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All the news for Sunday 4 February 2018

5 Nations Invitational Tournament (M) - Day 6
Malaga (ESP)

SCO v ESP 0 - 3
USA v IRL 2 - 4

FIH Match Centre

Ireland finish 5 Nations with win over USA



Ireland finished their their 5 Nations with a comfortable win v USA.  The opening quarter was a dull affair with no clear cut chances for either side with Ireland turning over a lot of possession.  Ireland dominated for large part of the second quarter with the only goal in the 20m following a quick free from the back playing the ball through midfield with the final pass from Caruth across the circle with Nelson getting the first touch which drew a save from the US keeper but McKee was on hand to finish and give Ireland a deserved lead.

The third quarter was all Ireland with goals from Caruth and the 50th cap boy Glassey in the 42 & 43m to send them in with a comfortable 3-0 lead at the end of the quarter.   Ireland were again in control for the early part of the final quarter but USA did get on the score sheet from their 2nd PC of the game with Kaeppeler on target beating Carr and the line player with a drag.  Sothern, playing in his first game of the Tournament, scored Irelands 4th from open play in the 55th minute before USA scored their 2nd from a  PC roofed by Cicchi a minute later.  Ireland had to play out the final quarter with 10 men when Cargo getting yellow in the 57m

At the end of the Tournament Coach Fulton will be happy enough winning 3 of his 4 games with the only defeat by a one goal margin to the hosts Spain.  Then team will return to Ireland tomorrow with Fulton set to name his 18 man squad to compete at the Azlan Shah in Malaysia  from 3/10 March

Ireland 4 (Alan Sothern, John McKee, Peter Caruth, Neal Glassey)
USA 2 (Sean Cicchi, Aki Kaeppeler)

Starting: Carr (GK), J Bell (Capt.) O Connor, Cargo, Sothern, Caruth, Glassey, O Donoghue, Robson, Gleghorne, Loughrey

Subs: Ingram (GK), M. Bell, Murray, McKee, Nelson, S Cole, L Cole

Irish Hockey Association media release

Four-goal Ireland overpower USA


Johnny McKee was among the Irish goalscorers

Ireland completed the 5 Nations tournament with comfortable 4-2 win against USA in Malaga.

Alan Sothern, Johnny McKee, Peter Caruth and Neal Glassey all scored for Ireland, while Sean Cicchi and Aki Kaeppeler were the US goalscorers.

Ireland finished the tournament, which also featured Spain, Scotland and Canada, with three wins and one defeat.

Craig Fulton's side will return to action in March when they take part in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

The opening quarter was a tense affair with no clear cut chances but Ireland dominated the second quarter and took the lead when McKee scored on the rebound after Matthew Nelson's initial shot was saved.

The Irish side pulled clear in the third quarter with goals from Caruth and Glassey, who was celebrating his 50th Ireland cap.

USA finally got on the scoreboard at the start of the fourth quarter as Kaeppeler scored with a drag shot.

Sothern made certain of the result with Ireland's fourth goal in the 55th minute before USA added a consolation score from a penalty corner by Cicchi.

Chris Cargo was shown a yellow card in the 57th minute but Ireland were able to play out the final quarter with 10 men to secure a deserved victory.

BBC Sport

USMNT Falls Short Against Ireland in Final 5 Nations Tournament Match



MALAGA, Spain - The 5 Nations Tournament came to a close for the U.S. Men's National Team following their match against No. 10 Ireland. The team played well containing the opposition when tested, but a major penalty ultimately proved to be the turning point in a 4-2 loss.

USA was determined to put on a good show in their last game of the tournament. Going on the offensive from the opening whistle, the red, white and blue kept the pressure on for the majority of the opening quarter. Ireland, surprised by the attacks, took a few minutes to realize the game was coming at them. The first quarter ended 0-0, with the upper hand going to USA. In the second frame Ireland switched tactics and went man-to-man, which USA's coaching staff recognized immediately and sent the message to the field via the players who also adjusted quickly. The game remained fairly even until the 19th minute where Ireland's John McKee finished a quick counter attack for the 1-0 score.

