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All the news for Saturday 23 September 2019

2019 Men's Central America Hockey5s Development Tournament
Panama

21 Nov 2019     PUR v GUA (A)     0 - 2
21 Nov 2019     PAN v CRC (A)     2 - 1
21 Nov 2019     GUA v CRC (A)     1 - 0
21 Nov 2019     PAN v PUR (A)     0 - 3

22 Nov 2019     PUR v CRC (A)     2 - 2
22 Nov 2019     GUA v PAN (A)     4 - 2
22 Nov 2019     GUA v CRC (Crossover)     0 - 0 (1 - 2 SO)
22 Nov 2019     PUR v PAN (Crossover)     2 - 0

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

2019 Women's Central America Hockey5s Development Tournament
Panama

21 Nov 2019 09:50     PAN v CRC (A)     0 - 1
21 Nov 2019 11:30     GUA v PAN (A)     1 - 0
21 Nov 2019 15:50     CRC v GUA (A)     0 - 1

22 Nov 2019 09:50     CRC v PAN (A)     1 - 1
22 Nov 2019 11:30     PAN v GUA (A)     0 - 1
22 Nov 2019 15:50     GUA v CRC (A)     1 - 2

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

Panama Breathes Hockey5s

2019 Central American Hockey 5s Championships (men & women)


2019 Central American Hockey 5s Championship (men) - GUA v CRC. Photo credit Nahir El Barril   

After finishing the first two days of the Central American Hockey5s Championship in Panama City, the men & women finalists were defined.

On the men’s side, Costa Rica will play vs Puerto Rico.

On the women’s side, Costa Rica will play vs Guatemala.

Despite the extreme heat, and the intermittent rain, the teams showed a very good display of game, attitude and fair play.

The umpires and officials were able to put into practice what they learned in the theoretical courses given the days before the tournament, under the watchful eye of the technical delegate Juan Manuel Perez Leon and the umpire manager Fernando Gómez.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release

Women's indoor hockey team can make final, says Dharmaraj

By Jugjet Singh

THE Malaysian women’s indoor hockey team are ready to spoil the party for favourites Thailand and Indonesia at the Nov 30-Dec 11 Philippines Sea Games.

Indoor hockey made its Sea Games debut two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, with Thailand winning the women’s gold, Indonesia taking silver and Malaysia bronze. The Malaysian men’s team won gold.

This time, with indoor hockey set to be played at the Centtro Mall and Convention Centre in Los Banos, the Malaysian women’s team are hoping to spring a surprise.

“Thailand and Indonesia have been actively playing indoor hockey for a long time. We only began taking it seriously a few years ago,” said national women’s indoor hockey coach K. Dharmaraj.

“The plus point for us is that we have the best field hockey players in the region. We did not select the best field hockey players to train for indoor in 2017.

“But for the Philippines Games, I will have the cream of the crop and that's why I believe we can make the final.”

So confident is Dharmaraj, who used to coach the men and women’s national field hockey teams, that he isn’t even bothered by the fact that Thailand and Indonesia had undergone extensive training stints in Europe.

“Thailand went to Austria for a three-week stint while Indonesia were in Prague (Czech Republic) for 16 days to train and play.

“Both these teams are dead serious about the game. But I believe that with the best available players in the country, we have a good chance of being party-poopers.”

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), who held their elections on Nov 16, said they would announce their Executive Board members and chairmen of the various committees after the Sea Games ends.

“We will have our second meeting on Dec 14 and announce the appointments,” said MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal.

New Straits Times

Queensland to host 2020 Masters Championships

Nic Kerber



The Australian Masters Hockey Championships are heading to Queensland in 2020 following confirmation that Cairns and the Gold Coast have secured two of the biggest events on the Australian hockey calendar.

Cairns will play host to the 2020 Australian Masters Women’s Championships from 1-11 July, while next year’s Men’s Masters Championships will be held on the Gold Coast over two separate periods, moving away from the traditional September/October period in order to avoid clashes with the 2020 Masters World Cup events. Notably, 82 teams competed at this year’s Men’s Masters Championships.

The 45+ to 75+ age categories for the 2020 Australian Men’s Masters Hockey Championships will be held from 27 June – 12 July, with the 35+ and 40+ competitions to take place from 1-10 October 2020.

Hockey Australia CEO Matt Favier expressed his appreciation to Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), City of Gold Coast, and Cairns Regional Council for their support and interest in hosting the events.

“On behalf of Hockey Australia, we thank TEQ and the respective councils and hockey associations for partnering and working together to bring both the Women’s and Men’s Masters to Queensland next year,” said Favier.

“The Masters continues to get bigger every year which reflects how popular it is among our hockey community.

“I am sure the competitors will have a magnificent time at the respective cities and hockey facilities, and that all parties will reap the benefits of these championships which are the largest annual hockey events for the year in terms of participation.”

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the package of events was expected to generate $7.4 million for the state’s tourism economy and generate 40,000 visitor nights across the state.

“Events help to grow our tourism industry and create jobs in Queensland – that’s what makes announcements like this so important,” she said.

“Masters competitions are lucrative events because competitors often stick around for a holiday. These events will provide a great boost for local hotels, restaurants and the retail sector, ultimately supporting local jobs.

“Securing the 2020 package of events comes hot off the heels from hosting three major hockey events in 2018 and 2019, a deal that was secured directly as a result of the Commonwealth Games infrastructure being available.

“When it comes to major events, the Palaszczuk Government has the runs on the board. We’ve more than doubled the value of Queensland’s major events portfolio since 2015, with a calendar that has generated $800 million in 2019.”



