Cookstown, making it four points from six to go with an Irish Senior Cup win over Instonians.
Monkstown came from 2-0 down to beat Cork C of I 3-2 with Guy Sarratt striking twice in the third quarter before Andrew Ward won the game at the Merrion Fleet Arena. John Jermyn and Phil Brownlow had put Cork in a strong position.
Three Rock Rovers remain in third place as they came from a goal down to beat Banbridge. Neil Gilmore put Bann one up but Kevin Mullins and Mitch Darling swapped the lead by half-time.
Rovers’ Jamie Carr saved a stroke at a key time from Phil Brown to keep Rovers in front before Ross Canning and Ben Walker made it 4-1 to the Dubliners.
Alan Sothern’s pair of goals under-pinned Pembroke’s 3-0 win over Annadale to strengthen their position in the top half of the table.
Men’s EY Hockey League results
Saturday: Annadale 0 Pembroke 3 (A Sothern 2, Shimmins); Banbridge 1 (N Gilmore) Three Rock Rovers 4 (K Mullins, M Darling, R Canning, B Walker); Lisnagarvey 2 (N Glassey, J Bell) Cookstown 2 (S McCabe, S Smyth); Monkstown 3 (G Sarratt 2, A Ward) Cork C of I 2 (P Brownlow, J Jermyn); Railway Union 0 Glenanne 2 (S Brownlow, S O’Donoghue)
Sunday: Cork Church of Ireland 2 (J Jermyn, A Moffett) Railway Union 0
Week six – extended match reports
Saturday:
Railway Union 0 Glenanne 2 (S Brownlow, S O’Donoghue)
Glenanne strengthened their position at the top of the men’s Hockey League as they fought off Railway Union at Park Avenue in a tie of plenty of chances but saw both Stephen O’Keeffe and Iain Walker make multiple saves.
The Glens had two in the first two minutes, O’Keeffe denying Shane O’Donoghue and Gary Shaw hitting the post. Railway then had Simon McKeever in one-on-one while a top advantage from umpire Graham Hohn led to Eoin MacArthur thrashing a shot just wide.
The second quarter was more structured, sitting in the handball phase for spells. Walker denied Will Fernandez on the slide with his face mask. Mark English was a classy performer throughout for Railway in a withdrawn role but he did get forward to smack an effort into the side of the goal before Glenanne closed out the first half with a trio of corners that O’Keeffe kept out.
The Glens continued their run of corners with Stephen Brownlow taking on the shooting duties two minutes into the second half, a heavily deflected push that clipped a leg which wrong-footed the Railway keeper.
Brownlow hit the post from another corner while Kenny Carroll took an O’Donoghue drag off the line. O’Donoghue did get his goal with a rocket to the top of the net in the 53rd minute. Railway, meanwhile, had several corners but none looked overly dangerous and Glenanne had their fifth win from six outings to date.
Lisnagarvey 2 (N Glassey, J Bell) Cookstown 2 (S McCabe, S Smyth)
Cookstown ended Lisnagarvey’s perfect start to the men’s EY Hockey League season as Scott McCabe’s deflection deceived James Milliken to earn a share of the spoils.
"It is great to get a result like this, particularly against a team like Lisnagarvey who are riding the crest of a wave at the moment," said Cookstown captain Jon Ames. "Hopefully we can use this in a positive manner; to keep improving and driving us on at training and in the matches to come.
"We got a bit of luck for the first goal, but I think the most positive thing is that we were able to stamp our style on a great deal of the match and kept playing despite going behind."
Both sides probed in quarter one and it took a bit of individual skill to break the deadlock. Ireland international Johnny Bell was allowed the space to advance into the circle and showed great poise down the bye line as he employed a deft reverse to slide the ball under the advancing Josh McCabe in the Cookstown goal.
The reds responded positively with some fine two-touch hockey before Garvey won a series of short corners. Ames was out quick to block twice and the excellent Josh McCabe also saved superbly from a James Lorimer flick to keep it at 1-0 at the short whistle.
Cookstown got back on terms in the second half when Stu Smyth picked up the ball inside the circle and rolled his defender. Spotting Greg Allen at the back post, he passed the ball in his direction, drawing out the Garvey keeper. Fortune favoured the attacking side as both men missed the ball and it trickled over the line for 1-1.Garvey stormed back into it, playing the ball with great pace and accuracy and forcing the Reds to chase. They were rewarded with the lead: Neal Glassey danced through the defence before slotting a reverse into the bottom corner.
