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All the news for Saturday 19 May 2018

Women's Donghae Asian Champions Trophy 2018 - Day 5
Donghae City (KOR)

Results 19 May

CHN v JPN (RR)     2 - 0
IND v KOR (RR)     1 - 1

Final Pool Standings

FIH Match Centre

Indian women's hockey team ready for Korean challenge

DONGHAE CITY: The Indian women's hockey team will take on hosts Korea in its last round-robin match at the 5th Women's Asian Champions Trophy on Saturday.

The team led by defender Sunita Lakra remains unbeaten in the tournament, having won against Japan (4-1), China (3-1) and Malaysia (3-2).

While playing the World No.9 side in their home ground will be a challenging affair for the Indian team, it will serve as an ideal preparation for the final on Sunday where they will play Korea who have won two matches (3-1 against Malaysia, 3-1 against China) and drawn one (1-1 against Japan) in the round-robin stage.

"Korea is a good team, but our girls have played this tournament with a lot of confidence. We are not so bothered about this being their home ground but want to just focus on ourselves and carry forward the good momentum," stated chief coach Sjoerd Marijne.

The team has played this tournament with aggression and have showcased impressive attack. But playing a highly defensive team like Korea, India needs to ensure they don't make errors.

"The Koreans like to play high press. It will be important for us to not let that pressure affect our game and we need to ensure we don't make mistakes in our own half. Besides this, we will need to move the ball fast to create space," added the chief coach on the eve of the match.

While India were lethal against Japan and a higher ranked China, having taken a strong lead at the start of the match, India dropped their level against Malaysia.

Marijne said, "It is not always easy to play against a team who play with 11 players in their circle. To make the game favorable to us, we need to score more PCs and ensure we don't miss easy goals.

"When that doesn't happen, the level starts dropping and we made some silly mistakes. But what is important is, we won that match."

On playing Korea tomorrow as well as on Sunday in the final, Marijne believes it will be important to be smart in how they play and not exhaust themselves ahead of the title round.

"This match will give us good understanding of how they play and what changes we need to make ahead of the Final. We have to be smart in the way we play and ensure we don't exhaust ourselves too much," opined the chief coach.

The Times of India

Vantage Black Sticks beaten in opener


Photo: www.photosport.nz

The Vantage Black Sticks Women have been edged 2-1 by Japan in their opening match at the Pioneer Energy Women’s Tri Nations in Cromwell.

Both sides battled hard throughout the game with Akiko Kato and Samantha Harrison trading field goals to go into halftime locked up at 1-1.

Japan broke the deadlock just five minutes from fulltime when Shihori Oikawa scored from a penalty corner to snatch the result.

Auckland 21-year-old Lulu Tuilotolava made her international debut in the narrow loss.

Head coach for the series Sean Dancer said his side wasn’t clinical on either side of the ball.

“It’s a disappointing final result for us and I thought our basics let us down at times in both circles. It was a scrappy first half with both sides creating scoring opportunities but lacking finishing touches,” he said.

“We need to make sure we recover well and get ready for a tough game against Australia tomorrow which we know they will certainly be up for.”

The Vantage Black Sticks are back in action at 2:30pm tomorrow against trans-Tasman rivals Australia in a rematch of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games final.

The Pioneer Energy Women’s Tri Nations is proudly supported by presenting partner Pioneer Energy and the Central Otago District Council.

Odds for games at the Tri Nations are available at www.tab.co.nz along with a special promotion. Simply download the TAB app, set up a new account, deposit $20 using the promo code 'HOCKEY' and TAB will boost your account with a further $20 as well as give $20 to Hockey New Zealand.

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS 1: (Samantha Harrison)
JAPAN 2: (Akiko Kato, Shihori Oikawa)
Halftime: 1-1

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks women concede late to lose to Japan in Tri Nations opener


Black Stick Kirsten Pearce defends against Chiko Fujibayashi of Japan in their 2-1 loss. CLARE TOIA-BAILEY/PHOTOSPORT

The Black Sticks women have conceded a late goal to fall to a 2-1 loss against Japan in the opening match of the Tri Nations series in Cromwell, Central Otago.

Shihori Oikawa converted a penalty corner for Japan with five minutes to play.

Akiko Kato had put the visitors 1-0 up in the first quarter, but Sam Harrison levelled the scores five minutes into the second period.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallists now have a rematch of the final at that event, when they play Australia on Sunday.

READ MORE: Lulu Tuilotolava to debut for Black Sticks in Tri Nations

The Black Sticks are without five players from that triumph for this tournament, with Stacey Michelsen, Sam Charlton, Liz Thompson and Amy Robinson absent due to injury and family commitments, and Pippa Hayward now retired.

The three teams will play each other twice, with the second and third-placed teams then playing off to decide who meets the first-placed team in the final.

Japan 2 (Akiko Kato, Shihori Oikawa) Black Sticks 1 (Sam Harrison). HT: 1-1

Stuff

Hockeyroos Forced Into Late Change For Tri Nations

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today confirms new squad member Ambrosia Malone has been added to the Hockeyroos’ team for the upcoming Tri Nations series as an injury replacement.

Gold Coast forward Malone, who was added to the National Senior Women's Squad earlier this week, comes into the 18-member team following an injury to Kathryn Slattery.

Australia will play both New Zealand and Japan at the Tri Nations in Cromwell, New Zealand, from 19-27 May. The Hockeyroos are due to fly out on Monday.

The Tri Nations will be crucial preparation for the Hockeyroos ahead of the 2018 World Cup in London in July and August where they’re pooled with both New Zealand and Japan, along with Belgium.

Australia are currently ranked fifth in the world, behind New Zealand who are fourth while Japan are 12th.