Co-Chairpersons of the Hockey Australia Masters Committee (HAMC), Sue Briggs and Norm Same, expressed their gratitude to all the relevant parties in bringing both Masters Championships to Queensland in 2020.

“The competitors had a fantastic experience on the Gold Coast at this year’s Trans Tasman Masters Championships as well as the Women’s Championships, and I have no doubt the men’s tournaments there next year will be just as successful,” said Briggs.

“Cairns have a fantastic sporting and hockey community, and with the Women’s Masters taking place in early July, the climate in far north Queensland should be great and we expect big numbers again in terms of players and teams for next year’s championships.

Next year’s Australian Men’s Masters Championships will be the 40th edition of the tournament, while the Women’s competition has been running since 1984.

“We thank TEQ and both the Cairns and Gold Coast regions for hosting the Masters Championships next year. I am sure the players will be excited about heading to Queensland and that many will start planning their trips immediately,” said Same.

“After the phenomenal popularity of this year’s Men’s Masters, attention now turns to the Gold Coast and we thank them for their ability to cater for this as we work around the International Masters calendar. We are sure their facilities and volunteers will deliver two amazing events.”

TEQ partnered with the respective councils to secure the championships and look forward to rolling out the welcome mat to the players, coaches, officials, staff, families and friends who will attend.

“What a great opportunity for Cairns to again be showcased to a national audience, and I am sure those visiting our city will be delighted with what we have to offer,” said Cairns Mayor Bob Manning.

“While Cairns is well known as being the gateway to the reef and the rainforest, in recent years the city has also become a destination of choice for sports tourism and large participation sporting events.

“We know from hosting the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games earlier this year that these competitions are well received by competitors, and there are significant benefits to our local economy.

“We look forward to welcoming the competitors, officials and other associated visitors, and on behalf of the city extend a warm welcome and hope you they get a chance to see what Cairns has to offer.”

City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the news.

“We are delighted to have secured yet another significant sporting event for our city, especially one to be held at a Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games legacy venue,” he said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our city to again take centre stage as a key player in hosting major national sporting events.”

Additionally, both the Gold Coast Hockey Management Group and Cairns Hockey Association are eagerly preparing to host the matches.

“The Gold Coast Hockey Centre is delighted to be announced as the venue for the 2020 Men’s Masters National Championships,” said Scott Beasley, President - Gold Coast Hockey Management Group.

“We had such a fantastic experience hosting the recent women’s masters on the Gold Coast and we look forward to extending a warm welcome to the men in 2020.

“With over 15 major national or international tournaments already hosted here at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre since the Commonwealth Games, we are excited to add the men’s masters to this list.

“The men’s masters national championships will be the largest participation event ever staged at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre. We look forward to welcoming players, officials, friends and families to not only enjoy the fantastic hockey facilities, but to also experience the beautiful Gold Coast.”

Robert Pozzi – President Cairns Hockey Association, echoed Beasley’s sentiments.

“Cairns Hockey is excited and delighted to host the 2020 Australian Women’s Masters Hockey National Championships,” said Pozzi.

“It is a great event that will highlight our great facilities, our strong partners and our growing hockey membership including our active and valued Masters Hockey members and friends.

“Hosting the 2020 National Women’s Masters Championships will provide the opportunity to show the hockey community of Australia how strong hockey is in Far North Queensland and how with the support of our community partners, we can build international quality facilities and deliver a successful event generating significant economic benefit to the Cairns and Far North Queensland region.”

“We look forward to working with Hockey Australia, TEQ, Cairns Regional Council and our local partners and supporters to deliver a memorable event and encourage Hockey Australia to consider Cairns for future national and international events.”

Event Details
Australian Women’s Masters Hockey Championships 2020
Cairns, Queensland
Wednesday 1 July – Saturday 11 July 2020

Australian Men’s Masters Hockey Championships 2020 (45+ to 75+)
Gold Coast, Queensland
Friday 27 June – Sunday 12 July 2020

Australian Men’s Masters Hockey Championships 2020 (35+ and 40+)
Gold Coast, Queensland
Thursday 1 October – Saturday 10 October 2020

Hockey Australia media release

PREVIEWS: Men's Hockey League



With three games remaining before the winter break, Brooklands MU head to Surrey on Sunday to play high-flying Old Georgians in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Currently seventh, Brooklands MU could move into the top half of the table with a win, but they will have to step up their form having lost to OG three weeks ago.

“We know it will be a difficult task,” said Brooklands MU head coach Paul Gannon. “But preparation has gone well after the Reading game.

“Last week we saw the return from injury of David Flanagan and Eddie Way which is a huge boost for the team. It was great to see David back to his goal scoring form, and we’re hoping for the same this week.

“We will be looking to take the positives from last week’s performance into this weekend. After a few poor results in the first few games we will be looking to pick up points in the last three games before the break.”

Elsewhere leaders Surbiton host Reading on Saturday as they look to extend their perfect start to the season.

Second-placed Wimbledon go to Devon to play the University of Exeter on Sunday, while Hampstead & Westminster entertain Holcombe in a battle of two teams pushing for the play-off spots.

Finally, East Grinstead are at home against Beeston in the Premier Division’s other match.

Leaders University of Durham entertain bottom club Leeds in the Men’s Division One North on Saturday evening, while second-placed Cardiff & Met head to the University of Nottingham on Sunday.

And in the Men’s Division One South third-placed Sevenoaks play host to leaders Southgate, and could go top if they win and Oxted lose at Team Bath Buccaneers on Sunday.

