Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

Daily Hockey news updated @ 10:00 GMT

News for 18 December 2018

All the news for Tuesday 18 December 2018


Haier Hockey Series Open, Pakistan, 2018 - Day 1
Lahore (PAK)

Result 17 December

AFG v UZB (RR)     0 - 11

Note: Pakistan is taking part as an invitational team and their results are not recorded

FIH Match Centre



Pakistan, Uzbekistan win Int’l Hockey Series openers



LAHORE  -   Hosts Pakistan and Uzbekistan notched up high-scoring victories to take a fine start in the Haier International Hockey Series here at the National Hockey Stadium on Monday.

Uzbekistan routed Afghanistan 11-0 and Pakistan President XI outshone Nepal 9-0 on the opening day in the two one-sided matches. Punjab Law Minister M Basharat Raja graced the opening ceremony as chief guest while Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and officials of PHF and Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) were also present on the occasion.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan President XI’s is appearing as a guest team. Their matches are all ‘friendly games’ and carry no points towards the actual tournament. In the match between two beginners in the international hockey, Uzbek side completely dominated against Afghanistan and impressed with their hard work and moves up and down the flank. The winners were quick in attacks and solid in defence and didn’t allow their opponents to challenge their supremacy in the match.

Pakistan President XI, consisting of young emerging players, thrashed Nepal 9-0. The home side added goals at its will against Nepal which lacked basic drills of the game and struggled throughout the match to follow their speedy opponents who were ahead in all departments of the game. Today (Tuesday), Kazakhstan will take on Nepal while Pakistan President XI will play against Uzbekistan.

FIH HOCKEY SERIES TO SEND A POSITIVE MESSAGE TO WORLD

PHF President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar Monday said that the successful holding of the ongoing FIH hockey series in Pakistan will send a positive message to the world that Pakistan is a safe country for hosting elite hockey events.

“We are hosting an international hockey event almost after fourteen years and we are delighted that four foreign teams are taking part in it,” he said here at National Hockey Stadium after the opening ceremony of the series. Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal and hosts Pakistan are featuring in the six-day event.

The PHF Chief said holding of this event is of greater significance for Pakistan as foreign teams are playing in Pakistan after a long gap and its successful holding will be a way forward for bringing back regular international hockey ties at the Pakistani soil in due course of time. “This series will also supplement the ongoing efforts of PHF for the revival of hockey which is a dying sport in Pakistan due to lack of patronage of government and resources,” he said.

Khokhar rejected a questioner that the series is of lesser important as little known teams only from Asia are featuring in it saying, “No matter the participating teams are just beginners in the international hockey but in the given circumstances, when other top notch teams are not ready to visit Pakistan owing to various reasons, the visit of the these teams is a ray hope for resumption of international hockey in the country.”

Khokhar said the PHF is heavily banking on the success of the FIH series as it will also help in staging FIH Prof Hockey league in Pakistan in near future. “Due to the prevailing situation we will be playing this home and away league abroad for time being and then a stag will be come when we will be able to organize our home matches of the league in Pakistan as small international hockey events will reestablish the confidence of foreign team on Pakistan in order to play hockey,” said PHF chief.”

He said PHF was taking measures for the revival and development of the game which has becoming a challenging and tough task due to lack of interest of government to pump in funds to infuse a new life in this dying sport. “If sufficient funds are not available how can we groom our teams on modern lines as other countries have progressed a lot of recent years,” he said.

“Take the example of newly-crowned World Hockey champions, Belgium, a decade ago, they were little known at the international hockey scene but they progressed a lot in recent years outshining masters of the game which was only possible as they attached top priority to hockey as a sport and spent a heavy amount of recourses on the training and grooming of its national teams and finally got the result by winning the Cup,” Khokhar added.

The Nation



Former Vantage Black Sticks Coach and Player Shane McLeod Crowned World Champion



Shane McLeod a former Vantage Black Stick who played 14 matches for his country has been crowned a World Champion as the Coach of the Belgium Red Lions who last night defeated the Netherlands in the Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup Final.

The match was close the whole way through the match as both teams had a number of opportunities but couldn’t score the decisive goal to break the deadlock. At the conclusion of the game the result was 0-0. This saw the match go to a penalty shootout where the Belgium team came away victorious 3-2 after goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch pulled off some amazing saves to secure the first ever World Cup Championship for the Belgium team. 