At the half, USA's locker room chat at the half was to continue to be aggressive and press as much as the game would allow them to do so. The physical, fast-paced battle continued and the turning point came in the 40th minute with Tyler Sundeen (Simi Valley, Calif.) receiving a 10-minute yellow card. The call rattled USA, losing focus and allowing two quick scores to give Ireland a 3-0 lead. The team played well to contain Ireland the remainder of the penalty. Back to full strength USA had an opportunity to close the gap when Ireland were given multiple green cards and a yellow card. This allowed USA to attack and earned a penalty corner in the 52nd minute which was converted by Aki Kaeppler (Stuttgart, Germany). Unfortunately, Ireland netted a goal moments later to snuff the momentum. A long drag flick  in the 56th minute was then perfectly executed by Sean Cicci (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) to make the final score 4-2.

"We came here to play the best teams in the world and we are fortunate to be invited to tournaments of this caliber," said Rutger Wiese, USMNT Head Coach. "This in itself is a compliment to men's hockey in the United States. The way the team played for 12 out of 16 quarters shows that we can compete with teams ranked much higher than us. The boys understand what is required and the learning will continue as we practice against Chile for two games before returning home."



USFHA media release

Spain take spoils over Scotland in Malaga

Scotland went down 3-0 to Spain, a side 15 places above them in the world rankings, in their final match at the Five Nations Tournament in a sunny Malaga.

While coach Derek Forsyth will be disappointed to lose out to Canada, Ireland and now Spain, they are likely to finish in fourth spot above the United States.

Forsyth said: “There`s lots to be pleased about during the tournament and there was improvement, and we`re just at the start of our programme for the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, but we`ve still lots to do.”

The home side put some early pressure on the Scottish defence but created few clear-cut chances. However, keeper Tommy Alexander had produce a first class save at Spain`s first penalty corner to preserve parity.

But just before the end of the first quarter Spain did take the lead when Ricardo Sanchez slotted home a rebound.

Early in the second quarter Wei Adams fired in a cross from the right but there were no takers and the chance was gone. Spain started to turn the screw and put more pressure on the Scotland defence, but created few actual chances, although the Scots had to survive a goalmouth scramble after the keeper had saved the initial penalty corner.

Three minutes into the second half the Scots went two behind following a brilliant opportunist strike by Alvero Iglesias. The Spanish now put the Scotland defence under considerable pressure as they took control of the match.

The home side were awarded another penalty corner, the routine broke down and the Scots immediately scampered to the other end to create probably their best opportunity of the contest. Lee Morton advanced into the circle and slipped the ball to the unmarked Ben Cosgrove but the Grove Menzieshill player shot wide of the target.

Spain looked strong in the final quarter, and the Scots had to survive two further penalty corner scares. During this spell Spain finally added a third to their tally when the Scots defence was opened up and Marc Garcia was left with a simple tap over the line.

SCOTLAND 0-3 SPAIN

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Kookaburras Hit Back To Claim Dutch Series Win

Ben Somerford



The Kookaburras have sensationally clinched the Test Series win over the Netherlands after an emphatic 6-1 victory in Saturday night’s clash in front of a strong crowd at Perth Hockey Stadium.

Daniel Beale and Lachlan Sharp both scored doubles as Australia, who trailed 1-0 in the four-game series after Sunday’s 3-2 loss and two draws, produced a stunning finale to secure the win.

The industrious Beale opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Dutch rising star Thierry Brinkman levelled five minutes later.

Sharp restored Australia’s lead with his maiden international goal right on half-time before the Kookaburras ran away with the game in a tremendous third quarter where they scored three goals.

Lithgow youngster Sharp laid off for Flynn Ogilvie’s 32nd minute goal, before Sharp and Beale added their personal seconds late in the term.