FIXTURES

Men’s Hockey League (Sat, 23 November 2019):

Premier Division
Surbiton v Reading 18:00

Division 1 North
Olton & West Warwicks v Univ of Nottingham 14:00
Univ of Durham v Leeds 18:00
Sheffield Hallam v City of Peterborough 18:30

Division 1 South
Sevenoaks v Southgate 17:00

Conference East
Bromley & Beckenham v St Albans 14:30

Conference West
Cardiff University v Old Cranleighans 14:00

Men’s Hockey League (Sun, 24 November 2019):

Premier Division
Univ of Exeter v Wimbledon 13:00
East Grinstead v Beeston 14:00
Hampstead & Westminster v Holcombe 14:00
Old Georgians v Brooklands MU 14:00

Division 1 North
Olton & West Warwicks v Loughborough Students 13:30
Univ of Nottingham v Cardiff & Met 14:00
Bowdon v Univ of Birmingham 14:30

Division 1 South
Brighton & Hove v Canterbury 13:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Oxted 13:00
Fareham v Teddington 13:30
Oxford Hawks v Havant 14:00

Conference East
London Edwardians v Old Loughtonians 12:30
Spencer v Harleston Magpies 13:30
Chichester v Cambridge City 14:00
Wapping v Bedford 14:30

Conference West
Khalsa Leamington v Cheltenham 12:30
Ashmoor v Univ of Bristol 13:00
Harborne v Isca 14:00
Univ of Exeter 2s v Richmond 15:00

Conference North
Barford Tigers v Wakefield 13:00
Preston v Lichfield 13:00
Deeside Ramblers v Belper 13:30
Alderley Edge v Didsbury Northern 14:00
Timperley v Doncaster 14:00

England Hockey Board Media release

PREVIEWS: Investec Women's Hockey League



After losing out to bottom of the table Bowdon Hightown last weekend, Holcombe go to Hampstead & Westminster on Sunday hoping to rediscover their form in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Currently fourth in the table with four wins from their first nine matches, Holcombe are at full strength for the match with the exception of GB and Wales international Sarah Jones, who is recovering from an extended period of illness.

“It has been an unpredictable league at times this season,” said Holcombe first team manager Julie Garbett. “We didn't win last week but we played some really nice hockey. We need to build on that and continue to grow as a team.

“Our form is good, we obviously have areas to build on, but we have a good squad of ladies who want to do well for each other.”

A win for Holcombe could see them climb to third in the table depending how East Grinstead fare in their match against Beeston on Saturday afternoon.

EG will be looking to recreate the type of performance which saw them win 4-1 at Buckingham last weekend. Beeston also won last Sunday, beating the University of Birmingham to secure their first points in three matches.

Leaders Surbiton go to bottom club Bowdon Hightown in search of their tenth straight league win, while Clifton Robinsons are looking to climb into the play-off spots and go to the University of Birmingham in search of victory.

Finally, the top flight’s other match sees Loughborough Students play host to Buckingham.

In the Investec Division One North leaders Swansea have a double header weekend with Ben Rhydding on Saturday and Brooklands-Poynton on Sunday.

Meanwhile, second-placed Leicester City host Stourport.

And in the Investec Division One South Wimbledon will be aiming to maintain their 100% league record when they go to Slough on Saturday. Behind them, second-placed Reading go to Canterbury.

FIXTURES

Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sat, 23 November 2019):

Investec Premier Division
Univ of Birmingham v Clifton Robinsons 13:15
Bowdon Hightown v Surbiton 13:45
Loughborough Students v Buckingham 14:00
East Grinstead v Beeston 16:30

Investec Division 1 North
Olton & West Warwicks v Belper 12:00
Swansea v Ben Rhydding 12:00
Gloucester City v Brooklands-Poynton 13:00
Leicester City v Stourport 14:00
Univ of Durham v Leeds 16:00

Investec Division 1 South
Isca v Harleston Magpies 12:00
Trojans v Cambridge City 12:00
Slough v Wimbledon 12:15
St Albans v Sevenoaks 13:00
Canterbury v Reading 14:00

Investec Conference East
Bromley & Beckenham v Canterbury 2s 12:30
Southgate v Wimbledon 2s 14:00
Broxbourne v Horsham 14:30
Bedford v Ipswich 15:00
Chelmsford v Barnes 15:00

Investec Conference North
Pendle Forest v Cannock 11:30
Sutton Coldfield v Timperley 12:30
Fylde v Doncaster 13:30
Alderley Edge v Wakefield 14:00
Beeston 2s v Univ of Nottingham 14:00

Investec Conference West
Oxford Hawks v Surbiton 2s 12:00
Oxford Univ v Cheltenham 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Univ of Bristol 12:30
Clifton Robinsons 2s v Basingstoke 14:30
Univ of Birmingham 2s v Exe 15:00
 
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Sun, 24 November 2019):

Investec Premier Division
Hampstead & Westminster v Holcombe 12:00

Investec Division 1 North
Swansea v Brooklands-Poynton 12:00
Gloucester City v Ben Rhydding 13:00

Investec Division 1 South
Isca v Cambridge City 12:00
Trojans v Harleston Magpies 12:00

Investec Conference West
Exe v Basingstoke 13:00

England Hockey Board Media release

Loreto hope to clip Pegasus wings in EY Champs Trophy final rematch


Loreto meet Pegasus in a repeat of last year’s EY Champions Trophy final. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Last year’s EY Champions Trophy finalists Loreto and Pegasus face off at Beaufort in a big early season women’s EYHL battle with the hosts looking to end the Ulster side’s perfect record.

For the Dubliners, they have had a mixed bag to start the season with a strong defensive performance earning them a win over UCD before snatching a draw at the death against Muckross.