Follow @Hockeyroos on Twitter for match updates throughout the Tri Nations series.

The semi final/final will be streamed via the Black Sticks Facebook page (no geo-blocking).

Hockeyroos team for Tri Nations:
Athlete (City, State)
Kristina Bates (Mont Albert, VIC)
Jocelyn Bartram (Albury, NSW)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Kalindi Commerford (Mollymook, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Ashlea Fey (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Emily Hurtz (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Jodie Kenny (Wamuran, QLD)
Stephanie Kershaw (Townsville, QLD)
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Emily Smith (c) (Crookwell, NSW)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD)
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC)

Tri Nations Women’s International Hockey Match Schedule (all times AEST):
Sunday 20 May 12:30pm - New Zealand vs Australia
Monday 21 May 4:30pm - Australia vs Japan
Wednesday 23 May 4:30pm - New Zealand vs Australia
Thursday 24 May 4:30pm - Australia vs Japan
Saturday 26 May 2:30pm - Playoff for final (2nd vs 3rd)
Sunday 27 May 12:30pm - Final

Hockey Australia media release

Horizons broadened for Sticks with a golden glint

By David Leggat


Goalkeeper Sally Rutherford says the Black Sticks will have to get used to being "slightly more of a favourite" after winning Commonwealth Games gold. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Amazing what a bit of gold can do for the confidence.

Take the Black Sticks, winners of the title at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast last month.

It was a brilliant success, capped off with a 4-1 win over Australia in the final which must rank among their best performances in recent years.

They face Japan in the not-so-bright lights of Cromwell today, in the opening match of a tri-series also involving the Aussies. It is the lead-up to the World Cup tournament in London in July.

Before the Gold Coast, New Zealand would have gone there optimistic of a solid performance. They are, after all, ranked No 4 in the world, one ahead of the Aussies and eight better than Japan. But now the outlook has been buffed up.

"For us, it was a mental hurdle," experienced goalkeeper Sally Rutherford reflected on the Gold Coast.

"We got over not one but two at the Games. We won our first shootout, against England, which was pretty cool and put us into the final, and we won our first final and the gold. It was a double whammy in terms of our confidence.

"That will be huge for us. That was what seemed to be holding us back. Now we go to the World Cup with tails up, but also a target on our backs. We've got to deal with that pressure of being slightly more of a favourite."

Rutherford is one of only four players, by her count, to have been in the squad when Mark Hager took over as coach, the others being Stacey Michelsen, Sam Harrison - who took a couple of years out along the way - and Ella Gunson. It was a special time for them but, with no disrespect to the Gold Coast champions, there have probably been better Black Sticks squads of recent times, which included the likes of world class Kayla Whitelock, and top class players such as Gemma McCaw and Emily Naylor who could not get over the line on the biggest occasions.

Rutherford, whose sporting prowess extended to representing New Zealand at lacrosse, has played hockey since she was about seven, growing up in Hamilton. Early on, her eyes were drawn to the goalkeeper's role.

That started for the simple reason that "it looked kind of cool, a bit different. All goalkeepers are inherently attention seekers," she laughed. "Individuals in a team sport.

"As a 10 year old, I thought that looked awesome, I'll give that a go. Also I liked it because I didn't have to wear a skirt on the field, which I hated. It is a position where you do get both ends of the spectrum quickly. You get all the accolades and can impact the game, but you also have to deal with the fact you could screw up the game. You get both extremes and that's part of the love of it."

Rutherford duelled with Bianca Russell and Beth Jurgeleit when she cracked the national squad in 2009. Now she's battling the younger Grace O'Hanlon.

"It's been quite good. She certainly pushed me to go the extra mile and not get comfortable."

Now 36, the lecturer with degrees in physiology and bio-engineering, is eyeing the World Cup. Beyond that, let's see.

It's easy for Rutherford, whose 155 caps are a record for a New Zealand goalkeeper, to pick her favourite performances, ones where she could reflect back on and figure she couldn't do much better.

The quarter and semifinal wins over world No 3 Argentina and England in the World League final in Auckland last November, which after a sluggish start to the event, got New Zealand into the final on home turf and filled the stands at North Harbour Stadium in the process. She conceded just one goal against world class opposition over the two games.

And not to forget the semi and final on the Gold Coast.

Rather than running alongside her teammates, Rutherford's viewing angle is from the back and she is unequivocal - Michelsen is the best Black Stick she's played with, Whitelock not far behind.

"Stacey is an absolutely classy player, she's got amazing stick skills, has speed and vision and she's a pretty good defender, which I like.

"Kayla's leadership ability was amazing and her style was get out there and do it and everyone will follow. She's someone I hugely admire for the way she handled herself on and off the field."

The game is faster now than when Rutherford first made the national team. The auto pass rule - wherein players can immediately start dribbling from a free hit, or sideline entry, instead of having to make a pass to a teammate with the ball stationary - has changed the stop-start nature of the game.

"Players are getting more athletic, goalkeeping has evolved to be more than just standing between the sticks. You get involved in the scrappy stuff."

Back to that World Cup.

"The Gold Coast showed us if we put it all out there, keep working hard, we've got a very good chance of getting a medal."

We'll see, but they have opened the possibility and there's no doubt it would be an achievement of real significance.

The New Zealand Herald

Green Machine Draw 1-1 with Germany
 

Congratulations to Paul Gleghorne who reached the impressive milestone of 200 caps for the Green Machine tonight.