It came during their best spell of hockey but they could not add further goals as Cookstown hung in the tie and got their leveller when Godfrey Irwin picked out Scott McCabe's run with a beautiful 40 yard pass. McCabe's first time deflection flew into the goal.
His twin brother, Josh, was called into action throughout the last ten minutes as the home side threw everything forward and he made a number of top-class saves, securing the draw.
Banbridge 1 (N Gilmore) Three Rock Rovers 4 (J Mullins, M Darling, R Canning, B Walker)
Three Rock Rovers recorded a rare win at Havelock Park as their 4-1 win over Banbridge continued the Co Down side’s tough run, a third loss in succession the men’s EYHL.
Both sides were shy some key men with Eugene Magee, Owen Magee and Jonny McKee all out for Bann while Jody Hosking, Richard Pautz, David Kane and James Walker – out until January – were out for Rovers. On the flip side, Irish Under-21 John Mullins made his Rovers’ debut .
Three Rock started well, moving the ball at pace and winning three corners which Gareth Lennox dealt with before Bann got a foothold.
During that time, the hosts won a corner and a double switch fell to Neil Gilmore to thump home via deflection for 1-0. Against the run of play, Rovers got back on terms from a melee with Kevin Mullins the scorer. Lennox made a blockbuster save to deny Luke Madeley from pc4 before Rovers went in front via Mitch Darling – though Bann argued it hit a foot in the build-up.
The hosts bossed the early stages of the second half with the key moment coming when Jamie Wright won a corner which was upgraded to a stroke when it hit a body on the line. Jamie Carr, though, saved from Philip Brown in one of his first acts of the season having coming on at half-time for his first appearance since the Euro Under-21s.
Rovers took full advantage of the reprieve with Ross Canning slotting home from the top of the circle in the 54th minute for 3-1. Ben Walker then deflected in a corner for the fourth.
Monkstown 3 (G Sarratt 2, A Ward) Cork C of I 2 (P Brownlow, J Jermyn)
Three third quarter goals saw Monkstown produce a stunning comeback win over Cork C of I, coming from 2-0 down to prevail 3-2 at the Merrion Fleet Arena. Julian Dale’s trickery paved the way for the opening goal as he ran the Town defence and, amid a mix-up, the ball fell to Phil Brownlow to finish off from close range.
John Jermyn doubled the lead when he dragged home a corner in the 30th minute, making it 2-0 to the visitors at half-time. Guy Sarratt started the comeback early in the second half with a corner drag of his own and he levelled the game from the penalty spot – awarded after a body was hit on the line at corner time.
And the winner came with their third goal in a 13 minute spell, Karl Lynch finding Ross Quirke who then picked out Andrew Ward for the winner. Dave Fitzgerald kept out a CI corner late on to preserve Town’s three points.
Annadale 0 Pembroke 3 (A Sothern 2, Shimmins)
Alan Sothern made it five goals in a week as his double kept Pembroke rolling in fourth place in the men’s EY Hockey League with Annadale staying in ninth following their 3-0 defeat at Strathearn.
He started the scoring in the seventh minute with a volley and despite a couple of suspensions for Patrick Shanahan – green and yellow – they moved further ahead with 20 minutes to go via Kirk Shimmins. Sothern completed the victory with 15 minutes left.
Sunday:
Cork C of I 2 (J Jermyn, A Moffett) Railway Union 0
Cork C of I bounced back from their Saturday defeat to rise back up to sixth place in the men’s EY Hockey League, leaving Railway Union somewhat adrift at the end of the weekend’s action.
John Jermyn scored his second goal of the weekend from a fifth minute penalty corner for a lead they held until half-time. After a bout of pinball in the Railway circle, Alec Moffett pounced for the second goal in the third quarter for the insurance goal and they looked the more likely to grab a further goal. It proved their first win over Railway at Garryduff since the introduction of the EY league.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Irish Womens EYHL Weekend Round Up
Five sides remain covered by just three points at the top of the women’s EY Hockey League following a jam-packed double weekend of action with UCD returning to the top.
For UCD, they won Saturday’s crucial tie against Pegasus 2-0 with Bethany Barr and Abbie Russell scoring the goals – one in each half – to inflict the Ulster side’s first defeat of the campaign.
On Sunday, the Belfield club returned to the top of the table with an excellent second half performance securing a 3-1 win over Loreto with Irish internationals Lena Tice, Katie Mullan and Deirdre Duke all on the mark.