Ali Meeke took on the goalscoring duties both times as they were shy – on Sunday – the services of Hannah Matthews, Nicci Daly, Hayley Mulcahy and Siofra O’Brien.

For Pegs, their panel has undergone something of an overhaul since last May’s final with the likes of Ellie Montgomery, Molly Dougan, Niamh McIvor, Olivia Berry, Charlotte Beggs added to the line-up while Grace Irwin, Kate Gourley, Steph Thompson and Kate Miller are out this season.

Shirley McCay missed the 1-0 win over Cork Harlequins but could return for this crucial encounter with Pegs hoping to become the first visiting side to win on Loreto’s new water-based turf.

Elsewhere, the early season results suggest each game has the potential to be close. Muckross host Railway Union, the latter contesting their second D4 derby in the past week having lost to Pembroke last Saturday.

Belfast Harlequins have a tough encounter as they bid to get their first win at Deramore Park against UCD. Catholic Institute welcome Old Alex to Limerick and Cork Harlequins host Pembroke.

In EYHL2, the key game in Pool B is Ards’ trip to Monkstown. Should the former make it four wins from four, they will have at least an eight point lead after the weekend. UCC host Queen’s at the Mardyke looking to keep their challenge for a top two place going.

In Pool A, leaders Corinthian are on a bye weekend, giving teams a chance to close the seve-point gap currently in place. Cork C of I host Lurgan while Trinity go to NUIG for a match with an adjusted 2.30pm start time.

Leinster Division One has four games on Saturday and one on Sunday with Corinthian on double duty, facing Rathgar on Saturday and a tester against Avoca on Sunday.

On the men’s side, UCD’s game with Annadale has been postponed due to illness in the students’ camp.

Preseason, the odds would have been strongly stacked in favour of Pembroke and Banbridge’s men’s EY Hockey League contest being a key one in the shake-up for the playoff places.

The former welcomed back Olympians Kirk Shimmins and Alan Sothern into the fold as well as former international Nick Burns. Bann, meanwhile, had Owen Magee coming back into the line-up following a year in the pro-ranks to add to the rejuvenated Jonny McKee.

And yet it has not happened for either side with both garnering just one win each from the first five rounds of the marquee competition with only Annadale beneath them.


Pembroke’s Patrick Shanahan and Banbridge’s Jonny McKee last season. Pic: Adrian Boehm

As such, their meeting at Serpentine Avenue (2.30pm) is a crucial one for both sides to finally catch their mojo before the top four playoff places disappear off into the distance.

The erratic Three Rock Rovers face Glenanne in a similar mindset. The Rathfarnham club produced Ireland’s best ever Euro Hockey League win when they smashed Scotland’s Grange 6-0 and almost shocked German giants Rot Weiss Koln.

Since then, they have been thumped themselves 6-0 by both Lisnagarvey and Monkstown as they have struggled to overcome midfield injuries to Ben Johnson and James Kyriakides.

The Glens will not have access to Kieran Bolger as sideline coach as his red card for dissent last weekend incurred an automatic one-game suspension.

Hockey Ireland have also confirmed a number of changes to the schedule. Round 3 of the competition, originally scheduled for September 29, has been set for February 1 while Round 5 – on the card for October 19 – will now be played on February 8.

Lisnagarvey will aim to make it six wins out of six when they host Corinthian in the EY Hockey League at Comber Road for the first time.

In Leinster Division One, Weston against Avoca is the one game on the agenda while the Neville Cup semi-finals sees Portrane take on Clontarf on Saturday and reigning champions Three Rock Rovers face Avoca.

Saturday 23rd November 2019

Men – EYHL Division 1: Lisnagarvey v Corinthian, Comber Road, 5.30pm; Pembroke v Banbridge, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; Three Rock Rovers v Glenanne, Grange Road, 3pm; YMCA v Monkstown, Wesley College, 4pm

Postponed: UCD v Annadale

Irish Hockey Challenge: Limerick v Mullingar, Villiers, 3pm; Midleton v Galway, Midleton College, 3.15pm

Leinster Division 1: Weston v Avoca, Griffeen Valley Park, 12pm

Munster Peard Cup – 1st Round: Bandon v Catholic Institute, Bandon GS, 2.30pm; Cork Harlequins v UCC, Farmers’ Cross, 2.30pm; Waterford v Cork C of I, Newtown, 3.30pm

Neville Cup, semi-final: Portrane v Clontarf, Donabate LC, 3pm

Women

EYHL Division 1: Belfast Harlequins v UCD, Deramore Park, 4pm; Catholic Institute v Old Alex, Rosbrien, 1pm; Cork Harlequins v Pembroke, Farmers’ Cross, 1.05pm; Loreto v Pegasus, Beaufort, 2.45pm; Muckross v Railway Union, Muckross Park, 3.15pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool A: Cork C of I v Lurgan, Garryduff, 12pm; NUIG v Trinity, Dangan, 2.30pm
Pool B: Monkstown v Ards, ALD Merrion Fleet Arena, 2.30pm; UCC v Queens University, Mardyke, 12pm         

Irish Hockey Challenge: Bangor v Botanic, Bangor Aurora, 4pm; Kilkenny v Cork Wanderers, Kilkenny College, 12pm; Galway v Larne, Dangan, 1pm; NICS v Weston, Stormont, 1pm; Portrane v NUIG, Donabate LC, 1pm; Athlone v Mullingar, Athlone RSC, 2pm; Clonmel v Greenfields, Rockwell, 2.30pm

Leinster Division 1: Clontarf v Avoca, Mount Temple, 2pm; Genesis v Naas, St Raphaela’s, 1pm; North Kildare v Glenanne, The Maws, 1pm; Rathgar v Corinthian, The High School, 2.15pm

Examiner Cup – Round 2: Bandon v Limerick, Bandon GS, 12.30pm; Waterford v Ashton, Newtown, 1.30pm

Sunday 24th November 2019

Men

Neville Cup – semi-final: Avoca v Three Rock Rovers, Newpark

Women

Leinster Division 1: Corinthian v Avoca, Whitechurch Park, 2pm

The Hook

Thunder fight back in Scotland's Academy Series



Glasgow Thunder fought back in both Academy series matches as the boys’ won a dramatic shootout and the girls’ won 2-1 against Edinburgh Lightning.

