News for 02 November 2020
All the news for Monday 2 November 2020
2020 FIH Pro League - 2 November
2020 FIH Pro League (Men)
31 Oct 2020 BEL v GBR (RR) 3 - 2 Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels
1 Nov 2020 BEL v GBR (RR) 2 - 1 Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels
2020 FIH Pro League (Women)
31 Oct 2020 BEL v GBR (RR) 1 - 1 (S/O 1 - 3) Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels
1 Nov 2020 BEL v GBR (RR) 1 - 2 Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels
Live streaming and full game replay on the Watch Hockey App (May be Geo blocked if there is TV coverage)
Pool Standings
Men's Pool
| Rank | Team | Played | Wins | SO Win | Draws | SO Loss | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 24 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 17 |
| 3 | Australia | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 14 |
| 4 | India | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | Argentina | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 24 | -2 | 10 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 8 |
| 7 | Spain | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 27 | -8 | 7 |
| 8 | Germany | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 7 |
| 9 | Great Britain | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 19 | -6 | 5 |
Women's Pool
| Rank | Team | Played | Wins | SO Win | SO Loss | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 6 | 17 | 20 |
| 2 | Argentina | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 17 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 14 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Australia | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 9 |
| 6 | Belgium | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 17 | -7 | 7 |
| 7 | Germany | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | China | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
| 9 | United States | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 27 | -22 | 0 |
USA v NED (26.01.2020) worth double points because of the match cancelled on 24.01.2020
AUS v GBR (01.02.2020) worth double points because of the match cancelled on 02.02.2020
FIH Match Centre
GB women climb to fourth; Belgium men win again
Image Copyright: Royal Belgian Hockey Federation
Brussels (BEL): Great Britain women and Belgium men both emerged victorious from their respective FIH Hockey Pro League matches on Sunday (1 November), claiming valuable points in fixtures played at the Royal Uccle Sports Complex in Brussels.
GB’s women made it five points from a possible six against Belgium this weekend thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over the Red Panthers. The reigning Olympic champions added three points to the two claimed on Saturday, which came courtesy of a 1-1 draw before winning the shoot-out to claim the bonus point, helping them climb above Australia into fourth position in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings.
Lily Owsley put Great Britain ahead with a well-executed penalty corner deflection just before the end of the first quarter, bur Belgium hit back within seconds of the re-start when Barbara Nelen volleyed home after an interchange of passes down the right carved open the British defence.
GB’s winner came at the end of quarter three and was very much against the run of play, with Sarah Robertson deflecting home Anna Toman’s perfect penalty corner pass at the left post.
"I think we are a really resilient team”, said Great Britain’s Fiona Crackles, the 19-year-old who was named Player of the Match in only her fourth senior international appearance. “I think we've had four games in about a week, and we are feeling it in our legs, but it didn't really matter. We knew we had to leave nothing in the tank and keep grinding it out because we know that when it comes to the last quarter we can win. We just put everything into it."
Belgium captain Barbara Nelen said: "I think we made a tactical mistake in quarter three and it cost us a goal, that is why we lost today. I think a draw would have been fair. We had big chances, and I think now it is the time to score them. Of course we could win, but they finished [their chances] very well."
More information about this match can be found by clicking here.
Belgium’s men claimed a second win in two days over Great Britain, although like on Saturday there was only one goal separating the top and bottom placed teams in the standings.
Great Britain took the lead in the tenth minute when David Condon pounced on loose ball following a glove save from Belgium goalkeeper Loic Van Doren. However, the reigning World and European champions turned the match on its head in the second quarter, with John-John Dohmen scoring his second goal in two days from open play before Alexander Hendrickx rattled home a trademark penalty corner drag-flick to put his team ahead and move level with Argentina’s Jose Tolini at the top of the scoring charts.
Belgium dominated the third and fourth quarters, but Great Britain came within centimetres of levelling the scores in the final minutes when a diving Rupert Shipperley fired wide of the left post from close range. The win sees Belgium move seven points clear at the top of the league table, although they have played two games more than second placed Netherlands, who face the Red Lions this coming Wednesday in Brussels.
"I think the second game was a lot better than the first one”, said Player of the Match John-John Dohmen. “We started really well; we just didn't score enough. In the second half, we saw we were better physically. They had two more games in their legs, so that makes the difference. We really want to win the Pro League. We missed the occasion last year when we lost in the final against Australia, so we really want to win it. We have a big game against the Netherlands, and we will do our best to win the Pro League."
Great Britain's Zach Wallace said: "We felt yesterday we had quite a lot of chances, so we thought if we could go out and press them hard and play forward directly then we could put them under some pressure, and I thought we did that. The second half, maybe we just ran out of legs a little bit. It was our fourth game in five days, so the boys are pretty knackered, and they [Belgium] have only played two. I think we just ran out of legs, chasing around."
More information about this match can be found by clicking here.
The matches were played behind closed doors, with strict COVID-19 protocols being followed by the teams, staff, officials and everyone within the venue.
The FIH Hockey Pro League continues in Brussels on Wednesday 4 November, with hosts Belgium welcoming the national teams of the Netherlands at Royal Uccle.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the Watch.Hockey app, event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
FIH Hockey Pro League
Sunday 1 November 2020 – Brussels (BEL)
Women’s result: Belgium 1, Great Britain 2 (Match 2 of 2)
Player of the Match: Fiona Crackles (GBR)
Umpires: Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Coen van Bunge (NED) and Laurine Delforge (BEL – video)
Men’s result: Belgium 2, Great Britain 1 (Match 2 of 2)
Player of the Match: John-John Dohmen (BEL)
Umpires: Laurine Delforge (BEL), Jonas van ‘t Hek (NED) and Coen van Bunge (NED – video)
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Official FIH Pro League Site
GB Men Suffer Second Narrow Defeat To Belgium
Belgium v GB Men Adam Dixon 2020FIHPL
Great Britain suffered a second narrow defeat at the hands of Belgium in the FIH Hockey Pro League.
