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All the news for Friday 14 September 2018

SOMPO CUP Four Nations Women's Hockey Ibaraki International Tournament (JPN) - Day 2
Osaka (JPN)

Results 13 September

AUS v KOR (RR)     3 - 1
USA v JPN (RR)     0 - 3

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

Kershaw Double All But Seals Hockeyroos’ Final Spot

Ben Somerford



The Hockeyroos have one foot in Sunday’s Four Nations Final after Stephanie Kershaw’s double fired them to a 3-1 win over Korea Republic in Ibaraki on Thursday night.

In a stop-start performance, Australia went ahead through Kershaw’s 18th minute rocket, but Korea drew level five minutes later from Hawa In.

The Hockeyroos responded after half-time with Rosie Malone converting from newcomer Sophie Taylor’s cutback, before Kershaw added the sealer with two minutes to play.

Australia finished with 23-8 circle entries but failed to convert that into a shots on goal dominance (8-7), while they lost the penalty corner count 3-2 too.

The result leaves Australia top of the standings with two wins from two matches, with hosts Japan and USA set to play later tonight.

Australia are next in action on Saturday from 3pm AEST against USA.

Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin said: Paul Gaudoin: “In the first half we struggled to keep the ball. In the second half we made many passes which allowed us to control the game.

"It was pleasing to win and hopefully now make the final."

Second-gamer Naomi Evans shot over early while Sophie Taylor set up Grace Stewart for a chance on the turn which Korea keeper Youbin Choi saved.

Georgina Morgan also forced Choi into a good block from a 13rd minute short corner.

Townsville’s Kershaw, who brought up her 50th cap on Wednesday, broke the deadlock when she unleashed a powerful strike from just inside the circle.

Korea levelled shortly after when Australia switched off as Jeongihn Kim’s scuffed shot was deflected past goalkeeper Ash Wells by Hawa In.

Chances were few and far between either side of the break until Malone finished buried Sophie Taylor’s cutback from the baseline from close range.

Lily Brazel played her part, drifting forward and finding an unmarked Evans inside the D, before she centred for Kershaw to put the icing on the cake with a 58th minute goal.

Australia 3 (Kershaw 18’, 58’, Malone 44’)
Korea Republic 1 (Hawa In 23’)

Hockey Australia media release

Hockeyroos Target Spot In Four Nations Final

Ben Somerford



Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin wants his side to build on their two wins so far in the Four Nations as they aim to secure a spot in the Final when they play the United States on Saturday.

Australia knocked off 14th ranked South Korea 3-1 on Thursday, having defeated hosts Japan 2-0 on Wednesday in Ibaraki, Osaka.

The results have Australia on the brink of a spot in Sunday’s Final, needing to simply avoid a three-goal defeat to the USA to clinch their spot.

The Hockeyroos sits top of the standings with six points from two games with a +3 goal difference, with Japan in second (three points and +1 goal difference) and USA in third (three points and -2 goal difference), with Korea fourth and without a point.

Australia plays USA from 3pm AEST on Saturday and Gaudoin was expecting a physical test.

“We hope to build on our performance from Thursday,” Gaudoin said.

“They’re a very difficult team. They’re a strong physical team.

“It’ll be a tough challenge. All the teams here are good teams.”

Australia have blooded three debutants during the Four Nations with newcomers Sophie Taylor and Naomi Evans both getting assists against Korea, while Hayley Padget scored on her debut against Japan.

Forward Rosie Malone, who capped off Taylor’s good work to score Australia’s second goal against Korea, said the group was developing nicely.

“We’ve got a few new players in the team which is super exciting,” the Burleigh product said.

“For us, being a new group, it’s our first time playing, we’re happy with how we’ve gone.

“We’ve got the two wins but there’s a lot of work to do.”

Malone added the team were determined to finish off well and secure their spot in Sunday’s decider.

“Coming into this tournament our goal was to make it into the final, so hopefully we can have another good performance against the USA and keep building from there,” she said.

All matches are available to be live streamed here: https://sompocup-hockey-ibaraki.com/live/

Hockey Australia media release

USWNT Falls to Japan in Second Sompo Cup Four Nations Women's Ibaraki International Tournament Match



OSAKA, Japan - On a rain-filled evening at the Sompo Cup Four Nations Women’s Ibaraki International Tournament, the U.S. Women's National Team looked to double up in the win column against FIH Hero World Ranked No. 14 Japan. Aggressive play by the host nation put USA on their back foot early in the match, as Japan went on to win 3-0.

"Being down 1-0 early is obviously a set back," said Janneke Schopman, USWNT Head Coach. "It is never easy getting scored on inside 10 seconds. However, we fought hard and created multiple opportunities to score. We weren't able to take our chances and at this level we must take them as Japan did."

Japan took control of the ball to open the game, and quickly stormed upfield. Captain Minami Shimizu entered the circle, passed the ball to Akiho Imao who tipped it in for the 0-1 lead just 14 seconds into the opening quarter. USA looked to shake off the early miscue, but momentum by Japan forced the red, white and blue to make quick decisions as they were pressed early and often on both sides of the field. Kathleen Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.) set up the first scoring attempt for USA moments later, who passed over to Catherine Caro (Martinsville, N.J.) but the ball was just out of reach. On a second circle entry, Mary Beth Barham's (Fairfax, Va.) shot hit a Japan defender foot, setting up USA's first penalty corner of the game. After two shots were denied by the host nation's defense, USA earned a second penalty corner moments later in the 6th minute, but Japan goalkeeper Yuka Yoshikawa made the save to keep USA off the scoreboard. Back the other way, Japan set up for their first penalty corner in the 7th minute but was saved by USA goalkeeper Jess Jecko (Sauquoit, N.Y.). Later in the quarter ,Sharkey fired a hard backhand shot in the 11th minute but was swatted away by Yoshikawa on a quick arm reaction. Japan countered in the final moments of the quarter as USA's defense pushed back to deny circle entry. One final attempt in the quarter saw Shimizu break away from her defender for a wide open shot on goal, but Jecko was there to make the save as the opening frame concluded.

Japan showcased dominant ball control in the second quarter as they applied pressure on USA's defense. While USA matched their opponent play-for-play early on, miscues on clear attempts near the midfield gave Japan more offensive opportunities throughout the half. Sharkey broke the spell, running up the far side of the field but lost momentum just outside the circle against a waiting defensive unit. Japan turned upfield and in the 27th minute doubled up the score. An initial save by Jecko was deflected up above the goal, but Moeka Tsubouchi knocked the ball into the net to extend Japan's lead. USA broke free for two more offensive chances but were stopped as USA saw themselves down 0-2 at the half.

USA goalkeeper Kealsie Robles (Seaford, Va.) entered the second half for USA as Japan threatened in the early moments of the third quarter. In the 35th minute, Shimizu entered the circle but an anticipating Robles charged toward her to block the shot. The ball then bounced to Mai Toriyama as Robles made her second save, which energized USA back the other way. The surge was short lived as Japan intercepted a pass near midfield, setting up a a counter attack that was halted quickly by USA's defense. Moments later, USA set up for another penalty corner. Taken by Anna Dessoye (Mountaintop, Pa.), the shot sailed wide of the near post. Back and forth play ensued as USA was more settled compared to the first half, which helped set up more offensive chances. Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.) was able to thread a pass in front of the Japan goal later in the quarter but was broken up before a friendly stick could set up a tip in attempt. USA was awarded another penalty corner seconds later, which was inserted by Caitlin Van Sickle (Wilmington, Del.) but it was blocked near the top of the circle by Japan. Kanan Mori responded for the host nation by penetrating the circle, but Robles was waiting to make the easy save, which was followed up by two more saves on two penalty corner chances by Japan. In the 44th minute on Japan's third penalty corner of the period, the ball was tipped into the top of the net by Shimizu in front of a stretched out Robles, putting USA at a 0-3 disadvantage.