It was the opening night of the Academy Series as some of Scotland’s best young players took to the pitch in a three-day tournament in front of the Scotland programme coaches.

The boys’ contest was goal-laden from the outset; Edinburgh Lightning took the lead after eight minutes with a lovely strike for 1-0. Jake Inglis was the scorer when he finished well with a hard drag flick to open the scoring.

The opening quarter was a good one for Lightning and they gelled well quickly in the early stages, playing some nice composed hockey.

12 minutes into the second quarter Edinburgh Lightning went 2-0 ahead. The goal came from another penalty corner, this time Jamie Croll found the net with another well finished low flick.

Lightning enjoyed their 2-0 lead into the second half and then went 3-0 ahead in the third quarter. Keir Robb found the net from a penalty stroke, picking out a corner with composure.

The final quarter was the thing of miracles. Five minutes into the fourth quarter it went 3-1 when Euan Burgess found the net to pull Thunder into the match.

The Thunder fightback was on and with two minutes remaining it went to 3-2 when Charlie Jack struck to setup a grandstand finish. With just a minute on the clock it was Jack who equalised for Thunder to take it to penalties in a dramatic end of the contest.

Some top goalkeeping saw Thunder win 3-0 in the shootout to take the first points in the boys’ Academy Series.

There was another Thunder comeback in the girls’ contest when Glasgow Thunder won 2-1 against Edinburgh Lightning.

Edinburgh Lightning got off to a good start and played some slick hockey in the early stages.

Their early presence was rewarded when they went 1-0 up through a Faith Joubert strike; a lead which they took into half time.

The second half saw a Thunder resurgence and they battled their way into the contest to the delight of the crowd.

Anna Hoolaghan was on target to level the scores when she fired home from the top of the D to equalise.

The Thunder aggression grew towards the end of the contest and it paid off when Lucy Anderson struck the winner. Anderson, playing high in the forward line, deflected the ball into the net to scoop the vital points for Thunder in a very close contest.

It finished 2-1 to Thunder to round off a great opening match in the girls’ Academy Series.

Both Thunder sides don’t play again until Sunday, so Saturday is all to play for – the series isn’t over yet!

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Defence Force stays perfect

by Nigel Simon


Jordan Reynos, left of Police tries to dribble past Defence Force’s Shaquille Daniel in their T&T Hockey Board Indoor Championship Men's Open Division match at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Woodbrook on October 18. Defence Force won 6-4. ANTHONY HARRIS

T&T's De­fence Force en­tered last night's semi­fi­nal round of the Men's Open Di­vi­sion of this year's Mag­no­lia Hock­ey Club In­door Hock­ey as the lone team with a 100 per cent win­ning record at the Wood­brook Youth Fa­cil­i­ty, Hamil­ton-Hold­er Street.

This af­ter na­tion­al play­er Shaquille Daniel scored all five goals on Thurs­day night in their 5-0 trash­ing of Fa­ti­ma to ed round-robin Pool B play with max­i­mum nine points, three ahead of Malvern who pun­ished Po­lice II, 5-2 led by a hat-trick from Kristien Em­manuel (9th, 20th, 20th) and one each by Daniel By­er (22nd), and Christo­pher Lazar (26th) to can­cel out ef­forts for Po­lice II by Ker­wyn Hume (12th) and Nicholas Wren (18th).

In last night's semi­fi­nals, De­fence Force came up against Pool A run­ner-up Queen's Park Crick­et Club while Po­lice I bat­tled Malvern.

In Pool A, re­cent­ly crowned na­tion­al cham­pi­ons Po­lice I de­feat­ed Paragon 2-0 with goals from Wayne Leg­erton, in the 12th, and

Jabari Perez, nine min­utes lat­er to end with sev­en points from three match­es, lev­el with QPCC who crushed Notre Dame 6-0 led by a hat-trick from Shawn Lee Quay (14th, 17th, 27th) and one each by Aidan De Gannes (3rd), Dar­ren Cowie (11th) and Mar­cus Pas­cal (19th).

How­ev­er, Po­lice due to their plus-11 goal-dif­fer­ence end­ed at the top of the ta­ble ahead of the Parkites' plus-ten.

In the Women's Open Di­vi­sion Mag­no­lias slipped past Po­lice 2-1 to top the five-team round-robin stand­ings with ten points and will face fourth-placed Ven­tures in the semi­fi­nals af­ter the lat­ter pep­pered Malvern 6-2 in their fi­nal match to sneak ahead of Po­lice on goal-dif­fer­ence af­ter both end­ed with three points.

Paragon was sec­ond with sev­en points af­ter trounc­ing Ven­tures 4-0 and met Malvern who end­ed with five points in the oth­er semi­fi­nal.

The tour­na­ment will con­clude to­day with the Un­der-21 Di­vi­sion com­pe­ti­tion as well as fi­nals in the Open Di­vi­sions and Mixed Vet­er­ans.