Shane McLeod started coaching the Vantage Black Sticks in 2007 and took the team to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Since moving over to Belgium he has had unprecedented success which has seen the Belgium Red Lions win the World League Semi Final in 2017 as well as securing the Silver Medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016. 

McLeod will bring his Belgium side to town on February 1st when the Vantage Black Sticks take on the Men and Women from Belgium. These matches feature some amazing talent as 2017 FIH World Player of the Year, Arthur Van Doren will be taking the field to try build on the Belgiums success over the past few years.

Hockey New Zealand Media release



India's jitters under pressure, necessity of sturdy domestic structure and other talking points

Anish Anand


Belgium players celebrate the World Cup victory in Bhubaneswar. Image Courtesy: Twitter @TheHockeyIndia

The Hockey World Cup came to a thrilling end in Bhubaneswar with Belgium clinching their first ever World Cup title after beating The Netherlands in the final. The match saw no goals from both the teams in regular time and the winner had to be decided in shootout. Belgium players stepped up and ensured they go home with the trophy, beating the Dutch 3-2 in the shootout.

The World Cup saw the dominance of the European teams, with three of the four semi-finalists — England, Belgium and The Netherlands coming from the same continent. Australia's unbeaten run till the semis came to an end after they failed to beat the Dutch in the shootout. India impressed once again in the initial stages, but did not progress beyond the quarter-final. There were some surprises with France, who at No 20 were the lowest ranked team in the tournament, made it to the last-eight stage.

Here are some of the takeaways from the World Cup:

India succumb to pressure, yet again

With regards to all the euphoria surrounding the Indian hockey team, mainly because the tournament was taking place in their own backyard, the side failed to deliver when it mattered the most. This has been the story of the team for quite some time. The current Indian team is a vastly improved side compared to the ones that played 10-15 years back. Their fitness levels are world-class, they are not afraid to take on the European teams or the Australians, and the team is constantly making it to the quarters and semi-final stages of tournaments.

But that's that. India are not a struggling side, but they still have some way to go if the team wants to win big tournaments. To win big tournaments, a team has to conquer their nerves in crunch situations, an aspect that seems to be missing from the Indian team. At the Commonwealth Games, India lost in the semis to New Zealand. At the Asian Games, where India dominated like no other side, they failed against Malaysia in the shootout. Now at the World Cup, where expectations were high, India came up short against Netherlands after committing some silly errors and not converting their chances.

In terms of talent and quality, India are right up there with the best of teams. On their day, they can cause an upset, but the consistency is just not there. India are too good against the low-ranked teams, often handing them a hammering, especially during early stages of a tournament. Due to this kind of dominance, expectations increase. But then, the team falters due to avoidable circumstances. Like getting a player sent off in the dying minutes of the game or conceding just before the break. Until the team fix these problems, expectations must be reined in.

Very little to separate top three teams

In the end, Belgium clinched the title, but there’s very little to that can separate the top three teams at the World Cup. It took a tense shootout to find a winner between Australia and Netherlands in the semi-final while the final was also a very tight affair where, once again, the winner was decided after the shootout.

Also, it’s fair to say that all three teams — Belgium, The Netherlands and Australia are a notch above others. Considering their rankings before the start of the World Cup, it was expected that these countries will go on to dominate in Bhubaneswar. When the tournament reached the last-four stage, Australia were considered heavy favourites for the title because they hadn’t lost a game yet. The Netherlands suffered a defeat against Germany while Belgium played out a draw against India.

In the semi-final, Australia’s fight back from 0-2 down to make it 2-2 against Netherlands was a commendable effort. The Dutch managed to keep their nerves in check and carved out a thrilling win in the shootout. England, the other semi-finalist, were far behind in terms of quality. They lost their semi-final game against Belgium 0-6 and then were humiliated by the Aussies in the bronze medal match – losing the game 1-8.

Pakistan hockey is in turmoil

Not much was expected out of Pakistan's hockey team at this year's World Cup. They are ranked outside the top-10 and form-wise, they were inconsistent. Before they could arrive in Bhubaneswar, the off-field issues engulfed the team and there were doubts whether they would make it to the World Cup. They eventually did and as it turned out, their campaign ended on a disastrous note. Despite making it to the crossover round, it was a disastrous tournament for Pakistan because they did not win a single match. A draw against Malaysia was the only decent result they had in the World Cup. The rest was a 0-1 defeat to Germany, a 1-5 loss to Netherlands and the 0-5 suffering at the hands of eventual world champions, Belgium.