The final period saw a more composed USA squad that was unable to generate many scoring setups. A penalty corner in the 54th minute nearly put USA on the board as Jill Funk (Lancaster, Pa.) just missed a tip in attempt as Japan forced the ball wide of the goal. Two more penalty corners in the final frame by USA saw similar results as the clock ticked away.

Today's match saw Robles earn her first international cap playing in goal the entire second half for Team USA.

The U.S. Women's National Team will face No. 3 Australia in their third game of the round robin tournament tomorrow, Friday, September 14 at 1 a.m. ET. In the first match today, Australia defeated No. 10 Korea 3-1 to take the lead in the tournament standings.

For more information regarding the Sompo Cup Four Nations Women’s Ibaraki International Tournament, including the full schedule, results, roster, live stream information and more, check out the official event page by clicking here.

#SompoCup

USFHA media release

Quick tally leads Japan past USA Field Hockey, 3-0, at Four Nations Tournament Thursday

DIANA PUGLIESE


Team USA's Nicole Woods, left, and Mary Beth Barham sandwich Chile's Domenica Anaias Cancino on Monday, April 9, 2018. Suzette Wenger

The U.S. women's field hockey team quickly found itself in a hole Thursday morning.

A day after rallying for a 2-1 victory over Korea, Team USA couldn't repeat the feat against Japan. The host nation scored just 14 seconds into the second game of the Four Nations Tournament en route to a 3-0 shutout of the U.S. at Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, Japan.

"Being down 1-0 early is obviously a set back," U.S. coach Janneke Schopman said via a team release. "It is never easy getting scored on inside 10 seconds. However, we fought hard and created multiple opportunities to score. We weren't able to take our chances and at this level we must take them as Japan did."

With the game barely underway, Japan pounced on an opportunity. Minami Shimizu stole the ball away from Ali Froede and sped off from midfield. Nearing the left baseline, Shimizu centered the ball to Akiho Imao, who pushed it across for the 1-0 lead

FIH No. 12 Team USA tried to respond, but saw a pair of corner attempts be sopped by the defense before goalie Yuka Yoshikawa turned away another corner attempt in the sixth minute. U.S. goalie Jess Jecko would stop a Japanese corner a minute later, but Kat Sharkey's transition to the other end was swatted away by Yoshikawa.

Jecko would save another shot with four minutes left in the half, but the ball bounced off her pads and up into the air, where Moeka Tsubouchi batted it into the cage to double the Japanese lead.

Team USA made a change in goal to start the third, bringing in Kealsie Robles, who was promptly tested with a pair of shots. After Robles stopped a pair of Japanese corners, the U.S. tried to take the momentum to the other end.

With four minutes left in the period, Tara Vittese fired a backhander into the circle, but the pass was broken up by No. 14 Japan before reaching the stick of Warwick graduate Alyssa Manley.

Instead, it would be Japan adding another goal in the 44th minute. Working on the squad's third corner of the period, Shimizu tipped the shot up and into the top of the net.

Now down by three, Team USA brought extra pressure in the fourth quarter. The Americans would not be able to crack the scoreboard, however, with their closest call coming on a corner with 6:12 left to play.

Yoshikawa laid out to stop Sharkey's initial shot and block Taylor West from getting her stick out for the deflection. The ball ricocheted over to Jill Funk on the right side, but the former Penn Manor Comets' shot was blocked by the defense and bounced out of bounds.

Team USA will next play No. 3 Australia on Saturday at 1 a.m. The Hockeyroos topped Korea 3-1 on Thursday to improve to 2-0 and take over first place in the standings.

The entire tournament will be streamed live, for free, by the Japan Hockey Association.

Lancaster Online

Malaysia rest six stalwarts for Darwin Open

By Jugjet Singh



KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will rest six regulars for the Darwin International which will be held on Sept 18-22 at the Marrara Hockey Stadium in Australia.

The tournament will also see world No 1 Australia, No 2 Argentina and Asian Games champions Japan in action.

And the six who replaced the stalwarts are goalkeepeer Hafizuddin Othman, Najib Hassan, Ashran Hamsani, Ramadan Rosli, Haziq Samsul and Norsyafiq Sumantri.

The tournament will also see coach Stephen van Huizen opting out, as he will be attending to a family member's medical situation.

Amin Rahim will be the chief coach, assisted by Nasihin Nubli and Technical Director Terry Walsh.

The six who will stay back and undergo rehabilitation are Sukri Abdul Mutalib, Faizal Saari, Marhan Jalil, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Nabil Fiqri and S. Kumar.

Amin, a former international, took up the challenge with an open heart.

"The six were left out because some of them are carrying injuries after the Asian Games, while some were rested ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy in Oman and the World Cup.

"Looking at the silver lining, this is a good chance for the six fringe players to fight for a spot in the national team in a high-octane International Friendly," said Amin.

MALAYSIA: Hairi Rahman, Hafizuddin Othman, Razie Rahim (skipper), Syed Syafiq Cholan, Azri Hassan, Faiz Helmi Jali, Najib Abu Hassan,
Meor Azuan Hassan, Fitri Saari, Joel Samuel Van Huizen, Ashran Hamsani, Amirol Aideed Arshad, Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi, Ramadan Rosli,
Firhan Ashari, Shahril Saabah, Haziq Samsul, Norsyafiq Sumantri.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

Gareth Kidd Appointed Green Machine Manager

Gareth Kidd has been appointed Manager of Ireland's Green Machine as an exciting phase leading up to the World Cup is under way.

Speaking about the appointment, Gareth said “I am extremely proud and privileged to be offered this role and wish to thank Hockey Ireland and the High Performance Director Adam Grainger for the approach. I now look forward to working with all the staff and players as we prepare for the upcoming World Cup and beyond.

Without the support of the school, in particular our Principal Mrs Deborah O’Hare and the Board of Governors, this fantastic opportunity would not have been possible and I convey my sincere thanks to all at Wallace for their support.”

Wallace Principal Deborah O'Hare commented "I am pleased and proud to confirm that Gareth Kidd, PE teacher and Head of Boys’ Hockey in Wallace, is combining his teaching and coaching role at Wallace with the prestigious role of Ireland Hockey Senior Men’s Manager. The Senior men’s side is made up of a number of former Wallace players so Gareth’s pastoral and coaching expertise will add undoubted value to the newly formed Ireland coaching team.

I see this as the beginning of a very productive relationship with Hockey Ireland in light of not only our school’s significant talent pool but our newly built elite Strength and Conditioning facilities and the high quality Wallace pitch. Gareth has seen much success as a Coach in Wallace with recent wins in the Schools’ competitions at all levels. His meticulous organisation and passion for the game will be invaluable as the men’s team prepares for the World Championships in November in India and Olympic qualification in 2019."

"We are delighted to have Gareth join our team and his experience will prove invaluable at a very exciting time for the senior men. We'd like to thank Wallace and in particular Deborah O'Hare for their help in making this come to fruition" concluded Hockey Ireland High Performance Director Adam Grainger.

Irish Hockey Association media release

Carla Rebecchi returns to Argentina hockey ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympics

By The Hockey Paper



The lure of playing in the famous Las Leonas shirt has proved too great for Carla Rebecchi.

The Argentinian has returned to the national squad, 18 months after retiring from the game – and six months after becoming a mother and starting a family.