Having been beaten 3-2 the previous day, the hosts came out on top at the end of another closely fought game in Brussels.
John-John Dohmen and Alexander Hendrickx bagged the goals for the Belgians after David Condon had given Danny Kerry’s side the early lead.
GB have several good chances, with Rupert Shipperley almost levelling proceedings late on, but couldn’t make the best of them.
Both goalkeepers were called into action early on, George Pinner showing smart reactions to keep out Maxime Plennevaux before Loic van Doren stopped a flick from Phil Roper and then Will Calnan’s follow up.
Zach Wallace forced van Doren into another save shortly after before Condon pounced on a corner rebound after the shot stopper had blocked Luke Taylor’s initial effort.
The hosts hit back at the start of the third quarter as Dohmen smashed home in the 18th minute after a period of concerted pressure.
But it was GB who continued to create the best chances as Alan Forsyth, David Goodfield and Taylor all saw efforts saved by van Doren.
Hendrickx then made them pay on the stroke of half-time as he fired home a second corner in as many games to give the reigning world champions the lead at the break.
Buoyed by that goal, Belgium dominated much of the third quarter as Tanguy Cosyns drew a smart save from George Pinner and Plennevaux just failed to steer home a wicked van Aubel cross, while at the other end van Doren saved a snapshot from Forsyth.
Harry Martin then produced a brilliant clearance on the goal-line with nine minutes remaining before Shipperley had a golden chance to bring the scores level shortly after, only for his diving effort to slide just the wrong side of the post.
After the game, Zach Wallace said: “We wanted to go out with a fast start to the game, put them under pressure and go at them. Yesterday we felt like we had quite a lot of chances so we thought we could go out and press them hard then we could put them under pressure and I thought we did that.
“In the second half we maybe just ran out of legs a little bit. We’ve played four games in six days so the guys are a bit knackered.
“I think it’s a bit of a reality check for us. We put in four good performances but it just shows how close it is as the top of international hockey. You’ve got to put away your chances and unfortunately we’ve not done that.”
Great Britain’s men are next scheduled to be in action at home to Germany on 14-15 November in games that will be held behind closed doors at Bisham Abbey. Both games will be shown live on BT Sport.
Belgium 2 (2)
Dohmen (18’, FG); Hendrickx (30’, PC)
Great Britain 1 (1)
Condon (10’, PC)
Starting XI: Pinner (GK), Forsyth, Shipperley, Martin, Roper, Dixon (C), Creed, Condon, Waller, Wallace, Draper
Subs (Used): Taylor, Goodfield, Gall, Sorsby, Smith, Calnan
Subs (Unused): Payne (GK)
Great Britain Hockey media release
Robertson Scores On 50th GB Appearance To Seal Win Over Belgium
Belgium v Great Britain Toman Celebrates 2020FIHPL
Sarah Robertson scored on her 50th Great Britain appearance to secure FIH Hockey Pro League victory over Belgium.
The midfielder swept home a well executed penalty corner routine right at the end of the third quarter, turning Anna Toman’s slap into the goal.
That came after Lily Owsley had handed Great Britain an early lead as she also deflected a corner into the Belgian net.
Barbara Nelen brought the hosts back level moments into the second quarter but it was Mark Hager’s side who came out on top, moving them to fourth in the table.
Owsley provided the moment of quality that separated the two teams at the end of a scrappy first quarter, her neat deflection on Toman’s slap giving Great Britain the lead.
That came just two minutes after Tess Howard had the game’s first effort saved by Elena Sotgiu after smart work inside the circle from Owsley.
The hosts came out with intent at the start of the second quarter however and levelled after just 30 seconds, Nelen sweeping the ball home after a fine turn and pass from Alix Gerniers.
Great Britain had the better of the chances in the remainder of the half but Sotgiu was on hand to thwart Owsley, Toman and Grace Balsdon from penalty corners.
Belgium began the second half firmly on the front foot, Michele Stuijk calling Sabbie Heesh into action in the first minute before having another effort deflected just over by Lizzie Neal.
Izzy Petter had a good chanced well saved by Sotgiu but there was nothing the Belgian could do to keep out Robertson’s effort right at the end of the third quarter.
That sparked a surge of confidence throughout the GB players as they pushed hard to find a third goal, with Sotgiu making saves from Susannah Townsend and Sarah Jones while Howard and Petter also had chances.
Alexia ‘T Serstevens had a chance to snatch a late equaliser for Belgium but she couldn’t get enough contact on a cross from Nelen.
It was the first win at the end of a long week for Great Britain’s women that had seen them draw with the Belgians the day before following a draw and a loss to The Netherlands.
After the game, Player of the Match Fiona Crackles said: “I think we’re a really resilient team. We’ve had four games in a week so we were feeling it in our legs but it didn’t really matter.
“We knew we had to leave nothing in the tank and grind it out because we know when it comes to the last quarter we can win that last quarter.
“We’re really happy. We came into this game saying we had to win, we couldn’t have anything less. Credit to everyone here, we put a massive shift in and it was a really well fought game.”
Great Britain’s women are next scheduled to be in action at home to Germany on 14-15 November in games that will be held behind closed doors at Bisham Abbey. Both games will be shown live on BT Sport.
Belgium 1 (1)
Nelen (16’, FG)
Great Britain 2 (1)
Owsley (14’, PC); Robertson (45’, PC)
Starting XI: Unsworth (C), Toman, Townsend, Robertson, Rayer, Howard, Heesh (GK), Owsley, Balsdon, Costello, Crackles
Subs (Used): Jones, Neal, Hunter, Petter, Hamilton
Subs (Unused): Dark, Pritchard (GK)
Great Britain Hockey media release
Belgium beat Great Britain in FIH Pro League to extend lead at top
With the win, Belgium have built up a seven-point lead at the top of the FIH Pro League table. They play second-placed Netherlands next.