The problems with Pakistan hockey is not entirely to do with the national team. The whole system is a complete mess and it would require long-term planning and years of hard work in order to make significant improvements. As past hockey legends of a team that won the World Cup four times said,  there's need for a complete revamp of the structure so that the country could attract more talents in the sport. The team should now focus on qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Domestic structure key to success

If anything, this World Cup is a vindication of the fact that teams with a strong domestic structure, end up making an impact at the World Cup. Take the example of the Belgium. The country was way behind the other European nations like Netherlands, Germany and England. Since 2008, when Belgium first made it to the Olympics after 32 years, the national team is on the rise thanks to a strong domestic structure.  The federation made an effort to popularise the game in the country, which in turn attracted talent. Netherlands, where the club system is the strongest, were rewarded with a place in the final.

There's a lesson here for other teams, especially India because there are reports that the federation is planning to revamp the Hockey India League to fast-paced five-a-side format. Former players and coaches like Australian legend Ric Charlesworth have been vocal about how the league played a vital role in transforming hockey in India and a change in format might not do be the best of ideas. Hopefully, Hockey India is listening.

Bhubaneswar plays the perfect host

A round of applause for the Bhubaneswar crowd, who turned up in numbers at the Kalinga Stadium, even for matches not involving the India. And when India played their matches, the atmosphere was electrifying and equally intimidating for the opponents. Four years back, the crowd at the Kalinga Stadium turned hostile to Pakistan when they beat India in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy, which resulted in players losing their cool making obscene gestures at them. No such incidents this time around and Bhubaneswar was successful in hosting the biggest hockey spectacle.

Firstpost



Kerry excited by the future after impressive World Cup campaign


Danny Kerry at the Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup

England and Great Britain head coach Danny Kerry is excited by the future for his teams after taking England to fourth place at the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup.

Kerry's first game in charge of the men was only in October, so his charges performed particularly admirably in reaching the bronze medal match in Bhubaneswar.

With a number of youngsters in the squad, a super win over Olympic champions Argentina in the quarter finals and a progression in performance, there are many reasons to be upbeat as we move into 2019.

Looking back on the event as a whole, Kerry said, "When we stuck to our game we competed.

"Unfortunately against the leading teams we could not do that consistently enough.

"We were well punished by Australia [in the bronze medal match] for forcing play and turning the ball over. That’s a hard lesson to learn but we will.

"My job is to keep perspective, remind ourselves of what we have done well and be compassionately ruthless in developing our play toward qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

"We have blooded young players in the toughest of environments and tried to stretch the game of more established players.

"On a personal level therefore I am already excited about where we go next and how."

Kerry's next game at the helm will be when Great Britain play their very first match in the FIH Pro League, away to Spain on Friday 25 January. In February they are away to both New Zealand and Australia, kicking off the new competition in fine style. Their first home game in London is against Spain on Saturday 4 May, culminating in a double header at the Twickenham Stoop at the end of June.

Olympic qualification will be decided in 2019, with the top four teams in the FIHPL going straight through to the two-legged qualifiers in the Autumn.

England Hockey Board Media release



All-Star World Cup cast list lined up for EHL KO16/FINAL4


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

The incredible World Cup in India featured over 60 players from clubs that will contest the upcoming Euro Hockey League in Eindhoven next Easter, showing the quality of hockey set to hit the turf at Oranje-Rood from April 17 to 22, 2019.

Chief among them will be several gold medalists from Belgium including KHC Dragons’ Florent van Aubel and Waterloo Ducks’ Vincent Vanasch, the men who played the key roles in the final shoot-out.

Indeed, the WatDucks have as many as eight World Cup stars potentially lining out against Surbiton in the KO16 with Gauthier Boccard, Simon Gougnard and John-John Dohmen in a squad alongside French heroes Victor Charlet, Nicolas Dumont and Pieter van Straaten.

Surbiton, though, have quality of their own with a quartet of the English side that reached the semi-finals included on Mark Pearn’s roster.

Host club Oranje-Rood has the second highest representation with Dutch silver medal heroes Bob de Voogd, Joep de Mol, Pirmin Blaak and Mink van der Weerden joined in their panel by Belgium’s Thomas Briels, Pakistani pair Muhammad Rizwan and Rashid Mehmood and Argentina striker Lucas Martinez.

There are 10 Dutch players from Bhubaneswar registered to play in the EHL, 12 from Germany and nine from the groundbreaking French team that reached the quarter-finals. Players from Spain, Ireland, Canada, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand

It shows the quality of player on display as the battle to win the world’s best club hockey competition plays out in a spectacular week of action with the Alain Danet Trophy on the line.