RE­SULTS

Thurs­day re­sults

Open Women:

Malvern 4 (Krizia Layne 2nd, 3rd, Tonya 5th, 23rd) vs Po­lice 1 (Kwylan Jag­gas­sar-Ec­cles 26th)
Paragon 4 (Danielle Thomp­son 22nd, 25th, Keima Gar­diner 1st, Gabrielle Thomp­son 15th) vs Ven­tures 0
Mag­no­lias 2 (Amie Olton 8th, Sa­van­nah De Fre­itas 12th) vs Po­lice 1 (Suzette Pierre 14th)
Ven­tures 6 (Aman­da George 8th, 23rd, Yese­nia Luces 9th, 11th, Jade Piper 29th, Ariel Cowie 29th) vs Malvern 2 (Kher­dine Gon­za­les 3rd, Krizia Layne 6th)

Open Men

Pool A

Po­lice I 2 (Wayne Leg­erton 12th, Jabari Perez 21st) vs Paragon 0
QPCC 6 (Shawn Lee Quay 14th, 17th, 27th, Aidan De Gannes 3rd, Dar­ren Cowie 11th, Mar­cus Pas­cal 19th) vs Notre Dame 0

Pool B

De­fence Force 5 (Shaquille Daniel 3rd, 8th, 24th, 26th, 27th) vs Fa­ti­ma 0
Malvern 5 (Kristien Em­manuel 9th, 20th, 20th, Daniel By­er 22nd, Christo­pher Lazar 26th) vs Po­lice II 2 (Ker­wyn Hume 12th, Nicholas Wren 18th)

Vet­er­ans:

Fa­ti­ma 5 vs Shape 0 - de­fault

To­day's (Sat­ur­day, No­vem­ber 23):

Un­der-21 Di­vi­sion:

Women Round-Robin:

Mag­no­lias vs Paragon, 9 am
Paragon vs Check­ers, 10 am
Check­ers vs Paragon, 11 am
Check­ers vs Mag­no­lias, 12 noon
Paragon vs Mag­no­lias, 1 pm
Mag­no­lias vs Check­ers, 2 pm

Semi­fi­nals:
2nd vs 3rd, 3.30 pm

Fi­nal:
1st vs 2nd/3rd win­ner

Men Round-Robin:

Paragon vs Fa­ti­ma, 9.20 am
Malvern vs QPCC, 9.40 am
Fa­ti­ma vs Shape, 10.20 am
QPCC vs Paragon, 10.40 am
Paragon vs Malvern, 11.20 am
Shape vs QPCC, 11.40 am
QPCC vs Fa­ti­ma, 12.20 pm
Malvern vs Shape, 12.40 pm
Fa­ti­ma vs Malvern, 1.20 pm
Shape vs Paragon, 1.40 pm

Semi­fi­nals:

1st vs 4th, 2.30 pm
2nd vs 3rd, 3 pm
Third place, 4 pm
Fi­nal, 5 pm
Vet­er­ans Fi­nal: 1st vs 2nd, 5.30 pm

Open Di­vi­sion Fi­nals:

Women, 6.15 pm
Men, 7 pm

The Trinidad Guardian

Undefeated UNC field hockey beats Boston College, 6-3, reaches another NCAA title game

By Chapel Fowler AND Matt Chilson


UNC senior forward Marissa Creatore (33) brings the ball towards the goal in their game against Boston College at Kentner Stadium on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019. Angelina Katsanis

WINSTON-SALEM — North Carolina's undefeated field hockey is now just one game away from a second straight perfect season.

The Tar Heels (22-0) beat Boston College, 6-3, in an NCAA semifinal game Friday afternoon. The reigning champions will now face either Princeton or Virginia in the NCAA championship match for a chance to go back to back and win their eighth championship.

Sophomore forward Erin Matson, the 2019 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, scored four times for North Carolina, which moved to 19-5 all time in Final Four games. Sophomore Riley Fulmer and senior Marissa Creatore also added goals.

UNC, the reigning NCAA champion, trailed 1-0 but used a three-goal second period to pull away from the Eagles (15-8), a team they also beat in the 2019 ACC Tournament championship.

The Tar Heels held a 4-2 cushion at halftime and added third- and fourth-period insurance goals, both courtesy of Matson, at Kentner Stadium. Boston College added a third goal late in the fourth period once UNC had subbed in its backups.

UNC has played both Princeton and Virginia this season. The Tar Heels beat the Tigers, 4-3, on Sept. 6 and the Cavaliers, 5-0, on Sept. 27. The NCAA championship match will be held at Kentner Stadium on Sunday.

The Daily Tar Heel

BC Can’t Lock Down Explosive UNC Attack, Falls in Final Four

Peter Kim Fall


Featured Image by Kaitlin Meeks

All season long, defense has been Boston College field hockey’s calling card. The Eagles entered a national semifinal against No. 1 North Carolina with nine shutouts—good for third-most in the country—and just seven goals allowed in six ACC games.

If defense is BC’s strength, though, then the Tar Heels are the Eagles’ kryptonite. In the past two months, only UNC has managed to score more than one goal against BC, and it did so twice, netting three times in both in a regular-season matchup in Chapel Hill, and in the ACC Championship on the Eagles’ home field in Newton.

But in the teams’ third matchup of the season—now on the sport’s biggest stage—the Tar Heels one-upped both of those performances. UNC exploded for four goals in the first half alone, coming back from a one-goal deficit twice. Then the Tar Heels locked down on defense, holding the Eagles scoreless until the result was beyond doubt and denying BC its first-ever appearance in the national championship by beating it, 6-3, in the Final Four.