Rebecchi, 33, will now aim to make the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and become a key cog alongside Delfina Merino in coach Agustín Corradini’s youthful squad after their seventh place finish at the recent Women’s World Cup.

Rebecchi originally retired at the beginning of 2017 after 14 seasons playing at the top level of the game.

But Corradini has clearly proved instrumental in Rebecchi’s return to the Las Leonas squad last week.

She told Argentine media: “The call of Agustín came after the World Cup, talking about the project from here to the Olympic Games of Tokyo 2020.

“What excited me most to make the decision, beyond obviously wearing the Argentine shirt, is to have another opportunity at this moment.

“I think it adds a lot to me that it’s a young team, that I see a lot of talent in the players, I would like it as a dream and aim to be able to play another Olympic Games.”

To date, she has played three World Cups, having captured gold in 2010 after winning best junior at the 2006 edition. At the Olympics, she won bronze at Beijin 2008 and silver at London 2012.

The temptation of trying to win a first gold at Tokyo 2020 has clearly proved too great.

Rebecchi will now be aiming to win a place in the Argentina squad for the final Champions Trophy tournament in China ahead of next year’s Pro League launch.

The Hockey Paper

Retiring Sardar leaves behind an inexperienced midfield

Indervir Grewal


Sardar Singh strikes a cheery pose after announcing retirement. Photo: Manoj Mahajan

Sardar Singh says that not being named in the core group had nothing to do with his decision to retire. He had already had discussions with the players, coaching staff and federation after the Asian Games, and he came to the decision after “speaking with his family”. Sardar said that he had played enough hockey. But at the mention of the timing of his retirement, so close to the World Cup, especially as the midfield has been criticised for being unsettled and inexperienced, the 32-year-old’s face betrayed his unanimated demeanour for a moment. He nodded in agreement, suggesting that he thought the team still needed his experience.

Sardar’s retirement was a long time coming. The 2016 Olympics would have been the perfect time. But even though he was past his prime at that point, he persisted, and despite being dropped in 2017 and earlier this year, he made a return.

Even after announcing his retirement, the former India captain refuses to accept that he could no longer fit in the national team. He said he was fit enough to play for two more years, and at the Asian Games, expressed his desire to play in his third Olympics, at the 2020 Tokyo Games. But his exclusion from the core group yesterday, three months before the World Cup, was a clear indication from the team management and Hockey India that he would not make another comeback.

Young at centre

The timing of the decision and the dilly-dallying on the federation’s part is questionable, though. In hockey, nations always plan in cycles — from one Olympic Games to the next, and from a World Cup to the next. Therefore, it is surprising to see HI exclude Sardar right before the World Cup, especially as they let him go on after the Rio Olympics. Sardar’s position in the team was first questioned in early 2016, when Roelant Oltmans said Sardar was holding up play in the midfield. Sardar’s role in the team had never been settled — some coaches used him as the sweeper-back, while others played him in the midfield. But Oltmans’ decision to take him to Rio as a forward suggested Sardar’s usefulness on the field had become very limited. However, his experience was vital for the team; and going into the World Cup, experience, or the lack of it, in the midfield will be vital.

Little experience

In the core group announced on Wednesday, Manpreet Singh (with over 225 caps), Kothajit Singh and Chinglensana Singh (both over 180 caps) are the most experienced midfielders. Surender Kumar has almost 100 caps. But Surender and Kothajit are defensive midfielders. All the rest have played less than 40 matches each.

 It’s a cause of concern. At the Asian Games, it was India’s midfield that failed to control the match against Malaysia. The same was the case at the Commonwealth Games. Sardar played in the Asian Games but his role in the midfield was very limited. This had been the case since the 2016 Olympics. But if he was retained only for his experience, then HI should have used Sardar to nurture younger players. Youngsters, including the members of the Junior World Cup team, should have been given international exposure, at smaller tournaments in the beginning. But the constant firing of coaches has built fear; and instead of nurturing future players, most coaches in the last decade have been more concerned about results.

Instead of trying out youngsters, coaches usually fell back on players who had been tested earlier and had some experience. But many of these players had little potential and are not part the core group now. There are many in the core group who made their debuts either late last year or early this year. On the other hand, Sardar played almost 60 matches since the Olympics. And he doesn't find his name in that list.

Right intent

High performance director David John and former coach Sjoerd Marijne had tried widening the pool by bringing in more youngsters. 

But the fourth-place finish in CWG, where Marijne had taken a young team without Sardar, led to the Dutchman’s removal. Harendra Singh brought Sardar back again, but after just two tournaments, excluded him again. Ironically, Sardar praised Marijne’s intentions on Thursday. “You see when I missed CWG, that time the new coaches had said that everyone from the 33-member core group would get a chance, and after that the best players would be taken to major tournaments. I think their thought process was right,” Sardar said. “But now the new players we have, they were given chance in the World League (last December) and CWG,” he added.

But it is a case of too little too late. Olympics bronze medallist Col. Balbir Singh said that it was unfair to expect great performances at a World Cup from players who have only played 10 or 20 matches. Sardar said there was only one option left now. “The responsibility is on the seniors. They should spend as much time as possible with the youngsters off the field. This is the only option now,” Sardar said.

The Tribune

Would like to coach European club teams, says retired Indian hockey legend Sardar Singh


Sardar Singh , AFP

Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh, who called time on his international career, is planning to coach premier European club teams in near future.

"After taking permission from Hockey India and Haryana government, I will start coaching. I am planning to work with clubs in premier European leagues," Sardar, who has played in Dutch and German leagues, told mediapersons on Thursday.

While there has been a demand for foreign coaches in Indian hockey, Sardar admitted that communication is a problem as not every player is fluent in English.

"Definitely, communication gap does exist at times. During a match, the two-minute break after each quarter is very crucial for he players and during this time, the coach is to explain about his analysis of the game. When he (foreign coach) speaks in English, usually there not much time left for translation," Sardar explained the practical difficulty.

Having confirmed his retirement on Wednesday, Sardar reiterated that he has not been forced into retirement by anyone but admitted that the semi-final loss to Malaysia at the Asian Games was a trigger.

"I had initially thought to play till 2020 Tokyo Games with the kind of fitness I have. But after losing this match (semi-final in Asian games), I talked to coaches and senior players and then I consulted my family members and decided on retirement. It was a tough call but it comes in every player's life," Sardar said.

Asked about team's semi-final loss at the Asiad, Sardar said:"Before going for the tournament (Asian Games), all players knew that this tournament was very important for them. We knew that semi-final was very important for us.

But that particular day, we did not play up to the level at which started the tournament. We played poor hockey during dying moments of the game and it cost us dearly." "No team or player wants to lose but it can happen with the best also. Lionel Messi has also missed spot-kicks," said Sardar.

Daily News & Analysis

Murugappa Gold Cup hockey: IOC, PSB in drawn match

Indian Railways will meet Punjab & Sind Bank while IOC will clash with Indian Army in the semifinals on Friday.

Samarnath Soory


Affan Yusuf of IOC in action with Gursewak Singh of Punjab and Sind Bank at the 92nd All India MCC Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament, in Chennai on September 13, 2018. Photo Credit: R. RAVINDRAN

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB) despite playing out a 2-2 draw qualified for the semifinals from Pool B at the cost of Indian Navy on day eight, of the Murugappa Gold Cup hockey tournament in Chennai on Thursday.

In a do-or-die clash against Central Secretariat (CSE) on Thursday, Indian Railways eased to a 3-1 victory to enter the last four of the tournament alongside Indian Army XI in Pool A.

Both PSB and IOC started by making inroads into the opposition circle, but PSB took the lead in the 12th minute through Ashish Kumar Sharma’s finish from close range.