By Utathya Nag
Belgium beat Great Britain in FIH Pro League to extend lead at top
The Belgium men’s hockey team came from behind to beat Great Britain 2-1 in the FIH Pro League at the Royal Uccle Sports Club in Brussels.
The win takes the Red Lions seven points clear of second-placed Netherlands at the top of the points table. Belgium have 24 points from 10 matches while the Netherlands, whom they face next Tuesday, have 17 from eight.
Belgium started the match on the front foot but Great Britain weathered the early storm and started to grow into the game.
Belgium goalkeeper Loic Van Doren made two saves within a matter of seconds to keep his team from going a goal behind around the five-minute mark. Five minutes later, though, the 24-year-old was beaten.
Doren stuck out a glove to keep out Luke Taylor’s drag-flick at goal from a penalty corner but couldn’t stop David Condon from bundling in the rebound.
The Red Lions responded with an offensive spell of their own but the British backline held out till the end of the first quarter. The resistance, however, finally broke three minutes into the second quarter.
John-John Dohmen, who hit Belgium’s winner in their 3-2 win over the same opponents on Saturday, expertly finished off a well-worked field goal after some quick passing in the opposition third. The reigning World and European champions kept up their pace and took the lead with less than a minute left to the half-time whistle.
Belgian drag-flick specialist Alexander Hendrickx dispatched his eighth goal of the FIH Pro League with power and precision from a penalty corner to ensure his team a 2-1 lead going into the midway break.
Belgium’s Alexander Hendrickx is currently the joint top scorer in FIH Pro League 2020.
Despite being a goal ahead, Belgium didn’t put their foot off the gas and kept Great Britain pinned deep into their own half for most of the third and fourth quarters but couldn’t convert their domination into a goal.
Great Britain’s Rupert Shipperley had one big opportunity to equalize with six minutes left but only managed to hit the side netting, letting Belgium off the hook.
Great Britain women’s team triumphs 2-1
The Great Britain women’s team moved up to fourth in the FIH Pro League women’s table after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Belgium in the two team’s second clash in 24 hours.
Having beaten them 3-1 through a penalty shootout in Saturday's match, Great Britain took five of the available six points against the Red Panthers.
It was a scrappy start to the contest as neither team managed any meaningful effort on goal in the first 12 minutes of the match. The narrative, however, changed in the final three minutes of the first quarter.
Great Britain took over the reins, pegging Belgium back and capitalised in the 14th minute from the first penalty corner of the game.
Anna Toman’s shot seemed to have been well covered by Belgium goalie Elena Sotgiu but Lily Owsley intervened late with a deft touch to lift it over and into the goal to put Great Britain in front.
The lead, though, didn’t last long. Thirty seconds into the second quarter, Belgium captain Barbara Nelen finished off a quick passing move from the right to restore parity for the Red Panthers. At half-time, the score was 1-1.
The Belgians looked more dangerous in the second half, but it was the Olympic champions who edged ahead again in the dying seconds of the third quarter. The goal came from a penalty corner with Toman turning provider again, this time setting up Sarah Robertson, who was playing her 50th match.
Great Britain’s Sarah Robertson scored the winning goal against Belgium in her 50th match.
In their bid to draw level, Belgium threw bodies forward in the final quarter, opening themselves up to counter-attacks. Elena, though, made some crucial saves to deny Great Britain a two-goal cushion.
Her effort almost paid off as the Belgians came close to drawing level with the final move of the match but Great Britain survived the scare to secure all three points.
With the win, Great Britain moved up to fourth on the table with 11 points from eight matches while Belgium stayed sixth with seven from eight outings.
Olympic Channel
Belgium and Britain share victories in FIH Hockey Pro League
By Liam Morgan
Britain beat Belgium in normal time in Brussels ©FIH
Belgium and Britain beat each other for the second consecutive day in the International Hockey Federation Pro League in Brussels.
The visitors earned a 2-1 victory in the women's match, before Belgium won the men's game by the same scoreline at Royal Uccle Sport.
Olympic champions Britain, who won yesterday's women's encounter in a shootout, went ahead towards the end of the first quarter thanks to a well-taken goal from Lily Owsley.
Belgium hit back within seconds of the restart when Barbara Nelen rounded off a flowing move from the home side.
Britain's winner came against the run of play in the third quarter as Sarah Robertson deflected home Anna Toman’s penalty corner pass.
Victory for Britain moves them above Australia into fourth in the FIH Pro League women's table, while Belgium are sixth.
Table-toppers Belgium won the men's match after coming from 1-0 down ©FIH
The hosts fared better in the men's match as they claimed their second win over Britain in as many days.
Belgium, the reigning world and European champions, fell behind when David Condon put Britain ahead.
It was to be a fleeting moment of joy for the away team as Belgium turned the game on its head in the second quarter.
John-John Dohmen restored parity for Belgium before Alexander Hendrickx rattled home a trademark penalty corner drag-flick.
Belgium largely controlled the third and fourth quarters but survived a scare when Rupert Shipperley missed from close range late on.
Belgium remain top of the table and Britain still lie bottom.
The FIH Pro League continues with men's and women's matches between Belgium and the Netherlands in Brussels on Wednesday (November 4).
Inside the Games
Great Britain women end tour with full points
GB took five points from six against Belgium PIC: England Hockey
After eight games in six days across both genders, Great Britain women finally earned the first victory during an international tour like no other.
Behind closed doors and with tour bubbles in place, GB women beat Belgium 2-1 for their first outright victory while GB men lost their fourth match in a row, a narrow 2-1 defeat to the world champs in Brussels.
If there were tired legs out there, GB women’s coach Mark Hager had refused to blame the tour intensity during it. By the end, tour debutant Fiona Crackles had picked up the player of the match award and admitted that the squad’s overall physicality had won through.
GB secured the points thanks to two PC goals, scored by Lily Owsley’s deflective stick and Sarah Robertson on her 50th GB appearance, either side of a Barbara Nelen leveller.
