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All the news for Thursday 5 November 2020

2020 FIH Pro League - 5 November

2020 FIH Pro League (Men)

4 Nov 2020     BEL v NED (RR)   4 - 4 ( S/O 3 - 1)     Royal Uccle Sport, Brussels

2020 FIH Pro League (Women)

4 Nov 2020      BEL v NED (RR)    0 - 4    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

Women's Pool

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

Belgium men edge the Netherlands in Low Countries thriller



Brussels (BEL): The clash between the top two in the men’s FIH Hockey Pro League more than lived up to expectations as league leaders Belgium nicked the bonus point against the Netherlands after a thrilling contest finished 4-4 at the Royal Uccle Sports Complex in Brussels.

In a match that saw action swinging rapidly from one end of the field to the other from start to finish, it was home favourites Belgium – the reigning World and European champions – who took the lead when Alexander Hendrickx scored a trade-mark penalty corner before open play strikes from Jeroen Hertzberger and Thierry Brinkman turned the match on its head to put the Dutch into a 2-1 lead at the quarter-time break.

The two sides traded blows in the third quarter, with Maxime Plennevaux’s stunning overhead smash levelling the scores for Belgium before Jip Janssen immediately restored the Dutch lead from a penalty corner situation.

The Red Lions wrestled the match back in their favour early in the fourth quarter as goals from Florent Van Aubel and a second for Hendrickx established a 4-3 lead. However, Belgium conceded within a minute of the re-start for a third time when Billy Bakker raced through to fire home, sending the match to a shoot-out.

Belgian goalkeeper Loic Van Doren – younger brother of two times FIH Player of the Year Arthur – was the hero in the one-on-ones, being beaten just once as the Red Lions triumphed 3-1 to seal a bonus point, extending their advantage over the Netherlands at the top of the standings from seven to eight points, having played two games more than the Dutchmen.  

"Battles against the Netherlands are always great”, said Floren Van Aubel, who was named Player of the Match. “We have a nice history together and we knew it was going to be very tough. I think we provided a good show for the people at home."

Netherlands captain Billy Bakker said: "It was a tough game for us. We were in front, not dominating the game but we were playing very well in these circumstances. They scored two good goals and we are happy that we could eventually make it 4-4. It was a pity that we lost on shoot-outs, but that's okay."

The contest between the Netherlands and Belgium was a personal milestone match for Dutch umpire Coen van Bunge, who took charge of his 100th senior international.

More information about this match can be found by clicking here.

Earlier in the day, the Netherlands women extended their advantage at the top of the standings with a comprehensive 4-0 triumph over Belgium’s Red Panthers.

The reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League title holders were in dominant form, taking a 1-0 lead three minutes ahead of half time through Lidewij Welten before Frederique Matla, Lauren Stam and Margot van Geffen - who hit a stunning strike into the roof of the Belgian goal – netted third quarter goals to all three points against the home favourites.

The Oranje are now six points clear of second placed Argentina at the top of the table, with both teams having played eight matches to date.

"We made it 4-0, but we wanted to score more”, said van Geffen, who was named Player of the Match. “We had opportunities to score more, but it was a good game."

Belgium defender Stephanie Vanden Borre, who produced a remarkable goal-line clearance to deny Malou Pheninckx late in the game, said: "When we were 1-0 down, we felt we could get back in the game, but we really lost it. We went down, we didn't want to play anymore, we were hiding, then you [concede] three goals in five minutes], which is really [poor]."

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.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic, the FIH Hockey Pro League fixtures between Belgium and the Netherlands are a one-off departure from the standard double-header format, with the second matches between the two nations scheduled to take place on Belgian soil in May 2021. The decision was reached in agreement with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Royal Belgian Hockey Association (KBHB), the Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB) as well as our broadcasting partners.

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
Wednesday 4 November 2020 – Brussels (BEL)

Women’s result: Belgium 0, Netherlands 4
Player of the Match: Margot van Geffen (NED)
Umpires: Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Jonas van ‘t Hek (NED) and Laurine Delforge (BEL – video)

Men’s result: Belgium 4, Netherlands 4 [3-1 after shoot-out]
Player of the Match: Florent Van Aubel (BEL)
Umpires: Coen van Bunge (NED), Laurine Delforge (BEL) and Jonas van ‘t Hek (NED – video)

#FIHProLeague
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Official FIH Pro League Site

Goalkeeper Loic van Doren shines as Belgium beats the Netherlands

The shot-stopper came up with quality saves in the shootout to hand the world champions another win in the FIH Pro League.

By Naveen Peter



In what was a high-scoring match in the FIH Pro League, it was Belgium’s goalkeeper Loic van Doren who proved to be the difference as he pulled out three exceptional saves in the shootout to lead his side to victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday.