Ireland started the brighter of the two sides with both Peter Caruth and Jonny Bell sending crash balls into the circle but the final touch in the circle was missing. The Green Machine got the first of the games penalty corner’s but a mistrap at the top of the circle meant Shane O’Donoghue, earning his 150thcap today, was forced into a reverse shot which Tobias Walter saved. Germany grew into the game as the half went on but Jamie Carr was in imperious form in the Irish goal blocking shots from Martin Haner and Julius Meyer. Kirk Shimmins had the chance of the second quarter, albeit from a tight angle, as he found himself in on goal but Walter was quickly out to block the close-range shot. The half ended honours even 0-0, a fair result for a close contest.

Carr continued his fine form as Benedikt Furk sent a rocket on the reverse but the Irish net-minder calmly palmed away. John Jackson and O’Donoghue set up a lovely give and go but as the latter wound up for the shot he was dispossessed. Moments later Stephen Cole sent a perfectly weighted pass to Kirk Shimmins as he broke through the defence, and his high shot forced Walter into another good save. When the goals eventually came, only a minute separated them. O’Donoghue sent a drag flick past Walter in the 49thminute and Dieter Linnekogel equalized after some confusion in the circle but the ball was eventually bundled into the goal at the 50 minute mark. There were a couple of half chances for both sides as the clock ticked down but 1-1 was a fair result for a very tight encounter and a solid performance from the Green Machine against the world number 5.

The second match in the series is tomorrow evening at 5pm in Pembroke Wanderers Hockey Club. 

Ireland 1 (O’Donoghue)
Germany 1(Linnekogel)

Starting: J Carr, J Bell (Captain), C Cargo, M Nelson, A Sothern, S O’Donoghue, M Darling, M Robson, P Gleghorne, C Harte, L Cole

Subs: J Jackson, M Bell, P Caruth, K Shimmins, O Magee, S Cole, D Fitzgerald

Irish Hockey Association media release

Ireland and Germany share spoils in first test at Pembroke

Ireland picked off a strong 1-1 draw against world number five side Germany at Serpentine Avenue in front of a healthy crowd in the first of their two tests.

The two goals came deep into the final quarter with Shane O’Donoghue’s penalty corner drag-flick nicking a defensive foot en route to the net.

Germany replied, though, within a minute when a baseline attack down the right led to a melee with Dieter Linnekogel smashing the breaking ball through the Irish defences.

Ireland started the brighter of the two sides with both Peter Caruth and Jonny Bell sending crash balls into the circle but the final touch was missing.

The Green Machine got the first of the game’s penalty corners but a mistrap at the top of the circle meant O’Donoghue, earning his 150thcap today, was forced into a reverse shot which Tobias Walter saved.

Germany grew into the game as the half went on but Jamie Carr – in for David Harte who is still on club duty in the Netherlands’ finals – was in imperious form in the Irish goal blocking shots from Martin Haner and Julius Meyer.

Kirk Shimmins had the chance of the second quarter, albeit from a tight angle, as he found himself in on goal but Walter was quickly out to block the close-range shot. The half ended honours even at 0-0.

Carr continued his fine form as Benedikt Furk sent a rocket on the reverse but the Irish net-minder calmly palmed away. John Jackson and O’Donoghue set up a lovely give and go but as the latter wound up for the shot he was dispossessed.

Moments later, Stephen Cole sent a perfectly weighted pass to Shimmins as he broke through the defence, and his high shot forced Walter into another good save.

When the goals came, just a minute separated them with O’Donoghue’ coming in the 50th minute, Linnekogel’s the 51st.

Carr then produced the pick of his saves in the closing minute when a ball redirected off Chris Cargo’s thigh but the goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to get a glove on it.

It continues Ireland’s recent run of good results against the Olympic bronze medalists, following up a draw in last August’s European Championships and a 4-2 win at the Hamburg Masters.

Men’s international test match
Ireland 1 (S O’Donoghue)
Germany 1 (D Linnekogel)

Ireland: J Carr, J Bell, C Cargo, M Nelson, A Sothern, S O’Donoghue, M Darling, M Robson, P Gleghorne, C Harte, L Cole
Subs: J Jackson, M Bell, P Caruth, K Shimmins, O Magee, S Cole, D Fitzgerald

Germany: T Walter, L Windfeder, M Haner, N Wellen, D Nguyen, T Herzbruch, D Linnekogel, B Furk, A Boeckel, J Grosse, N Bruns
Subs: J Meyer, F Weinke, H Muller, T Hinrichs, N Bosserhoff, M Rothlander

Men’s international test match
Friday: Ireland 1 (S O’Donoghue) Germany 1 (D Linnekogel)
Saturday: Ireland v Germany, 5pm, Serpentine Avenue

The Hook

Dharmaraj embraces plan to host World Cup

By Jugjet Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia played the waiting game on rest day in the Asian Champions Trophy in Donghae, South Korea, Friday while coach K. Dharmaraj pondered about the future of his charges.

The Malaysian women's hockey team has closed the gap with their Asian counterparts and are no longer punching bags for India, China, South Korea and Japan.

Dharmaraj's charges, ranked 22nd in the world and fifth in Asia, gave a tough fight to all four teams in the ongoing ACT, and if China beats Japan  Saturday -- Malaysia will play for the bronze medal.

India and South Korea have qualified for the finals.

Malaysia started with 3-1 defeat to South Korea, lost to India 3-2, beat Japan 3-2 and lost to China 3-1. 

"The margin of defeat is very close and I believe we have narrowed the gap with our Asian counterparts. Everybody here, India, China, Korea and Japan coaches feel we are the team to watch after being 'whipping boys' for more than 20 years," said Dharmaraj.

And all the teams have brought their best players: "Every team here came with their World Cup squad except Japan who have three players in the Netherlands League and another five back home.

"In 2016 ACT we also beat Japan who brought their full squad, and this indicated consistency."