IOC won five penalty corners in the entire first half hour, but PSB goalkeeper Guriqbal Singh guessed right every time to keep his team in the lead. However, Indian international Affan Yusuf hit the equaliser for IOC in the 33rd minute when he deflected Talwinder Singh’s pass from the baseline into the net.

IOC started the second half strongly by winning three more corners, but failed to convert. IOC took a 2-1 lead in the 54th minute, when Bharath Chikara finished at the near post. In the 61st minute, Gaganpreet Singh’s fierce dragflick made it 2-2 to ensure PSB’s progression to the semis.

In the first match of the day, Railways took a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute, when Harsahib Singh unleashed a powerful reverse hit from the edge of the circle. CSE launched several attacks from the wings, but Railways’ defence held its lines.

Mohit Kumar equalised for CSE in the 37th minute when scored from a rebound off defender Karan Pal Singh’s stick. But three minutes later, Railways took the lead when Ajmer Singh scored off a rebound from the CSE keeper.

Railways stretched its lead further in the 44th minute when the umpire awarded a penalty stroke for a stick check inside the area and Karan Pal converted from the spot. With the 3-1 win, Railways finished top of Pool A and will face Punjab and Sind Bank in the semifinal on Saturday.

Results Day 8:

Indian Railways (Harsahib Singh 17’, Ajmer Singh 40’, Karan Pal Singh 44’) beat Central Secretariat (Mohit Kumar 37’)

IOC (Affan Yusuf 33’, Bharath Chikara 54’) drew Punjab and Sind Bank (Ashish Kumar Sharma 12’, Gaganpreet Singh 61’)

Semifinal Schedule (Saturday):

Indian Railways vs Punjab and Sind Bank (4:00 pm)
IOC vs Indian Army XI (6:15 pm)

The Hindu

North Harbour Men make a statement in early Ford NHL games



The final pre-Wellington Ford NHL game took place last night with the Tiger Turf North Harbour men making a statement against Bayleys Midlands.

The two men’s teams who have already played Auckland met at Albany on Thursday night when Tiger Turf North Harbour made full use of their home advantage to overrun Bayleys Midlands by an extraordinary 10 goals to 2.  No fewer than eight players scored with five goals coming in the final quarter.

At half-time there was scarcely a hint of the rout to follow after Steven Edwards in the fifth minute and Cory Bennet from a penalty corner in the seventh had given Harbour an early lead, the only other first half scoring was by young Connor Greentree on the stroke of half-time.

Benji Edwards made it 4-0 from a penalty corner just after the break but Mark Weber quickly replied in the same manner to open Midlands’ account.  Robbie Capizzi then took it to 5-1 with 15 minutes to play.  Those minutes were full of action as Harbour doubled their score, with Midlands’ only reply coming from Don Scanlon. Capizzi and Steven Edwards grabbed doubles as North Harbour sent a clear message to the other teams that the defending champions are well set to go back-to-back.

Tiger Turf North Harbour 10 (Robbie Capizzi 2, Steven Edwards 2, Cory Bennett, Conner Greentree, Benji Edwards, Ken Hendricks, Warren Wild, Kalyan Jeram) Bayleys Midlands 2 (Mark Weber, Dan Scanlon) HT 3-0.

All Ford NHL action will continue tomorrow at the National Hockey Stadium in Wellington.

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Thundersticks & Diamonds Ready To Shine In AHL

Ben Somerford



The WA Diamonds and Thundersticks are the latest teams to confirm their squads for the 2018 Australian Hockey League (AHL) with youth given an opportunity amid a raft of injuries.

WA missed the semi-finals in both the women’s and men’s AHLs last year, finishing fifth in both divisions on home turf.

This year’s AHL draw means the Diamonds and Thundersticks will only enjoy one game in the familiar surrounds of Perth during the rounds – on Saturday 20 October against Northern Territory - before the finals on the Gold Coast.

But the Diamonds have a bigger challenge, which coach Jeremy Davy explained.

“With Georgia Wilson, Kate Denning, Jacqui Day and Karri Somerville all unavailable this season due to long term injuries, this has provided the emerging talent in WA the opportunity to have their first taste of playing AHL for their home state,” he said.

“We have some exciting prospects coming through our development pathway that are highly skilled and physically very good so it will be great to see these girls take the next step in their playing careers.”

Among the sparkling talent in the Diamonds are five players who’ve been included in Hockey Australia’s Under-23 Development Tour of China immediately after the AHL.

“To add to our senior players we also have a strong mix of talented players playing in their third or fourth AHL with Aleisha Power, Candyce Peacock, Pippa Morgan and Annie Gibbs providing a good connection between our senior players and those making their WA debut,” Davy said.

Jemma Buckley will skipper the side, while Hockeyroos poacher Kathryn Slttery and last year’s equal top scorer Penny Squibb offer goal threat.



The Thundersticks don’t have nearly as many problems, although forward Trent Mitton is out with an Achilles concern and Tom Wickham will miss Australia’s Darwin International Hockey Open next week due to injury.

WA may boast a number of Kookaburras in their ranks, but like a few other teams, face the issue of the Sultan of Johor Cup and October national training camp ahead of the World Cup which will deny them key players.

Thundersticks coach Chris O’Reilly said: “With Australian Senior and Junior commitments that will impact on the first 3 rounds of AHL, all 22 athletes should get the chance to play for the Thundersticks this year.

“We still believe that the balance in the team that we have selected can overcome these factors for the best opportunity for success.”

Experienced pair Graeme Begbie and Tim Geers are back, while Jason Gabriel returns after more than a decade out of the state team.

Both coaches acknowledged the new format, which will see round matches over three weekends, before the finals on the Gold Coast, brought new challenges, along with the rule modifications.

“The new format is providing a number of challenges in the way the momentum of the game can change so quickly, as well as the physical aspect of playing with a smaller group,” Davy said.

“So we are learning each time we play about how to manage the varying scenarios.

“Travelling on three of the four weekends will be an interesting challenge in itself, along with facing very difficult opponents in each of those rounds during the home and away section of the event.”

WA’s campaign begins away to SA on Sunday 7 October in Adelaide.

Tickets are available now. Go to www.hockey.org.au/AHL2018 for state-by-state ticket info.

WA Thundersticks

Tim Geers, Graeme Begbie, Frazer Gerrard, Marshall Roberts, Tyler Lovell (gk), Coby Green, Tom Wickham, Jake Harvie, Liam Flynn, Bryn De Bes, Aran Zalewski, Trent Mitton, James Richardson (gk), Matthew Fisher, Alec Rasmussen, Joseph Kenny, Daniel Robertson, Brandon Gibbs, Dane Gavranich, Brayden King, Joshua Bowen, Will Byas

Coach: Chris O’Reilly

WA Diamonds

Phillipa Morgan, Candyce Peacock, Jemma Buckley (c), Shanea Tonkin, Penny Squibb, Kathryn Slattery, Rachel Frusher, Roos Broek, Caitlin Pascov, Annie Gibbs, Aleisha Power (gk), Renee Rockliff, Line Malan, Erin Judd, Sienna Archer, Sara Foster, Danielle Bestall, Sage Rogers-Uff

Coach: Jeremy Davy

Hockey Australia media release

Cookstown welcome Holcombe and Pembroke for Cheevers tournament


Cookstown’s Keith Black on the attack last season against Railway Union. Pic: Adrian Boehm

There will be a festival of hockey at Cookstown this weekend as some of the best teams in Ireland and England come to Steelweld Park to compete for the annual Nigel Cheevers Memorial Trophy.