Early in the game, the Eagles (15-8, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) came out with a high-energy press, hoping to stop UNC’s signature quick passing and building from the back. Just under a minute in, it worked like a charm. BC forced an early turnover in the UNC (22-0, 6-0) half, and Jaime Natale moved the ball deep inside the Tar Heels circle before winning a penalty corner near the right end line.

Off the penalty corner insertion, Sky Caron slid the ball over to freshman Margo Carlin, who was alone on the left side of the circle. Carlin, who finished the season with a team-high 20 goals, made no mistake, hitting a shot over Tar Heels goaltender Amanda Hendry high into the net to give the Eagles an early lead.

Faced with an early deficit, UNC began to utilize long passes, both on the ground and through the air, to try to get in behind the BC defense. It proved effective almost immediately. From inside her own half, Erin Matson—who led the country in both goals and assists per game during the regular season—slipped a long hit through multiple Eagles defenders, giving the Tar Heels a 3-on-2 opportunity in the BC circle. Catherine Hayden dribbled in on goal before pushing a pass across goal to an open Riley Fulmer, who fired home past an out-of-position Sarah Dwyer to knot the score at one with 8:11 played in the quarter.

It wasn’t until the second quarter, however, that UNC’s attack really began firing on all cylinders. The Eagles regained the lead first, thanks almost entirely to Carlin. The freshman dribbled into the right side of the BC circle—where the Eagles created most of their best attacks—and opted to shoot, getting Hendry to commit low before firing a high shot into the back of the cage in a near carbon copy of her first goal.

The Tar Heels’ response to Carlin’s second score proved decisive, though. Just 85 seconds later, UNC won its first penalty corner of the game after Matson’s attempted centering pass deflected off a BC foot. The insertion went straight to Matson, and the sophomore fired an absolute laser into the bottom right corner to tie the game.

The Tar Heels weren’t done there. Once again, a long pass over caught the Eagles’ back line out and created a numbers advantage for UNC in the BC circle. This time, however, it was Marissa Creatore—who netted two goals in the ACC Championship—who capitalized, finishing off UNC’s excellent passing with the go-ahead goal just four and a half minutes into the second quarter.

Five minutes later, the Tar Heels had a two-score lead. The Eagles turned the ball over on the top of their circle, and the ball trickled out to Megan Duvernois, who slapped a shot that deflected off Matson past a helpless Dwyer. In the blink of an eye, UNC had grabbed a 4-2 lead.

Carlin had one opportunity off a penalty corner just before the break to narrow the deficit, but Madison Orobono blocked her attempt, and halftime arrived with BC trailing by a pair of scores. BC desperately needed the break to regroup and make some defensive adjustments, but unfortunately, out of the break, the Tar Heels just kept rolling.

Midfielder Feline Guenther worked down the right end line and found Matson with a swarm of Eagles defenders around her. Undeterred, the sophomore turned and rolled a shot under Dwyer’s right leg to give UNC a 5-2 advantage.

BC simply had neither the firepower nor the energy to keep up. The Tar Heels, who conceded more than two goals just one time in the regular season—limited the Eagles to zero shots in the third quarter. Then, Matson added her fourth goal of the game—and the cherry on top for UNC—with 4:32 to play.

Brigid Wood—playing in her final game for the Eagles—grabbed a consolation goal off BC’s fourth and final penalty corner with 2:15 left, but it was too little, too late, as the Tar Heels ran the clock down and celebrated their 45th straight win.

The defeat ends the Eagles’ historic season in disappointing fashion. This season marked BC’s first appearances in both the Final Four and the ACC Championship game, but both times the Eagles ran into the UNC buzzsaw. The Tar Heels are the only team to beat BC in the past two months—a span of 14 games—though they ensured twice that the Eagles’ feel-good campaign ended trophyless.

Nevertheless, head coach Kelly Doton and BC should feel proud about their run, which featured a prolific first year from Carlin and a streak of eight shutouts in 11 games, which included the end of the regular season and the ACC Tournament. What’s more, though, the Eagles will have to replace Dwyer, Kate Pianko, and Emily Buttinger—three key pieces of its outstanding defensive core—the Eagles’ entire attack save for Wood will return, leaving BC with a bright future and optimism moving forward.

The Heights

No. 9 Field hockey beats No. 4 Virginia, makes national championship

By Molly Milligan


Julianna Tornetta scored the winning goal in the NCAA Final Four against Virginia. Photo Credit: Jack Graham / The Daily Princetonian

No. 9 Princeton field hockey (16–4, 7–0 Ivy) has advanced to the National Championship game after upsetting No. 4 Virginia (18–5, 4–2 ACC) in the Final Four on Friday night in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

Princeton had won their past three matches against UVA; all three of those victories also came in NCAA tournament games. The Tigers are now 6–0 all time versus the Cavaliers in the postseason.

Virginia struck first in this meeting though, as Rachel Robinson converted a corner in the eighth minute. Senior goalie Grace Baylis saved two more shots in the first quarter to keep the Tigers in striking distance.

With under three minutes left to play in the first half, sophomore midfielder Hannah Davey possessed the ball and completed a perfect pass ahead to sophomore striker Ali McCarthy. Stationed in the circle, McCarthy connected with the ball and blasted in a shot to tie the score, 1–1.

There was plenty of action to start the second half, with Baylis making another stellar save. After a failed corner attempt by junior midfielder MaryKate Neff halfway through the third stanza, junior midfielder Julianna Tornetta took a shot on goal that was saved, but she gathered her own rebound and knocked it in. At the end of the period, Princeton led 2–1.

