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News for 10 August 2019

All the news for Saturday 10 August 2019


Pan Am Games 2019 (Women)
Lima (PER)

9 Aug 2019     PER v CUB (7th Place)     3 - 2
9 Aug 2019    URU v MEX (5th Place)     4 - 0
9 Aug 2019     CHI v USA (Bronze)     1 - 5
9 Aug 2019     ARG v CAN (Gold)         5 - 1

Final Standings

1. Argentina - Qualifies for Tokyo2020
2. Canada
3. United States
4. Chile
5. Uruguay
6. Mexico
7. Peru
8. Cuba

FIH Match Centre



D’Elia’s golden return lifts Argentina over Canada in Pan Am finals

Ali Baggott


ARG v CAN. Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Argentina are back on top of the Pan American Games podium after a two-year surrender to the USA. The Leonas beat Canada 5-1 to not only hoist gold but also book their ticket as the continental champion to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Piti d’Elia returned to the Leonas in January of 2019 after what would have seemed a retirement in 2015. Her return to the FIH Pro League and now the Pan American Games was pivotal to Argentina’s success. With over 240 international matches d’Elia saved her best for the last game adding two goals and an assist in the win.

The mighty Leonas opened up their ninth-straight appearance in the gold-medal game with a bang. Julieta Jankunas, as she has all tournament, blasted a back-hand shot to redefine impossible angles and lift Argentina 1-0 in the ninth minute. The goal came after Agustina Alonso’s rip from the top was first denied by Canadian keeper Kaitlyn Williams.


Photo Yan Huckendubler

Through midfield Canada certainly kept pace with the world ranked No. 4 Argentina side. Between Rachel Donohoe, Natalie Sourisseau and Amanda Woodcroft Canada was able to move the ball confidently across the pitch but the team certainly struggled to find their targets up front. Veterans Noel Barrionoevo and d’Elia anchored a back line that seemed to neutralize the availability of Canadian sharp shooters Brienne Stairs and Stephanie Norlander.

Canada’s only early chance at goal was in the 15th minute when Kate Wright drove the circle along the right baseline sliding the ball in to Maddie Secco. Secco furthered the ball towards goal and it bounced along a crowded goal mouth and out the other side.

In the second quarter a quick break allowed Agustina Albertarrio to smash a ball in to the Canadian arc. Sara McManus miss trapped the ball and it fell to Maria Granatto but McManus did well to poke the ball away just as Granatto was taking aim. Canada weathered a series of penalty corners that included shots from 200-plus cappers d’Elia, Barrionuevo and Carla Rebecchi.

Natalie Sourisseau ran down most of those penalty corner opportunities until d’Elia made a clever switch up in the 22nd minute. A fake over top of the ball gave d’Elia all kinds of time on her forehand to blast a second goal and erupt a packed crowd nearly two-thirds cheering for Argentina.

Canada started the second half with great attack and were rewarded when Rachel Donohoe drew their first penalty corner. The flick from Karli Johansen was saved by Belen Succi but the rebound fell back to Kate Wright. Succi was stuck getting across her goal mouth and Wright patiently flipped the ball into the Argentina net to get the Wolfpack on the board.


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

After struggling with penalty corners through the tournament, the Leonas picked the right game to have them fall in to place. Penalty corner goals in the 37th and 45th minute orchestrated by d’Elia lifted Argentina up 4-1. Rebecchi deflected in the first, while d’Elia blasted in a straight shot on the second.

Jankunas continued her scoring tear for the tournament notching her 11th goal of the tournament on a backhand strike that echoed off the back boards to make it 5-1. That would be Jankunas’ second goal of the game and secure her as the top scorer of the tournament.

The victory seals an Olympic berth for Argentina and puts them on top of the podium for the first time since 1997, the last year of the Leona’s six-straight Pan American victory streak. For Canada, the silver medal performance is their best since 1991 and follows their bronze medal performance in 2015. 

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Canada claims silver medal in Lima

Canada’s Women’s National Team falls to Argentina 5-1 in the gold medal game in Lima

By Ali Baggott


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Canada’s historic run came to end tonight as Argentina overpowered them and took home the gold medal. The Canadian silver medal was their first since 1991 and  was an impressive run for the 18th ranked country in the world.

Through midfield Canada certainly kept pace with the world ranked No. 4 Argentina side. Between Rachel Donohoe, Natalie Sourisseau and Amanda Woodcroft Canada was able to move the ball confidently across the pitch but the team certainly struggled to find their targets up front. Veterans Noel Barrionoevo and d’Elia anchored a back line that seemed to neutralize the availability of Canadian sharp shooters Brienne Stairs and Stephanie Norlander.

Canada’s only early chance at goal was in the 15th minute when Kate Wright drove the circle along the right baseline sliding the ball in to Maddie Secco. Secco furthered the ball towards goal and it bounced along a crowded goal mouth and out the other side.

In the second quarter a quick break allowed Agustina Albertarrio to smash a ball in to the Canadian arc. Sara McManus miss trapped the ball and it fell to Maria Granatto but McManus did well to poke the ball away just as Granatto was taking aim. Canada weathered a series of penalty corners that included shots from 200-plus cappers d’Elia, Barrionuevo and Carla Rebecchi.

Natalie Sourisseau ran down most of those penalty corner opportunities until d’Elia made a clever switch up in the 22nd minute. A fake over top of the ball gave d’Elia all kinds of time on her forehand to blast a second goal and erupt a packed crowd nearly two-thirds cheering for Argentina.

Canada started the second half with great attack and were rewarded when Rachel Donohoe drew their first penalty corner. The flick from Karli Johansen was saved by Belen Succi but the rebound fell back to Kate Wright. Succi was stuck getting across her goal mouth and Wright patiently flipped the ball into the Argentina net to get the Wolfpack on the board.

After struggling with penalty corners through the tournament, the Leonas picked the right game to have them fall in to place. Penalty corner goals in the 37th and 45th minute orchestrated by d’Elia lifted Argentina up 4-1. Rebecchi deflected in the first, while d’Elia blasted in a straight shot on the second.

For Canada, the silver medal performance is their best since 1991 and follows their bronze medal performance in 2015. The Canadian Wolfpack keeps their head high and heads into the fall’s Olympic qualifiers with a their Tokyo dream still alive. Two games, one weekend and they could book their ticket. Their opponent is yet to be determined at this stage.