Cork Harlequins are a point back in second place following their four points out of six haul on the road. They started with a comfortable 4-0 win over Monkstown on Saturday before snatching a 3-3 draw at Belfast Harlequins courtesy of Roisin Upton’s late corner goal.
They were playing catch-up throughout the tie after two early Belfast goals from Jenny McAuley and Lizzie Colvin before Zoe Wilson made it 3-2 going into the closing stages. Stephen Dale’s side kept fighting with Upton netting her second of the day.
Pegasus are in third place as they bounced back from their Saturday defeat to nick a 3-2 win over Pembroke, Alex Speers scoring the winner. Katie McKee and Jilly Ringwood shared first half goals before Orla Macken put Pembroke in front. Hannah Grieve kick-started the Pegs comeback to set the base for Speers’ winner.
Ards are in share of third after their perfect weekend, recording two wins and two clean sheets. The first was a 2-0 win over Trinity with Chloe and Francesca Brown on the mark. On Sunday, Faye Kidd’s fourth minute goal set up a 1-0 win over Monkstown who remain in search of their first point.
Railway moved up a place as they scored four points and kept their unbeaten run rolling. They started with a 3-2 win in a thriller against Belfast Harlequins, Kate Lloyd’s double the key intervention. They trailed twice against Trinity but recovered to draw 2-2.
Hannah Matthews’ pair of goal earned a dogged 2-1 win for Loreto over Pembroke on Saturday, scoring a corner and a stroke for their second win of the campaign.
Women’s EY Hockey League
Saturday: Ards 2 (C Brown, F Brown) Trinity 0; Loreto 2 (H Matthews 2) Pembroke 1 (J Ringwood); Monkstown 0 Cork Harlequins 4 (R Barry, E O’Leary, J O’Halloran, S Murphy); Railway Union 3 (K Lloyd 2, N Heisterkamp) Belfast Harlequins 2 (J Watt, Z Wilson); UCD 2 (B Barr, A Russell) Pegasus 0
Sunday: Belfast Harlequins 3 (J McAuley, L Colvin, Z Wilson) Cork Harlequins 3 (R Upton 2, C Perdue); Monkstown 0 Ards 1 (F Kidd); Pembroke 2 (J Ringwood, O Macken) Pegasus 3 (K McKee, H Grieve, A Speers); Railway Union 2 (O Fox, S Canning) Trinity 2 (N Sweeney, S Campbell); UCD 3 (L Tice, K Mullan, D Duke) Loreto 1 (S Torrans)
Day five and six extended reports
Saturday
Railway Union 3 (K Lloyd 2, N Heisterkamp) Belfast Harlequins 2 (J Watt, Z Wilson)
Railway Union won a cracker at Park Avenue to continue their unbeaten start to the season, holding at bay a Belfast Harlequins outfit that pushed them all the way.
The Sandymount hosts started brilliantly, hunting in packs in the press, and broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Kate Lloyd smashed in on her forehand following a left-wing attack broke to here. Jade Lamont denied Lloyd a second moments later from Nina Heisterkamp’s turnover. Heisterkamp made it two when she finished off a glorious pitch-length move just before the end of the first quarter.
Quins, though, have a fearsome midfield line-up in Zoe Wilson, Gemma Frazer, Jenny McAuley and Lizzie Colvin and they generated lots of second quarter chances. Grace O’Flanagan saved brilliantly down low to tip away Lucy Geddes’s shot to retain the 2-0 lead.
Jenna Watt put the tie back into focus with 20 minutes to go when her touch to Wilson’s switch move spun through the clutches of the Railway corner defence. Crucially, Railway replied instantly with the Orla Fox – who impressed in defence – slapping a ball into Lloyd’s path to ramp the ball into the roof of the net. It was her fifth goal in a week.
Wilson banged in a powerful corner shot to reduce the gap to 3-2 with 14 minutes to go. And the Irish international lined up another power-hit at goal five minutes from the end but, this time, O’Flanagan got down at full-stretch to deflect the ball around the post for a hard-fought three points.
UCD 2 (B Barr, A Russell) Pegasus 0
Goals from Bethany Barr and Abbie Russell fired UCD to a significant 2-0 win over previous table-toppers Pegasus at Belfield in a high quality tie at a damp Belfield.
After a strong start from the Belfielders, drawing the best from Sammy-Jo Greer, Pegasus came more into the tie toward the end of the first quarter. Katie Mullan came close to breaking the deadlock and the first goal arrived two minutes before half-time, a cracking move from Leah Ewart to Deirdre Duke to Barr who scored on her backhand.