** To see these superstars in action, you can buy your EHL KO16/FINAL4 tickets here: www.ehlhockey.tv/tickets

Players who featured in the World Cup who are registered to feature in the EHL KO16/FINAL4

Belgium
KHC Dragons - Florent van Aubel, Felix Denayer
Waterloo Ducks – Gauthier Boccard, Vincent Vanasch, Simon Gougnard, John-John Dohmen
HC Oranje-Rood – Thomas Briels

Netherlands
Kampong – Lars Balk, Robbert Kemperman, Sander de Win
Amsterdam – Billy Bakker, Valentin Verga, Mirco Pruijser
Oranje-Rood – Bob de Voogd, Joep de Mol, Pirmin Blaak, Mink van der Weerden

England
Surbiton – Harry Gibson, James Gall, Luke Taylor, Zach Wallace

Germany
Uhlenhorst Mulheim – Timm Herzbruch, Ferdinand Weinke, Benedikt Furk, Julius Meyer
Rot Weiss Koln – Mats Grambusch, Tom Grambsuch, Christopher Ruhr, Marco Miltkau, Johannes Grosse, Victor Aly
Mannheimer HC – Dan Nguyen
KHC Dragons – Tobias Walter

Argentina
Mannheimer HC – Gonzalo Peillat, Lucas Vila
Real Club de Polo – Matias Rey
HC Oranje-Rood – Lucas Martinez

France
Waterloo Ducks – Pieter van Straaten, Victor Charlet, Nicolas Dumont
Saint Germain – Francois Goyet, Blaise Rogeau, Tom Genestet
Royal Leopold – Gaspard Baumgarten, Aristide Coisne, Jean-Baptiste Forgues

New Zealand
Royal Leopold – Kane Russell

Canada
Ulhenhorst Mulheim – Sukhi Panesar, Keegan Pereira
Mannheimer: Gabriel Ho-Garcia

Pakistan
Oranje-Rood – Rashid Mehmood, Muhammad Rizwan

Spain
Club Egara – Quico Cortes, Vincenc Ruiz, Pau Quemada, Josep Romeu
Real Club de Polo – Xavi Lleonart, Mario Garin

Ireland
Three Rock Rovers – Daragh Walsh, Mitch Darling
SV Kampong – David Harte
KHC Dragons – Kirk Shimmins, Shane O’Donoghue

South Africa
KHC Dragons – Jethro Eustice

Euro Hockey League media release



Sardar steps down as hockey team manager



ISLAMABAD - Pakistan hockey team manager Hasan Sardar on Monday resigned from his post as the fallout from the green shirts’ dismal performance at the 2018 Hockey World Cup.

Sardar’s resignation comes days after head coach Tauqeer Dar and assistant Danish Kaleem had also stepped down, a private news channel reported.

Hasan Sardar urged the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to improve the fitness of its players, adding that the side is not playing according to the global standards.

Pakistan failed to register even a single win in the entire tournament, with their 1-1 draw against Malaysia being the highlight as they lost the other three games.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation has formed an investigation committee to look into the reasons for the defeat in the World Cup held in India.

The Nation



Naveed Alam demands fair accountability of PHF officials

Mohsin Ali



ISLAMABAD   -  Olympian Naveed Alam rejected an inquiry committee appointed by Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar saying Prime Minister Imran Khan should appoint a committee to ensure fair accountability.

Talking to The Nation, Naveed said: “Rasheed Junior, head of the committee, is a great man, but what is the purpose of appointing a committee, who will submit report to the same president, who himself is responsible for the hockey debacle and has inflicted huge damages to the national game. I appeal to Prime Minister Imran Khan to formulate a committee based on former presidents like Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Akhtar Rasool, Samiullah, Farooq Umar, who may conduct detailed and fair inquiry and submit report to him to ensure ‘no NRO for culprits’.”

He said Shahbaz Senior has become godfather of Pakistan hockey and making all the decisions, which led the national game and team to such lows. Pakistan hockey team failed to win a single match in the World Cup and could score only 2 goals and conceded 12. The committee formed by Brig Khokhar included Manzoor Senior, Shahid Ali Khan and Majid Basheer, which has to report to him, how on earth a right decision can be taken by such a committee.