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Thursday announced that they are planning to bid for the 2022 women's and men's World Cups and Dharmaraj embraced the news with open arms.

In fact, the coach who had rebuilt the women's squad from ashes inside two-and-a-half years even said that his charges could be groomed to finish 7th or 8th if Malaysia host it in 2022.

"It's easier to move up in women's hockey than the men's and if we get to host the 2022 World Cup, it would be dream come true for our ladies (who have yet to play at that level).

"That is the right booost for us to prepare for the next four years instead of going through the pressure of trying to qualify.

"With proper planning, we can finish 7th or 8th as hosts," said Dharmaraj.

This prediction came from a coach who trained a bunch of no hopers, and took them to a silver medal finish at the Kuala Lumpur World League Round Two last year.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

India's Joshi promoted to FIH Promising List of umpires

NEW DELHI: India's Deepak Joshi was promoted to the FIH Promising List (Outdoor Hockey) umpires.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the decision on Friday.

Joshi hails from Haldwani, Uttarakhand and was a former national-level hockey player for his state team.

However, the 29-year-old decided to switch to umpiring in 2010-11 after completing his Diploma in Sports Coaching from the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala.

His hard-work and determination in this field saw him being considered for the Hockey India National Championships in 2013 when he was assigned his first assignment. With the support of the Hockey India Umpiring, Technical and Competitions Committee, Joshi excelled in the domestic circuit and was rewarded with a chance to umpire at the international level in 2015 when he officiated in the U21 6-Nations Tournament in Breda, Netherlands.

Joshi did not look back after getting recognised by the Hockey India Umpiring, Technical and Competitions Committee as one of the top young umpires in the country.

He has been assigned the duties of umpire in some major tournaments like the Uttar Pradesh Junior Men's Hockey World Cup Lucknow 2016, Hero Men's Asia Cup 2017 and the recently concluded Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games in Australia.

However, Joshi believes that there is still a long way to go in his journey which started only five years ago.

"I am very honoured to have been promoted to the FIH Promising List (Outdoor Hockey). It has been a great learning curve for me in the past six-seven years and I would like to credit Hockey India and its Umpiring, Technical and Competitions Committee for providing the right support and facilities," Joshi said.

Congratulating Joshi, Hockey India's Secretary General, Md. Mushtaque Ahmad said, "I would like to extend my congratulations to Deepak Joshi on being promoted to FIH's Promising List. It brings me immense joy to see that India is being represented strongly on the International circuit when it comes to umpires.

"We have been focusing on providing a platform for young umpires like Deepak to excel and contribute to the hockey revolution both in the country and abroad."

The Times of India

Euro Trophy sees potential battle for increased EHL tickets on the line


©: Sander Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics

The line-up for next season’s Euro Hockey League will become clearer in the coming days with plenty of national ranking points up for grabs in Vienna this weekend.

The Austrian city hosts the EuroHockey Club Trophy with the second tier competition seeing eight clubs battle it out with overall finishes feeding into the national ranking list for the EHL.

In Pool A, KS AZS AWF Poznan from Poland and Scotland’s Grange are battling it out with two Belarussian sides HC Minsk and SC Stroitel Brest.

Amif the huge amounts of permutations and calculations, Grange and Poznan will hope that a strong performance can potentially lift ninth-ranked Scotland and tenth-rated Poland, respectively, into the top eight ranked nations and win two EHL places for 2018/19.

Indeed, Grange would be the direct beneficiaries of that extra EHL place if they were to do so as the Scottish regular season champions.

Pool B is contested by Italy’s HC Bra, Ukraine’s OKS SHVSM Vinnitsa, Switzerland’s Rot-Weiss Wettingen and host club WAC. Italy currently sit in 13th place in the national rankings list and so a strong run from Bra could see them overtake 12th ranked Wales.

Wettingen – champions in 2017 – are also hoping to close that gap while the presence of two Belarussian teams could also help boost their hopes of an EHL return.

Whatever happens, the picture will be much clearer on Monday evening following the series of three group games and the subsequent classification matches.

** Here is the current rankings list: http://ehlhockey.tv/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Outdoor-Clubs-Ranking-Points-Men.pdf

Euro Hockey League media release

Surbiton 2-2 Victorya Smolevichi



Surbiton suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Victorya Smolevichi in a tense shootout in their EuroHockey Women's Club Cup clash.

It looked as though Surbiton had the game won after a fine reverse stick strike from Holly Payne but a stunning deflection from Dziana Khmylova levelled two minutes from time.

Earlier Georgie Twigg has put Surbiton into an early lead but Nadzeya Litasava levelled before half-time.

Surbiton flew out the traps and were quick to stamp their authority on the match with a long accurate aerial from Giselle Ansley leading to the hosts winning an early penalty corner.

Hollie Pearne-Webb’s strike from the top of the circle was saved by the keeper but the rebound fell kindly to Twigg who tucked home from close range.

Victorya responded with a good chance of their own, a clever exchange freed the attacker but she put wide under pressure from the on rushing goalkeeper Abigail Walker before the first break.

The visitors hit back immediately in the second quarter though through Litasava. An initial shot was partially blocked but the ball looped into the air for Litasava to turn in to equal the scores.

Shortly before half-time Victorya were close to taking the lead. A crashed ball into the circle was deflected towards the top corner but Walker made a smart diving stop.

It was Surbiton who started the third quarter on the front foot and on 35 minutes went close to grabbing the lead through Jo Hunter. From a penalty corner Ansley’s drag-flick was met by Hunter’s dive but the deflection flew narrowly over the bar.

Surbiton again went agonisingly close from another penalty corner moments later as Pearne-Webb’s slapped effort flew narrowly of the left hand post and the diving attacker.