Field Hockey Canada media release



Canada wins silver in women’s field hockey at Pan Am Games

Gregory Strong



LIMA, PERU—Canada settled for silver after dropping a 5-1 decision to Argentina in women’s field hockey at the Pan Am Games on Friday night.

The result gave Argentina a berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Canada will get another opportunity to book a ticket for the Games at a qualifier this fall.

Captain Katherine Wright had the lone goal for the 18th-ranked Canadians, who generated few opportunities against their third-ranked opponents.

On a damp, chilly evening at the Villa Maria Del Triunfo Sports Center, Canada had the game’s first decent scoring chance. Midfielder Natalie Sourisseau found a loose ball but her shot sailed wide.

Argentina opened the scoring midway through the opening quarter as Julieta Jankunas rifled a low shot just inside the post.

Dressed in all-black uniforms, Canada had trouble penetrating the stifling Argentine defence. Wright did manage to get possession down low in the final minute, but Canadian forwards were unable to take advantage after a scramble in front.

Argentina had a penalty corner early in the second quarter but the ball was blocked by the Canadian defence. Another attempt two minutes later made it 2-0 as Silvina D’Elia faked a shot, moved wider and buried the ball into the low corner.

The Canadians got a lift after the halftime break when Wright corralled a loose ball by the side of the net and beat goalkeeper Maria Succi.

However, Carla Rebecchi restored Argentina’s two-goal midway through the third with a deflection and D’Elia put the game away off a penalty corner with 24 seconds left in the quarter.

Jankunas added an insurance goal early in the fourth. With the game in hand, Argentina still kept up the pace and essentially shut down Canada’s offence.

The 1,000-seat venue was full with a few energetic pockets of Canadian supporters trying to compete with a vocal Argentina contingent. It was Canada’s first appearance in the Pan Am final since falling to Argentina at the 1991 Games in Havana.

Canada’s last Olympic appearance in women’s field hockey came during the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

Canada reached the final this year after a 2-0 win over the United States — the 2015 champs — while Argentina defeated Chile 3-1 in the other semifinal.

Argentina, which shut out Canada 3-0 in the preliminary round, had its run of six straight Pan Am gold medals end with a loss to the Americans at the 2011 Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Canada finished second at the FIH Hockey Series Final last June in Valencia to secure a berth in an Olympic qualification event this fall.

The loss of Own The Podium funding and Field Hockey Canada’s financial problems forced the team to turn to fundraising this season. A crowdfunding effort financed the team’s trip to Spain and a private donor helped pay for a training camp ahead of the tournament.

The Pan Am medal is an upgrade for the Canadians, who beat Chile to win bronze four years ago in Toronto.

In men’s field hockey, Argentina and Canada will meet for gold on Saturday. Canada edged Chile 3-2 in one semifinal and Argentina blanked the United States 5-0 in the other.

The Toronto Star



Montesino breaks Chilean umpiring record with 100th international in Pan American Games final

Candela Diaz Bustos


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Along the journey for any one dedicated to sport, as an athlete, umpire or technical official, there are always milestone moments that deserve to be celebrated. These moment represent years of dedication, sacrifice and desires to constantly improve. This is an even more difficult feat in the sport of hockey, where over the years the speed has dramatically changed. The regulation and surfaces have transformed and officials need to undergo a process of constant learning and adaptation.

As an umpire, reaching 100 international matches is a milestone that implies years of hard work, sacrifice and making field hockey a priority. Umpires that reach this recognition have put family and work aside to be able to represent their country in some of the most important international tournaments in the world.

At the 2019 Pan American Games, for the first time in history, a Chilean umpire will reach the FIH Golden Whistle mark for 100 internationals. Catalina Montesino has focused on her career as an international umpire both technically, physically and emotionally without forgetting her roots. Her 100th match comes on August 9 in one of the most important Pan American match ups, Argentina vs. Canada in the final, for a spot to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Montesino started her career as an international umpire in 2010 at the South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Montesino was there representing Chile, under great guidance from Claudia Videla, who was also an international umpire and a great promoter of the umpiring in the country. Videla created an umpire development program where players of the major teams had to be an umpire for the local youth leagues, in a country where hockey was still growing and the need for trained umpires was also still in its infant stage. It was in those infant stages where Montesino found motivation.


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Montesino first started umpiring when she asked her colleagues from the Manquehue Club to let her umpire the tournaments and at the age of 18 she umpired her first major game. Montesino had been a part of the Chilean Junior team as a goalkeeper, until 2005, when in the year of the Junior World Cup she left the program and decided to start focusing on her career as an umpire.

Taking courses was one of her first tasks but she always understood that spending time on the field reviewing the games was the best way to prepare. Teamwork, being able to handle situations under pressure, training and discipline were all going to be needed for her to succeed. After the retirement of umpire Cecilia Valenzuela in 2010, Chile gave Montesino the opportunity to start her career internationally. During that year she was able to attend the South American Games in Brazil and the Central American Games in Puerto Rico.

In 2010, Montesino had her first crossing of the Atlantic, and was appointed to Champions Challenge II, in Vienna, where she was able to draw on the experience of Jean Duncan of Scotland. Duncan was later Montesino’s umpire manager in the Hockey Series Finals in Valencia in 2019. Duncan always conveyed the importance of mental preparation, concentration and game management to Montesino and she has taken that with her since 2010.

In 2011, Montesino was appointed to a 4 Nations series in Argentina and got the opportunity to work with and learn from FIH umpire greats Amy Baxter and Irene Presenqui, who she always used as a reference for how to prepare for her matches.

The Pan American Games in Santiago in 2014, the Junior World Cup in Santiago 2016, the Asian Cup in Japan in 2017 and World League Round 2 in West Vancouver were some of the many tournaments where Monetsino had the honour of being appointed and each of those experiences add to her umpiring career learning and her hockey family and friendships made.

To be able to reach this milestone, Montesino took the year of 2015 off to better focus and prepare physically to be ready for the highest level.

“Hockey changed,” stated Montesino. “The speed, the intensity of the matches and the anxieties of the teams motivated me to take myself seriously and responsibly. I had a strong personal motivation to go with the umpiring as far as I could, and since then, that preparation is part of me up every day.”

The Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla 2018, a series of test matches with Chile, USA and Ireland, the Hockey Series Final in Valencia were among Montesino’s most recent tournaments. Today in the Pan American Games in Lima for the final of Argentina vs Canada Montesino will receive the prestigious FIH Golden Whilstle for 100 international matches as international umpire.