Naveed said eight years back, Pakistan team finished 12th and now again green shirts finished 12th. “Had they paid heed towards suggestions and recommendation given by the former greats, who know inside outs of hockey, today the things would have been completely different.

“Shahbaz hid things and presented completely different picture to Brig Khokhar. For the last four years in running, Pakistan hockey team failed to show any signs of progress, rather than focusing on training and ensuring maximum tournaments, the federation was busy in begging for funds. When they took over the reins of the federation from Akhtar Rasool, they had promised to arrange funs through private sponsors and not to rely on government grants, but after four years in office, they completely banked on government financial support.

“Now Imran Khan has taken over and all the Olympians have pinned great hopes in the PM to save Pakistan hockey and show the door to highly incompetent PHF office-bearers, who are more busy in enjoying perks and privileges and international tours. Same people were given major assignments, who were a disaster in the past and they kept on rotating their roles,” he added.

“Now lies bigger test as Olympic 2020 qualification is round the corner and I don’t think that the current management is capable of securing a place for the Tokyo Olympics. The government has to take swift action before it’s too late. Pakistan hockey team has already missed the Rio Olympics 2016 and there is every possibility, if same people run the the federation, Pakistan team might not be able to represent the country in 2020 Olympics. I request PM and IPC Minister to take action and appoint an ad-hoc committee to run the federation affairs and then conduct fresh elections, so that right person may run the PHF in a right way,” Naveed conclude.

The Nation



Telkom Kenya record third win in Abuja

By BRIAN OTWAL


Telkom Kenya's Georgina Lumumba in action against Nigeria's Delta Queens in their Africa Club Hockey Championship clash on December 17, 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria. PHOTO | BRIAN OTWAL | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

Telkom Kenya maintained their quest for this year’s Africa Club Hockey Championship title after a comfortable 4-1 victory Nigeria’s Delta Queens in Abuja on Monday.

Kenya’s other representatives USIU Spartans are still in search of their first victory at the championships after going down 1-0 against defending champions Ghana Revenue Authority. This was the first win for the Ghanaians at this year’s continental championships.

Telkom Kenya skipper Tracey Karanja opened the scoring in the second minute, before Jackline Mwangi sounded the board seven minutes later. Barbara Simiyu added the third as the newly crowned Kenyan champions cruised to a 3-0 halftime score.

After the breather, the Kenyans took the foot off the pedal and they were duly punished as Esther Billo pulled one back for Delta Queens. Stung into action, Mwangi restored their three goal cushion soon after.

The Abuja heat slowed down Telkom Kenya but they hung on to collect maximum points in their third match. The Jos Openda-coached team sit on top of the standings with nine points.

Openda was not satisfied with how his charges played in the last two quarters of the game. “For people who want to reclaim the title we have to do something about the last two quarters. We are going to work on tomorrow being a rest day,” he said.


USIU Spartans captain Grace Akumu (right) competes for the ball against Ghana Revenue Authority hockey player in their Africa Cup of Club Champions match played on December 17, 2018 in Abuja, Nigeria. PHOTO | BRIAN OTWAL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

In the other match, Elizabeth Opoku’s lone goal was what Ghana Revenue Authority needed to down a hard fighting USIU Spartans side. GRA are now in third spot two points ahead of USIU. The Kenyans drew 1-1 with Delta Queens in their opening clash on Saturday.

USIU Spartans team manager John Kabu says that the team now shifts their focus on finishing third. “We needed the three points but we were not able today. Realistically, our target now shifts to getting the bronze medal at the end of the tournament,” he told Nation Sport.

A rather optimistic Rachel Wangui picked positives from their loss and blamed “some poor umpiring decisions” for their results. “I would say we had some poor umpiring that cost us some points. We deserved a few short corners but the umpires missed those calls. We live to fight another day,” she said.

Telkom Kenya plays Nigeria’s Kada Queens on Wednesday as USIU Spartans take on Ghana Police.

Daily Nation



Schopman Names 25-Athlete Roster to Compete in 2019 FIH Pro League



LANCASTER, Pa. – 2019 marks a new era for field hockey fans – the launch of the FIH Pro League. Set to debut in early 2019, this home-and-away entertainment event will provide for the first-time ever, a regular calendar of must-see events played in packed stadiums across the world. U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Janneke Schopman and coaching staff have named the 25-athlete roster that will participate in this inaugural league involving the world’s leading hockey nations.