Their persistence eventually paid off though as two minutes before the final break Payne put Surbiton into a deserved lead. Quick thinking from Sarah Haycroft saw her take the ball and pass to Payne who with space to move into unleashed a backhand strike past the diving keeper.

The final quarter was a tough battle as Victorya pushed for an equaliser but with the clock running down it looked as though victory was secured for Surbiton. However another crashed ball into the circle was deflected brilliantly into the top corner past the diving Walker to spark wild celebrations to take the game to a shootout.

Haycroft kept her cool to score the opener but misses from Pearne-Webb and Martin while the Victorya takers converted meant that the Belarus side secured victory.

Surbiton's final EuroHockey Club Cup match is against UCD Ladies HC on Sunday morning at 9.30am in the 7th and 8th place play-off match.

Surbiton 2 (1)
Twigg 4'
Payne 43'

Victorya Smolevichi 2 (1)
Litasava 19'
Khmylova 58'

Victorya Smolevichi win 3-2 in shootout*

England Hockey Board Media release

UCD unstuck by Mannheim in London; Town fall to Russians on opening day


Bethany Barr looks on as Mannheimer’s Maxi Pohl celebrates her crucial goal. Pic: Ady Kerry/EHF

UCD produced a sterling performance but came unstuck against Germany’s Mannheimer HC as Maxi Pohl’s deflection six minutes from time took the game away from them in London at the Euro Club Cup.

It means they face a seventh place playoff on Sunday morning against host club Surbiton, one they will need to win to bolster Irish hopes of keeping a place in the top European competition.

In a lively opening, Emma Russell was denied in truly amazing fashion by Lisa Schneider from Katie Mullan’s crash ball. Clodagh Cassin did likewise to keep out Lydia Haase’s rising shot from point blank range before UCD took the lead.

Mullan drove through a couple of tackles in midfield to find space and she picked out Katherine Egan on the left of the circle. The forward turned away from her reverse before firing an open-hand shot to the right post for Sorcha Clarke to touch in a great team goal in the 21st minute.

UCD’s lead lasted just two minutes before Emma Förter equalised for Mannheimer – who featured Megan Frazer in midfield – as she got a touch on a slap from Sonja Zimmerman.

Early in the second half, Maria Tost shot firmly past the left post and there were some anxious moments for the UCD defence, the ball unexpectedly rebounding off the post before being cleared and Mannheim failing to score from four penalty corners. Cassin was in superb form, keeping the game in the balance until the closing minutes.

But Zimmerman again provided the power and Maxi Pohl provided an ankle-breaker of a touch, turning the ball almost 90 degrees in the other direction to leave Cassin stranded.

In the Euro Trophy in Dublin, Monkstown lost 3-0 to Russia’s CSP Krylatskoye in their opener counter as two late goals took the game away from them..

In beautiful evening sunshine, it was a cagey affair for the first quarter. The Russians stepped up the tempo and the pressure in the second quarter and went ahead from the first corner via Bogdana Sadovaia’s perfectly placed drag-flick.

With a player green carded, Monkstown were under pressure with Chirstine Quinlan and Rosie Carrigan working hard in defence and Lizzie Murphy saving well on Krylatskoye‘s next corner.

Monkstown’s tactic of long balls to the circle nearly worked when Catriona McGilp picked up well on the top and then tangled with the keeper and the ball was cleared just before half-time.

A very even third quarter saw Krylatskoye put under pressure by Monkstown who hit the post via McGilp after five minutes and enjoyed more possession. The Russian side earned another corner but it well defended as Murphy made some great saves for Monkstown.

Monkstown had their best spell early in the last quarter but couldn’t find the net; Sadhbh Hoban Logan went closest but her shot was well saved.

Quinlan mopped up off the line from another effort to keep Town in the hunt. Against the run of play with 10 minutes to go, Krylatskoye drew another brilliant stop from Murphy but, from the next play, scored with a near post dive from Alina Khalimova connecting with a cross from Ekaterina Stepanenko.

Monkstown kept pressing and Rachel Moore went close but, in the last two minutes, Krylatskoye got a third from a PC denying Monkstown a losing bonus point, Ekaterina Shaburova.

Earlier, Spain’s Junior FC hammered Lille 7-0 in Monkstown’s group. Ritm Grodno beat Slavia Prague 6-3 while Holcombe were 4-0 winners over Ukraine’s MSC Sumchanka.

EuroHockey Club Cup (all at Surbiton, England)
Friday: UCD 1 (S Clarke) Mannheimer HC 2
Sunday, seventh place playoff: UCD v Surbition, 9.30am

EuroHockey Club Trophy (all at the Merrion Fleet Arena)
Friday: Monkstown 0 Krylatskoye 3
Saturday: Monkstown v Lille (FRA), 2.30pm
Sunday: Monkstown v Junior FC (ESP), 2.30pm

The Hook

Monkstown’s confidence on the rise for Euro Trophy bid


Natalie Esteves has been a key addition. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Hermes-Monkstown coach Gareth Watkins says the confidence gleaned from the closing six weeks of the Irish season will give his side a big boost going into the EuroHockey Club Trophy this weekend on home turf.

They come into the competition following a rough EY Hockey League season, ending in relegation to the Leinster league. It came in the wake of their key attacking trio of Nikki Evans, Anna O’Flanagan and Chloe Watkins taking up contracts in Europe for the season, sheering them of over 60 goals from the previous campaign.

Important heads like Sarah Greene (Australia), Eimear Horan (retired) and Ellen Curran (UCD) also moved on while Sinead Loughran had a season punctuated by injury.

Combined with Suzie Kelly’s midseason move down under, it meant a huge overhaul of the panel and they lost their first seven ties in succession as a wealth of newcomers took time to adjust to the higher level.