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

It’s not just about Montesino, though.

“I want the umpiring in Chile to grow both in number and in quality and in all ages,” adds the 34-year-old. “That is why I feel a great responsibility for what I try to demonstrate in each match that umpiring is an activity that can also be enjoyed as much as playing.”

Montesino is the first Chilean, male or female, to ever reach the Golden Whistle milestone.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Matson hat tricks lifts USA over Chile for Pan Am bronze

Ali Baggott


CHI v USA. Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Three goals from USA forward Erin Matson secured a 5-1 bronze-medal win over Chile on Day 11 of the Pan American Games. The game also marked the 50th international for USA players Anna Dessoye and Julia Young.

The bronze medal match up between the USA and Chile was nothing short of entertaining as both teams scored within the opening three minutes of the game.

USA’s Lauren Moyer tallied in minute two as her back hand from nearly the baseline squeezed through Claudia Schuler’s pads and just barely crossed the line. Umpire Amber Church used her own video referral to double check the ball did in fact cross the line. Chile bounced back and on the next play Manuela Urroz sent a pass into the circle to a somehow wide open Consuela de las Heras. With expert finish de las Heras opened her stick face and swept the ball on a first-timer into the net to tie the game 1-1.


Photo: Yan Hhuckendubler

Chile’s Constanza Palma earned the first penalty corner of the game in the sixth minute but a low flick from Fernanda Villagran was cleared well by the left boot of keeper Kelsey Bing.

In the second quarter the USA netted a second goal, this time from Erin Matson. The speedy forward scored from nearly an identical spot as Moyer but her shot rippled the mesh as Schuler slid out to meet her. Chile paused after the goal to take a moment to regroup but no matter their work ethic they seemed to always be chasing.

In the 21st minute the Americans silenced the Chilean songs in the crowd with a third goal. Linnea Gonzales slipped the ball in to Kat Sharkey just above the stroke mark. The USA captain let go a hard blast to lift her team 3-1.

USA rode their momentum and tallied again as Ashley Hoffman did all the hard work to get the ball to the circle’s edge. A pass in to Amanda Magadan was bumped further in to a congested goal mouth but the quick hands of Matson allowed her to tap in a fourth goal for USA and a second for her in the game.

A good use of the video referral earned Chile a penalty corner in the 46th minute. Sofia Walbaum didn’t get enough on the shot and USA’s Dessoye made the stop and outlet for a quick USA counter-attack.


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

In the 52nd minute USA earned a penalty corner and with perfect execution Ashley Hoffman found Matson and a reverse-stick deflection lifted the USA up 5-1. Chile had a penalty corner within seconds of their fifth goal but Camila Caram’s back-hand shot sailed over the USA goal.

The Americans held Chile in their end until the final whistle and the 5-1 win puts the USA on the podium. The USA won the last two Pan American Games (2015 and 2011) and 2019 is the first time the USA hasn’t been in the final against Argentina since 1991.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



USWNT Wins Pan American Games Bronze Powered by Matson Hat Trick



LIMA, Peru - On-ball, off-play and defensively - today's game was all about connections. The No. 13 U.S. Women's National Team struggled to connect on the final pass during their previous semifinal match, and knew it had to be the focus when they took on No. 15 Chile for the bronze medal of the 2019 Pan American Games. The first few minutes brought excitement to the Villa Maria del Triunfo complex in Lima, Peru as both sides shared quick goals. USA stuck to their game plan and collectively shut down Las Diablas threats while connecting on four more goals, powered by a hat trick from Erin Matson (Chadds Ford, Pa.), to secure the 5-1 win and hardware.

The opening minutes of the match were full of thrill. After a few unsuccessful USA circle entries, Lauren Moyer (York, Pa.) drove the left baseline and sent a backhand cross at no angle that hit the pads of Chile goalkeeper Claudia Schuler and went in. USA’s 1-0 lead was short lived as off the restart Las Diablas worked it ahead and Consuelo de las Heras one-time swept it into the net. The minutes following saw both sides with circle penetrations, and Chile earned the quarter’s lone penalty corner that was stopped by USA goalkeeper Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas). USA continued to threaten forward and saw two good looks on goal. The first came after a quick sequence of passes found Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.) in the circle. She pushed it along to Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.) who couldn’t get a shot off in front of Schuler. The next came when Anna Dessoye (Mountaintop, Pa.) intercepted a ball and sent it to Margaux Paolino (Villanova, Pa.) on the right baseline. She drove forward and dumped it back to the stroke mark but no teammate was there. The first frame finished tied 1-1.

USA opened up the scoring and extended their lead in the second quarter. Three minutes in, Kathleen Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.) carried it into the pocket and sent it ahead to Matson. She weaved between two Chile defenders toward the left baseline and sent a backhand into the net to make it 2-1. USA continued to attack and at the 21st minute mark, a quick free hit taken by Casey Umstead (Green Lane, Pa.) was passed cross-field to Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.) at the opposite top of the circle. She passed it off to Sharkey who quickly received and shot it past Schuler. A spell of turnovers between the 25 yard lines happened for a period for both teams as they tried to regain control. USA capitalized again in the 24th minute after a rebound from Schuler was picked up by Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, Pa.). She sent it to Amanda Magadan (Randolph, N.J.) in front of the goal, who shot and Matson tucked away the rebound to make it 4-1. Chile responded with a series of positive circle entries, and a close chance when Manuela Urroz sent a low backhand cross that went through the circle. USA finished the quarter with a shot by Manley that Schuler barely got a touch on.

The third quarter saw Chile come out with a higher tempo that was matched by USA’s defense. Las Diablas produced several good circle entries before a close chance came at the other end for USA. Five minutes in, Hoffman recovered and transitioned from a Chile threat and sent it forward to Sharkey. She took it into the circle and was tripped but no call was given. Las Diablas started to get frustrated as they could not find open lanes to break forward. Toward the end of the frame Carolina Garcia sent a hard ball through the circle that slipped just wide of the goal with no teammates there to make the tip.