Pegasus went down to nine briefly in the second half with Shirley McCay and Alex Speers taking green cards. Back at full strength, they made most of the moves in the third quarter with Taite Doherty having the key chance which was eventually snuffed out by a combination of Lena Tice and Clodagh Cassin.
The game was put to bed in the 63rd minute, though, when Mullan effected a great turnover and set up Russell to score the second. Ellen Curran almost created a third at the death for Russell but it was not required as they secured their third win of the season.
Ards 2 (C Brown, F Brown) Trinity 0
Ards moved back into the top half of the table with a goal in each half to defeat Trinity at Londonderry Park. They had most of the play in the first quarter but found the Dublin students in strong defensive form, keeping it scoreless until the half hour mark when Chloe Brown scored from a corner.
The third quarter was an even affair before the game was settled in the 55th minute when Tamara MacLeod pounced on a loose ball to feed Francesca Brown who scored on her reverse-stick for 2-0.
Monkstown 0 Cork Harlequins 4 (R Barry, E O’Leary, J O’Halloran, S Murphy)
Cork Harlequins moved clear at the top of the women’s EY Hockey League table courtesy of a goal in each quarter at the Merrion Fleet Arena.
Rebecca Barry opened the scoring in the seventh minute and they went two up through Emily O’Leary two minutes into the second quarter. Town had a couple of first half corners with Rosie Carrigan – standing in as captain with Sinead Loughran, along with Liz Murphy, not available – on the top but they were not able to convert while Lily Lloyd also went close.
Roisin Upton dragged in a corner but it was prematurely injected and so a reset set piece was the outcome which was eventually cleared. Julia O’Halloran did make it 3-0 following a classy passing move. Sarah Murphy added the final goal on the hooter, entering the circle on the right and shooting home a composed finish.
Loreto 2 (H Matthews 2) Pembroke 1 (J Ringwood)
Hannah Matthews’ set piece double saw the Beaufort club bounce back from their rough day out against Pegasus to record their second win of the campaign. She opened the scoring in the 29th minute from a corner while Sara Quill was in the sin-bin on a yellow card.
Matthews doubled the advantage from the stroke spot following a flowing move early in the second half. Jilly Ringwood pulled one back with 12 minutes to go to set up a nervy closing phase, especially when Jessica McGirr picked up a green card, but Loreto held on for the win.
Sunday:
Belfast Harlequins 3 (J McAuley, L Colvin, Z Wilson) Cork Harlequins 3 (R Upton 2, C Perdue)
Honours even in the battle of the Harlequins as Roisin Upton’s 68th minute goal saw Cork earn a 3-3 draw at Deramore Park, seeing the southerners end the weekend with four out of six and in second place while Belfast sit in seventh place.
The hosts got off to a brilliant start with Jenny McAuley making it 1-0 in the sixth minute and Lizzie Colvin added a second in the 16th minute, the latter a fine corner strike.
Cork fought back with Upton scoring her first of the day from a 20th minute corner and Caoimhe Perdue levelled the tie on half-time. A Zoe Wilson penalty stroke restored the Belfast lead soon after the break but Cork kept plugging away, winning a couple of corners, eventually leading to the equaliser at the end.
Monkstown 0 Ards 1 (F Kidd)
Faye Kidd’s fourth minute goal proved the sole difference between Ards and Monkstown to give the Ulster side a perfect six from six – with two clean sheets – over the weekend to move into fourth place.
The early goal came at the start of a very even match with Monkstown producing some fine phases of play but they were unable to break through the Ards defence. It means they remain in wait of their first points of the season while the Londonderry Park club continue their positive start to the campaign.
Pembroke 2 (J Ringwood, O Macken) Pegasus 3 (K McKee, H Grieve, A Speers)
Pegasus fought back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Pembroke and move into a share of third place as Alex Speers struck the winner at Serpentine Avene. After a scoreless first quarter, Katie McKee and Jilly Ringwood exchanged goals in the second quarter to go in at the big break at 1-1.
Orla Macken put Pembroke in front early in the second half only for Hannah Grieve to equalise within four minutes. Speers then scored a lovely goal to grab the lead and, in the end, a third win from six games to date.
Railway Union 2 (O Fox, S Canning) Trinity 2 (N Sweeney, S Campbell)
Railway fought back twice against Trinity to keep their unbeaten record going in the women’s EY Hockey League with their fourth draw out of six games.