Western Australian midfielder Aran Zalewski rounded out the scoring in the 59th minute, with a point-blank finish to seal a 6-1 victory.

The Kookaburras are next in action in the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in early March before final selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Speaking post-game Sharp said: “It would’ve been nice to get a few more wins in the series. We came close a few times but overall we’re happy to get the 6-1 win tonight.”

The Kookaburras were without ill captain Mark Knowles again, while Jake Whetton celebrated his 150th cap for Australia as the hosts started well with Tom Wickham testing Dutch keeper Sam van der Ven.

Bjorn Kellerman had a chance of his own down the other end, before the Kookaburras went ahead when Beale broke into the right side of the shooting circle with his cutback deflected into the backboard by a Dutch defender.

Kookaburras keeper Andrew Charter thwarted Brinkman early in the second quarter after a pass from Seve van Ass, but Brinkman wouldn’t be denied, firing home from the next play.

Australia failed to convert a series of penalty corners before Whetton burst forward down the right flank and fizzed a low ball across goal which didn’t get the required deflection.

However, the hosts restored their lead before the long interval when Sharp expertly deflected home after driven free hit on the stroke of half-time.

Sharp also laid off the pass for Ogilvie’s pinpoint reverse stick finish to make it 3-1 while substitute goalkeeper Tyler Lovell kept the Dutch at bay from a handful of penalty corners and raids.

It was Sharp who doubled Australia’s lead with a powerful finish into the roof of the net from Matt Dawson’s pass in the 43rd minute.

Beale grabbed a double for himself after receiving the ball unmarked inside the circle and calmly slotting past van der Ven in the 45th minute.

The Dutch had their moments in the last quarter but Australia added a sixth goal when Zalewski finished off a move he started with a close-range finish after Dylan Wotherspoon’s cutback.

Australia 6 (Beale 12’, 45’, Sharp 30’, 43’, Ogilvie 32’, Zalewski 59’)
Netherlands 1 (Brinkman 17’)

Hockey Australia media release

2018 Test Matches: ARG v BEL (W) - 6th Test
Buenos Aires (ARG)

ARG - BEL 3 - 0

Argentina win the series 3- 0 after 3 tests ended in a draw.

FIH Match Centre

Boon and Fürste show star indoor quality in Belgium and Germany


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics

Two hockey legends produced the goods on Saturday in the Belgian and German indoor league playoffs with Tom Boon and Moritz Fürste making the crucial interventions for Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles and UHC Hamburg.

Boon was in amazing form for Racing as he scored all seven of his team’s goals in a 7-7 semi-final draw with Namur before netting the winning shoot-out to send his side to the Belgian indoor title.

An incredible final was level from five times with Boon the key marksman each time for Racing.

"This was clearly an evenly contested final and it's the first time we have gone to shoot-outs. It's a game that could have gone either way but the experience gained in recent years has enabled us to win," smiled Tom Boon, the hero of this final.

"Tom Boon was decisive but his team played very well around him. Racing is not the same team when he is not there but we can be very happy with our performance. The shoot-out is still a lottery," said Namur’s Viktor Pokorny.

In Germany, UHC won a classic 7-6 win over Rot-Weiss Köln to reach the German semi-finals with Fürste scoring the crucial goal in the final minute.

Goals from Oliver Korn and Philip Schmid had UHC 2-1 up at half-time and they kept edging in front with Tino Teschke and Hannes Müller putting them 6-4 in front with 12 minutes to go.

Christopher Rühr and Mats Grambusch brought it back to 6-6 but Fürste finished off a pass from Jan-Philipp Rabente with 80 seconds to go to seal a final berth.

Club an der Alster beat Crefelder HC 5-2 to earn their spot in Sunday’s decider.

Euro Hockey League media release

FHF eyes Oceania tourney

Pravin Narain

THE Fiji Hockey Federation will apply to host the Oceania Cup next year which will be the qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic Games which will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

This was confirmed by the Fiji Hockey Federation president Dr. Robin Mitchell.