Crackles said: “I think we’re a really resilient team. We’ve had four games in a week so we were feeling it in our legs but it didn’t really matter.
“We knew we had to leave nothing in the tank and grind it out because we know when it comes to the last quarter we can win that last quarter.
“We’re really happy. We came into this game saying we had to win, we couldn’t have anything less. Credit to everyone here, we put a massive shift in and it was a really well fought game.”
Hager had been without several top stars this week and having called up a trio of development programme players, the Australian is undoubtedly aware of the talent now available to him, more so given that before this tour he had also been present at a game during every Premier Division weekend thus far.
Meanwhile, GB men return to the UK on the back of a tour which yielded little success against European hockey’s two powerhouses.
Adam Dixon ©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics
John-John Dohmen and Alexander Hendrickx bagged more Pro League points for the hosts after David Condon had given GB men the lead.
Zach Wallace said: “I think it’s a bit of a reality check for us. We put in four good performances but it just shows how close it is as the top of international hockey. You’ve got to put away your chances and unfortunately we’ve not done that.”
GB men and women are next due to play in mid-November when Germany visit. It may be the only hockey – domestic or international – for quite some time following England’s lockdown announcements this weekend, while it is not yet known if the Germans will be able to travel for the Bisham Abbey games.
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GB and Belgium strengthen their place in FIH Pro League
Great Britain women and Belgium men both emerged victorious from their respective FIH Hockey Pro League matches on Sunday, completing healthy points hauls each from this latest series.
GB’s women made it five points from a possible six against Belgium this weekend thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over the Red Panthers. The reigning Olympic champions added three points to the two claimed on Saturday, which came courtesy of a 1-1 draw before winning the shoot-out to claim the bonus point, helping them climb above Australia into fourth position in the FIH Hockey Pro League standings.
Lily Owsley put Great Britain ahead with a well-executed penalty corner deflection just before the end of the first quarter, bur Belgium hit back within seconds of the re-start when Barbara Nelen volleyed home after an interchange of passes down the right carved open the British defence.
GB’s winner came at the end of quarter three and was very much against the run of play, with Sarah Robertson deflecting home Anna Toman’s perfect penalty corner pass at the left post.
“I think we are a really resilient team”, said Great Britain’s Fiona Crackles, the 19-year-old who was named Player of the Match in only her fourth senior international appearance.
“I think we’ve had four games in about a week, and we are feeling it in our legs, but it didn’t really matter. We knew we had to leave nothing in the tank and keep grinding it out because we know that when it comes to the last quarter we can win. We just put everything into it.”
Belgium’s men claimed a second win in two days over Great Britain, although like on Saturday there was only one goal separating the top and bottom placed teams in the standings.
Great Britain took the lead in the tenth minute when David Condon pounced on loose ball following a glove save from Belgium goalkeeper Loic Van Doren.
However, the reigning World and European champions turned the match on its head in the second quarter, with John-John Dohmen scoring his second goal in two days from open play before Alexander Hendrickx rattled home a trademark penalty corner drag-flick to put his team ahead and move level with Argentina’s Jose Tolini at the top of the scoring charts.
Belgium dominated the third and fourth quarters, but Great Britain came within centimetres of levelling the scores in the final minutes when a diving Rupert Shipperley fired wide of the left post from close range.
The win sees Belgium move seven points clear at the top of the league table, although they have played two games more than second placed Netherlands, who face the Red Lions this coming Wednesday in Brussels.
“I think the second game was a lot better than the first one”, said Player of the Match John-John Dohmen.
“We started really well; we just didn’t score enough. In the second half, we saw we were better physically. They had two more games in their legs, so that makes the difference. We really want to win the Pro League.
“We missed the occasion last year when we lost in the final against Australia, so we really want to win it. We have a big game against the Netherlands, and we will do our best to win the Pro League.”
Euro Hockey League media release
GB beat Belgium as Sarah Robertson marks 50th game with winner
Belgium's Tiphaine Duquesne and GB's Jo Hunter fight for the ball
Great Britain's women overcame Belgium for the second time in two days in the FIH Pro League.
The sides had drawn Saturday's first meeting, with GB winning the shootout for a bonus point.
But this time, Sarah Robertson's third-quarter goal in her 50th game for GB proved the difference in a hard-fought 2-1 win.
However, the GB men suffered a second defeat in a row to the Belgians, losing 2-1 to the world champions.
Although Danny Kerry's side took the lead through David Condon, goals from John-John Dohmen and Alexander Hendrickx secured maximum points and followed their 3-2 success on Saturday.
Earlier, Lily Owsley put the GB women ahead from a penalty corner after 14 minutes but the lead lasted just two minutes as Barbara Nelen struck from close range.
Robertson then finished off a neat penalty-corner routine right at the end of the third quarter and the Olympic champions managed to hold on for victory.
"We are a really resilient team and we knew we had to leave nothing in the tank," said GB's Fiona Crackles.
"We put everything into it and we are really happy. We are really happy. We knew we had to win and we put a massive shift in."
BBC Sport
ROUND-UP: Men's Hockey League Round 7
Division One South
Southgate gave their title hopes a major boost in the Men’s Hockey League Division One South, beating leaders Teddington 5-2 to climb up to fourth in the table.
They leapt into a three-nil lead and never looked back, inflicting Teddington’s first league loss of the season and moving to within three points of the top of a closely-fought division.
Giulio Ferrini’s tenth minute field goal was followed shortly after by Jonny Maunder’s 13th minute goal from a penalty corner, and when Alex Williams scored three minutes later Southgate were firmly in control.
Laurie Bowden pulled one back for Teddington on 24 minutes, but Charles Hamilton scored for Southgate on 40 minutes and Maunder grabbed his second on 61 minutes. Elliot Smith scored for the visitors in the final minute, but it proved just a consolation.
Two goals each from Matt Richards and Thomas Minall helped Reading maintain second spot with a 4-0 win at Team Bath Buccaneers.