Sally Campbell gave Trinity the lead for the first time with a spectacular shot into the top right corner in the 23rd minute. Orla Fox equalised from a corner three minutes later for 1-1, a rebound after a couple of Carolyn Crampton saves.
Niamh Sweeney restored the Trinity lead a minute into the second half when she fired home when located in the circle by Erica Markey. Once again, Railway came back and won a stroke in the 43rd minute which Sarah Canning converted, making it 2-2 with 27 minutes to go. Plenty of chances came and went for both teams but they had to settle for a share of the points.
UCD 3 (L Tice, K Mullan, D Duke) Loreto 1 (S Torrans)
UCD returned to the summit thanks to a superb second half performance, completing a six-point weekend to lead the way by a single point from Cork Harlequins with three points covering the top five.
Played in glorious sunshine, Loreto had the edge in terms of general play in the first half while UCD finished strongly but no breakthrough came. Two minutes into the second half, Lena Tice did the requisite from a corner. Katie Mullan – switching between midfield and the forward line – came alive during this spell, causing untold problems.
Sorcha Clarke won a corner which Mullan finished for 2-0 in the 53rd minute and the game was put to bed in fabulous fashion when Mullan placed a controlled pass into the path of Deirdre Duke who struck brilliantly. Sarah Torrans got one back in the final minute for Loreto but the result was gone at this stage.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Telkom five points clear in women’s league
By BRIAN YONGA
Telkom's Georgina Lumumba (third left) celebrates her goal with teammates during their Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match against Sliders on November 12, 2017 at City Park Stadium, Nairobi. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Champions Telkom on Sunday regained their five point lead at the top of the Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League after a 3-0 win over Sliders in a league match at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi.
Goals from Georgina Lumumba, Terry Juma and Lillian Aura fired the leaders to their 13th successive win this season.
The 19-time champions are now on 39 points, five ahead of second-placed United States International University of Africa (USIU-A),who beat Vikings 2-0 on Saturday, to move to 34 points.
Despite the three points, Telkom assistant coach Josephine Ataro admitted her charges were not at their usual best.
TOUGH MATCH
“Sliders have really improved and they gave us a good match. At the end of the day it is the three points that matter and we again kept another clean sheet,” Ataro told Nation Sport on Sunday.
Former champions Sliders matched the holders but were undone by costly errors which saw them concede all the goals through short corners.
It is the leaders who were quick to settle with Sliders happy to sit back. In the sixth minute, Glennis Namasake advanced to the Sliders circle and won her side a short corner after she was fouled by Dorris Kirui.
Audrey Omaido dragged the resulting short corner, which Juma controlled and slipped the ball to the unmarked Lumumba, to sound the board.
It was the player’s first goal of the season. Sliders keeper Kate Opicha kept her side in the match with a double save from Maureen Okumu and Jackline Mwangi.
Sliders' Maureen Nyagah (left) vies for the ball with Telkom's Glennis Namasake during their Kenya Hockey Union match on November 12, 2017 at the City Park Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |NATION MEDIA GROUP
Sliders improved in the second quarter and showed more attacking threat as they looked to draw parity. Sliders striker Christine Mmbone should have levelled in the 28th minute after a dribbling past two defenders only to be let down by some poor finishing.
TELKOM DOMINATED
Telkom dominated the third quarter but their opponents’ defence stood firm, clearing their lines brilliantly. League top scorer Audrey Omaido and Mwangi all wasted glorious chances.
Sliders’ resistance was finally broken in the final quarter, as they gave away another two short corners, which Telkom dully converted to see off the match.
In the men’s Premier League, visitors Western Jaguars beat Kenyatta University Vultures 2-1 at the same venue.
Ian Baron scored the winner for the Kakamega-based side five minutes to the end. Jaguars had gone ahead through Willis Malusi’s 14th minute strike. The students however hit back on 43 minutes, as Saul Maina sounded the boards. Jaguars had lost 3-0 to Greensharks on Saturday.
In other matches, champions Strathmore University Gladiators lost 3-2 to the 2012 winners Sikh Union Nairobi a day after their 2-0 win over Parklands.
Kenya College of Accountancy University piled more pressure on bottom placed Technical University of Kenya after a 2-0 win as Chase Sailors and USIU battled to a 0-0 stalemate.
Daily Nation
Hockey India names 33 probables for Jude Felix-coached junior men's national camp in Bengaluru
New Delhi: Hockey India (HI) on Sunday named 33 players for the junior men's national camp, commencing on the same day in Bengaluru.
The players will train till 23 December under the watchful eyes of coach Jude Felix.