The Reds will take on Pembroke Wanderers at 2.30pm on Saturday before the Dubliners lock horns with English Hockey League outfit, Holcombe under the lights at Steelweld Park at 6.30pm. Cookstown and Holcombe will round out the tournament on Sunday at 1pm.

“This really promises to be an excellent weekend of hockey at Cookstown,” said Reds full back Danny Kerr. “We are all really looking forward to the matches and the challenge that both sides will bring. We are so proud that teams of their calibre still enjoy making the trip to County Tyrone for this tournament.”

Kent team Holcombe count former Cookstown player and current Great Britain international David Ames amongst their number as well as Barry Middleton and George Pinner. They will be looking to claim the coveted pre-season competition title for the second time.

Pembroke finished the EYHL regular season in fourth place last time out and were beaten in their Champion’s Trophy semi-final by league champions, Glenanne. Their main man was goalscorer Alan Sothern, who is now with La Gantoise in Belgium, while their star goalkeeper, Mark Ingram, is with Rotterdam in The Netherlands.

“Both Pembroke and Holcombe are fantastic teams and have some really outstanding players,” Kerr continued. “We will look to take all the positives out of our performances and hopefully have plenty of things to work after playing them.

“We really would like to start this season on the right foot and get a few points on the board as quickly as possible. We’ve had a really good pre-season and worked on a lot of aspects of gameplay that were maybe a bit lacking last season.

In addition to the senior men’s games, Cookstown Ladies will be playing a Cookstown Legends team at 4pm on Saturday while there will also be competitive action with Cookstown II taking on Lisnagarvey II and Cookstown IV up against Kilkeel III in their respective league cup competitions.

The event will be capped with a barbecue for all the players and supporters in Cookstown Hockey Club on Molesworth Street on Saturday evening.

FIXTURES

Saturday, September 15th

Cookstown II v Lisnagarvey II 1pm
Queen’s University II v Cookstown III 1pm
Cookstown v Pembroke 2.30pm
Cookstown IV v Kilkeel III 4pm
Cookstown Ladies v Ladies Legends 4pm
Pembroke v Holcombe 6.30pm

Sunday, September 16th

Cookstown v Holcombe 1pm

The Hook

Scottish National League 1 full card this weekend


28 October 2017 at The National Hockey Centre, Glasgow Green. Scottish National Division 1 game Kelburne v Western Wildcats -Photo by Duncan Gray

For the first time this season there is a full card of matches in both the men`s and women`s National League 1 with several sides in both competitions getting off the mark.

With the men`s campaign barely underway, it is difficult to assess who will emerge as title contenders, especially with the normal movement of players between clubs.

On paper the game of the day is at Auchenhowie where Western Wildcats entertain Kelburne.

Kelburne`s 13 year monopoly of the title came to an end last season as the Paisley side lost out to Grange for the title, meanwhile Wildcats are certainly a team on the rise.

Will the end of an era continue? Perhaps Saturday`s confrontation with Wildcats could provide that early indicator.

Last season the Paisley outfit completed the double over Wildcats with 2-0 and 4-1 victories in the league.

However, it looks as if coach Harry Dunlop is building a new side at Auchenhowie that could compete more forcefully for honours this season. And Dunlop has the benefit of three of his young charges making the Scotland team – Rob Harwood, Hamish Galt and Joe McConnell were all in the senior squad that finished second in the Hockey Series Open in Portugal.

Dunlop has confirmed to the addition of a Welsh and an Egyptian senior international for this season, and said: “So it`s quite a mixed bag of players joining us.”

On the coming season Dunlop maintained: “Our ambitions have for the last three years been to finish in the top four and compete in the European play offs.

“However this year our target is to finish in the top two and win one of the European tickets. I believe this year we have the team to achieve this.”

If the Wildcats are to make a real mark in this season`s campaign, then the three points against Kelburne is a must for Dunlop`s pack. On the game itself Dunlop remarked: “The first match against Kelburne will without doubt be a tough one, and one which could set the tone for the full season, so both sides will be producing their best hockey, both needing a good start and points on the board.

Last season Grange put eleven goals past Clydesdale on their way to their championship triumph, will it be as easy as that on Saturday at Titwood? Certainly the Edinburgh side have made a strong start to the campaign, six goals past Gordonians with Frank Ryan on a hat-trick sounds impressive. Further, foreign imports Clemens Rusnjak from Austria and Aussie Dylan Bean also made a scoring impact on their debuts in Grange colours.

In contrast, Clydesdale were disappointed after being held to a 1-1 draw by Hillhead. So perhaps everything points to another Grange victory, but it does not always work out that way.

Another Aussie Brad Hughes also set out his stall with four second half goals for Uddingston against Watsonians, similar lethal striking could make life difficult for Hillhead on Saturday at Anniesland. However, there was not such good news for the Lanarkshire side in the equivalent fixture last season, it was a hat-trick by Graeme Campbell that led the way for a 4-0 win for the home side.

If Grove Menzieshill have aspirations of another top four finish, then three points away to Watsonians would be a useful starter. However, the Taysiders will have to do it without the services of Scotland international Gavin Byers, he has moved to Germany to play for HTC Uhlenhorst this season.

Despite that loss the Taysiders will have the services of Aidan McQuade and Cameron Golden, fresh from their heroic exploits with Scotland in Lousada. The latter in particular demonstrated that he can score goals and upset defences at international level, his lethal finishing amassed six goals and picked up the Best Player of the tournament award. So defences in Scotland will have to pay special attention to the new Scotland striker.

Edinburgh University at the start of the season normally have several new faces to contend with, and it takes time for coach Graham Moodie to gel his charges into an efficient force, so this could be Gordonians chance to take something from their first home match in the top flight in this weekend’s full card.


Photo by Mark Pugh

The full card continues in Women’s National League 1.

Edinburgh University retained the women`s National league 1 championship last season, but in many respects it was Watsonians that caught the eye with their second half of the season rise from the relegation zone to fourth place in the table.

The issue now is, can this success be sustained this season?

This is what coach Keith Smith had to say: “We were pretty rusty against Hillhead last weekend, but we got the job done, so hopefully we’ve learned that ability from our run last year. We’re missing a few players through injury and work commitments at the moment, and with so many new players joining too it’s going to take time for us to get comfortable with each other on the pitch.”

The Edinburgh side started off well enough with a 3-1 win over Hillhead, but in this weekend’s full card it is Grove Menzieshill that come calling at Tipperlinn.

The Taysiders finished third in the league last season, but were one of the victims of Watsonians fantastic run of form, goals from Olivia Bell and Heather Tait provided the 2-0 victory that day.

However, there have been several changes in the Watsonians line-up from last season with the loss of Ellie Wilson, Lorna Crawford, Ruth Moffett and Daniele Johnston.

In compensation, the Edinburgh club have attracted Scotland player Lucy Lanigan from Clydesdale Western, Cat McLellan returns after four years at Durham University along with Morven Cawthorn, Rhona Gowans and Ellie MacKenzie from CALA, Edinburgh University and Grange respectively.

On this season`s targets, Smith said: “Our aim each season has always been to improve on the previous year’s finish and this season is no different. The main thing is to be in the mix for the top four playoffs come April, and if we can top last year’s league placing along the way then that would be a fantastic achievement. It won’t be easy, but the girls are up for the challenge.”

So can Watsonians repeat last season`s triumph over Grove Menzieshill? Smith said: “It sounds like they’re also going through a transition in terms of their squad too, so it’ll be an interesting match-up. They’ve still got lots of quality throughout the team though; it will probably come down to which side is able to gel quickest.”