Sevenoaks are third after a 3-2 win over Old Cranleighans on Saturday, their goals coming from Craig Wiid, Ben Allberry and Ali Taylor.
Bottom of the table Havant were 5-3 winners at Oxford Hawks as they secured their first win of the season.
Maciej Janiszewski scored twice while others came from Jamie Rawlings, Miguel Rodrigues and Bradley Lock. Jack Biggs scored twice for the Hawks and Freddie Smith also netted, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.
Elsewhere Jack Jones scored twice for Brighton & Hove in a 2-2 draw at Canterbury.
Division One North
Loughborough Students notched up win number five in the Men’s Division One North, maintaining their 100% record with a 4-2 win at Deeside Ramblers on Sunday.
Owen Williamson scored twice, while Stuart Rushmere and Tom Moorhouse also found the goal for the Students. Deeside’s goals came from Ali Ghazanfar and Chris Barber.
Three goals in the final four minutes ensured mate drama in the clash between Cambridge City and Olton & West Warwicks, which ended in a 3-3 draw.
Gareth Andrew and Tom Mallett had traded first quarter goals, but Olton edged ahead with Marcus Tombs scoring from open play on 58 minutes.
Matt Anderson had levelled for Cambridge on 66 minutes, but Harry Sherlock retook the lead a minute later for the visitors. However, Brendan Andrews’ last minute field goal ensured the points were shared.
Conference North
A hat-trick from Marc Ganly helped Barford Tigers to a 4-1 win at Leeds in the Men’s Conference North on Sunday.
He netted in the seventh minute only for Rob Bradley-Consitt to level on 16 minutes, both from open play.
However, Ganley scored against on 32 and 47 minutes, while Raajan Kular put his name on the scoresheet with a 52nd minute strike to secure the points for the league leaders.
Conference East
Leaders Richmond got the better of second-placed Wapping in the Men’s Conference East on Saturday, winning 3-2.
Honours were even at half time with Stuart Goodman having scored for Richmond and Michael Batstone for Wapping.
Wapping took the lead with Will Cairns scoring from a penalty stroke, but Richmond hit back to take victory thanks to goals from Jack Clee and Josh Smith.
A hat-trick from Conor Caplan helped Old Loughtonians to a 7-4 win over London Edwardians.
Their other goals came from Tom Watson, Andrew MacGregor, Josh Madeiros and Harvey Edwards.
Elsewhere West Herts and London Wayfarers played out a 4-4 draw, Spencer were 4-1 winners at St Albans, and Harleston Magpies took the points from a 3-2 win at Bromley & Beckenham.
Conference West
The University of Bristol remain unbeaten in the Men’s Conference West thanks to a 3-1 win at bottom of the table Cheltenham.
Paul MacLeod, Kincaid Ingram and Josh Wierszycki scored their goals, while Chris Laird bagged Cheltenham’s consolation.
Tom Brooks scored a hat-trick for Isca, but it wasn’t enough for the win as they drew 4-4 with hosts Plymouth Marjon.
Elsewhere Khalsa Leamington were 4-3 winners at Chichester with Szymon Oszyjczyk scoring twice, and Fareham drew 2-2 with visitors Ashmoor.
England Hockey Board Media release
Announcement: Club Hockey in England suspended until after 4 December
England Hockey Championships - Indian Gymkhana vs Stourport
England Hockey are disappointed to have to confirm that the national lockdown announced on Saturday will mean no club or community hockey from 5 November until after 4 December at the earliest.
The latest government announcement orders all sports facilities to close and therefore club and other community hockey activity is suspended until the game is in a position to resume.
Over the last few months all those involved in delivering hockey safely have helped to prove that the sport is extremely low risk in terms of the transmission of Covid and this gives us confidence that we can be back soon. We are very grateful to all the Covid officers, volunteers, players, coaches and officials that went the extra mile to provide a safe place for hockey to be played.
At England Hockey we continue to receive overwhelming feedback from participants that the physical and mental health benefits of being able to take part are significant. We recognise that the next few weeks will be challenging for those like us that love the game and will miss the opportunity to be out playing, coaching and officiating with friends.
The government announcement made reference to returning to the Covid Alert Levels after the end of this period of lockdown, and should that be the case we are confident that clubs will be able to resume promptly in line with our previously-issued Return to Play guidance. If it becomes clearer in time that the lockdown will end on 4 December we encourage clubs to consider resuming some activity before Christmas if at all possible. To mitigate the risk of changes and with the uncertainty about what Level the club may be in at the end of this period, we recommend that the time until Christmas is used for training and very local matches. The aim of this is to ensure that activities fall in line with any Level-based restrictions that may be in place.
It will take time to determine the best approach to reorganising activity and we ask that players and clubs respect the need for organisers to consider the next steps properly in light of the timing and extent of the upcoming break.
England Hockey will communicate with all clubs, England Hockey League teams and EH Championships entrants as well as Player Pathway organisers in the coming days.
England Hockey Board Media release
Pub code ‘bring a yellow shirt’ for called off hockey matches sparks charity T-shirt
Social traditions, as seen here with Cannock HC, were more covert at Rotherham
Inspired by a tweet from Jon Bower at Westbury HC, Hockey Match Teas have teamed up with Y1 Hockey to create a T-shirt for hockey enthusiasts everywhere. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to food charity Fare Share UK.
Jon’s tweet shared the Rotherham HC tradition of calling players and telling them to ‘bring a yellow shirt’. This, it read, was code for: the game is off, meet in the pub.
The Hockey Match Teas community have embraced this tradition, and teaming up with a kit supplier seemed the next logical step.
Jon Bower tweeted this excellent anecdote
Enter Y1 Hockey. The yellow Y1 Hockey x Hockey Match Teas shirt will be available soon, say the partners. Follow their Twitter accounts keep up to date with developments.
The tweet was well shared on social media and seemed to resonate with the player of yesteryear.