With the match tied at 4-4 after regulation time, the 24-year-old stepped up to the task, denying Mirco Pruijser, Jeroen Hertzberger and Seve van Ass in the one-on-ones shootout as Belgium went on to claim the bonus point and strengthen their hold on top of the points table.

The results see the reigning world champions accumulate 26 points from their 11 FIH Pro League matches, while the Dutch stay second with 18 points from their nine games.

In what was a repeat of the 2018 FIH World Cup final, hosts Belgium and the Netherlands came out all guns blazing at the Royal Uccle Sports Complex.

With end to end action keeping the teams busy, chances were created in plenty. Felix Denayer and Tanguy Cosyns were the first to threaten the Dutch with some deft hockey that put the former through on goal. But smart anticipation from the Netherlands defence helped them thwart the attack.


Alexander Hendrickx continued his fine form scoring two more goals in the FIH Pro League.

While the Netherlands worked on counter-attacks to look for openings, the Belgians went ahead from a penalty corner.

Rushing in for the first flick of the match, Alexander Hendrickx slammed in a low drag flick after disguising the Netherlands shot-stopper Maurits Visser with his movement.

The Dutch responded immediately with Hertzberger tapping in from close range after Jelle Galema set him up with a backhand chop across the goal.

The Maximiliano Caldas-coached side then went on to double their advantage with Thierry Brinkman showing great composure to react quickly and score after goalkeeper Van Doren denied him from the short corner.

Belgium had their opportunity to draw parity close to the half-time. But Visser was in no mood to let their advantage slip as he raced out to close the angle and deny Victor Wegnez a clear shot at the goal.

Post the break, the Belgians were quick to find their footing and in no time drew level through Maxime Plennevaux.

Handed a short corner, though Visser did well to block the initial attempt, Arthur Van Doren’s reserve hit rattled the Dutch goalkeeper’s pad before popping up for Plennevaux to tap it in.

But this time too, the Netherlands roared back soon after with Jip Janssen powering past the Belgian citadel with his drag flick to hand his side the lead.

The match was barely done as Belgium went on to score two quick goals in the fourth quarter to regain the lead.

While Florent Van Aubel created space inside the striking circle to sound the board, Hendrickx showed why he’s one of the best drag flickers in the business as a powerful drive saw the hosts go ahead with less than 10 minutes to go for the final hooter.

Their lead, however, was short-lived with the Netherlands’ captain Billy Bakker running through the Belgian defence to score the equaliser and push the match into a shootout.

Dutch women enjoy comfortable win

Meanwhile, in the women’s competition, there was no such drama as the Netherlands registered a 4-0 win over Belgium.

The win helped the Netherlands to a sixth win of the campaign, helping them cement their top spot with 23 points after eight games while Belgium continues to stay in the sixth place with just a win so far.

With no Olympics to look forward to next year, Belgian head coach Niels Thijssen continued with his plans to build a team for the future and named a relatively young side for their match against the reigning World, European and the FIH Pro League champions.

The Belgian side, however, didn’t wilt under pressure and held their shape to frustrate the Netherlands for the entirety of the opening half.

While Maria Verschoor tested Elodie Picard in the Belgian goal with a reserve hit after cutting in from the baseline, Caia van Maasakker had her penalty corner parried away to safety without much fuss.

The Netherlands continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession with Xan de Waard and Lidewij Welten, along with Verschoor dictating the play. But Belgium was up to the task as they stayed calm under pressure to see off any threat to their goal.


Lauren Stam scored the Netherlands’ third goal from a penalty corner, her third in five attempts this campaign.

The Belgian resilience was eventually broken just minutes before the half-time hooter as Welten was quick to pounce on a loose ball following a short corner routine to bury it past an unsighted Belgian goalkeeper in the 27th minute

That goal opened the floodgates for the Dutch as they came back roaring post the break to slot in three more goals to put the match beyond Belgium’s reach.

While Frederique Matla and Lauren Stam slammed in their penalty corner in a fine manner in the 31st and the 36th minutes, Margot van Geffen produced a quality run from the right before slapping home the fourth for the Netherlands just seconds later.

Olympic Channel

Dutch women extend Hockey Pro League lead with 4-0 thumping of Belgium

By Ali Iveson


Lidewij Welten opened the scoring in the women's match ©Getty Images

The table-toppers were victorious as Belgium and The Netherlands met in both the men's and women's Hockey Pro League in Brussels.

The Dutch women were 4-0 victors, while Belgium's men edged a shootout following a topsy-turvy 4-4 draw.

In the women's contest, Lidewij Welten opened the scoring before Frederique Matla, Lauren Stam and Margot van Geffen added further goals.

All the goals came in the space of 10 minutes, across the second and third quarters, and demonstrated how ruthless the Dutch can be when on song.

Victory moves The Netherlands - the reigning world, European and Pro League champions - onto 23 points from eight games.