Grove Menzieshill have had a mixed start to their campaign, a 3-1 reversal against rivals Dundee Wanderers was followed by a 3-0 win over newly promoted Glasgow University.

Edinburgh University certainly do not have the easiest start to their defence with a trip to Tayside to face what seems to be a revitalised Dundee Wanderers outfit. The latter were somewhat inconsistent last season but have started off this campaign with victories over Grove Menzieshill and Hillhead with Heather Elder and Charlotte Watson making the early running in front of goal.

Elsewhere in the full card, both Wildcats and Clydesdale Western will hope to take the three points from GHK and Grange respectively, although GHK already have a victory over Grange under their belt.

The final game in the full card brings together neighbours Hillhead and Glasgow University, both pointless at the moment, but one or both are bound to pick up their first points of the season.

With a full card of fixtures there’s sure to be some great results across the leagues.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Medal game and Semi-Final match tickets on sale now!



To mark 75 days until the event begins, tickets for the upcoming Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 medal games and Semi-Finals are now on sale.

Tickets to these key fixtures can be purchased from www.ticketgenie.in via a secure online payment service.

Priced between 150-250 Rupees, fans looking to witness these penultimate games taking place on 15-16 December can secure their seats in the North, East and South stands.

With this latest release, tickets for all matches are now available, with 18 days of fast-paced, action-packed, world-class hockey scheduled between 28 November and 16 December at the recently refurbished Kalinga Stadium.

With tickets to the medal games and Semi-Finals set to be hot property, fans are being encouraged to buy early and not miss out on witnessing the best men’s teams in the world, live in India.

News about this event is regularly updated on the official Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 website on worldcup2018.hockey/men, whilst other updates are regularly posted via FIH Twitter, Facebook  and Instagram.

Ticket Information

• Official Ticket website for General Sale: www.ticketgenie.in
• Helpline: +91 804 115 0910 or +91 821 739 5364
• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

#HWC2018

FIH site

Weekend College Games

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

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

DI: No. 9 Boston College vs. No. 8 Louisville | 6:00 p.m. ET
This Friday night lights match-up between Top-15 ranked teams will be the game to watch in Division I field hockey on Friday when Louisville hosts Boston College in Louisville, Ky. Louisville split last weekend's games losing 1-3 to North Carolina on Friday but then winning 2-1 in overtime to California, Berkeley on Sunday. After the weekend, the Cardinals improved to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play and will be looking to get their first ACC win against Boston College this weekend. Boston College is coming off a big weekend in which they earned back-to-back wins over Top-25 ranked opponents. Boston College defeated Wake Forest 4-3 on Friday and Albany 1-0 on Sunday. The two wins gave the Eagles a 3-2 overall record and 1-0 in ACC play. Boston College will look to remain undefeated in ACC play by getting a big win against higher ranked ACC foe Louisville.

DII: Bentley vs. Southern Connecticut State | 5 p.m. ET
Bentley will host Southern Connecticut State in Waltham, Mass. on Friday. Bentley is coming off a back-to-back win weekend. On Saturday, they defeated LIU Post 4-3 in a thrilling overtime match and then went on to defeat Molloy 1-0 on Sunday. The wins improved the Falcons to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The latest win stretched their road winning streak to four. Southern Connecticut suffered its third straight loss of the season to Mansfield University last Sunday, 1-4, dropping them to 0-3 overall this season. The Owls will look to earn their first win of the 2018 season when they take on Bentley this Friday. Last year, Bentley defeated Southern Connecticut 3-2 in penalty strokes. The game was a back and forth battle that came down to the wire so expect this Friday's game to be just as thrilling!

DIII: Centre vs. Transylvania | 7:00 p.m. ET
Centre will host Transylvania in Danville, Ky. this Friday. Centre avenged a 2-0 loss at DePauw from last season to earn their first win of the 2018 season, defeating them 5-3 after scoring 3 second half goals. With the win, the Colonels move to 1-2 overall. Centre will look to have another surge of goals to defeat Transylvania this weekend. Transylvania had both ups and downs last weekend defeating Oberlin 1-0 in double overtime on Saturday but then falling to Wooster 0-9 on Sunday. The loss dropped Transylvania to 1-3 overall. This will be a great match-up to watch because both of these teams are evenly matched and it is also an in-state rivalry!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15



DI: Central Michigan vs. Longwood | 11:00 a.m. ET
Central Michigan will host Longwood this Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Mich. in a Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) match-up. Central Michigan will look to turn its 2018 season around with a win against Longwood after coming off a five-game losing streak. The Chippewas had a tough weekend in which they loss in overtime 2-4 to Saint Francis on Friday and 0-8 to No. 23 Stanford on Sunday. The consecutive losses dropped them to 1-6 overall. On the other hand, Longwood is coming off back-to-back wins against California, Davis and La Salle this past week. The Lancers defeated UC Davis 3-0 and then went on to defeat La Salle in overtime 2-1. The wins improved Longwood to 3-1 overall, with their only loss coming against No. 7 Virginia. Tune into see if Central Michigan can end their losing streak or if Longwood will continue their winning momentum.

DII: Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) vs. No. 6 West Chester | 1:00 p.m. ET
IUP will host West Chester in Indiana, Pa. this Saturday. IUP fell 1-2 to Bellarmine during opening weekend for the 2018 season. The Crimson Hawks were the first to score but Bellarmine came back strong scoring back-to-back goals in the second half to secure the win. IUP rebounded on Monday to earn an exciting 4-3 double-overtime victory over Mercyhurst. Similar, after losing their opening game 1-2 to Stonehill on Saturday, Wester Chester was able to recover and defeat Bentley University 8-3 on Monday. Wester Chester showed up ready to play scoring just under five minutes into the contest. The last time these two teams played was in 2017 with West Chester defeating IUP 7-1.

DIII: York vs. Albright | 12:00 p.m. ET
York College of Pennsylvania will host Albright in York, Pa. this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET. York is coming off a close 1-2 loss to Shenandoah this past weekend. After a scoreless back-and-forth first half, York scored first in the 50th minute but the Hornets scored back-to-back goals less than 3 minutes apart to come away with the victory. The loss dropped York to 1-2 overall this season. Albright is also coming off a loss after falling 0-5 to No. 3 The College of New Jersey this past Sunday. After winning their opening game, this loss was their third straight for The Lions before winning yesterday against Wesley 3-1. to move to 2-3 overall this season. The last time these two teams played, York won 6-1. Tune into see which team can come away with their second win of the season.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16



DI: Massachusetts vs. No. 18 Harvard | 1:00 p.m. ET
UMass will host Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. this Sunday. UMass has had a roller coaster season so far alternating from winning and losing. The Minutewomen are coming off a tough weekend in which they loss to both No. 2 Connecticut 3-8 on Friday and Dartmouth 3-4 on Sunday. UMass mounted a furious second half rally to comeback and battle Dartmouth until the very end. Even though the Minutewomen didn’t win, they gained confidence in their ability to respond and fight until the very end. The loss dropped UMass to 2-4 overall this season. Harvard started off the 2018 season strong with back-to-back wins but the Crimson gave up their first loss 1-3 to No. 3 Maryland this past Sunday. The loss was the first time this season that Harvard has been outshot. The loss dropped the Crimson to 3-1 overall this season as they look to get back on track with a win over UMass this weekend.