Councillor Adrian Henchy wrote that Ireland’s Portrane HC, then known as St. Ita’s in the 70/80s, were the pioneers of the Saturday innovation to cope with grass postponements.
He wrote: “In fact it’s fair to say player turnout in the local for a postponement was often better than if the game would have went ahead.”
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All set for National Hockey C’ship in Rawalpindi
KARACHI: All is set for Pakistan's 66th National hockey championship which is scheduled to be held from November 5-20 in Rawalpindi at the newly laid astro turf of Mari Petroleum stadium.
The teams have started arriving in Rawalpindi.
Informed sources in PHF said that all national selection committee members led by chairman Olympian Manzoor Junior would be there during the championship to select talented players. Players who perform well will be considered for Pakistan senior and junior teams’ training camps.
Sources said that the schedule of the championship is expected to be announced by PHF on Tuesday (tomorrow). The PHF has already announced the names of the technical officials of the national hockey championship.
Mari Petroleum is hosting the championship, and it is expected that it would sponsor the national championship, as talks are under way in this regard between PHF and Mari Petroleum.
Mari Petroleum are participating in the national championship for the first time. They qualified from the recently concluded 5th Tray hockey championship, where they were the runners up.
Sources said that national championship would be organised on single league basis and 49 matches would be played. Floodlights have been installed at the stadium and it is expected that some matches would be played under floodlights.
The PHF sources also said that some important matches, including the semi-finals and the final, would be live telecast.
The sources mentioned that all SOPs would be observed during the entire championship to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The PHF sources said that there is no international activity because of the virus which has given an opportunity to PHF to strengthen the domestic hockey and prepare junior and senior teams.
The News International
Goals, goals, goals in North and Midland conferences
Photo by Martin Boag
On the third day of the conference competition, which is currently confined to the Midland and North, there were impressive wins for Ellon women and Dundee Wanderers; Granite City Wanderers and Gordonians men.
Dundee Wanderers moved to share top spot with Tayside rivals Grove Menzieshill at the summit of the Midland men`s Conference with a 4-0 win over FMGM Monarchs.
Elliott Sandison opened with a fierce reverse stick shot from the top of the circle, to be followed by a counter-attack strike by Robbie Alexander. The following strikes were carbon copies, both Paul Dailly and Callum Ross were left with simple tap-ins after goalmouth scrambles.
Photo by Martin Boag
In the North Gordonians started their campaign with a 7-0 win at a very windy Ellon. The main contributors were Robbie Wallis at penalty corners and Harry Leggett from open play, both scored twice. The other strikes came from Ben Kemp, Leon Wilkie and Louis Roddy.
Granite City Wanderers were on fine goal scoring form when they struck 11 times in a big win over Aberdeen Grammar School FP.
Gordonians` John Hamilton graciously stated, “Zero goals doesn`t do Ellon justice. They created some good chances in very windy and tough conditions in Ellon.”
Ellon women continued their recent good progress with a 5-0 win over second division Aberdeen University at Meadows Sports Centre, courtesy of a hat-trick from former Scotland striker Nikki Kidd. Ellon`s other scorers were Gracie Grey-Giles and Lynne Gordon.
A delighted captain Louise Gordon remarked: “Could have been more but we missed some sitters! It`s so great for us getting a chance to be playing in a higher league though, and to be actually getting the wins feels amazing.”
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Hall of Fame - Kevin Carton
With representation at two Olympics and captaincy of the national team, the late Kevin Carton’s contribution to Australian hockey was significant.
Kevin was born in Lucknow, India in 1933 and was one of many Anglo Indians who migrated to Australia after the partition of India in 1947.
A gifted and talented half back and reader of the game, Kevin first represented Australia’s national men’s hockey team at the age of 21.
He was the 143rd men’s player capped for his country, making his debut in November 1956 against Kenya. He represented Australia at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and went on to make 29 international appearances.
Kevin died on 3 August 2017. Respected hockey commentator Ashley Morrison wrote a fitting Vale for a man who had every right to be called the ‘gentleman of hockey’.
Kevin’s induction into the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame was ratified in 2019.
What they said…
“Hockey was a big and enjoyable part of Kevin’s life. He was certainly proud to have both represented and captained Australia at the highest level, including playing in the ’56 Melbourne and ’60 Rome Olympics. After arriving in Australia from India at the age of 14, he would never have dreamt that he’d be representing Australia by the age of 21. So being inducted into the Hall of Fame would be humbling, but at the same time a huge honour for Kevin. Furthermore, knowing that Australian hockey as a whole remains a powerhouse on the international stage today would be a most satisfying feeling for him. We as his family feel very privileged and proud of the legacy Kevin has left behind and we will respectfully cherish this accolade for years to come.” Annette (Kevin’s wife)
From those in the know…
“I played with Kevin in the 1956 & 1960 Olympics and numerous games with CBC/Trinity over many years. He was an excellent reader of the game at half back and a fine gentleman on and off the field. The honour is well earned to the Australian Hockey Hall of Fame.” Eric Pearce (former teammate and four-time Olympian)
Hockey Australia media release
KHU anxious for go-ahead to resume
By Agnes Makhandia
National women's hockey team players celebrate their win against Ghana during Hockey World League match played at City Park Stadium on September 6, 2014.
Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Kenya Hockey Union is on edge as they wait for governement response to their request for national teams to begin training.
The national men’s and women’s teams need to begin preparations for the North East region qualifiers for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations at the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi in January.
The union’s secretary general, Wycliffe Ongori, said they have written to the government about the championships to be held between January 18 and 24. The qualifiers were postponed in May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I hope we will be given the go ahead. Time is running out. This is an international event that requires proper preparations,” said Ongori.
The men’s team will face Burundi, Libya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Seychelles. The top two nations will proceed to the Cup of Nations later in the year.
The women will battle favourites Egypt, Burundi, Libya, Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda for the two slots.