"The [FIH] Pro League is an exciting unknown that we as a team are looking forward to," commented Schopman. "The opportunity to play high-level games on a consistent basis is something we have never had and gives us the opportunity to play in a high-pressure environment. The amount of travel brings an interesting element to all of this in terms of preparation, but we are ready to hit the ground running."

To perform in goal, Schopman has named three goalkeepers to the FIH Pro League roster. Jess Jecko (Sauquoit, N.Y) has been a member of the squad since 2016 and she is joined by newcomers Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas) and Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.), both who were named to the team earlier this week. This is accompanied by a defense led by Rio 2016 Olympians Caitlin Van Sickle (Wilmington, Del.), Ali Froede (Burke, Va.) and Julia Young (Yorktown, Va.). Adding strength in the midfield is Olympian Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.), who is just shy of 100 international caps, and newcomer Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.), supported by fellow Olympians Jill Funk (Lancaster, Pa.) and captain Kathleen Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.) as strikers. This roster is a blend of some rookies who are looking to get their first taste of high-level international competition.

 

 


MACKENZIE ALLESSIE

#23 | Midfielder
0 Caps
Mount Joy, Pa.


MARY BETH BARHAM

#18 | Midfielder
8 Caps
Fairfax, Va.


KELSEY BING

#31 | Goalkeeper
2 Caps
Houston, Texas

ANNA DESSOYE

#17 | Midfielder
29 Caps
Mountain Top, Pa.


ALI FROEDE

#20 | Defender
63 Caps
Burke, Va.

JILL FUNK

#10 | Striker
146 Caps
Lancaster, Pa.


LINNEA GONZALES

#16 | Midfielder
0 Caps
Bel Air, Md.

DANIELLE GREGA

#4 | Midfielder
3 Caps
Kingston, Pa.


ASHLEY HOFFMAN

#13 | Defender
41 Caps
Mohnton, Pa.

LAURA HURFF

#27 | Midfielder
13 Caps
Newark, Del.


JESS JECKO
#3 | Goalkeeper
6 Caps
Sauquoit, N.Y.


AMANDA MAGADAN
#12 | Midfielder
50 Caps
Randolph, N.J.

 
ALYSSA MANLEY
#29 | Defender
96 Caps
Lititz, Pa.

KELLY MARKS
Midfielder
0 Caps
Elverson, Pa.

ERIN MATSON
#1 | Striker
46 Caps
Chadds Ford, Pa.

LAUREN MOYER
#2 | Midfielder
47 Caps
York, Pa.

MARGAUX PAOLINO

#26 | Midfielder
13 Caps
Villanova, Pa.


ALYSSA PARKER
#8 | Midfielder
27 Caps
Woodbine, Md.


KEALSIE ROBLES
#30 | Goalkeeper
2 Caps
Yorktown, Va.


KATHLEEN SHARKEY
#24 | Striker
148 Caps
Moosic, Pa.

 
CASEY UMSTEAD
#5 | Defender
2 Caps
Green Lane, Pa.


CAITLIN VAN SICKLE
#28 | Defender
123 Caps
Wilmington, Del.


TAYLOR WEST
#11 | Midfielder
55 Caps
Princess Anne, Md.

NICOLE WOODS
#22 | Striker
34 Caps
Beverly, Mass.

JULIA YOUNG
#14 | Defender
29 Caps
Yorktown, Va.
 

The FIH Pro League is an elite annual competition in field hockey featuring the top nine male and female nations playing each other once at home and once away in a regular season stretching from January to June. The top four nations will compete in the Grand Final in The Netherlands in June to determine the champion. The vision for the competition is groundbreaking in global sport providing an international league which offers consistency for broadcasters and spectators.


The U.S. Women’s National Team received an invitation to this inaugural league after an extensive application process where the top-16 worked ranked National Associations completed questionnaires based on aspects of hosting and participating capabilities. Crucial aspects about financial sustainability, commercial vision, legal compliance, proposed venues, event delivery and presentation were assessed.

The women’s side of the event will consist of FIH Hero World Ranked No. 1 The Netherlands, No. 2 Great Britain, No. 3 Australia, No. 4 Argentina, No. 5 Germany, No. 6 New Zealand, No. 10 China, No. 12 USA and No. 13 Belgium

USA opens up their FIH Pro League competition in Cordoba, Argentina on February 2 to play Pan American rivals, Los Leonas. This is followed by their first home game against The Netherlands on February 16 at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. Next, they will travel Down Under to Play Australia on March 2 and New Zealand on March 8 before hosting a two-game weekend at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. against Belgium on March 29 and Great Britain on March 31. The month of April consists of all away games with Belgium on April 10, The Netherlands on April 14, Great Britain on April 27 and Germany on April 30. There is a stint of three home games at Spooky Nook Sports in May beginning with Australia on May 10, followed by Argentina on May 12 and China on May 18. USA’s final three matches of the league come in June when they host New Zealand on June 1, then travel to China for a game on June 15 and finish at home with a game against Germany on June 22. Click here for the full schedule.