They are six points clear of second-placed Argentina, who have also played eight matches.


Simon Gougnard, left, was one of Belgium's four scorers in the shootout ©Getty Images

In an entertaining men's encounter, Alexander Hendrickx gave league leaders Belgium the lead from a penalty corner but Jeroen Hertzberger and Thierry Brinkman soon eradicated that advantage and put The Netherlands ahead.

Maxime Plennevaux levelled for the hosts after the interval, but Jip Janssen put the Dutch back in front a minute later.

Florent van Aubel, Hendrickx and Billy Bakker then scored three goals in three minutes to make it 4-4, and the game therefore headed to a shootout.

The Red Lions made no mistake, scoring all three of their one-on-ones, while Loic Van Doren made a trio of saves to secure a 3-1 Belgian triumph and the bonus point.

Belgium now have 26 points from 11 games, eight points ahead of the Dutch, who have played two fewer games.

With these one-off matches - a departure from the Hockey Pro League's usual scheduling - none of the teams are due to play again until 2021.

Britain and Germany are set to meet in men's and women's games on November 14 and 15 in the only other Pro League fixtures scheduled this calendar year.

Inside the Games

2022 Commonwealth Games schedule sees hockey kickstart event



Hockey will be one of an array of different sports to kickstart the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The release of the schedule recently came as organisers confirmed that for the first time more medals will be awarded to women than men at a major multi-sport event.

Of course, all things being team equal in hockey already there won’t be any more medals than normal in Birmingham.

The first day of competition on July 29, 2022 is set to feature an impressive 14 different sports. The schedule has revealed there will also be two full weekends of competition.

Squash and hockey will take place at the University of Birmingham, which was unveiled last month as a major partner for the Games.

The Games will be the largest sports event to be held in the UK since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Commonwealths will feature 19 sports, with eight para sports integrated into the programme.

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The Hockey Paper

Taiwan awarded 2025 World Masters Games


Hockey is one of the Masters Games sports PIC: IMGA.CH

The International Masters Games Association has awarded the 2025 World Masters Games to Taipei and New Taipei city in Taiwan.

It follows news that the 2021 Games in Kansai has been postponed due to the pandemic.

The Games, billed as the world’s largest multi-sport participatory event, will have its 11th edition in five years time after previous editions in Canada, Italy, Australia, Denmark and New Zealand.

Jens V Holm, IMGA CEO, said: “The selection of Taipei and New Taipei City will strengthen our strategic positioning in the region and help us continue our mission to grow Masters sport internationally.

“Many east Asian governments understand that, with an ageing population, sport serves not only to maintain long-term health, but also as a tool for inter-generational social integration. If we can achieve these goals and at the same time enjoy the immense beauty of Taiwan, then everyone is a winner.”

The last Masters Games was held in Auckland in 2017. Hockey teams with names such as Fading Angels, Tassie Old Devils and Goulbourn Aussie battlers competed. Age groups range from 35+.

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The Hockey Paper

Super Camp to determine Kookaburras squad for Olympic year



Australia’s best men’s hockey players will put it all on the line as they vie for selection in the 2021 Kookaburras squad during a Super Camp in Perth from 6-16 November.

The unique camp is being held due to the limited hockey that has been played this year because of COVID, preventing coaches being able to monitor player performance and form.

A key component of the Super Camp will be four intra-squad matches that will replicate the intensity, pressure and competitiveness of an international.

“The camp has come about because of COVID and the lack of training and matches we have had, so this is a great opportunity to have the best players in Australia playing against each other in a high level series of matches,” said Kookaburras Head Coach Colin Batch.

“It allows us to see who has grown during the year, who has developed and who may have stagnated which is why we are using this to select the national squad for next year.”

Considering the ongoing uncertainty of next year’s international hockey schedule caused by the global pandemic, it could mean even more incentive for players to impress at the camp.

From the 27 athletes selected in next year’s Kookaburras squad will come the team of 16 that will represent Australia in men’s hockey at the Tokyo Olympics next July.

“The interesting side of it is that we don’t know how many international matches we will have between now and Tokyo,” said Batch.

“That is why we are treating these four internal matches as internationals. If you show up now, it is not just about getting into the national squad, but it could go some way to securing your position in the team of 16 for the Olympics.”

While a host of athletes in the National Development Squad (the tier below the Kookaburras) were unavailable for the camp, the following athletes outside the current Kookaburras program will attend: Hayden Beltz (TAS), Lachlan Busiko (SA), James Day (ACT), Liam Flynn (WA), Dylan Martin (NSW), Jayshaan Randhawa (VIC), Jake Sherren (VIC), Nathanael Stewart (NSW), Ben Staines (ACT) and Damon Steffens (VIC).

Daniel Beale is the only current Kookaburra ruled out of the camp as he continues his rehabilitation from hip surgery.