"Our main focus is to host the Oceania Cup which is the Olympic Games qualifiers," Mitchell said.

"It will be held next year.

"We will bid to host the event as the last time when we hosted the event was in 2005 where the number one man team in the world Australia and number two New Zealand came to compete."

Fiji is expected to compete in the three international outing which includes Fiji Invitation in December, Hockey World League One and the side could also compete in the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games, however, it would depend on FASANOC as which sport is selected to compete at the qualifiers.

"The application closes in April and we had a good feedback from Oceania Hockey Federation and if our turf is upgraded and then they will give us the preference to host the competition," he said.

"We have done it before and hosting the competition would mean for us that the top teams coming to play in Fiji.

"It will be the main focus for our senior hockey teams and by competing in the Oceania Cup you would also get more points towards the world ranking."

The Fiji Times

Leaders Surbiton in winning form as the Investec Women's Premier Division resumes


Liv Back and Georgie Twigg, Leicester v Surbiton. Credit Andrew Smith

Surbiton stayed top of the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division after edging out Jaffa Super 6s finalists Leicester 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Domestic action resumed after the winter break and it took the leaders just ten minutes to find their stride, leading scorer Giselle Ansley converting a penalty corner for her fifth of the season.

The lead lasted just five minutes though as Elizabeth Honarmand’s goal levelled the scores for the hosts, but it was Surbiton who claimed the points with Hollie Pearne-Webb’s second half effort sending the leaders four points clear in the table.

Two goals from Ruth Gordon helped East Grinstead move second after a 3-1 win at Slough.

Chloe Palmer had given East Grinstead the lead midway through the first half but the hosts were level at the break after Amy Sheehan’s successful penalty stroke.

Gordon starred late on though, scoring two goals in the last 12 minutes to secure all three points for the visitors.

Holcombe lost ground on the leaders after they fell to a 2-1 defeat at newly-crowned Super 6s champions Bowdon Hightown.

Lily Wolstenholme opened the scoring for the hosts eight minutes before half time, before Lisa Garbutt doubled their advantage with a second half penalty corner.

Tanya Britz pulled one back six minutes from time for Holcombe but Bowdon held on to take the points.

Hannah Coulson’s second half goal rescued a point for Clifton Robinsons as they drew 1-1 at home to Canterbury.

Despite being bottom the visitors started the day unbeaten in four and they took the lead on 14 minutes through Penny Squibb’s goal.

However, Coulson’s second of the season 15 minutes into the second half earned Clifton a share of the spoils.

Third-placed Buckingham could close the gap to Surbiton back to two points if they win on the road at the University of Birmingham in Sunday’s match, the hosts themselves could also go second with maximum points.

Investec Conference East

With leaders Hampstead & Westminster not in action until Sunday, Sevenoaks kept the pressure on at the top of the Investec Conference East after a 5-1 win at Chelmsford.

Cathy Gilliat-Smith, Susie Rowe and Samantha Danckert put the visitors in control at half time, before further goals after the break from Maddie Thompson and Jess Denniff sealed the points.

Fourth-placed Cambridge City picked up a 3-0 away win at Southgate, Charlotte Burrows scored a brace whilst GB Olympic ace Helen Richardson-Walsh was on target for her eighth of the season.

Harleston Magpies took all three points after a 3-1 home victory over Barnes, Emma Lee-Smith, Lauren Rowe and Abby Gooderham all scored for the hosts.

Bedford moved sixth after a 3-2 home win over St Albans, Samantha Turner’s penalty corner five minutes from time turned out to be the winner.

Investec Conference North

Beeston picked up where they left off before the winter break in the Investec Conference North after they beat Wakefield 6-0.

Sophie Robinson and Rosy Stephens scored a goal in each half with Esme Burge and Lauren Burrell both on target as the hosts made it eleven straight wins this season.