Among the national campers Mandeep Mor, Pratap Lakra, Pankaj Rajak, Harmanjit Singh, Vishal Singh, Raushan Kumar, Dilpreet Singh, Maninder Singh, Sanjay, Senthamizh Shankar, Abhishek, Vishal Antil, Varinder Singh, Vivek Prasad, Suman Beck, Sukhjeet Singh, Rabichandra Moirangthem and Shilanand Lakra were part of the 18-member Indian junior men's hockey team, which won the bronze medal at the recent Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia.
The team had a promising tournament as they ended with a total of 35 goals.
"I think it was a promising performance by the team considering it was only the first time that they were all playing together for the Indian Junior squad. I see a lot of potential in this group of 33 players," said coach Felix.
"We have identified the mistakes we made in the Sultan of Johor Cup and will focus on improving those areas during this camp," he added.
The coach also emphasised on the need to fast track their development if they wish to get a call-up for the senior core group in the top international events like Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2017, and next year's Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
"The priority is to push their limits and many of them are fast learners. I am convinced with their talent and with good international match exposure they can be a winning team," Jude said.
Probables:
Goalkeepers: Pankaj Kumar Rajak, Tanuj Gulia, Prashant Kumar Chauhan, AS Sentamizh Arasu.
Defenders: Suman Beck, Harmanjit Singh, Mandeep Mor, Mohammad Faraz, Prince, Pratap Lakra.
Midfielders: Varinder Singh, Sunny Malik, Vishal Antil, Yashdeep Siwach, Vishal Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akshay Avasthi, Sukhjeet Singh, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Dinachandra Singh Moirangthem.
Forwards: Shilanand Lakra, Jai Prakash Patel, Dilpreet Singh, Mohammad Saif Khan, Raushan Kumar, Abhishek, Shivam Anand, Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, Mohammad Alishan, Sanjay, Maninder Singh, Rahul, Anand Kumar Bara.
Firstpost
I owe all my achievements to destiny: Balbir Singh Sr.
At 93, a still-sprightly Balbir Singh Sr., looks back fondly on his glory days
A. Vinod
Balbir Singh Sr.
The quiet determination with which he so gloriously served the country at three successive Olympics — 1948 London, ’52 Helsinki and ’56 Melbourne — is part of Indian sporting lore. On Saturday night, at the RP-SG Indian Sports Honours in Mumbai, the most striking thing about Balbir Singh Sr. was the sprightly manner with which he carried himself at 93.
His grandson, Kabir, remained a close shadow as the great man climbed the few steps on to the stage to receive his lifetime achievement award. But as he started his acceptance speech, the packed house fell into rapt attention.
Balbir who holds the unique record of scoring the most goals in an Olympic final — five against Holland in Helsinki — was quick to accept a request for an exclusive interview with The Hindu.
“It is too late now. We will meet tomorrow,” he said.
India’s best ever centre-forward, and the first sportsperson to be awarded the Padma Shri, was ready for the 11 a.m. appointment on Sunday, and before long was well into a journey down memory-lane.
“I will keep this short, but you should know that it was destiny which helped me to achieve all I did during my career,” said Balbir. “I was 12 when I started playing, initially as a goal-keeper. Then I moved up as a full-back, and when I was called to play for Friends Club for a tournament, I was played as a centre-forward for the first time.
“It was also by accident that I made the shift from Lahore to Amritsar. I had failed at the intermediate level, but the Khalsa College allowed me to join the degree course, and that helped me come up to the International arena within a short span of time.
“The other blessing in disguise was Punjab Police’s forceful insistence for me to join their ranks. My father was a freedom fighter and a teacher, and I initially turned down the offer, moving to New Delhi instead and joining the Central PWD.
“I starred for CPWD in a few matches, but Punjab Police, keen to have my services, forcefully took me back to Jalandhar, giving me two options — play for them or spend time in jail!”
As the topic changed, Balbir was firm in his opinion that it was not the advent of the astro-turf which brought about Indian hockey’s decline.
“To my mind, the synthetic surface is the best for a game like hockey, for the players to showcase their skills.
“After the World Cup triumph in Kuala Lumpur a year earlier, we had approached the ’76 Montreal Games (where hockey was played on a synthetic surface for the first time) quite under-prepared.
“Sadly, that poor outing cast a long shadow over the Indian game,” he said.
“But now that the junior team being able to win the junior World Cup after a long gap, I am sure things will improve in the long run.