Performances have picked up significantly to the back end of the season with a big win over Trinity, a draw with Railway and holding Pegasus, Cork Harlequins and UCD (twice) scoreless for long periods offers encouragement for the Euro campaign.

The arrival of Natalie Esteves from South Africa has given them a boost while goalkeeper Lizzie Murphy has been in sparkling form. Town will be close to full strength Ava Beatty’s foot injury a concern but Courtney Watkins has rejoined the panel following exams.

“Competing in the Euros after the season we have had is less then ideal but the girls have been excellent the last three weeks and embraced the extra sessions and games (the good weather helps!),” coach Watkins told The Hook. “Our level no doubt increased in the last six weeks of the league season so we have to take that into this weekend and ensure we do ourselves justice.

“That has certainly left us more confident, and having a home tournament in front of our club supporters has added another level of excitement and determination to perform.”

They start off their campaign at 5.45pm at the Merrion Fleet Arena against Russia’s Krylatskoye before facing French champions Lille and Spain’s Junior FC on Sunday in the four-team group.

Where they finish in the group will determine who they play in Monday’s crossover. There is no direct promotion via the tournament but a strong showing – in conjunction with UCD’s results – could help Ireland retain its place in the upper levels of European competition for 2019.

It is a tough format with Watkins saying four games in four days is unlike anything his side will have experienced before. They do have nine players involved who were part of the European Cup adventure in 2017 but it is still something of an unknown challenge.

“The B Division, in particular, is always a bit of an unknown quantity with many clubs potentially coming with different squads to those that qualified them.

“There isn’t a huge amount of video out there on our opponents, essentially our focus is very much on the first game against the Russian side. From there, we will have a look at the French and Spanish side in our group, Lille won their league well and have qualified for their playoff finals and Junior have gone well in their league too so they will be tough opponents.”

One key player is Christine Quinlan who has confirmed she will retire after the tournament following a glittering career. She has been one of the driving forces with Hermes and the subsequent merger with Monkstown over the past decade.

“Anyone who has watched our side this year, or indeed the team at any stage of the last 10 or more years will know Chris’ importance to the side. She is a quality defender, a leader and a big personality within the team and the club as a whole, reflected in the fact she has won virtually everything there is to win within the game!

“Chris’ commitment to the team is matched only by her commitment off the pitch to the club, where she is a constant source of energy, ideas, and support.”

As for the club itself, running events like this is a huge undertaking, something that Watkins could not be prouder of as Monkstown host an elite European tournament for the first time.

“We are extremely proud that the club are hosting a European tournament and we have to pay a huge tribute to the organising committee in particular.

“There is a massive amount that goes on behind the scenes in advance of a Euros and we have been very fortunate to have a group of people from right across the club who have come together and worked tirelessly, along with Rathdown School and our sponsors, to ensure we put on a great show this weekend.


Christine Quinlan will hang up her stick following this Euro campaign after a glittering career. Pic: Sinead Hingston

“We have had a lot of firsts in the club over the last decade and hosting a Eurohockey weekend at Rathdown is another big one for us.”

In Surbiton on Thursday, UCD fell to chastening 8-0 defeat to Amsterdam in the European Cup quarter-final, falling behind in under 15 seconds to a Kelly Jonker goal.

Charlotte Vega weighed in with a hat trick while there were also two goals for Maria Verschoor and one from Julia Muller’s corner rebound.

Women’s EuroHockey Club Cup (all at Surbiton)
Quarter-final (Thursday): UCD 0 AH&BC Amsterdam 8 (C Vega 3, M Verschoor 2, K Jonker 2, J Muller)
5th-8th playoffs (Friday): UCD v Mannheimer HC, 4.45pm

Women’s EuroHockey Club Trophy (all at the Merrion Fleet Arena)
Friday: Monkstown vs Krylatskoye (Russia), 5.45pm
Saturday: Monkstown vs Lille (France), 2.30pm
Sunday: Monkstown vs Junior FC (Spain), 2.30pm
Monday: classification matches

** Click here for full schedule

The Hook

Euro victories at Peffermill but narrow defeat for Grange in Vienna

There were victories for Edinburgh University and Clydesdale Western on the opening day of Women’s Club Challenge I at Peffermill, but Grange men narrowly lost their opening match of Men’s EuroHockey Club Trophy in Vienna.

Gintra 2-4 Clydesdale Western

The day got underway at Peffermill when Clydesdale Western won their opening match of Women’s Club Challenge I with a comfortable 4-2 win over Gintra Strekte Uni.

Clydesdale Western looked the stronger team from the outset and took the game to Gintra.

They went two up in the first quarter through two penalty corners. The first was a strike by Susie Gillman that trickled home in a crowded D, and the second was slid low against the backboard at the left post for 2-0 by Jen Eadie.

In the second quarter a third penalty corner was disallowed after it hit the net rather than the backboard but still Western dominated the contest.

In the second half Gintra pulled one back from a penalty corner routine that was deflected high into the net for 2-1. Dovile Kukliene was the scorer.

Western restored their lead when Margery Justice latched onto a loose pass, she fed Millie Brown who set up Lexi Sabatelli to finish across the goalkeeper for 3-1.

A brilliant solo run by Emma McGregor opened up the defence and she scored via a deflection to make it 4-1.

Gintra struck back immediately on a quick break and it was slotted home one-on-one by Kotryna Caikauskaite, but in the end it was a comfortable victory for Western.

Grange 1-2 SC Stroilel Brest

Grange lost their opening match of Men’s EuroHockey Club Trophy in Vienna in a close battle against Stroilel Brest.