“We’ve got some senior guys and a lot of history to fall back on to ascertain whether they’re the right ones to be selected and it would be a tough call to leave some of them out, but if someone turns up and plays out of their skin they could get selected,” said Batch.

“If someone competes and plays well in our Daily Training Environment then that’s a good assessment of whether they can play well at international hockey level.”

The 2021 Kookaburras squad is scheduled to be announced on 1 December.

Hockey Australia Super Camp 2020
6-16 November 2020
Perth Hockey Stadium, Curtin University WA

Men's Squad

*not a current member of the Kookaburras squad

Hockey Australia media release

Hockeyroos spots up for grabs at national Super Camp



The cream of Australia’s women’s hockey talent will vie for a spot in next year’s 27-player Hockeyroos squad at a Super Camp in Perth from 6-16 November.

40 athletes will take part in the camp that will comprise four intra-squad matches that will be treated as proper international fixtures.

These fully competitive matches, coupled with the other elements of the camp, will largely determine selection for next year’s Hockeyroos squad that will then compete for a spot in Australia’s team for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

The selection camp is being held due to this year’s FIH Pro League and Sultana Bran Hockey One League competitions being postponed because of COVID.

“Considering the circumstances due to COVID, we need an opportunity to refresh and reselect the group another year down the track,” said Hockeyroos Head Coach Paul Gaudoin.

“This camp provides an opportunity to refine and get more specific about what we need for our group going forward, not only for Tokyo but the period leading up to the Paris Olympics in 2024.”

“We are expecting the athletes to perform at a high level at the camp and the girls have known all year that this is going to be the time to put their name forward.”

Players’ performances during their local competitions were monitored throughout the year, but Gaudoin says there are a multiple factors of the camp that will impact squad selection.

“We are looking for players who perform, make good decisions under pressure and who are buying into the team values and behaviours. All of this will be taken into account,” said Gaudoin.

The pressure cooker environment of a selection camp gives the contingent of athletes attending who are not currently in the Hockeyroos squad the chance to show they deserve a permanent spot.

“Many of those girls have had limited opportunities this year because of the COVID restrictions but that has also meant that they have been able to bunker down and improve on their game,” said Gaudoin.

“We expect the players coming in from outside the current squad to be right in contention. Everyone has had time to prepare for this so it will depend on who has grown and who has plateaued.”

Hockey Australia 2020 Super Camp
6-16 November 2020
Perth Hockey Stadium, Curtin University WA

Women’s Squad

*not a current member of the Hockeyroos squad

Hockey Australia media release

Hall of Fame - June Harding (nee Capes)



June Harding was a prolific goal scorer at club, state and international level. She may have only represented her country on 10 occasions but she boasts a formidable goal scoring record.

The WA born product, who was the 172nd capped Hockeyroo, scored 19 times in her 10 internationals between 1957 and 1963. She scored twice in her debut against Ceylon (the British Crown colony of present-day Sri Lanka) in Columbo.

Impressively, June scored four goals in an international match twice, in a 4-1 win over Ireland and then four days later against Canada.

June was a clever player with superior stick work and standout skills that enabled her to thread her way through defences and past goalkeepers. She was the yardstick by which other forwards were measured, as tough as she was skilful, working hard in her position as left inner and an outstanding team player. June was selected for the IFWHA tournament in Amsterdam in 1959, where she was the second highest goal scorer, scoring only one less goal than the leading scorer from England.

She became a Life Member of Fremantle Women’s Hockey Club in 1971. June’s daughters Lee Capes and Michelle Hager were also Australian hockey players and her granddaughter Kaitlin Nobbs is a current Hockeyroo.

June’s induction into the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame was ratified in 2018.

What she said…
“When I came to live in Perth from a little country town in WA as a 16 year old I had no idea of the wonderful experiences I was to have during my hockey career. My proudest moment was when I dressed in my Australian uniform in 1959 to represent my country. Then to be honoured by being put in the Australian Hockey Hall of Fame with all those great hockey players before me was a proud achievement. Many thanks to the Australian Selection Committee for considering me.

I had a lot of help on my journey, mainly my mum and dad who supported me financially for my trips when playing for Australia and they always encouraged me to be the best. Thanks must also go to my coach at Fremantle Ladies Hockey Club, Kay Kolsky (Gruer), who pushed me all the way to be as fit as possible.” June Harding

From those in the know…
“It was joy to be a Fremantle teammate of June. As our left inner, not only did she make the most of every possession but was willing to do the ground work as well, giving 100% every game. It was an honour to have played with such a gifted player.” Wendy Pritchard (former teammate and Hockey Australia Hall of Fame Committee Member)

Hockey Australia media release

Aileen Ross retires as an international umpire manager


Aileen Ross, right, with Susie Gomes at PAHF Youth Championship, Montevideo

Scotland’s Aileen Ross has retired as an Umpire Manager at international level. One of Scotland’s most influential officials, Aileen has made a tremendous contribution to umpiring over the years and will continue to contribute at domestic level in Scotland.