DII: Franklin Pierce vs. No. 6 Merrimack | 4:00 p.m. ET
Franklin Pierce will host Merrimack in Rindge, N.H. this Sunday. Franklin Pierce opened the season with two wins but were handed their first loss last Saturday when they fell 2-3 to Lindenwood. With the loss, the Ravens fall to 2-1 overall this season. The loss was a tale of two halves with Franklin Pierce falling behind in the first but battling back strong in the second. Despite the loss, Franklin Pierce scored with just 61 seconds left in the game to minimize the deficit to 2-1 as they look to string together a full 70 minute game when they take on Merrimack this weekend. Franklin Pierce is also coming off a 2-1 victory Wednesday night on the road against Saint Michael's. Merrimack meanwhile went 1-1 this weekend losing 2-3 to No. 2 East Stroudsburg on Saturday and then bouncing back to defeat Limestone 4-1 on Sunday. The Warriors started the game strong by out shooting Limestone 25-14 and recorded 26 corners. The win improved Merrimack to 2-1 overall this season as they look to have another strong offensive performance against Franklin Pierce.

DIII: Earlham vs. Kenyon | 12:00 p.m. ET
Kenyon will host Earlham in Gambier, Ohio this Sunday. Earlham recovered after back-to-back losses when they defeated Wilson 2-1 last Saturday. The win improved the Quakers to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The victory also advanced Earlham to Sunday’s tournament championship which was ultimately cancelled. Despite the championship being cancelled, the win boosted Earlham in the right direction. Kenyon’s 2018 season has been up and down. So far, the Ladies have earned a win and a loss in their first two weekends of play and are coming off a double overtime 1-2 loss to Washington and Jefferson College last Sunday. The loss evened out the Kenyon's record at 2-2 overall. Last year, these two teams matched up twice will Kenyon coming away with two shutout victories. Tune into see if Earlham can get vengeance on last year’s losses or if Kenyon will continue their series winning streak.

USFHA media release

With 6 newcomers, Maryland field hockey’s road trips help build team chemistry

By Lila Bromberg


The Terps prepare for a penalty corner during their 3-1 win over Harvard at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Sept. 9, 2018. (Alex Chen/The Diamondback)

The last time Maryland field hockey left College Park was for its season-opening road trip in California.

Wins over Pacific, California and UC Davis weren't the only thing the Terps picked up on the West Coast. With six new faces this year, the trip allowed the squad to become more comfortable with each other.

Since then, Maryland has played four consecutive home games — all wins against ranked opponents. Now, the Terps are embarking for Michigan State, their first road trip since their California tour, and expect another chance for team bonding.

"We're together more on away trips than when we're home, so that definitely has an effect," midfielder Kyler Greenwalt said. "It's just really cool to go see all these places with your teammates because … we're all just kind of best friends."

When Maryland visited California and began its unbeaten run earlier this year, the Terps had the chance to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf and Lombard Street. They also attended team dinners during the week.

Coaches assigned seats for players on the plane, too. Greenwalt said that broke up usual pairings of players and allowed new relationships to form.

"It helps us to be in another environment for so long," freshman forward Bibi Donraadt said. "It was good to [get to] know each other because we have, like, six new girls on the team, so it was like the perfect occasion to be a week with each other."

Maryland's trip to Michigan State won't last as long as its three-match stand in California — the team plans to drive to East Lansing midday Friday and will start the return journey Saturday night after the contest. Still, the Terps are looking forward to more time together.

There's more on the line with this trip — Maryland's Big Ten opener — compared with the season-opening nonconference journey. The Terps (7-0) have toppled the Spartans (3-4) each of the nine times the squads have met previously.

To secure an eighth straight win, Greenwalt said Maryland has focused on leading off the ball and the far post during practices this week.

"We're playing good hockey and when you're undefeated at this kind of segment of the season, you're focused on how you can get better at what you do and that's where we are this week," coach Missy Meharg said. "We're kind of anxious to get out of campus and just focus in on the women and being able to play in the league."

The Diamondback

Cal field hockey set to host Yale on Sunday in defensive battle

By Tim Sun

Photo: Stephanie Li

It’s always nice to go home after a long day, and after last weekend’s 0-2 road trip, home field will be a welcome sight for the Cal field hockey team as it faces off with Yale at Underhill Field on Sunday.

Yale (3-0) is off to its best start since 2010 and is led by head coach Pam Stuper, now in her 14th season with the Bulldogs. Despite the graduation of last year’s top goal-scorer Carol Middough, almost all of Yale’s rotation has returned. Last year’s second and third leading scorers, Bridget Condie and Imogen Davies, lead the team with five combined goals so far.

Both players earned Second Team All-Ivy League selections last season and currently spearhead a Yale offense that averages 16.7 shots per game, 60 percent of which are on goal. Davies, a sophomore midfielder, is particularly adept at challenging opposing goalkeepers; she posted an 88.9 shot-on-goal percentage last year and has started this season with 83.3 percent of her shots on target.

Condie, on the other hand, is more of a volume shooter — she averages 4.0 shots per game this season but holds just a 10.0 percent career shooting percentage.

Defensively, the Bulldogs are paced by sophomore goalkeeper Sydney Terroso, a First Team All-Ivy League selection as a freshman, when she earned four shutouts and ranked eighth in the country with a save percentage of 78.4. This season, Terroso holds a 77.8 save percentage and has surrendered just four goals.

In the backfield with Terroso is an experienced group: senior captain Jackie Kisa and juniors Alex MacKay and Holly Jackson have combined for 78 career starts, and they’ve helped hold opponents to 10.3 shot attempts per game this year.

Though Yale is undefeated, its schedule so far has been relatively calm. The Bulldogs are set to face No. 19 Stanford tonight, but their first three games all came against unranked teams that finished 40th or worse out of 78 Division 1 teams in last year’s RPI rankings.

Cal (2-3), though, has already been put through the gauntlet early this season. In its first five games, Cal faced off with three of the top eight teams in the country in No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 Maryland and No. 8 Louisville.

These elite teams have dealt the Bears each of Cal’s three losses and have worked to deflate the team’s stats: The Bears have been outscored 2.80 to 1.40 and outshot 14.0 to 8.4 on the season. Opponents also hold a 35-17 penalty corner advantage over Cal, which is a key metric, as 9 of the 14 goals conceded by the Bears this year have come on or directly after corner opportunities.

Cal’s record, therefore, doesn’t completely reflect the level of play from the Bears this year. Two losses were at the hands of two of the top three teams in the country, and the other loss came in overtime against another top-10 team.

Wins and losses aside, the Bears have a lot to be excited about moving forward. Individual play is promising: Forward Megan Rodgers is coming off of a record-setting freshman year, and though stingy top-10 defenses have kept her at bay thus far, she has not displayed signs of a sophomore slump.

Even as the focal point for opposing defenses, Rodgers has scored four times and assisted twice. When she’s on a breakaway one-on-one with a defender, she is dangerous, and during these sequences, the anticipation from players and spectators alike is palpable.

Cal’s other former member of the U-19 Junior National Team, freshman Brynn Zorilla, has performed as advertised. The freshman has made an immediate impact on all sides of the field, breaking up plays defensively and initiating opportunities offensively, all while showing off her ballhandling wizardry. Zorilla possesses a unique poise and confidence, and she is shaping up to be a star for years to come.

Rodgers and Zorilla will try to get Cal back on track this weekend. The game looks like it will be a defensive battle from the start, as both teams have solid back lines and goalkeeper play. Whichever team can find a way to break through, either by converting a penalty corner or capitalizing on a miscue, will come out with the win.

The Daily Californian

Technology is key player for the third team

2018 Women's World Cup in London

Sarah Juggins, for PAHF


Trinidad and Tobago's Ayanna McClean in the box

At the 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, as with every other event, umpires were as vital to the successful running of the tournament as anyone else. And it is a tough ask. Many of the players and coaching staff prepare for events such as this on full-time training programmes. Others prepare as part-time athletes, but still with a significant amount of hours per week and a large support network behind them.