“Though official records show October 10, 1924, as my birth date,
“I was actually born on December 31 that year. So, my wish and prayer is that India will get back to the top of the pedestal once again at the 2024 Games in Paris. I will be 100 then!” Balbir said, with a twinkle in his eyes.
The Hindu
Meet 'Mr Hockey', Malaysia's legendary hockey umpire
By ADRIAN DAVID
Datuk Vijayananthan Gulasingam in front of his home in Petaling Jaya. Pix by Adrian David
KUALA TERENGGANU: As a world-class hockey umpire, Datuk Vijayananthan Gulasingam had blown the whistle tens of thousands of times in matches over three decades.
It made him the world's No. 1 umpire during the 1972-1976 period, making him the top "whistle-blower" for hockey.
As he celebrated his 86th birthday on Tuesday, Viji, as he is popularly known, spoke on why one particular whistle has been close to his heart for 42 years.
It is a metal "Balilla" brand whistle that was a gift from his co-umpire, Alain Renaud of France, for the duo to umpire the final match between India and Pakistan during the Kuala Lumpur World Cup in 1975 at Stadium Merdeka.
"This whistle, which has a very peculiar and powerful 'pheet' sound, has special significance to me. I have not only used it when umpiring subsequent matches, but safely kept it at my home all these years.
"I treasure it very dearly, for the 1975 final has been much talked about till today.
"It was the whistle that I blew to give India the (so-called controversial) winning goal, which the Pakistani players had disputed for a very long time," said Viji.
India edged Pakistan 2-1 to win their first hockey World Cup.
Viji said he still kept in touch with the much younger Renaud, who still umpires major international tournaments, via e-mail.
"We exchange developments in the sport and other matters. And, I often remind him of this special whistle that he presented me four decades ago."
He reminisced about how the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia had presented him a "Golden Whistle" much like the replica of the "Balilla" whistle on a stand during its annual awards ceremony in 1987.
The whistle presented by Sportswriters Association of Malaysia. Pix by Adrian David
Another interesting fact about Viji is that his home's front gate in Taman Kanagapuram, Petaling Jaya, has the five coloured rings of the Olympic Games.
"It was a gift from my late wife, Rajaletchmy Rasiah, 37 years ago, to soothe my feelings after being disappointed at not being able to officiate at the 1980 Moscow Olympics in Russia (due to a United States-led boycott following Russia's invasion of Afghanistan).
"She knew how bad I felt and wanted to cheer me up. She painstakingly engaged a contractor to put up the Olympic rings."
A trained teacher, Viji, a survivor of the Japanese Occupation during World War 2, became a government administrator with the Education Department until his optional retirement in 1983.
He then accepted a job as sports manager with the Royal Selangor Golf Club for 15 years.
Viji even worked for a short period as a sports stringer with The Malay Mail in 1964. He also played hockey for the Tamilian Physical and Cultural Association for 30 years.
Viji became an international-class umpire in 1969 and retired in 1982 after the Bombay World Cup in India, after surpassing the maximum permitted age of 50.
He has been involved in nine Olympic Games as an umpire and official, and officiated at numerous World Cups, Asian Games, Seap (later Sea) Games and other international tournaments.
Not many know that Viji, who was Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary for 26 years from 1959, used his own expenses to get the job done - running hockey matters, in the initial years, from the booth of his car with a stool and a portable typewriter.
Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid (left) with Datuk Vijayananthan Gulasingam during the launch of The Memoirs of Mr Hockey on June 17, 2012. Pix by Nurul Shafina Jemenon.
Viji penned a book, The Memoirs of Mr Hockey, which received the attention of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
In the book's message, Najib noted how Viji had served with pride and dignity for 17 of the 26 years as MHF secretary under the presidency of his late father, former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.
"Every page in the book is studded with experience that shaped his life. But, the profound manner in which he touched on every aspect of his life is the true measure of his magnificent contribution not only in Malaysia, but also in the international scene.
"His memoirs provide a historical record of hockey's development in the country, which also is the history of our nation," Najib wrote.
New Straits Times
Go crazy, folks: Maryland beats Duke and advances to Final Four
By Connor Newcomb
Forward Linnea Gonzales drives to the net during Maryland's 6-0 win over Towson at the Field Hockey Complex on Oct. 25, 2015. (File photo/The Diamondback)
Maryland has been out of the ACC for a few years, but I believe there have been some infamous celebrations in the past when the Terps take down Duke.
Well, it's time to celebrate again.