Having been a top level umpire for many years, Aileen was appointed to the FIH Umpire Manager list for outdoor hockey in March 2005 after participating in a trainee Umpires Managers workshop in Vienna. This then allowed Aileen to be appointed to European events in the first instance and then FIH events.

Aileen recalled, “I had been an international umpire and it was time to hang up my whistle. I was umpiring at a European club event in 2004 and the TD at the time suggested that when I stopped umpiring that I should consider becoming an Umpire Manger. That was the late Janet White, so she was instrumental in me becoming a UM.

“My first appointment was in July 2005, in Lithuania, at the European Hockey Youth Trophy – Girls’ U18. At this event I was very fortunate to have Janet White as my TD and she was so supportive to me in my first event.

“I then had many events for the EHF over the years until my final one last year at Outdoor Women’s EuroHockey Club Trophy at Sant Cugat del Vallès in Spain, which was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19. So the last event I was at was the EuroHockey Club Challenge 1 Women in Lille, France, April 2019.”

Aileen’s first FIH appointment came in March 2010 at the 1st PAHF Youth Championship, Montevideo in Uruguay. A tournament that saw Argentina crowned champions.

That same year brought another huge success in Aileen’s hockey career – the Commonwealth Games. It was being appointed for the 2010 Commonwealth Games as Umpire Manager in Delhi that Aileen remembers most fondly, saying:

“The highlight for me was being appointed as one of the two Umpires Mangers at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. It was a fantastic experience both for the hockey, the friendships made and the culture. It was great to work with many of the top umpires in the world at that time.”

Even this year Aileen was excelling when in January 2020 she was promoted to the Advancement Panel Umpires Manager for outdoor hockey.

Aileen plans to remain involved with hockey. For many years as an Umpire Manager in Scotland Aileen has watched and coached umpires in the National League every weekend. It’s a vital role she plans to continue in. However the chance to whistle again at District level for Hillhead, and also at Masters level, holds lots of appeal for Aileen.

Aileen explained, “I would like to have a few Saturdays away from coaching so that I can do some more umpiring whilst I am still fit enough to run up and down the pitch.

“So I’m looking forward to helping out with my club Hillhead at district level mainly. If I can do that then I would like to do more umpiring at Masters level. I was fortunate to get to umpire at the Masters Europeans in Krefeld, Germany, last year.”

On a great career as an Umpire Manager on the international scene, Aileen adds, “I have been so fortunate to work alongside many TDs and umpires that have made all the events so enjoyable and rewarding. Don’t get me wrong, the tournaments were hard work – lots of preparation, organisation, and at times some difficult situations to deal with, and decisions to be made.

“I especially would like to thank David, my husband, for his endless support. My hockey trips meant me using up annual leave, which meant less holidays for us!”

Scottish Hockey Union media release

PIA fail to turn up for National Hockey

RAWALPINDI: The 66th edition of Pakistan's National Hockey Championship received a big jolt when former champions PIA expressed their inability to field the team in the tournament.

The organisers were then forced to include PAF to complete a 10-team roster.

The championship gets underway on Thursday (today) at the Mari Petroleum Ground in Rawalpindi.

“We all are in a state of shock not to see former champions PIA in the competition. PIA have not only ruled national hockey for years, it has also produced so many legends. It is nothing less than a big blow to domestic hockey,” tournament director Zahir Shah said on Wednesday.

Just recently Pakistan Hockey Federation President Brigadier (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar had a meeting with PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik in Islamabad. The PIA CEO had offered all possible assistance to the PHF for the promotion of hockey.

“We have included PAF, who finished third in the Tray tournament, in the National Championship.” Zahir Shah said.

“We could not even imagine that a team that has done great service to national hockey would not take part in the National Championship.

“They have their team but possibly they are staying away because of some financial constraints. Whatever is the reason, it is very upsetting,” he added.

In PIA’s absence, National Bank are strong contenders for the title. Other teams in the single round-robin league competition are Wapda, Navy, Police, MPCL, Army, Port Qasim, Punjab, Sui Southern Gas (SSGC) and PAF.

Today’s matches: Navy vs Port Qasim; Army vs Police; Wapda vs Punjab; National Bank vs PAF; Mari Petroleum vs Sui SSGC.