In the fourth, Princeton couldn’t add to their lead, even following a corner after a 10-minute yellow card was assessed to Virginia. In desperation, UVA pulled their goalie with 2:53 to play, but Princeton held on to upset the nation’s fourth-ranked squad.

“I thought it was a battle of a game," said head coach Carla Tagliente in a statement to GoPrincetonTigers.com. "I think when you get to this level and the Final Four, it's very small margins each way and each team is coming out on pure emotion and I think it took a little while for us to settle into the game. I give UVA credit; I think defensively were outstanding. I don't think we handled them quite well early on ... but I think we adjusted and played great in the second half and did well enough to take this one."

Next up, Princeton will face No. 1 North Carolina for the national championship. The undefeated Tar Heels are seeking a second consecutive national title, while the Tigers are making their first trip back to the title game since winning it all in 2012. The game will be streamed live on NCAA.com on Sunday at 1pm.

The Daily Princetonian

Princeton ends Virginia field hockey team's season in NCAA semifinals

For the fourth straight season, the No. 4 Virginia field hockey team saw its season end with a postseason loss to Princeton.

The Tigers rallied from an early 1-0 deficit with a pair of goals to edge the Cavaliers 2-1 on Friday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament semifinals in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Junior midfielder Rachel Robinson gave Virginia (18-5) a 1-0 lead 7:28 into the game when she converted a penalty corner. The Tigers tied the game with 2:38 remaining in the first half on an Ali McCarthy goal.

Princeton took a 2-1 lead with 4:50 remaining in the third period on a Julianna Tornetta goal and never relinquished it. The Cavaliers’ attempt to rally was hampered when one of their players received a 10-minute yellow card 3:15 into the fourth quarter. Virginia went down another player eight minutes later following another yellow card, giving Princeton a two-man advantage. UVa pulled its goalie with 2:53 remaining, evening the number of players on the field as the first card had expired.

Virginia had a chance to score late, earning a penalty corner with 11.8 seconds remaining. Cato Geusgens got off two shots, both of which were blocked. Amber Ezechiels corralled the final rebound and fired off a third shot, but the attempt went wide, ending the game.

“It was an amazing semifinal. I thought there was a lot of action,” Virginia coach Michele Madison said. “We had moments of domination and control of the game and we showed with their ability to dribble at 100 miles an hour. I’m so proud of the team. I’m so proud of the seniors, the staff, everything and how they play every day. I knew they would show up and play with grit and grind and grind it out and it’s tough to play with one player down and even with two players down and we still had our opportunities to win the game.”

Princeton will face North Carolina on Sunday in the national championship game. The Tar Heels downed ACC rival Boston College, 6-2, in the first semifinal. For Virginia, a memorable season comes to an end one game short of the first national championship game appearance in program history.

The Daily Progress

Streatham Mum wins BBC London’s Unsung Hero Award


Marcia and Lynx

Marcia Gurney-Champion, a sports-mad Streatham resident and mum of three, is an unsung hero of sport – and that’s official!

Marcia has been announced as the winner of BBC London Sport’s Unsung Hero award.

The annual award recognises people who have made an amazing contribution to community sport in the London area.  By winning the London award, Marcia will be attending the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show on December 15th when she will be in contention for the national Unsung Hero award.


Marcia receiving her award from BBC London Sport’s Lauren Moore

Marcia runs Spencer Junior Hockey Club which has over 550 junior players on its books. This year she has dramatically expanded the club’s remit by introducing free hockey coaching to local children who did not have the opportunity to play hockey, or indeed much sport at all.

This latest dream was realised in September when, together with a team of committed volunteers, she co-founded Spencer Lynx, an outreach hockey club made up of 50 children from local state schools.

The Spencer Lynx training sessions are already proving a roaring success.  The boys and girls are fully embracing their new sport, enjoying not only playing hockey, but also being part of a club with all the benefits that this can bring: making friends from other schools, getting fit, and learning important life skills like resilience, determination and self-belief.

The long-term aim is to provide a pathway from Spencer Lynx into the main Spencer Club, with bursary places being offered where appropriate.
The youngsters are having a lot of fun, and receiving top-quality coaching, helped in no small part by the fact that Marcia persuaded GB hockey player, and fellow Streatham resident, Rhys Smith, to get involved with the programme.

Rhys loved sport from an early age, which motivated him to apply for a bursary and sports scholarship to attend a private secondary school in Croydon.  There he was introduced to hockey, which was his springboard into professional sport – he is now part of the England and Great Britain squads.  Marcia knew that Rhys would be the perfect inspirational figure for the Lynx members, and getting him involved has really put the icing on the cake.  Of Marcia’s award Rhys commented “This is fantastic news for a great woman.  Well done and well deserved.”

Originally from Guyana, Marcia’s parents moved to Lambeth when she was four years old, and she has lived in the area ever since.  The Lynx children currently train at La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School, Balham, the school where Marcia herself first learned to play hockey during her secondary school years.  Marcia said: “It is all very surreal and still a bit unbelievable to think that this little old sports fanatic will be heading off to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards! But I am just a cog in this huge Spencer Juniors machine, so thank you to everyone else who has done what they do, to make this moment possible.”

Junior Club Chairman, Tony Matharu commented: “When I set up Spencer Juniors in 2002, with Lesley Gairns, there were insufficient children within any age group of either sex to have any attempt at a game.  No-one could have imagined the speed and scale of growth of the junior membership and the size of the task Marcia now faces to keep it all going. I am particularly proud and grateful that she has managed to maintain the Spencer ethos of inclusivity and that, despite the continued focus on enjoyment and participation, the Club continually achieves County and now even National player recognition.”

England Hockey Board Media release