At the NCAA Field Hockey quarterfinals in Durham, North Carolina, (that's right — the home of the evil empire) the Maryland field hockey team upset No. 2 Duke 3-2 to advance to the Final Four.
If you're reading this right now, it may already be Monday, once you've finally gotten back home from a celebration on Route 1. But I'm here to remind you once again that Maryland beat Duke.
The ninth-ranked Terps trailed Duke 2-1 with under seven minutes to play, but then freshman Bodil Keus came to the rescue and tied the game with her 11th goal of the season.
Although the Terps have had success in the past in overtime against Duke (see 2006 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship game and 2004 ACC Men's Basketball Championship game), Missy Meharg's team decided they should spare the Blue Devils this time and just win in regualtion.
So junior phenom Linnea Gonzalez took matters into her own hands, and sent Maryland to the Final Four.
Just to recap: Maryland beat Duke, and that's all that ever matters.
The Diamondback
Maryland field hockey is headed to the Final Four after upsetting Duke, 3-2
By Scott Gelman
Midfielder Lein Holsboer passes the ball to a teammate during Maryland's match-up against UMass on Nov. 12, 2016 at Xfinity Center. (Matt Regan/The Diamondback)
After Maryland field hockey defeated No. 12 Wake Forest to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament field hockey quarterfinals, coach Missy Meharg said the Terps' attack capitalized when it needed to.
Down by one to No. 2-seed Duke on Sunday with about seven minutes to go and the Terps' postseason survival on the line, the offense delivered again, scoring twice to earn a 3-2 win.
In the 66th minute, forward Linnea Gonzales converted to give the Terps a go-ahead goal, securing Maryland's first Final Four appearance since 2013.
Though Duke maintained a one-goal advantage for much of the second half, the Terps attack responded late. About two minutes before Gonzales' game-winner, defender Bodil Keus capitalized on a penalty corner opportunity. Her line-drive strike landed in the upper-right corner of the net to tie the game.
Maryland's offensive resurgence came after the Blue Devils tested its defense.
Much like in the first meeting between the former ACC foes, Duke's attack scored almost immediately. About 90 seconds into the game, forward Rose Tynan found herself in the middle of the offensive zone. There were Terps defenders around her, but she used a backhanded shot to score and give Duke a one-goal edge.
Though they didn't score again before the intermission, the Blue Devils found success against Maryland's defense, which at its peak pressures opposing attackers everywhere on the field. Duke connected on long passes and advanced the ball past Maryland's midfield, a feat Wake Forest struggled to accomplish.
Still, the Terps tied the game in the 23rd minute. Freshman midfielder Kyler Greenwalt, who said earlier this week that she was confident the Terps would make the tournament despite early-season doubts, tipped the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net to score. She and midfielder Madison Maguire used a 2-on-1 advantage to start the breakaway.
Duke outshot Maryland, 4-2, in the first half. Nonetheless, the teams entered the intermission level.
In the 42nd minute, Duke forward Ashley Kristen's shot from about four yards in front of the net gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead.
But Maryland's attack earned two late opportunities, taking advantage of both chances to advance to Louisville, Kentucky, for the final four.
The Diamondback
Penn State Field Hockey Falls To UConn 4-3 In NCAA Quarterfinals
By Ethan Kasales
Photo By: Alex Bauer
Penn State field hockey narrowly lost to No. 1 seed Connecticut in the NCAA quarterfinals Sunday at Sherman Complex in Storrs, falling 4-3 to the undefeated Huskies.
Char Morett-Curtiss’ Nittany Lions finish the season 17-5, while UConn improved to 21-0 and will face No. 4 seed North Carolina in the Final Four on Friday.
How It Happened
The Huskies took an early 2-0 lead just 18 minutes into the match thanks to goals from Casey Umstead and Svea Boker. Penn State responded with back-to-back goals of its own, as Shay Cannon and Bes Bovelander beat UConn goalkeeper Nina Klein six minutes apart to even the score at 2-2 before the half.
Charlotte Veitner and Barbara van den Hoogen gave the Huskies some breathing room soon after the intermission, but Abby Myers cut the deficit to 4-3 in the 56th minute on an unassisted goal that deflected off a UConn defender and into the net. Penn State pressed the rest of the way but it wasn’t enough to tie things up again.
Player Of The Match
Barbara van den Hoogen | Sophomore | Midfielder
The Netherlands native gave the Huskies a 4-2 lead in the 52nd minute, which proved to be enough for the victory.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions head into the offseason a little earlier than they wanted, but overall it was a successful year for the team.
Onward State