At the same time, Ongori said that the union is yet to receive an official letter from the Africa Hockey Federation on the postponement of the Africa Cup for Clubs Championship scheduled for November 30 to December 5 in Malawi.
The official noted that unless the Union gets the letter from the Africa governing body indicating otherwise, the event will continue as planned.
"Teams that qualified for the event and are keen on participating should continue with their respective preparations and treat the information doings rounds that the event has been cancelled as rumours," said Ongori.
Men's KHU Premier League champions Butali Sugar Warriors, and Wazalendo qualified for the event by virtue of finishing in the top two positions last season.
While Blazers, formerly known as Telkom and United States International University-Africa (USIU-A) booked the slots to the event in the women's category, the students have since pulled out citing financial constraints.
Daily Nation
New facility puts hockey in the spotlight in Uzbekistan
It is a historic first for hockey in Uzbekistan as the national hockey federation has worked closely with the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), pitch manufacturers Polytan and the Andijan regional government to complete the first AHF pitch project in the country.
The new hockey centre, named Stadium Barkamolavlod, will become a central hub for hockey activities in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian nations. Tournaments, training camps and development activities will all take place at the centre, which was built on an existing sports facility, albeit with massive infrastructure upgrades taking place. The building project not only saw the new pitch being laid, but the surrounding area was renovated and new changing rooms and accommodation has all been added.
The vision is for Stadium Barkamolavlod to be a catalyst for growth and development of hockey in Uzbekistan, with the emphasis upon youth development and training programmes. Currently the men’s national team is ranked 55th in the world rankings, with the women’s national team of Uzbekistan ranked 66th.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the AHF and the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation was signed during the Ordinary Congress of Asian Hockey Federation in Gifu Japan, 2019. 
Once work on the pitch project was underway, it was a case of close collaboration between all the involved organisations. The Asian Hockey Federation worked closely with the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation, Polytan and the Andijan Regional Government and the site saw a constant stream of experts arriving, all offering guidance and assistance as the vision moved towards reality.
After the successful completion of the pitch project, a large-scale opening ceremony of the pitch and the stadium was held. Since the pitch opened, there have been a number of youth level and national level activities taking place. The activities include youth level training camps and youth championships as well as a men’s and women’s training camp and championships. 
Chief Executive of the AHF, Tayyab Ikram, said: “This is a hallmark achievement for the Asian Hockey Federation and the people of Uzbekistan. The hockey stadium in Andijan will prove to be an invaluable resource for generations to come.
“Athletes from around the world will prove their mettle on these grounds, inspiring the younger generations to start their own sports journeys. We see this facility as the hockey hub for all Central Asian Activities. We would like Uzbekistan to organise many international level hockey events.”
“I am extremely grateful for the immense support offered by Polytan, the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation and the Andijan Regional Government for making this phenomenal project a reality,” he added. 
Bakhodir Akhmedov, president of the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation said: “The completion of the stadium in Andijan marks the beginning of the new era in sports for Uzbekistan. The completion of this project goes hand-in-hand for the Uzbekistan Government’s policies regarding the promotion and growth of sports in the country. We are extremely thankful to the Asian Hockey Federation, Polytan and the Andijan Regional Government for this effort towards the development of hockey in the country. We all see the collective potential of this project and we wish to organise many regional and international hockey activities at this stadium.”
Stephen Niven, CEO Sport Group Asia Pacific, added: "As part of our long-standing relationship with the Asian Hockey Federation, we donated a Poligras turf to Uzbekistan. Hockey is an important sport throughout Asia, and along with Asian Hockey, we are committed to the growth of the game from grassroots through to elite. We are delighted to see an Olympic quality turf being used by the Uzbek hockey community.”
FIH site
Ahead of ACC Tournament, Erin Matson's hat trick leads UNC to 5-0 win over Wake Forest
By Jeremiah Holloway
Junior forward Erin Matson (1) , tries to gain possession of the ball against Wake Forest on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Kiara Alvarado
The North Carolina field hockey team (7-1, 3-1 ACC) defeated Wake Forest (3-7, 2-4 ACC) 5-0 on Friday in the final game of the regular season.
North Carolina took a 3-0 lead entering the second half of Friday’s game. Junior forward Erin Matson opened up the game for the Tar Heels with a goal early in the first quarter, assisted by redshirt junior back Cassie Sumfest.
Minutes later, Sumfest scored on a goal assisted by junior midfielder Abby Pitcairn and sophomore back Romea Riccardo.
Redshirt junior forward Meredith Sholder scored the only point in the second quarter, as she converted on an unassisted goal.
In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Matson scored her second goal of the game on an assist from first-year Katie Dixon to extend the lead to 4-0. Matson scored an unassisted third goal with a little over five minutes remaining in the fourth. Though the shot differential was tight, with North Carolina leading 14-10, the Tar Heels were able to convert on more opportunities and take control of the game offensively.
UNC entered Friday’s game leading the conference in goals made, and Matson added to the team’s total with her hat trick against Wake Forest.
“I think our team gains a lot of energy and momentum from scoring and putting the ball in the back of the net early,” Matson said. “That definitely correlates with us this year. If we come out with that energy, we can sustain it throughout the game.”
For the third consecutive season, Matson is leading the team in goals and assists. This production has bolstered the team’s offensive consistency, and Matson said that she stays aggressive offensively to give the team a standard to play to on the attacking end.
“For me, it’s just having that attitude and helping others find it within themselves,” Matson said. “I enjoy scoring a lot, I love scoring. I think it’s something I’ll always enjoy.”
Matson’s offensive abilities garner praise from others within the team.
“She has just uncanny game sense, vision, tactical and technical abilities,” head coach Karen Shelton said. “She’s tough to handle, and any team has to devote a lot of attention to her. Sometimes she gets covered, but she has the vision to then pass the ball to others who are open.”
Despite playing a much shorter season, the UNC field hockey team, led by Matson's attacking prowess, will be focusing all of its efforts on the ACC Tournament.