Grange started the match well. A Calum McKenzie mazy dribble ended with a flash shot across goal, but he was denied by a good save by the goalkeeper.

It took until the second half for Grange to find a goal and it was McKenzie who provided the strike on 35 minutes.

McKenzie finished after a terrific run from Ali Irvine past two players before playing the ball across the face of goal for McKenzie to score.

Brest equalised right at the end of the third quarter when Yauheni Stsepanets netted to make it 1-1.

In the final quarter it was Brest who snatched victory with a strike by Mikhail Paulovich to make it 2-1 and take the points.

Edinburgh University 3-0 Metrostroy

Edinburgh University won their opening match of Women’s Club Challenge I in a strong performance at Peffermill.

It was good signs from the push back as early in the contest Sam Judge switched the ball to the far post for Hannah McKie who couldn’t convert from close range.

Then Judge herself had an effort cleared off the line after some good work down the right.

The deserved goal for University came with a minute before the end of the first quarter, and it was Scotland internationalist Amy Brodie who converted from close range to make it 1-0.

In the second quarter it went to 2-0 after a lovely penalty corner routine saw a dummy by Judge, pass by McKie and deflection by Brodie to send the ball into the roof of the net.

In the third quarter it went to 3-0 through some clinical finishing by Judge, latching onto a pass from the right to score.

There were late chances for Zara Malseed and Ella Watt but it ended 3-0 and got the students off to a great start in the tournament.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Greensharks eye top spot as hockey league gathers momentum

By AYUMBA AYODI

Greensharks have an opportunity to dislodge champions Kenya Police from the top of the men’s hockey Premier League when they take on Nakuru on Sunday at City Park.

Police, who recovered from a shock 4-3 loss to Greensharks a fortnight ago to edge out Strathmore University 4-2 last weekend, could sink further down if Butali Sugar Warriors beat Parklands also on Sunday at City Park.

Greensharks, second in the league table, have won four matches and drawn once for their tally of 13 points. Police are on 15 points after five wins and a loss.
Butali, who have four wins, are third with 12 points.

Victory for Greensharks will see them top the table with 16 points while Butali will also improve their tally to 15 points and could beat Police to second on superior points difference.

Butali have two matches at hand against early pacesetters, Police.

Despite having beaten Nakuru home and away 4-2 and 1-0 last season, Greensharks’ coach Nixon Nyaganga is a cautious man.

“Everybody is capable of anything if you are to go by this season’s results so far,” said Nyaganga. “You just aim to give your best which may not be enough."

It will be interesting to see how Matthew “Pompo” Kiprono will marshal Greensharks defence as he comes up against his former side Nakuru. Also at Greensharks backline are Daniel Obunyasi and David Kibe.

Nyaganga will bank on Chris Muchwanju and Chris Wokila upfront as they aim to slay the Great Rift side.

Nakuru sweeper Kenneth Alumasa warned Greensharks: “We have made a few key signings to seal any loopholes especially in the midfield.”

Among the players Nakuru have signed for the season are midfielders John Mark and Nelson Ochieng formerly of Bay Club and Police respectively. “We also have youngsters we have trained and moulded and will help us throughout the season,” said Alumasa.

Strathmore University also have an opportunity to dislodge champions Telkom from the top of the women’s Premier league if they are to beat former champions, Sliders on Saturday.

Both Telkom and Strathmore have nine points each from a clean run of three outings but the champions top with superior aggregate.

A fortnight ago, Telkom weathered a poor start as they rallied from 2-0 down to tame Sliders 5-2 while Strathmore’s Gilly Okumu scored a brace to spur her side to a 2-0 victory against Amira Sailors 2-0 all at City Park.

FIXTURES

Saturday

National League-Men: Thika Rovers v Karate Axiom (City Park)-12pm. Bay Club v UON (Kisumu)-3pm

Super League-Men: Kimathi University v Kisumu Youngstars (City Park)-2pm. MSC v TUK (Mombasa)-3pm

Premier League Men: Western Jaguars Strathmore (Kakamega) -3pm

Premier league women: Strathmore v Sliders (City Park)-4pm

Super League-women: Wolverines v Lakers (City Park) 6pm

Sunday

Super League-women: UON v Lakers (City Park)-9am

Super League-Men: Mvita XI v TUK (Mombasa)-9a; Wazalendo Masters v Kisumu Youngstars (City Park)-11am; Parkroad Tigers v Karate Axiom (City Park)-3pm

Premier League Men: Western Jaguars v USIU (Kakamega)-9am; Greensharks v Nakuru (City Park)-1pm; Parklands SC v Butali (City Park)-5pm

Daily Nation

Pakistan and Vanuatu to host Hockey Series Open events



The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has confirmed that hockey will return to Pakistan and Vanuatu with both nations hosting Hockey Series Open events later this year.

For the first time since the 2004 Hockey Champions Trophy in Lahore, Pakistan will host an official FIH event. National teams from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar and Sri Lanka have been invited to take part in the competition which takes place between 25-30 September in Rawalpindi.

"We worked very closely with our Continental Federations to identify hosts that have experience in hosting international hockey competitions and can provide unique exposure for our sport."
Thierry Weil, FIH CEO

Although hosts Pakistan will not be participating due to their involvement in next year's Hockey Pro League, this marks an important step for the Pakistan Hockey Federation as they look to bring more international events to the hockey-obsessed nation.

In Oceania, Vanuatu will host a men's and women's Hockey Series Open in Port Vila between 13-18 August, which will include teams from many of the Pacific Islands. This will be their first FIH event since the 2014 Oceania Youth Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.

Speaking about this news, FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: "We're incredibly excited to be taking the Hockey Series Open to these locations. We worked very closely with our Continental Federations to identify hosts that have experience in hosting international hockey competitions and can provide unique exposure for our sport."