Second-placed Brooklands Poynton lost further ground on the leaders after going down 1-0 at home to Loughborough Students, the only goal in the match coming from Sharon Seaton in the second half.

Goals from Tess Howard and Lorna Jane Cruickshank helped the University of Durham to 2-0 victory at Timperley.

Veteran Jane Sixsmith’s eighth of the campaign was the difference as Sutton Coldfield defeated Ben Rhydding 2-1 whilst the conference’s bottom two, Fylde and Liverpool Sefton, clash on Sunday.

Investec Conference West

Trojans remain top of the Investec Conference West after a 1-0 victory at Olton & West Warwicks.

Lauren Anning’s penalty corner 15 minutes from time was the difference as the leaders claimed maximum points to start 2018.

Second-placed Stourport remain second and two points behind Trojans after they also won 1-0 at Gloucester City, Sarah Cavendish with the game’s only goal.

Reading lost ground on the top two after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Team Bath Buccaneers. Sophie Hamilton’s goal on 53 minutes had put the visitors on course for their first win of the season, but Katie Pugh rescued a point for Reading eight minutes from time.

Elsewhere, Swansea City moved fourth after a 3-0 home victory over Oxford Hawks, and Meg Crowson’s fifth of the season helped Isca to a 1-0 win against Cannock.

* Full results, tables and fixtures from the Investec Women’s Hockey League are available here

England Hockey Board Media release

Hockey India Senior Women National Championship finale today

Ranchi(Jharkhand)[India): Kerala Hockey and CRPF will play the finale of Hockey India Senior Women National Championship on Sunday night.

Kerala hockey and Central Reserve Police Force qualified for the final match after defeating Bengaluru Hockey Association and Steel Plant Sports Board respectively.

The semi-final fixtures of 8th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2018 (B Division) took place in Ranchi.

In the first semi-final, Kerala Hockey defeated Bengaluru Hockey Association with 2-0. KM Arya scored the first goal for Kerala in the first 10 minutes and also proved to be a strong defender. In the third quarter, Kerala hockey displayed fine attacking through Anju Shaji by scoring two goals in the first 40 minutes.

In the second semi-final, CRPF took on Steel Plant Sports Board by 3-0. CRPF scored their first goal in the 3rd minute through Siddhi Singh and Priya Rai led in the second quarter in the 21st minute.

Steel Plants effort to make a comeback in the second quarter went in vain. CRPF scored the third goal through Pricilia Tirkey in 58th minute to win by 3-0.

Bengaluru Hockey Association and Steel Plant Sports Board will fight for Bronze today 6:00 pm.

ANI News

Unpredictable TNB Cup semis

By Jugjet Singh

MALAYSIA Hockey League (MHL) League champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) will square off against 'dreaded' opponent Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the two-leg TNB Cup semifinals starting Sunday.

In the League, UniKL held THT 2-2 and then 1-1 -- in the home and away encounters.

The other semifinals will be between Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Tenaga Nasional. This encounter is just as unpredictable as in the League, Tenaga upset KLHC 4-2 and then were whitewashed 4-0 in the return leg.

UniKL are hoping for a third draw in the first leg semifinals, to keep their hopes alive of playing in the TNB Cup final.

“We will adapt the approach tactically as we did in our two league matches, which is to push them hard and put them under constant pressure," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj.

Arul's main concern is injuries as well as fatigue, as the second leg will be played on Wednesday.

As it stands, import players goalkeeper David Harte (hamstring) and Kieren Govers sat out their final League match against TNB.

THT coach Sarjit Singh is optimistic that his team is ready for another title.

"I told my players before Friday (when they beat KLHC to the League title), that we must never end without a title this season and they delivered.

 "And the League title should be the tonic needed by my players to win both the semifinals and have a shot at winning their second title," said Sarjit.

In the other semis, KLHC and Tenaga are expected to play it safe on Sunday.