“We focus on each game as it comes, so we’re just really focusing on our first round of the ACC Tournament,” Sumfest said.
UNC finished with a 7-1 record in the shortened season and a 3-1 record in the ACC. The team is slated to play its first ACC Tournament game on Nov. 5 at home in Karen Shelton Stadium.
“Every game is good and really competitive,” Shelton said. “I think it’s exciting for us. We realize how fortunate we are to be playing. It’s been a shorter preparation, but postseason is still postseason.”
Shelton said she and the Tar Heels look forward to hosting the tournament in Chapel Hill this season, adding that the team plans to forgo staying in a hotel as they have in years past in order to limit exposure to COVID-19.
“We’re pleased that it’s here,” Shelton said. “We don’t have to ride a bus over to Duke. We’re just going to do like we normally do and play those games here.”
The Daily Tar Heel
Duke field hockey builds on momentum for 2nd straight win
By Jonathan Browning
Freshman Darcy Bourne (right) notched a goal for the second straight game Saturday. Photo by Courtesy of Nat LeDonne/Duke Athletics | The Chronicle
The Blue Devils may have been playing on Halloween, but when you’ve got “Devil” in your name, you don’t get scared easily.
Duke played with poise and secured its second straight victory, taking down Virginia 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Jack Katz Stadium. The Blue Devils entered the matchup at risk of going winless in the ACC for the first time since 2012, but have continually improved as the season's progressed, and Saturday was no different.
“Today was a great game,” head coach Pam Bustin said after the contest. “Statistically, it was dead even, which shows you how close it was both ways. But the feeling of it—I thought the Duke energy was fantastic. And our composure just keeps improving. And, to me as a coach, that's just a sign of us getting in the game and not only playing hard, but trying to play smart. So I'm really proud of that improvement and that progress that we're making.”
In Duke’s previous match against Wake Forest, two players scored their first goals of the season (and their Duke careers): graduate student Eva Nunnink and freshman Darcy Bourne, neither of whom are forwards. And, once again, it was this duo that made their mark in the scoring category against Virginia (3-6, 2-3 in the ACC), each scoring their second goal of the season.
While it was Nunnink who scored first against Wake Forest, it was Bourne who drew first blood on Halloween, converting an early corner opportunity just two minutes into the game, giving Duke (2-6, 1-4) a lead it wouldn’t relinquish all afternoon.
“Darcy is a very dynamic attacking field player,” Bustin said. “She has that skill to go both sides of the ball. Being a midfielder, she can really push it forward, and she can hold and do what she needs to defensively.”
Much of the rest of the first half was marked by a back and forth in the middle of the field for both teams, with neither squad coming up with a good look at the goal. That is, until Nunnink decided she wouldn't be bested by a freshman.
With less than four minutes to go in the half, the Blue Devils found themselves with another corner opportunity. Sophomore Hannah Miller put it in play, senior Lexi Davidson corralled the ball and Nunnink easily scored the open look, giving Duke a 2-0 advantage.
Despite five corner opportunities and seven shots in the first half, Virginia was never very cavalier with its approach and couldn’t put the ball between the posts. Duke freshman goalie Piper Hampsch only had to make two saves in the first half, and none in the second half, as the Blue Devil defensive unit blocked and cleared most of Virginia's attempts before Hampsch even had the chance to touch them.
“Virginia had seven [total] attack corners and our defense held strong in there,” Bustin said. “The work is paying off and the diligence that the kids are putting into their roles, and what we're doing together as a unit, is really starting to show. It just bodes to the work that the team has done, and hopefully continues to help us feel confident moving forward.”
In the second half, both teams began to stall on offense. After seven corner opportunities for Duke in the first half, the home team had none in the final 30 minutes.
In similar fashion, the Cavaliers only had two corner opportunities and four shot attempts in the second half, none of them on goal. A few errant pass attempts by the Blue Devils gave Virginia prime opportunities to get something going on offense, but the Duke defense continued to hold strong.
“We want to be courageous and to see things and to try things,” Bustin said. “And fortunately today, some of those passes we didn't pay the price for. The team covered for each other and played with one another. And that's the kind of stuff that encourages that courageous play down the road when we're making better decisions with the ball.”
Originally scheduled to take place on the Blue Devils' home field, the upcoming ACC tournament will now be played at North Carolina after Duke raised health and safety concerns regarding the proximity of Jack Katz Stadium to a student residential area.
Duke will head into the tournament as the conference's sixth seed, taking on third-seeded Syracuse in the ACC quarterfinals Thursday at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils lost to the Orange 4-3 in their lone matchup Oct. 10.
“COVID has taught us to be pretty flexible,” Bustin said of the tournament's change in location. “And COVID doesn't really give us many surprises anymore. So we're just gonna roll with it. We're gonna go down the street—we're fortunate that it's just 10 miles away. So yeah, we're just gonna go with it."
The Chronicle
Boston College Field Hockey Falls to Wake Forest
What a weird season!
By Laura Berestecki:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67722765/641107334.0.jpg)
Boston College field hockey will end the 2020 regular season with a 0-2 record, which is not the wildest thing to happen this year by a long shot but is definitely weird!
The Eagles opened the season with a 2-1 loss to Louisville and then had to “postpone” their next 5 games due to a player testing positive for COVID-19 and a number of other players having to quarantine due to contact tracing. Today BC was able to field enough of a team to resume play, but the Eagles fell by a final score of 6-2.
Wake started off strong today, scoring 3 goals in the first half and allowing none. Fusine Govaert opened up the third quarter with a goal for BC, but Wake Forest answered with 2 goals of their own to really shut down any chance of BC staging a comeback. Both teams picked up a single goal in the final quarter of play (Elizabeth Warner scored BC’s) for a final of 6-2.
BC goalie Jonna Kennedy made 7 saves (outdoing Wake Forest’s 6 saves) but she had to face 13 SOG compared to the 8 SOG that BC managed.
BC Interruption