Chile continued their hunt to cut the goal margin in the final quarter and earned a penalty corner in the first minute, after a video referral confirmation. Hoffman stopped the drag attempt and immediately countered downfield getting it ahead to Grega in the circle who had no supporting teammates as the ball hit her foot. Chile attacked the other way and Urroz got a backhand off that went over the goal. Play worked its way back to USA’s attacking end and in the 52nd minute from the top of the circle Sharkey ripped a backhand shot that dangerously came off the glove of Schuler giving USA a penalty corner. Executed perfectly, Hoffman sent her drag to the left down to inserter Matson who deflected it in off the reverse to give herself a hat trick. Immediately following Chile drew a penalty corner of their own but the Camila Caram’s backhand was called too high. The final minutes saw a USA penalty corner chance go unconverted and a few more scoring opportunities as the final score stood 5-1 to the red, white and blue.

Two athletes hit milestone caps in today’s match. Dessoye and Julia Young (Yorktown, Va.) both played in their 50th international competition.

Next for the USWNT is an Olympic Qualifying Event. USA will find out their opponent after the completion of the last continental championship, the Oceania Cup that concludes September 8.

USFHA media release



Pan Am Games 2019 (Men) - Finals
Lima (PER)

Fixtures (GMT -5)

10 Aug 2019 09:30     PER v MEX (7/8 Place)
10 Aug 2019 11:45     CUB v TTO (5/6 Place)
10 Aug 2019 15:00     USA v CHI (Bronze)
10 Aug 2019 17:15     ARG v CAN (Gold)

FIH Match Centre



Live From Lima: Bronze Scouting Report - USMNT vs. Chile



As a lead up to today’s Pan American Games (PAG) match-up, here are a few details you’ll want to know before the starting whistle.

Game Day: Saturday, August 10, 2019

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET

Live Stream: WatchESPN.com

Opponent: Chile

FIH World Ranking: 28

2015 Pan American Games Finish: 3

Current Pan American Games Record: 4-0-2

Last Time USA Played Opponent: Most recently, No. 24 USA defeated No. 28 Chile in the 2017 Pan American Cup in Lancaster, Pa. in preliminary pool play. Goals by Deegan Huisman (Almere, The Netherlands) and Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany) added to the 3-1 win for the red, white and blue. A few months prior, the two teams battled until the end of regulation and went to a shootout to decide the winner at the 2017 FIH Hockey World League Round 2 in Trinidad and Tobago. The USMNT came from behind late in the game to answer to Chile’s two-goal lead. Paul Singh (Moorpark, Calif.) contributed with the first as well as a shootout goal. Ajai Dhadwal (Agoura Hills, Calif.) also scored a shootout goal to secure the win for USA.

What You Need to Know: Chile has found success in Lima as they enter the bronze medal game. Their 2019 PAG record boasts four dominant wins and two losses to higher-ranked opponents, Argentina and Canada. In their most recent match against Canada, Chile fought until the end, finding an equalizer late into the fourth quarter. Canada answered back with the go-ahead goal a minute later, knocking Chile out of contention to win gold.

The USMNT will look to walk away with bronze following a tough match against No. 4 Argentina. They managed to keep Los Leones to the least amount of goals they scored in a match in the tournament with their team defensive effort. Looking ahead to Chile, it should be another good test for USA to compete against a strong opponent.

Chile Roster:
#            Name     Caps
1          Agustin Araya (GK)      11
3            Juan Amoroso      44
4            Pablo Purcell      64
5            Adrian Henriquez (GK)      115
6            Vicente Goni      36
8            Fernando Renz      59
9            Jose Maldonado      77
10            Martin Rodriguez      157
11            Ricardo Achondo      100
13            Andres Pizarro      21
14            Sven Richter      136
15            Jose Hurtado      31
16            Javier Osses      10
17            Felipe Renz      40
28          Nils Strabucchi      15
30            Axel Troncoso      36
31            Franco Becerra      29
32            Nicolas Renz      76
                   
            Head Coach: Jorge Dabanch      
            Assistant Coach: Emiliano Monteleone      
            Manager: Guillermo Schickendantz      

USFHA media release



EuroHockey Championship II (Women) 2019 - Finals
Glasgow, Scotland

Results

9 Aug 2019     WAL v UKR (Pool C)         7 - 3
9 Aug 2019     ITA v AUT (Semi Final 1)     4 - 0
9 Aug 2019    TUR v CZE (Pool C)         2 - 5
9 Aug 2019     SCO v POL (Semi Final 2)     3 - 0

FIxtures (GMT +1)

10 Aug 2019 09:30     WAL v CZE (Pool C)
10 Aug 2019 11:45     UKR v TUR (Pool C)
10 Aug 2019 14:00     AUT v POL (3rd/4th Place)
10 Aug 2019 16:15     ITA v SCO (Final)

Pool C Standings

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Wales 2 2 0 0 12 4 8 6
2 Czech Republic 2 1 0 1 8 6 2 3
3 Ukraine 2 1 0 1 7 10 -3 3
4 Turkey 2 0 0 2 3 10 -7 0

FIH Match Centre



Scotland earn promotion back to EuroHockey top tier, Wales thump Ukraine


Scotland Women Earn European Promotion 2019

Scotland’s women will be in the top tier of the 2021 EuroHockey Championships after earning promotion with a comfortable 3-0 win over Poland.

At the conclusion of a day interrupted by severe weather storms in Glasgow, the hosts continued their stunning form shown this week to earn themselves a place in the EuroHockey Championships II final against Italy.

That is enough to secure them a return to the top flight at the first time of asking, although they will end in perfect style by securing a gold on home soil.

Elsewhere Wales put the disappointment of not making the semi-finals behind them as they thrashed Ukraine 7-3 in an exciting game.

Scotland 3 (3)
Dark (2’, FG), Cuthbert (14’, PC), Campbell (30’, FG)

Poland 0 (0)

Having eased through their group, Scotland were expecting a tough test against Poland in the second of the day’s semi-finals.

But any nerves were quickly put to bed after just 63 seconds as Emily Dark produced a great finish to divert in a wicked cross and give her side the lead.

Shortly after the players were forced off for a lengthy delay due to a waterlogged pitch before captain Kaz Cuthbert smashed the ball home for her fourth goal in this tournament to double the lead.

Louise Campbell then made that three in the final minute of the first half with a fine diving finish at the far post to secure the victory, with no further goals added in the final two quarters.

Scotland and GB midfielder Sarah Robertson admitted feeling exceptionally proud after the game but also said there is still a job to be done as they prepare to face Italy in tomorrow’s final.