The News International

Updates in the Rules of Indoor Hockey

• Rule 1.7c of Equipment and Field specifications section (regarding goal nets) : “the nets must hang outside, or be attached to, the side-boards and back-board, in such a way that the nets are loose and there is no possibility that a ball could rebound off the nets back into the field of play”.
  Rule 4.2 (regarding the use of knee pads) : “Knee pads, used for this purpose, may be worn outside the socks provided that their colour is exactly the same as the colour of the socks or black”.
  Rule 5.1 (regarding decisions taken by an umpire at the end of a period) : “if time expires just before an umpire would otherwise have made a decision, umpires are permitted to make that decision immediately after the end of any period of the match.”
  Rule 13.3a (regarding time stops after the award of a penalty corner) : “time and play is stopped after a penalty corner is awarded and re-started when the teams are ready. Teams must take the minimum time to take their positions and put on protective equipment (as a guide up to 30 seconds) and play is re-started when the teams are ready”.

Note that this is not a change in the Rules of Indoor Hockey, it is simply an update to address specific issues arising from existing competitions.

The rules cycle remains unchanged and a review of the Rules of Hockey is expected to take place after the Indoor World Cup.

An updated version of the Rules of Hockey can be found in the FIH website via this link:

http://fih.ch/inside-fih/our-official-documents/rules-of-hockey

Pan American Hockey Federation media release

MHC stick it to Megat

By Jugjet Singh


Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman

THE outspoken Datuk Seri Megat D. Shahriman has been sin-binned by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) for 18 months.

Megat, who is the Kuala Lumpur HA president, was yesterday banned for one and a half years from all hockey-related activities.

In a statement, the MHC said: "The MHC Executive Board, at its meeting via Zoom, unanimously agreed to uphold the findings of the MHC Disciplinary Committee that Megat Shariman had breached Clause 6 of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) tournament Code of Conduct.

"All participating team managers, including Megat Shahriman, the team manager of HockAdemy, a participating team, had signed the MHL tournament Code of Conduct.

"Pursuant to Article 45, Megat Shahriman may appeal to the Appeals Committee within 14 days of receiving the letter from MHC.

"Meanwhile, the MHC Executive Board also accepted the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee to clear the Kuala Lumpur HA of the charge."

Clause 6 forbids any team manager making adverse comments against the tournament in the press.

Megat was hauled up by the DB because he wrote to MHL's sponsors, TNB, QNet and Bank Islam apart from querying the status of sponsorship money in the media prior to writing to MHC for clarification.

The MHC EB were unanimous in their decision to punish Megat.

Megat was also alleged to have breached Covid-19 SOP by entering the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sept 19 to watch a Razak Cup match between KL and Negri Sembilan.

But the MHC did not receive any official report on the second matter, and so it was not deliberated by the DB or EB.

Megat became KLHA president in June last year when he beat incumbent Datuk Abu Huraira Yazid 21-11. KLHA elections are due again in June next year.

New Straits Times

Weekend College Games: ACC Championship Preview


Portions of Content Courtesy of ACC

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The team seedings and tournament bracket have been released for the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship, which is set for November 5, 6 and 8 at Karen Shelton Stadium on the campus of the University of North Carolina.

No. 1 seed Louisville (7-1, 5-1 ACC) secured a quarterfinal bye and will see their first action in Friday’s 1:30 p.m. ET semifinal game. The Cardinals will face the winner of Thursday’s 2 p.m. ET quarterfinal match between No. 4 Virginia (3-6, 2-3 ACC) and No. 5 Wake Forest (3-7, 2-4 ACC).

Other Thursday quarterfinal action finds No. 2 seed and three-time defending ACC champion North Carolina (7-1, 4-1 ACC) paired against No. 7 Boston College (0-2, 0-2 ACC) at 4:30 p.m. ET, while No. 3 Syracuse (4-3, 3-2 ACC) faces No. 6 Duke (2-6, 1-4 ACC) at 7 p.m. ET.

Friday’s second semifinal match is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. The semifinal winners will meet for the championship at noon on Sunday, November 8.

With cancelations due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing every team from playing its full allotment of regular-season conference games, winning percentages in ACC games were used to determine this year’s ACC Tournament seeding.

The 2020 ACC Field Hockey Championship will not be open to the public, but ACC Network will carry all tournament action live, with Eric Frede handling play-by-play and Leah Secondo returning as color analyst.

For more information on the 2020 ACC Field Hockey Championship, please visit theACC.com.

No. 5 Wake Forest vs. No. 4 Virginia  |  2:00 p.m. ET

No. 5 Wake Forest will meet No. 4 Virginia in the first quarterfinal game of the ACC Tournament. These teams opened the fall ACC competition against one another in a two-game series in Charlottesville, Va. Each came away with a win, but it was the Cavaliers who claimed the conference points.