FIH Pro League Bundle Tickets are now available for purchase to the public at an Early Bird Price. Only tickets in Sections B, C and E in the Series Pass, Four Game and Weekend Pass 1 (BEL & GBR) categories are available. This exclusive Early Bird pricing is only available now until Tuesday, January 15.

Single game tickets for Games 1-3 (NED, BEL & GBR) are also on sale at an Early Bird rate from now until Tuesday, January 15. Single game tickets for Games 4-8 (AUS, ARG, CHN, NZL & GER) will go on sale at an Early Bird rate on Wednesday, January 16 through Friday, March 15.

USFHA media release



Shaw Announces Green Army Squad For Chile Series



As 2018 draws to a close for the Green Army, Graham Shaw’s charges have swiftly shifted their focus to 2019. Their first series of international fixtures will come against Chile in Santiago on January 12th ,13th, 15th and 16th. Shaw has elected to bring an extended panel for the warm weather camp to face the ever-competitive world number 16 side.

Speaking about the series, Shaw said “While 2018 has been the most incredible, historic year for the Green Army we firmly have our sights set on 2019 and Olympic Qualification. We are keen to hit the ground running in the New Year and this long warm weather camp in Chile is the ideal start for us. Chile are an improving side that will prove valuable opponents for our entire squad, both senior members and newer additions to our panel."

  Name Club Position
1 Ayeisha McFerran University of Louisville GK
2 Emma Buckley Racing GK
3 Liz Murphy Loreto GK
4 Hannah Matthews Loreto Defender
5 Lena Tice UCD Defender
6 Serena Barr Beeston Defender/Midfield
7 Bethany Barr UCD Defender
8 Zoe Wilson Belfast Harlequins Midfield/Defender
9 Gillian Pinder Pembroke Midfield/Defender
10 Katie Mullan Club an der Alster Midfield/Forward
11 Ali Meeke Loreto Midfield/Defender
12 Roisin Upton Catholic Institute Midfield/Defender
13 Megan Frazer Manheim Midfield
14 Nicci Daly Loreto Midfield/Forward
15 Nikki Evans UHC Hamburg Forward
16 Anna O’Flanagan Pinoke Forward
17 Sarah Torrans Loreto Forward
18 Deirdre Duke Dusseldorf Forward
19 Sarah Hawkshaw Railway Union Forward
20 Amy Elliott Railway Union Midfield
21 Gemma Frazer Belfast Harlequins Defender
22 Ruth Maguire Pegasus Midfield
23 Emily Beatty Pembroke Forward
24 Yvonne O’Byrne Cork Harlequins Defender
25 Chloe Watkins Monkstown Midfield
26 Aisling Naughton Pembroke Forward

Irish Hockey Association media release



Barr twins among four uncapped players in for Chile trip

Twins Bethany and Serena Barr could make their international debuts on the same day in January as they form part of a quartet of new faces in Graham Shaw’s Irish squad for a training camp in Chile.

The 26-player panel will take in an extended camp which will include four games against the hosts in Santiago between January 12 and 16 in the first capped games for the Green Army since the World Cup silver medal. It is back to the bread and butter following the team being named the RTE Sport Team of the Year on Saturday evening.

The Barr duo were both All-Ireland schools winners with Lurgan HS before moving to the US on scholarship with the Liberty Flames. Their return to Europe has put them back in the shop window with Bethany at UCD and Serena playing for Beeston in England.

Railway Union pair Sarah Hawkshaw and Amy Elliott are the other two who will likely make their debuts on the trip. Hawkshaw followed a similar path to the Barrs, playing four successful years at the University of Massachusetts, before coming back to Dublin.

For the Barrs and Hawkshaw, they have all been part of the Irish Under-23 panel over the past year, showing perhaps the value of the increased commitment and fixtures for junior age groups as a pathway to the national team.

Elliott, meanwhile, is on a meteoric rise. She is still in St Andrew’s College, the alma mater of team mates Gillian Pinder and Chloe Watkins, but was elevated quickly out of the Irish Under-18s to the 21s last summer and now into the senior panel.