“It’s an absolutely amazing feeling,” she said.

“I’m delighted for everyone. It was such heartbreak two years ago when we were relegated but I’m absolutely buzzing to be back in A-Division.

“Getting promotion was the target but we still have a final to look forward to. There’s still one more game to go and tomorrow will be another big day.”

Wales 7 (3)
French (2’, PS), Wilkinson (4’, PC), Hughes (10’, PC; 53’, FG), Westwood (35’, PC), Robinson (51’, FG), Marke-Jones (59’, FG)

Ukraine 3 (1)
Kernoz (16’, PC), Honcharenko (44’, PC; 45’, PC)

Wales put any disappointment of not making the semi-finals firmly behind them with a thumping victory over Ukraine.

By the 10th minute they had raced into a three goal lead courtesy of a Sian French stroke as well as corner goals from Leah Wilkinson and Xenna Hughes.

Yevheniya Kernoz pulled a goal back at the start of the second quarter before Jo Westwood extended the Welsh lead to three again in the 35th minute.

There was a scare as Olha Honcharenko scored from two corners at the end of the third quarter but Sophie Robinson, Hughes and Natasha Marie-Jones also converted fine field goals to hand their side a comfortable win.

That result has all-but-secured their status in this division for 2021 - they need just a point against Czech Republic tomorrow to ensure they finish fifth in this year’s tournament.

Weather dependant, that game will start at 09:30 BST tomorrow (10 August) before Scotland face Italy in the final at 16:15 BST.

Both games will be live on the BBC Sport website and eurohockeytv.org.

Great Britain Hockey media release



Scotland women win Euros semi-final against Poland in Glasgow and gain promotion



Scotland are in the Women’s EuroHockey Championship II final after they won their semi-final contest 3-0 against Poland in Glasgow. The Scots have also now been promoted to EuroHockey Championship I for 2021.

It was the perfect start for Scotland with an early goal by Emily Dark. Sarah Robertson took the ball in the right corner of the pitch and picked out Dark arriving in front of the Polish defender, and connected well to prod the ball home for 1-0.

Just then, the heavens opened, and play was delayed for a period of time. When the match resumed, Scotland came out flying. Kaz Cuthbert scored her fourth of the tournament when a penalty corner rebound fell kindly for her, and she rifled the ball low against the backboard for 2-0.


Scotland captain Kareena Cuthbert celebrated scoring with Bex Condie and Robyn Collins – photo by Duncan Gray

In the second quarter Poland looked threatening. They had some penalty corner opportunities but good Scottish goalkeeping kept them at bay.

The better opportunities continued to go Scotland’s way. Some good play by Robertson saw her pick out Sarah Jamieson, she the forward was blocked before being able to shoot goal ward.

Scotland’s third goal would come before half time and Jamieson was heavily involved again; her excellent sliding pass zipped across the face of goal and found Louise Campbell sliding in to put the ball high into the net for 3-0.

It was a good start to the second half for Scotland. An early penalty corner routine had Amy Costello snap a powerful shot at goal that was saved low to the left by the goalkeeper. Charlotte Watson followed in but was unable to squeeze the ball over the line at the near post.

The Scots looked comfortable in possession; moving the ball around well and at pace. They were enjoying themselves.

Watson came close when Scotland repeated their earlier penalty corner routine but her near post deflection went just wide of the mark.

Poland took their goalkeeper off for the final six minutes but the Scots had the contest under control and eased to victory, promotions, and a place in the Women’s EuroHockey Championship II final.

Scotland’s Sarah Robertson said, “It’s an absolutely amazing feeling, I’m delighted for everyone. It was such heartbreak two years ago when we were relegated but I’m absolutely buzzing to be back in A-Division. Getting promotion was the target but we still have a final to look forward to. There’s still one more game to go and tomorrow will be another big day.”


The Scotland team thank the supporters after the match – photo by Duncan Gray

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Scotland to meet Italy in final

Scotland will face Italy in Saturday's Women's EuroHockey Championship II final after beating Poland 3-0 in a match held up for 80 minutes by rain.

Play was stopped soon after Emily Dark gave the hosts a second-minute lead at Glasgow's National Hockey Centre.

Kareena Cuthbert and Louise Campbell scored after the match resumed.

Italy beat Austria 4-0 in their semi-final. The third place play-off between Austria and Poland starts at 14:00 BST on Saturday, with the final at 16:15.

The final will be streamed on the BBC Sport website from 16:10.

BBC Sport



EuroHockey Championship IV (Men) 2019 - Day 4
Helsinki, Finland

Result

9 Aug 2019     SLO v NOR (Pool A)     1 - 2

Pool Standing

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Finland 2 2 0 0 6 2 4 6
2 Hungary 2 2 0 0 5 3 2 6
3 Norway 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
4 Cyprus 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1
5 Slovenia 3 0 0 3 4 8 -4 0

FIH Match Centre



Test matches BEL v MAS - 1st Test
Wilrijk (BEL)

9 Aug 2019     BEL v MAS     5 - 1

FIH Match Centre



Wasteful hockey team leave Oltmans a little testy in Holland

By AFTAR SINGH


Star of the team: Mohamad Akhimullah Anuar Esook scored both Malaysia’s goals in the fifth and 52nd minutes against Holland in the second Test match on Thursday.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia paid the price for missing a number of chances as they were outplayed 6-2 by Holland in the second Test hockey match in Breda, Holland, on Thursday.

In the first Test match on Tuesday played at the same venue, Roelant Oltmans’ men gave the Dutch team – ranked third in the world – a good fight before going down 6-4.

Oltmans was disappointed with his players for failing to capitalise on the 15 chances they earned in the first half.

“We played well to give Holland a fight by creating chance after chance but we failed to get it right, ” said Oltmans.

“I told the players after the first two quarters to play a tight marking game and not to make any mistakes in defence.

“They punished us by scoring six goals. It was a lesson to the players and I hope they will play much better against world champions Belgium in the two Test matches, ” said Oltmans.

Malaysia started off well by taking the lead through 19-year-old forward Mohd Akhimullah Anuar Esook in the fifth minute.

But Holland, who finished runners-up in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, last December, fought back to score five field goals in 29 minutes.

Bjorn Kellerman scored a brace in the eighth and 19th minutes. Jeroen Hertzberger netted in the 30th minute before Billy Bakker (33rd) and Jelle Galema (37th) added two more.