Wake Forest is coming off a split result weekend after playing No. 2 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Friday and No. 7 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Sunday. On Friday, the Tar Heels came out aggressive earning three consecutive penalty corner opportunities in the first two minutes of action and scored their first goal through Erin Matson on the third attempt. Just one minute later, another North Carolina penalty penalty corner by Cassie Sumfest put UNC on top 2-0. Wake Forest's Nat Friedman worked the ball past the UNC goalkeeper Amanda Hendry on a deflection following a Demon Deacon penalty corner in the 17th minute, but the goal was waived off, keeping Wake Forest off the scoreboard. North Carolina extended their lead 3-0 in the second quarter with an unassisted goal from Meredith Sholder.

Neither team managed a goal in the third quarter, but the Tar Heels took a 4-0 advantage in the 47th-minute with Matson's second goal of the day. She completed the hat trick with her third goal in the 54th minute to hand North Carolina the final 5-0 lead.

Against the Eagles, Wake Forest finished the ACC regular season with a dominant performance, winning 6-2, where five Demon Deacons contributed to the scoring. Friedman opened the scoring at the 10-minute mark to give the Demon Deacons an early 1-0 lead. Anne van Hoot extended Wake's lead 2-0 with a penalty corner goal, a missile from the top of the circle. Just two minutes later, Laia Vancells made a great pass to Meike Lanckohr who found the back of the net for Wake's third goal of the half.

Boston College answered with a penalty corner goal through Fusine Govaert in the 36th minute to cut Wake's lead to two, but Grace Delmotte netted her first goal of the game in the 41st minute on a pass from Abby Carpenter to put Wake on top 4-1. The momentum continued for the Demon Deacons as Eleanor Winants found her way past Boston College goalkeeper Joanna Kennedy to score her first goal of the season. The Eagles tacked on another goal in the 49th minute when Elizabeth Warner dove to deflect an errant pass into the back of the net (which was featured on SportsCenter Top 10), but Delmotte sealed the Wake Forest victory with her second goal of the day with eight minutes remaining on the clock.

Virginia fell last weekend in their only contest when they played No. 6 Duke on Saturday. A pair of first-half goals off penalty corners provided all of the offense Duke needed in the game. It was the first time this season the Cavaliers failed to score a goal. Duke struck early, when Darcy Bourne scored off a penalty corner just over two minutes into the game. The Cavalier defense kept the deficit to one goal until the Blue Devils scored off another penalty corner through Eva Nunnink with just under four minutes remaining in the first half. Duke had seven corners in the first half, scoring off of two of them.

The third quarter was a battle in the midfielder with the two teams combining for just one shot, an attempt by Amber Ezechiels five minutes into the period. The Cavaliers’ best chance to score came late in the fourth quarter when Rachel Robinson swept a shot that hit the upper crossbar of the net. Anneloes Knol corralled the rebound and fired off a hard shot of her own that was just wide of the mark.

No. 7 Boston College vs. No. 2 North Carolina  |  4:30 p.m. ET

No. 7 Boston College will face No. 2 North Carolina in the second ACC Quarterfinal game of the day. The last time these two teams met was in the 2019 NCAA Semifinals where the Tar Heels were victorious 6-3.

Following a four-week hiatus due to a positive COVID-19 test of a Boston College student-athlete, the Eagles played just their second match of the ACC regular season on Sunday. Wake Forest scored three first half goals through Nat Friedmna, Anne van Hoot and Laia Vancells before Boston College answered with a penalty corner goal through Fusine Govaert in the 36th minute to cut the lead. The Demon Deacons scored two more, through Grace Delmotte and Eleanor Winants, before Elizabeth Warner dove to deflect an errant pass into the back of the net (which was featured on SportsCenter Top 10). Wake Forest added one more by Delmotte to seal the Demon Deacon's 6-2 win.

On Friday, North Carolina closed out the regular season beating Wake Forest, 5-0, behind a hat trick from Erin Matson. The Tar Heels jumped in front early, scoring twice in the first four minutes of play. North Carolina drew three penalty corners in a row and scored on the third, with Cassie Sumfest passing off to Matson for the goal in the third minute. UNC drew another just over a minute later and this time Sumfest took the shot, sending her drag flick into the cage between the legs of Wake Forest goalkeeper Tori Glaister. Early in the second quarter, Meredith Sholder picked off a Wake Forest pass in the circle, got around one defender and sent her shot inside the left post to make it 3-0 at halftime.

After halftime, Matson added two more goals. In the 48th minute of play, Katie Dixon carried the ball from the top of the arc to the left side of the circle and rolled a ball toward Matson, who backhanded it past new Wake Forest goalkeeper Ally Butler to make it 4-0. Matson's third goal came in the 55th minute when she carried the ball into the circle then got tangled up with a Wake Forest defender in a collision that sent both players to the ground. Matson got up, gathered the ball, and sent a hard shot into the cage to make it 5-0.