“The semis are a different ball game altogether. Stakes are higher and teams will step up their game. As such, chances are equal for all teams,” said KLHC coach Lim Chiow Chuan.

“We can't say that we have better chances based on history. The 4-0 victory four days ago does not suggest our superiority because the match was a close affair even though the scoreline indicated otherwise.”

Although KLHC lost the league title, Chiow Chuan feels his players are mentally strong to overcome the setback.

SUNDAY -- TNB CUP FIRST LEG SEMIFINALS: Terengganu Hockey Team v Universiti Kuala Lumpur (National Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium Pitch II, 8.30pm).

WEDNESDAY: TNB CUP SECOND LEG SEMIFINALS: Tenaga Nasional v Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (National Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Terengganu Hockey Team (National Stadium Pitch II, 8.30pm).

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

Lim Chiow Chuan: We need video umpiring

By Jugjet Singh


Lim Chiow Chuan

KUALA Lumpur Hockey  Club (KLHC) coach Lim Chiow Chuan was fuming mad with the umpire after his side lost 2-1 to Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) on Friday.

The defeat saw KLHC hand over their Legue title to THT, after a successful season where Chiow Chuan guided his side to the Charity Shield and the Alagendra Cup.

"We failed to hold on to our title because of poor umpiring, something which could have been easily overcome if there was video umpiring for referrals.

"Teams spend mega bucks by signing top players in the country as well as from overseas, but our hopes are blown away by poor umpiring.

"I suggest the organisers (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) invest in video umpiring to be fair to teams which invest a lot in the MHL," said a red-faced Chiow Chuan.

Chiow Chuan's men were leading THT 1-0 and a win would have assured them the League title, while THT only needed a draw to snatch the crown.

And with seven minutes remaining in the match, KLHC were heading towards the title when 'the umpire made a mistake'.

KLHC's Jang Jonghyun was entrusted with the free hit ball, but he was accused of delaying tactics by the umpire, who blew against the Korean.

THT immediately took the opportunity to attack and Faizal Shaari equalised. And THT made sure the title was theirs when Argentinian Lopez Barreiros scored the second.

"That was the turning point in our game. We had the title in our hands, but poor umpiring denied us glory. Many teams have invested heavily in the MHL, and I feel there must be video umpiring to make sure the right decisions are made in crucial matches," said Chiow Chuan.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

League winners Terengganu target TNB Cup next

By Aftar Singh


Confident: Terengganu forward Faizal Saari (centre) said his teammates were all fired up to tear UniKL apart in the TNB Cup semi-finals first-leg match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.

KUALA LUMPUR: Winning the Premier Division title has whetted Terengganu’s appetite for more.

And they have set their sights on winning the TNB Cup for the fifth consecutive time.

Terengganu’s new mission begins today when they take on fourth-placed Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the semi-final first leg at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

The return leg will be played on Feb 7 at the same venue.

The East Coast team edged star-studded Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) 2-1 on Friday to win the Premier Division title.

En route to the title, they stayed unbeaten in 10 matches with seven wins and three draws.

National forward Faizal Saari, who was the team’s star in the league victory, said his teammates were all fired up to tear UniKL apart.

Terengganu drew twice – 2-2 and 1-1 – with UniKL in the Premier Division home and away matches.

“It feels nice to be the only team to stay unbeaten in the Premier Division. But we cannot be over confident in the TNB Cup,” said Faizal.

“It’s a different ball game. Others will be coming after our scalps for sure.

“We have to take our chances well and score early to put pressure on them,” said Faizal, who has scored a total of eight goals – four each via field goals and penalty corners.

Besides Faizal, Terengganu will once again expect penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat of Argentina tograb his share of the goals.

Despite being the underdogs, UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj said they would not back down easily.

“We created lots of scoring chances in our previous matches against Terengganu. We need to finish off our chances better in the semis,” said Arul.

UniKL have yet to win a trophy since making their debut in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) since 2011.