Akhimullah was on target to score his second field goal in the 52nd minute to narrow the deficit.

But Kellerman was the toast of the Dutch team as he completed his hattrick by scoring his team’s sixth goal in the 58th minute.

Malaysia’s playing tour in Europe is part of their preparations for the playoff matches in October to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

The Star of Malaysia



Akhimullah shows signs of recovering killer touch

By Jugjet Singh


Akhimullah Anuar Esook

Akhimullah Anuar Esook flopped big time in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) and the World Series Finals in Malaysia.

But he is slowly but surely showing signs of a top-notch marksman in the ongoing Tour of Europe.

The 19-year-old did not score a single goal in the World Series Finals despite having more than 15 clear chances, including two in the final against Canada.

He also failed to shine for Tenaga Nasional in the MHL, leaving coach Nor Saiful Zaini to remark: “Dia belum masak (he’s not ready yet).”

The teenager could only score 10 goals for Tenaga in the MHL after a superb showing in last year’s Youth Olympic Games Hockey 5s, where he netted 22 goals to almost single-handedly help the team win the country’s inaugural gold.

However, Akhimullah has been back to his best of late, scoring a crucial 60th-minute equaliser to level the score at 3-3 with Spain in a Test match in Terrassa on July 29. That goal sparked an incredible fightback by Malaysia, who netted just after the re-start to win the game 4-3.

He was also on target — twice — in Malaysia’s 6-2 loss to World No 3 Netherlands on Thursday.

Malaysia, who had earlier lost the first Test match 6-4, surprised the Dutch by taking a fifth-minute lead through Akhimullah before frittering away 15 golden opportunities.

“We had a fantastic first quarter, but in the 15 minutes we had 15 chances which the players did not capitalise on, while the Dutch did just that,” said Malaysia’s Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans .

“Like I said after losing the first Test (6-4), Netherlands will punish any team who make a mistake, and we gave them 12 in two matches.

“But this Tour is not about winning only. The team must learn from the Dutch and play much better in our last two Tests against Belgium (on this Tour).”

Malaysia are not expected to pull off any surprises when they come up against World No 3 Belgium tomorrow and on Monday.

New Straits Times



2019 Test matches BEL v IRL (W)
Wilrijk (BEL)

7 Aug 2019     BEL v IRL     4 - 2
9 Aug 2019     BEL v IRL     2 - 2

FIH Match Centre



Hockey action erupts across Europe



The EuroHockey Championships are now a huge, multi-tiered competition, with 29 men’s teams playing across four divisions and 23 women’s teams competing in three divisions. There is promotion and relegation at stake at each level and the competition to move up a division, or avoid the dreaded drop, is huge.

And, at the pinnacle – the Belfius EuroHockey Championships – one men’s team and one women’s team will secure not just the prestigious title of champions of Europe but also a place at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.

The Men’s Championships are wide open, with every team having shown both moments of greatness and occasions of failure in recent months. Belgium (World Ranking:2) were crowned Odisha World Cup winners in December 2018 and subsequently spent several months ranked number one in the world. However, during the FIH Pro League, the Red Lions showed they were fallible as they lost to both Spain (WR:9) and New Zealand over the course of the league, as well as losing out to Australia in the Grand Final.

The reigning EuroHockey Champions, the Netherlands (WR:3), have also enjoyed mixed results in recent months. They were double winners in the Pro League against Belgium, showing immense class and character to beat their neighbours 4-0 and 4-3  over a single weekend. Their – largely high scoring – results in the FIH Pro League showed that while Max Caldas’s men can score lots of goals, they are not always adept at keeping them out.

England (WR:6) competed as Great Britain in the FIH Pro League, an experience that the Scottish and Welsh contingent will take back to their respective teams. Danny Kerry will be looking to continue the growth and progress of recent months and to launch a viable campaign to get Olympic qualification secured in Antwerp. England last won this tournament in 2009 and took bronze in 2017. They are a more self-confident squad than two years ago but there are still question marks over their ability to perform consistently.

Germany (WR:7) has also had a topsy-turvy Pro League. An 8-0 mauling at the hands of Belgium brought back memories of their 6-1 loss to Netherlands in the EuroHockey final in 2015. On their day, the team that has the talent of Mats Grambusch and Florian Fuchs at its disposal is magnificent, but occasionally they have days where nothing seems to go right.

Spain (Wr:9) and Ireland (WR:11) are two dark horses in this competition. They are teams that are capable of pulling off upsets. In 2015 Ireland won bronze after they beat England 4-2. Since then they have gained huge amounts of experience at the 2016 Olympic Games and the 2018 men’s World Cup, but they recently finished second to France in the FIH Series Finals – a match they would have expected to win.

Under Frederic Soyez, Spain have emerged as a fine attacking team that can compete with any of the higher ranked nations. They last won a European medal in 2007 – a silver – and they will be hard pushed to win a medal in Antwerp but, as the only team to beat Australia (3-2 in the Pro League) in recent months, a Red Sticks upset could be on the cards.

The final two contenders are Scotland (WR:21) and Wales (WR:25). They last appeared in this event in 1999 and 2003 respectively. Both teams had good experiences at the recent FIH Series Finals, with Wales causing an upset when they beat much higher-ranked Canada to take a temporary lead at the top of the pool in Malaysia and Scotland losing out to the host nation in France after making it to the semi-finals. Both teams will be looking to gain some valuable rankings points and to take the scalps of their much higher-ranked opponents.



It is difficult to look past the Netherlands (WR:1) in the Women’s Belfius EuroHockey Championships. The world number one side are unbeaten since February, where they lost a FIH Pro League game to Australia.

That said, this is a tournament and upsets are part of what makes for the excitement. And Alyson Annan and her squad know that every other team is dreaming of knocking them off their perch. What the Netherlands bring to the game is a squad that has unbelievable depth of talent. More than 30 players have enjoyed FIH Pro League action since January and all are capable of delivering match-winning performances.

The second highest ranked team is England (WR:4), who last won this event in 2015. Since then, playing as Great Britain, the side has enjoyed the highpoint of an Olympic gold medal, along with the ignominy of a fifth place finish in the Hockey Champions Trophy In November 2018 and eighth out of nine in the FIH Pro League. Head Coach Mark Hager has now been in place for a number of months and will be hoping that his attacking style of play has now married with England’s redoubtable defence.