No. 6 Duke vs. No. 3 Syracuse  |  7:00 p.m. ET

No. 6 Duke and No. 3 Syracuse will round out ACC Quarterfinal play with the final game of the day. These teams last played October 10 at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, in a rescheduled match from the beginning of the season, where the Orange came out on top 4-3 in a closely contested match.

Duke is coming off their first ACC win after shutting out Virginia on Saturday. The Blue Devils used two goals in the first half to earn their first conference victory of the season while its stellar defense shut out the Cavaliers. Darcy Bourne gave the Blue Devils an early lead in the third minute, scoring off Duke's first penalty corner of the contest. Lily Posternak inserted the ball to Lexi Davidson who set up Bourne's second tally of the season for the game-winning goal. Duke was aggressive in the first period, taking six shots while drawing four penalty corners in the frame.

Scoring in back-to-back contests, Eva Nunnink found the back of the cage off a corner in the 27th minute of action. Hannah Miller assisted on the insert while Davidson garnered her second dime of the contest with the stick stop as Nunnink slipped the ball past the Virginia goalkeeper.

Alayna Burns nearly gave Duke a 3-0 advantage in the second half, but her goal was waved off after a video review. Duke saw a few opportunities in the fourth period but finished the game with a 2-0 feat. Statistically, the two teams were even in the match as both recorded 11 shots and earned seven penalty corners.

Syracuse met Louisville on Friday, and behind a defensive save, secured a 2-1 win over the previously-unbeaten Cardinals. Both teams controlled the ball well, playing even through the scoreless first half of play. Syracuse recorded two shots to Louisville's one, with neither team getting a penalty corner opportunity.

The Orange momentum picked up in the 35th minute when Charlotte de Vries scored unassisted off a rebounded save during Syracuse's third-straight penalty corner.

Syracuse was awarded a penalty stroke in the fourth period, and Laura Graziosi put it past the Louisville goalkeeper Hollyn Barr in the 50th minute for a 2-0 Orange lead. Louisville started to pick up the pace trailing by two.

The Cardinals had the advantage in the final period with two penalty corner opportunities, but the Syracuse defense kept them from capitalizing. Aimee Plumb was the only Louisville player to find the back of the goal with just under three minutes to play. The Cardinals momentum continued to build but Eefke van den Nieuwenhof's defensive save on Mercedes Pastor's shot with a minute to go in regulation halted the Louisville offense.

USFHA media release

Field hockey set to begin ACC Tournament on Thursday

Bennett Conlin


Members of the Virginia field hockey team celebrate during the Cavaliers’ 1-0 win over Syracuse at the UVa Turf Field. UVa media relations

It’s an exciting week for Virginia sports fans.

On the field, the UVa field hockey team begins postseason play Thursday, hoping to pick up three wins this weekend to win a conference title during an unusual season.

Michele Madison’s team ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak to finish 3-6 overall and 2-3 in ACC play, but much of that was due to challenging matchups. The ACC features arguably the deepest collection of talented teams of any league in the nation, and it’s hard to win consistently.

The Cavaliers played well for most of this season despite a string of losses. They hope they can turn quality play into consistent wins this week.

Virginia opens the ACC Tournament on Thursday against Wake Forest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The game starts at 2 p.m. and will air on the ACC Network.

The Cavaliers went 1-1 against Wake Forest this fall, with both games decided by a goal. Madison expects to see a good Demon Deacons team that stresses defenses with rapid passes.

“I imagine they look a little faster in execution than when we played them,” Madison said. “Everyone’s better after you beat each other up in the ACC.”

This time around, at least, the Cavaliers enter the game healthy.

“With COVID and players in and out of the team, we’re happy to have everybody — knock on wood — for tomorrow,” Madison said Wednesday. “We didn’t have four core players last time we played them.”

Should the Wahoos win, they’ll face No. 1 seed Louisville in the semifinals Friday. The Cavaliers went 0-2 against the Cardinals this fall, but competed well in each loss. An upset wouldn’t be completely out of the question.

Should UVa qualify, the championship match will take place Sunday at noon.

Regardless of the results, Madison is pleased her team received a chance to play and compete this fall during a pandemic.

“I’m really proud of the team and the coaching staff, everyone, for just staying focused in a very uncertain world,” Madison said.

The Daily Progress

Erin Matson Claims ACC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week Award

By Avery Trendel


Photo via Dakota Moyer

A hat trick in UNC’s 5-0 victory over Wake Forest this past Friday helped UNC junior Erin Matson claim the ACC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week honor on Tuesday.

This is the second time this season Matson–an All-American scoring machine–has won the league’s weekly award.

Including the three goals she scored against Wake Forest, Matson led the ACC with nine goals during the shortened regular season. Her six assists also led the conference in that category.

Matson and the Tar Heels will begin play in the ACC Field Hockey Tournament–which is being held in Chapel Hill–on Thursday with a quarterfinal matchup against Boston College.

Chapelboro.com