Overall, there are 16 of the World Cup squad of 19 involved. Shirley McCay continues to mull over whether she returns to the fold while Lizzie Colvin and Grace O’Flanagan are taking a step back for the time-being.

Ayeisha McFerran missed the uncapped series in Spain earlier this month but is back having finished her college hockey in Louisville with a fourth successive inclusion in the All-American representative team.

Speaking about the series, coach Graham Shaw – who was named RTE Sport Manager of the Year on Saturday evening – said: “While 2018 has been the most incredible, historic year for the Green Army we firmly have our sights set on 2019 and Olympic Qualification.

“We are keen to hit the ground running in the New Year and this long warm weather camp in Chile is the ideal start for us. Chile are an improving side that will prove valuable opponents for our entire squad, both senior members and newer additions to our panel.”

Ireland women’s squad (January 12-16 2019, Santiago): Ayeisha McFerran (University of Louisville), Emma Buckley (Racing Club de Bruxelles), Liz Murphy (Loreto), Hannah Matthews (Loreto), Lena Tice (UCD), Serena Barr (Beeston), Bethany Barr (UCD), Zoe Wilson (Belfast Harlequins), Gillian Pinder (Pembroke), Katie Mullan (Club an der Alster), Ali Meeke (Loreto), Roisin Upton (Catholic Institute), Megan Frazer (Mannheimer HC), Nicci Daly (Loreto), Nikki Evans (UHC Hamburg), Anna O’Flanagan (Pinoke), Sarah Torrans (Loreto), Deirdre Duke (Dusseldorfer HC), Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union), Amy Elliott (Railway Union), Gemma Frazer (Belfast Harlequins), Ruth Maguire (Pegasus), Emily Beatty (Pembroke), Yvonne O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), Chloe Watkins (Monkstown), Aisling Naughton (Pembroke)

The Hook



Teams Selected For 2019 Masters Indoor World Cup

Ben Somerford/



Australia’s teams for the 2019 Masters Indoor World Cup have been announced following the conclusion of the 2018 Indoor Masters Challenge in Goulburn.

The inaugural Indoor Masters Challenge wrapped up on Sunday with 24 teams across five different divisions fighting it out for honours.

The Indoor Masters Challenge was also a key selection opportunity for the 2019 Masters Indoor World Cup which will be played in Hong Kong from 14-17 February.

Australia will field teams in the following divisions; Over 40’s Women, Over 45’s Women, Over 50’s Women, Over 40’s Men and Over 45’s Men.

Hockey Australia congratulates all of those selected in the teams with further announcements to come in due course on coaches, shadow players and team officials.

Over 40’s Women

Amy Billett, Georgina Gunner, Jill Hay, Lee Hodge, Reita Holmes, Nanette Latta, Amanda Meech, Anne-Marie Murray, Rebecca Platten-Reynolds, Lisa Quinn, Narelle Richardson, Jenine Watson. Coach: David Mike

Over 45’s Women

Sharon Brown, Leanne Croft, Denise Gersbach, Trudy Green, Michelle Kennedy, Kim McCaw, Tracey Preston, Lisa Roach, Karen Seaman, Rachel Sihota, Amanda White, Nicole Wicks

Over 50’s Women

Karen Becker, Sue Briggs, Lyn Collett, Danielle Cook, Linda Ferguson, Helen McGee, Susan Mott, Kaylene Osborne, Tania Parker, Donna Parsons, Myra Reilly, Linda Smith. Shadow Players: Rosemary Cheetham, Robin Gorton, Tracey Hardie-Jones, Susan Thomas

Over 40’s Men

James Abbo, Philip Barrett, Andrew Burns, Martin Cashmere, Andrew Fenton, Stewart Fenton, Ridwan Houston, Chris McCarthy, Michael Peters, Chris Stolk, David Tilker, Grant Trollope. Shadow Players: Mark Low, David McGregor

Over 50’s Men

Andre Cabral, James Crabb, Ashley Grummitt, Allen Hart, James Heath, Tibor Hegyi, Peter Huk, Paul John, Greg Johnson, David Sharpe, Richard Thompson, Colin Trinder. Shadow Players: Andrew Bewick, Mark McElligott, Andrew Myhill

Hockey Australia media release

Fieldhockey.com uses cookies to assist with navigating between pages. Please leave the site if you disagree with this policy.
Copyright remains with the credited source or author