A team who has the ammunition to take the title is Germany (WR:5). The team ranked fifth in the world has a goal-scoring powerhouse in Charlotte Stapenhorst if she is recovered from injury. They also have the wise captaincy of Janne Muller-Weiland, the goal-scoring talent of Viktoria Huse and the skill and tenacity of Micheel Lena and Anne Schroeder. The key will be keeping the team working as one when the going gets tough.

Spain (WR:7) are a side whose confidence is high at the moment following a strong performance at the FIH Series Finals. The Red Sticks, under the guidance of Ady Locke and his staff, have developed a great team culture which is leading to results on the field. Led by the talented Georgina Oliva, the team benefits from the experience of players such as Lola Riera and the astonishing turn of speed of Begona Garcia.

Two very different teams but two teams equally capable of causing an upset are Ireland (WR:8) and Belgium (WR:9). The Irish proved they are big match players when they swept to silver at the women’s Vitality World Cup and they will be bringing their own ethos of playing attacking hockey, no matter who the opponents. Belgium are no less capable of mixing it with the best. The Red Panthers were the surprise package of the FIH Pro League and they will be a force to be reckoned with in front of their home crowds.

Russia (WR:23) and Belarus (WR:22)are two teams who will be a largely unknown quantity to their higher-ranked rivals. Belarus had a disappointing FIH Series Final event in Valencia as they finished in fifth place. Head Coach Herman Kruis will be looking for more consistency from his players, and the other teams will be looking out for the goal-scoring skills of Krestina Papkova.

Russia has its own goal-scoring machines in the form of Bogdana Sadovia and Dayana Yushkova. But at this event, the emphasis is more likely to be on defensive duties. With Netherlands, Belgium and Spain in their pool, the lowest-ranked team competing in Antwerp will be looking to keep their defence solid and take the scoring opportunities each time they present themselves.

The action starts in Antwerp on 16 August and concludes on 25 August.

Belfius EuroHockey Championship (men)

Pool A: Belgium, England, Spain and Wales
Pool B: Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland

Belfius EuroHockey Championship (women)

Pool A: Belgium, Netherlands, Russia and Spain
Pool B: Belarus, England, Germany and Ireland

#EHC2019
#RoadToTokyo

*All games will be steamed on www.eurohockeytv.org via an event pass of €9.99 (Geo blocked in Belgium)

FIH site



Who will England’s teams face at the Euros?



The EuroHockey Championship gets underway on Friday 16 August as hosts Belgium face Spain at 7:30pm BST, but when do England’s men’s and women’s teams take to the field?

The men’s side are the first of England’s teams to appear when they face Wales at 10:15am BST on Saturday 17 August whilst England’s women face Ireland the following day at 10:15am BST.

There was success for the men’s and women’s teams at the previous edition of the competition in 2017 as both came away with bronze medals. With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics around the corner, a gold medal at this year’s EuroHockey Championship will secure automatic qualification to the Games. Should the England teams not secure the title at the competition, Great Britain will compete in a two-legged Olympic Qualifier later this year where the victor will make it to the Games.

Men’s fixtures:
Aug 17: England v Wales – 10:15am BST
Aug 18: England v Belgium – 5pm BST
Aug 20: Spain v England – 12:30pm BST
The semi-final matches (as well as Pool C games – competed by the teams who finished 3rd or 4th in Pool A & B) will take place on August 22 with the final, bronze medal match and final Pool C games happening on August 24.

Women’s fixtures:
Aug 18: England v Ireland – 10:15am BST
Aug 19: Germany v England – 12:30pm BST
Aug 21: England v Belarus – 9am BST

The semi-final matches (as well as Pool C games) will take place on August 23 with the final, bronze medal match and final Pool C games happening on August 25.

England Hockey Board Media release



McCallin excited for EuroHockey return



The EuroHockey Championship gets underway on August 16 as the top teams from across the continent face off in Antwerp, Belgium.

With the victor of the competition earning a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there’s an extra incentive to get Gold, and Shona McCallin spoke of the importance of putting in a good showing at the upcoming event:

“It doesn’t get much more important than this, Olympic Qualification is on the line through the Euros and there’s no reason why we can’t qualify through that route. It’s going to be seriously tough but if you want to qualify for the Olympics it’s always going to be tough.

“If it doesn’t happen through the European’s then we’ve got another route later in the year, which is new for all of us, so there’s conversations around how we approach that and how it works as if it does get to that stage it would be two really high-pressured games.

“The Europeans are always a special one. It’s arguably the strongest continental tournament there is, the majority of the top ten teams in the world are from Europe so there’s not going be any easy games and with Olympic Qualification riding on it as well it adds an extra bit of pressure.

“As an England group we’re looking forward to getting out there and seeing what we can do.”


Shona McCallin v Ireland

England’s women’s team face Ireland (August 18, 10:15am BST) in their first match at the competition, a team they last came up against at the 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup where Giselle Ansley’s drag flick secured a 1-0 victory, and McCallin is expecting another tough battle:

“Obviously I wasn’t involved at the World Cup, but the Irish did exceptionally well beating many good teams along the way to getting that silver medal. They’ve changed coach and slightly changed their style, but I think the majority of the squad is quite similar and they’ll obviously be confident from the World Cup and from having some good results since. It will be a difficult game and there’s always a bit of an extra spice when we’re against one of the Home Nations, but I’m confident that if we can bring our game and what we know we can do then we’ll come out with the three points in that game.”

Having been part of the team that won bronze at the 2017 EuroHockey Championship, McCallin spoke of her excitement at the prospect of featuring for England for the first time since November 2017: “To pull on the England kit again will be special and I’m hoping that a couple of people will be able to come out to Belgium and watch.

“For me it’s about getting out there, playing, executing the game plan and hopefully winning that game but being back in a stadium in an England shirt is something that I’ve not done for a while so it will probably be a bit emotional.”

England Hockey Board Media release



Khawaja Junaid pledges to revive hockey



ISLAMABAD - Pledging to revive hockey glory, newly-appointed Pakistan team head coach Khawaja Junaid Friday said he would take along former Olympians to train national players for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers.

Pakistan had produced several hockey greats who in their playing days were unmatchable in different fields of the game.  “It is the right time to avail their services to regain the lost status of the national game,” he told APP.