For umpires, much of the preparation is done solo. Weekly club matches, the occasional international test match – it’s not a lot of preparation when you are being asked to officiate matches between the very best players in the world.

Prior to the competition starting, the players gather for a few days to train together, bond with their fellow officials and discuss various issues they might encounter over the course of the event.

So to suddenly be equipped with a technology platform that offers invaluable tools to enhance performance was a real bonus at this year’s Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018.

In this instance, the technology was provided by Scottish-based company Coach Logic, which has been working with players, coaches and umpires to develop an online coaching platform to allow, among other things, more in-depth analysis of matches.

In the case of Coach Logic and the World Cup, every game was uploaded immediately after the match was completed, it was usually available within 30 minutes. The umpires involved in the match were then asked to view the match in their own time and ‘tag’ the passages of play that they felt highlighted certain parts of their performance.

The umpires then met: sometimes just with the umpires involved in that game, sometimes with the umpire manager and all the other umpires. The group discussed the significant actions that had been tagged and offered feedback.

For Trinidad and Tobago umpire Ayanna McClean, the technology quickly became part of the routine: “The technology is quite user friendly, therefore once the team gets familiar with it and using it, the process to tag and quickly find plays were easy and thus were able to fit easily into our process.”

Her colleague, Scotland umpire Sarah Wilson, points out: “It’s real life and it’s real time. And by tagging specific events, it is less time-consuming than trawling through a whole heap of footage to get to a specific point.”

Among the things that the umpires reflect upon are goals, penalty corners, penalty strokes, situation management and the issuing of cards. Video referrals are also given a lot of airtime, in particular how the umpires and the players communicate about a video referral and how the final decision is communicated back to the players. “And”, added McClean with a laugh, “We talk a lot about our facial expression while a decision is being made. It is important that you look in control, even if you are feeling anxious internally.

“The technology helped with clarity and quick assessment of games, both personally, with peers and umpire manager team,” says McClean. “In the past at times there may be ambiguity in the post game debrief on situations discussed, but with the CL technology you were able to pinpoint information easily, tag it and discuss it.

“Personally it helped me review my games and having the outside view was useful. Then I could try to implement things my game lacked.”

Another area that the umpires are interested in is the way that one umpire supports her/his colleague on the pitch. “I think using this platform great for the team,” says McClean. “We were able to go in and see the teams, review plays and situations in preparation for our next games. It allowed you to see games you were unable to attend. Some people looked at games together. I believe it was positive and encouraged conversation.”

One aspect where the technology really came into its own was in the hallowed area of an umpire’s circle. “We spend a lot of time looking at situation management,” says Wilson. “There might be a situation in the circle which is quite physical. We look at how the umpires communicate during the situation and whether it would have been appropriate for the umpire at the other end to step in at any stage, because they had a different viewing point. Looking back, you can see where the communication was good or, alternatively, where the other umpire could have called for a discussion about what was going on.”

The huge benefit for the umpires and ultimately the game, is the way that shared knowledge on this scale helps drive consistency in decision-making. The system is not limited to the umpires involved in one particular event, instead umpires and their mentors or other umpiring colleagues can view footage of matches wherever they are in the world.

This is particularly pertinent for the FIH Pro League, when umpires will be officiating top level games, very much in the public eye, but without the same support network as a major, multi-team tournament would offer. Much of the umpire management and training, currently carried out at an event, will be done remotely. Feedback will come via clips and the umpires will be responsible for analysing their games.

One area that is likely to be greatly utilised is voice over clips. An umpire manager or mentor would select a specific clip of action and then add a voice over which relays his or her own feedback on the situation.

If there is a downside to the use of such technology it might come in human form. The tricky question that is pertinent to all feedback is: when is enough, enough?

This is where the soft skills of the umpire managers comes into play. Knowing how much criticism an umpire can take, or realising when is a good time to offer feedback is a skill that umpire managers have been honing for years. Faced with the opportunity to give feedback based on hard, factual evidence could lead to an overuse of information. It is a danger which our umpires agree that the umpire managers must be aware.

On the flip side, the use of video feedback can also be used to boost morale. An umpire may leave the pitch ruminating on one bad decision. A look back through the match can show numerous occasions when that same umpire played a great advantage or made a decision that was spot-on.

As another umpire from the PAHF region, Maggie Giddens, points out however, most umpires are tough on themselves anyway and are more than aware of mistakes they have made.

“There is no hiding and sometimes it is really difficult to look at a decision you are really disappointed in,” says the USA umpire with typical honesty. “You are disappointed in yourself for making that decision but you have to face it. You can over-analyse. You can watch things too many times and dwell on it a little. But what Coach Logic does is let you see the facts. And the fact may be that you made a wrong call or you were in a bad position but you could also have done some really great things in that game as well and the video feedback shows that.”

Reflecting back on performances is an important part of the umpires’ ability to improve their performances. By seeing the same piece of action again, in cold light and away from the fast-paced pitch-side, an umpire is given time to reflect. “What was my thought process at that time?” or “Was my positioning good enough on that occasion?” This is an invaluable benefit of video playback of this nature.

It was clear throughout the World Cup in London that the feedback system was promoting a lot of discussion. Around a coffee table in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, McClean and Giddens chatted through a decision with New Zealand umpire Kelly Hudson. “We have just spent ages debating one moment in a game," says Giddens, "And it is fair to say that initially there was a split."

The moment in question was a penalty corner during an encounter between Spain and South Africa. The debate centred on whether a player had passed the ball or if it was a shot at goal. The height of the ball was a factor. If it had been a pass, then the following shot, a deflection - which rocketed in above the backboard - was a goal; if it had been a shot, then the following deflection of the high travelling ball would have been deemed too high as that first high ‘shot at goal’ was a hit from a penalty corner.

Just writing that explanation was tortuous; and as Trinidad and Tobago's Ayanna McClean laughingly acknowledged, that is the type of debate that rages in the head of an umpire in the preceding split-seconds as he or she is preparing to make a decision.

There is such a clear benefit in being able to look back, trace thought processes and assess the decision-making process. There is little doubt that implementation of this type of technology is fast closing the gap between the professional players and the professionally-minded, professional behaving, but still amateur, umpires.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release

‘Mushroom’ rings appear on Belgium’s hockey pitches

By Richard Bright


Royal Leopold’s mushroom rings after rain PIC: okey.be/Royal Leopold

Belgium’s top clubs have been struck down by crop circle circle style markings on their hockey pitches.

Royal Leopold’s pitch was photographed after a recent deluge of rain with huge mushroom rings across its outfield.

The strange images occurred last weekend during club training when heavy rain showers fell and air bubbles seemed to create the mushroom-style rings.

“In a few minutes, the ground 1 was submerged under water; more than four centimetres,” according to a report on okey.be.

“And then gradually came some green rings, mostly round. Which disappeared under a new rain.

“Then they came back. In fact, big air bubbles lifted the carpet; circles that were several metres long and saw the carpet forming mushrooms several inches high.”

Meanwhile, KHC Dragons seemed to have the same water-based problem after an image was posted on social media by Tommy Willems, left.

The website called it “an unexplained phenomenon”.

Air bubble pockets seem to be the likely explanation, as opposed to a case of ‘fairy rings’, the scourge of groundsman attending to grass pitches.

Fairy rings, caused by mushroom spores, is a common turfgrass disease

There are several types of the disease which can be caused by dozens of different fungi, with a release of excess nitrogen causing the circle ‘phenomenon’.

The Hockey Paper