The Star of Malaysia

Saiful urges Tenaga to be positive, Chiow Chuan fumes over poor umpiring

KUALA LUMPUR: One coach wants his players to overcome their mental block. Another wants the standard of umpiring to be restored.

Outspoken coaches Nor Saiful Zaini and Lim Chiow Chuan have spoken their minds ahead of the TNB Cup semi-final first leg between Tenaga Nasional and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) today.

Tenaga coach Saiful has urged his players to discard their low self-esteem mentality.

“My players seem to have this mental block playing against KLHC. We lost to them 4-0 in the second-round match and my boys seem to have too much respect for them,” said Saiful.

“We need to play with a positive mindset that nothing is impossible to achieve.

“We surprised KLHC in the first round by beating them (4-2) and we can do it again.

“The players just need to keep believing in themselves,” he said.

In the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup, KLHC edged Tenaga 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

Nor Saiful added their penalty corner conversion rates had been far from satisfactory.

“I hope that our two drag flickers Syed (Mohd Syafiq Syed Cholan) and Muhd Shahril (Saabah) will perform,” he said.

The Star of Malaysia

27 teams for Junior Hockey League

By Jugjet Singh

TWENTY SEVEN teams confirmed their entries for the Junior Hockey League (JHL) which will be held on Feb 24-May 5.

However, Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Competitions Committee manager Bryan Fernandez said even though the deadline was Friday, they will still accept more entries until Monday.

"Yes, entries closed on Friday but we are giving more time for two more teams to get their registration in order. Last season the JHL saw 30 teams in action," said Bryan.

Ten teams will play in Division One, while 17 in two groups in Division Two.

Last season, 10 teams were in Division One while 20 teams were placed in three groups in Division Two.

"We extended the deadline because some teams could not give us a concrete answer due to financial and other reasons. We will know for sure on Monday and decide on the grouping and format once the number is confirmed and a discussion held with our chairman George Koshy," said Bryan.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

Sleek Sliders outwit JKUAT students at City Park

By BRIAN YONGA


Nancy Kibogongi of Sliders drives the ball forward during their Kenya Hockey Union women’s league match against Strathmore University at City Park Hockey Stadium on December 16, 2017. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Former champions Sliders on Saturday beat Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) 2-0 in a Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League match at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi.

Skipper Esther Wachika and Anita Agunda were on target to give Sliders the deserved win. Sliders took the lead in the 11th minute through a well worked move by Wachika that beat JKUAT goalkeeper Emma Aroni at her near post.

Seven minutes later, Agunda sounded the boards through another field goal. Sliders coach Felix Okoth was pleased with the result and is aiming to finish the season on a high.

“Our target was a top two finish but we have not been consistent and that saw the dream go up in smoke,” Okoth said. On Friday night,  United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Spartans of Africa secured second place in the women’s Premier League after a 0-0 draw with Strathmore University Scorpions at City Park.

Second place means that the students qualified for their first ever Africa Cup for Club Championship competition to be played later this year. They will represent the country alongside national champions Telkom. Telkom failed to defend the continental title last week after they lost 1-0 to Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA) in the final in Accra, Ghana.

USIU needed to avoid defeat to guarantee second place and a game of less chances worked in their favour as Scorpions, who finished fifth at the continental event, appeared to be suffering from fatigue and barely created any chances.

Infact, it is the Spartans who appeared likely to score but were wasteful in front of goal. It however did not matter as they got the point to secure second place. The draw left them on 47 points, six ahead of Scorpions who are in third with one match to go. Spartans coach Willis Okeyo was elated at the result and believes his side will do well in their debut at the continental showpiece.

“The ladies deserve this moment for a very consistent season and they now get the chance to go and show their worth against teams in the continental event,” Okeyo said.

“We should have won this match, but the pressure was on them and we gave a satisfactory performance which ensured that we get the point to secure second spot, “ he added.

Scorpions face Multimedia University in their final match today while the Spartans will be up against Mombasa Sports Club in their last match next Sunday.

Daily Nation