Junaid said the utilization of penalty corners in the game are the backbone of any team’s success and we need to work on it. “The PHF is working on to call former penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas in the player’s training camp to strengthen the boys with his experience in the field,” he said and added other former greats including Muhammad Imran and Ahmed Alam would also be called in to share their expertise with the players.

Junaid said they have a big name like Shahid Ali Khan in the field of goalkeeping and they would also be taking his assistance to train goalkeepers according to the modern hockey. “Though the road to 2020 Tokyo Olympics is tough, but we would give our best shot in the qualifiers to book a place in the mega event,” he said.

Junaid, who had won a bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona, said Pakistan need to set focus straight to excel in the national game internationally. Junaid, who had earlier also worked as head coach and was removed after Pakistan’s debacle in the World Hockey League in London in 2017, said until now they have not identified the grey areas which had led to the game’s downfall.

“If this goes on than the day is not far when lower ranking teams would pass us in the rankings,” he said and added currently Pakistan stands at World Ranking 17.  Junaid said Pakistan need to improve the game scientifically with data based analysis of players being done. “Time is less and we must hunt for those players who are mentally, physically and technically fit for the game of hockey,” he said.

He said tey have about a three-week time to prepare for the Olympic Qualifying round and in this short period they need to make players go through the evaluation and assessment process in order to pick the best possible team for the round.

The Nation



Hockey transfers 2019/20: Latests ins and outs in English Premier Divisions

By The Hockey Paper



Transfers should be a major talking point when it comes to domestic hockey. Unfortunately, news is harder to come by than a bumper crowd at an English league game. Here, we list the transfers we do know about, while we will be adding to the list in the coming days after requesting information from clubs. It’s all part of our #watchyour1s campaign, where we are urging elite to grass roots clubs to boost attendances. Win your club £500 and more!

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any player transfers.
UPDATED: August 9

Hampstead & Westminster

IN
Men:
Jacob Draper (Cardiff Met)
Hywel Jones (Uni of Birmingham)
Götz Mahdi (Nurnberger)
Gaston Golstein (Racing Leopold)

Women:
Grace Balsdon (Canterbury)
Joie Leigh (Hurley HC)
Lily Owsley (Uni of Birmingham)
Holly Hunt (Uni of Birmingham)

Holcombe

Men:
IN
Jeremy Edwards (Australia)
Mo Mea (South Africa)
Barry Middleton (Somerville HC, New Zealand)
Mark Gleghorne (Beeston)
George Lilley (Sevenoaks)
Tom Moore (Sevenoaks)
Graig Morton (Sevenoaks)

OUT
Conor Caplan (released)
Glenn Eyers (NZ)
Ross Hetem (SA)
Kalyan Jeram (NZ)
George Pinner (Old Georgians)
Matt Symonds (NZ)
Dan Webster (released)

Old Georgians

IN
George Pinner
Andy Bull (Royal Beerschot)
Tom Carson (Royal Beerschot)
Lee Morton (Reading)
Liam Sanford
Ashley Jackson (HGHC)

OUT
Dan Fox (Guildford, director of hockey)

Wimbledon

IN
Men:
Dylan Swanepoel (South Africa)
Ben Francis (Reading)
Dom Bowden (East Grinstead)
Tom Barratt (USA)
Ronan Harvey-Kelly (Loughborough Students)
Rhys Smith (East Grinstead)

Bowdon Hightown

IN
Emma Rainey (New Zealand)
Alex Lukin (New Zealand)

East Grinstead

IN
Women:
Tess Howard (University of Durham)
Amy Costello (University of Birmingham)
Hannah Cozens (Loughborough University)
Fifi Robinson
Freya Gladstone
Harriet Mitchell and Courtney Hansford (returning after University)

OUT
Xenna Hughes (Cardiff University)
Pippa Locke, Coca Hall (University of Birmingham)
Amy Thompson (University of Nottingham)

Surbiton

Beeston

Reading

Buckingham

IN:
Abbie Brant (Leeds Beckett)

Clifton Robinsons

IN
Juliet Rayden (Head coach)

CONTINENT

IN

HDM (Holland)
Flora Peel, Livy Paige (England)

Kampong (Holland)
Ayeisha McFerran

Other
National League

Want your club profiled? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will add to the list.

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The Hockey Paper



Hockey caps project under way to find modern players’ numbers

Specific caps number would add to hockey’s history

By The Hockey Paper



Plans have been drawn up to give England and Great Britain players personalised hockey player numbers that will represent their place in the sport’s international history.

Falling in line with other sports like cricket, the shirts worn by individuals in both men’s and women’s teams will be able to carry the number which records their personal place in the numerical list of all-time international players.

However, according to Mike Smith, the curator at The Hockey Museum, before the embroiderers can start their work, there are several key issues that need to be sorted out.

Of prime importance is building the official list of players who have taken part in all internationals since they started being played in 1895.

Despite the impressive number of shelves stacked with archives at the Museum in Woking, a definitive list of all the games played and the names of the those taking part does not exist.

And as well as making an appeal for extra match details, he is also seeking funds to help him employ professional archivists to carry out that work.

Yet before they can start their work at least three key decisions have to made about whether international caps should or should not have been awarded to matches that were on calendars around a century ago.

And with the early women’s games there will be a discussion on similar lines to the one held by International Cricket Council shortly after it was formed in 1909.

By then internationals were already being labelled as Test matches played between two representative teams but when they started was a big question.

That was because the first recorded international cricket match between England and Australia in Sydney in the winter of 1876-77 involved a tour party, financed, captained and chosen by James Lillywhite, with a similar tour captained by Lord Harris taking place two years later.

They were awarded cricket Test match status by the ICC, but whether a similar status should now be handed to the England women’s hockey team which toured Australia and New Zealand in 1914 could be the subject of much discussion.

The Hockey Museum does have on display a skirt worn by one of the players when an ‘English XI’ took on the Australians, a match which the Aussies regard as the first ever international their ladies played.

However, the All England Women’s Hockey Association has not counted it as an international because the team was not necessarily the best available at the time. The squad only consisted of players who had both the time and money to go there not necessarily the best hockey skills. Should these players now be awarded an international cap?

“There is a lot to be discussed,” said curator Mike Smith. “Which is why I am appealing for help in unearthing archives that will help build the international lists and some funds to enable the Museum to employ professional archivists to make sure they are compiled accurately.”

If you would like to support this important and fascinating work please go to https://tinyurl.com/yy228gqq

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The Hockey Paper

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