He continued: "Taking hockey back to Pakistan is an indication of their ambition and we have no doubt their passionate hockey fans will relish the opportunity to see live international hockey once again. Vanuatu has also shown great progress over recent years. Awarding them this event is the latest milestone in their development strategy, which reflects all the hard work being undertaking by the Pacific Islands in the Oceania region."

As announced earlier this month, these events will be broadcast through FIH's YouTube channel as part of FIH's commitment to support the sport’s growth at all levels. This will give fans instant access to hundreds of hours of hockey action from all of the Hockey Series Open events taking place between June and September this year.

Confirmed Hosts (as of 16 May)
Gender     Venue     Date
Men & Women     Salamanca (MEX)     5 - 10 June
Men & Women     Singapore (SGP)     23 June - 1 July
Men     Zagreb (CRO)     25 - 30 June
Women     Wattignies (FRA)     6 - 8 July
Men & Women     Port Vila (VAN)     13-18 August
Women     Vilnius, (LIT)     21 – 26 August
Men     Gniezno (POL)     28 August - 2 September
Men     Lousada (POR)     4 - 9 September
Men & Women     Santiago (CHL)     18 – 23 September
Men     Rawalpindi (PAK)     25 - 30 September

About the Hockey Series

The new Hockey Series will provide a qualification route to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Starting with the Hockey Series Open and progressing to the Hockey Series Finals, they will culminate in a series of Olympic Qualification Events with the overall winners guaranteed a place in Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

15 nations will qualify from the Hockey Series Open for one of three Hockey Series Finals.

For more information about the Hockey Series and Olympic qualification, click here.

#HockeySeries2018

FIH site

Head Coach recruitment for Scotland senior women



Scottish Hockey is inviting applicants for the Head Coach position of the Scotland Senior women national team.

Scottish Hockey’s mission is to “inspire involvement in Hockey”. In a performance context, we aim to do this by developing consistently successful Scotland teams and outstanding athletes with medal winning potential for Great Britain at Olympic level. We currently have an exciting opportunity for an inspirational coach to lead our women’s high-performance programme through the four-year cycle, up to and including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.

Working in conjunction with the Head of Performance, the Head Coach will have the support and autonomy to design and deliver a fresh and exciting high-performance programme that maximises the potential of Scotland’s best female hockey athletes.

In order to secure the best possible candidate with the requisite qualities, Scottish Hockey is prepared to exercise flexibility in terms of how the role is delivered. This may be either as a full-time role, or a part time role, revolving around periods of activity linked to the international calendar. Clearly this flexibility is within the context of the successful candidate being able to facilitate and deliver the best possible outcomes for the women’s high-performance programme.

The role requires an innovative and experienced hockey coach with the ability to create an environment that promotes both high performance and high integrity, while developing a winning mentality, culture of continuous improvement, accountability and enjoyment.

Candidates should also have the vision and ability to inspire others, through strong interpersonal and communication skills, while possessing excellent planning, management and organisational skills.

The successful candidate must also have a clear coaching philosophy and methodology, and a detailed understanding of the modern game at international level. This should be allied to a proven track record of working with senior performance athletes and multi-disciplinary support teams, ideally within an international context.

For further information on the role and for details of how to apply, click HERE

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Field Hockey Legend Adele Boyd's $1 Million Gift to Help Fund Improvements to Snell Field

By Ed Moorhouse



Adele Boyd, a member of USA Field Hockey's 1988 Hall of Fame class, passed away on January 27, 2018. Boyd was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team from 1961-67. Beyond her athletic ability, she served as a national umpire, coach, officer and team selector. Her dedication to the game and athletics in general also earned mention and honor in the Ursinus College Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Adele Boyd ’53, a revered Ursinus professor and field hockey coach, bequeathed the funds to the college after she passed away in January.

Boyd was appointed head field hockey coach at Ursinus in 1972, taking over for Eleanor Frost Snell, who led the Bears for nearly 40 years and developed the program into a national powerhouse. Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field is named in her honor.

Boyd’s million-dollar gift is earmarked for a field resurfacing project. The usual replacement timeline for a turf is 10 years, and the playing surface on Snell Field is 13 years old and showing its age. The $1.5 million resurfacing project includes installation of a new AstroTurf 12 field surface. Work is expected to begin during spring 2019, with the renovation complete by the fall 2019 field hockey season.

She also left an additional $150,000, which will serve as a keystone to the next phase of athletic capital projects that will emerge from Ursinus’s campus master planning process over the coming year.

“Adele’s generous gift is a testament to her selflessness and her love and passion for Ursinus and our field hockey program,” says Laura Moliken, director of athletics. “She will forever be part of the great legacy and tradition of women’s sports at the college. Snell Field pays tribute to that legacy, to Eleanor, to the women who compete here, and now, to Adele.”

Boyd’s 17-year career as coach included 16 winning seasons. She took the Bears to three consecutive second-place finishes in the AIAW Tournament during the late 1970s. Her 1983 squad won the Eastern College Athletic Conference title and her teams were consistently nationally ranked in the Top 20, many of them considered to be among the best in the nation.

She was a member of the Philadelphia Association Team from 1953-67. She played on the U.S. Women's National Team from 1959-67, and was captain from 1963-67. She played on touring squads that traveled to Great Britain in 1962, Jamaica in 1964 and Germany in 1967. In addition, she served as a national umpire, officer and team selector for the United States Field Hockey Association.

Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field was dedicated in 2005. Since then, the Ursinus field hockey team won a national championship in 2006, advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four seven times, and has won 11 Centennial Conference championships.

Content courtesy of Ursinus College

USFHA media release