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All the news for Saturday 3 April 2021

2020 FIH Pro League (Men) - 3 April
Cenard, Buenos Aires

3 Apr 2021 14:30 (GMT -3)     ARG v GER (RR)
4 Apr 2021 14:30 (GMT -3)     ARG v GER (RR)

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.

Live streaming and full game replay on the Watch Hockey App (May be Geo blocked if there is TV coverage)

Pool Standings

FIH Match Centre

2020 FIH Pro League (Women) - 3 April
Cenard, Buenos Aires

3 Apr 2021 17:00 (GMT -3)     ARG v GER (RR)
4 Apr 2021 17:00 (GMT -3)     ARG v GER (RR)

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.

Live streaming and full game replay on the Watch Hockey App (May be Geo blocked if there is TV coverage)

Pool Standings

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

Argentina look to bounce back after international break



Pedro Ibarra is the long-serving captain of the Argentina men’s national hockey team. Ibarra began his senior career for Los Leones back in 2006 at the Champions Trophy in Terrassa, Spain. Since then, he has been an integral part of the squad that has risen through the world rankings. In 2016, Ibarra saw his team’s progress culminate in a glorious moment of Olympic history as Argentina won gold for the first time.

While the Olympic Games in Tokyo are firmly in his sights, Ibarra’s present challenge is to lead his team against Germany in the resumed FIH Hockey Pro League. The Argentina team will host Germany on 3 and 4April in the Cenard Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Germany played two very good matches against the Netherlands, what do you feel are their most dangerous strengths?

Pedro Ibarra: We saw Germany’s two matches against the Netherlands, and we could see Germany are playing some really good hockey and are really strong. We always respect Germany a lot so we will see what will happen here in Buenos Aires.

How are your players feeling about resuming Pro League action?

Pedro Ibarra: We are happy and excited that we are playing again. We stopped playing international hockey for one year and two months, so we have a lot of energy to play these two matches against Germany.

Do you feel the team are ready to resume play at top level or will it take a few minutes to get up to speed?

Pedro Ibarra: I think we will need some minutes to get some speed and get used to international hockey, but we can’t change that. But we will work hard so we can do well in Tokyo (the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020).

What are the key outcomes – apart from two victories – that you would like to get from these next two matches?

Pedro Ibarra: We want to play together again. We haven’t played for a year and two months and that is a lot for an international player. So now we are going to look and see what the next steps are to make sure we are ready for Tokyo.

#FIHProLeague
#HockeyInvites

Official FIH Pro League Site

Argentina to make return with Hockey Pro League set to resume in Buenos Aires

By Michael Pavitt


Argentina will host Germany in two days of competition ©Getty Images

Argentina will make their international return as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Pro League resumes in Buenos Aires.

Both Argentina's men's and women's teams will take on Germany this weekend, with back-to-back games on April 3 and 4.

Argentina’s men's side will also host India on April 10 and 11.

Reigning men’s Olympic champions Argentina have been absent from the international circuit since last March.

Argentina resume the men’s competition in sixth place in the standings, with a record of two wins, one shoot-out success, as well as three defeats and two penalty losses.

Germany are three points ahead of Argentina in the standings and will hope to preserve their spot with success in Buenos Aires.

The German side have two games in hand on Australia, who lie one point ahead in the standings in third place.

Matches will take place at the National Centre of High Performance Athletics in Buenos Aires, which is known as CeNARD.

Argentina’s women’s team have enjoyed a successful Pro League campaign to date, recording five wins, one shoot-out triumph and two defeats.


Argentina will hope to maintain their strong results in the women's event ©Getty Images

The results see Argentina lie second in the standings, but some way adrift of group leaders the Netherlands.

Germany have played just four matches to date, recording two wins and two defeats.

The remainder of April’s matches, which were due to feature Australia, the United States, China and New Zealand, were postponed last month.

This is due to the ongoing travel restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FIH and the participating nations are working on rescheduling the postponed matches.

The majority of Pro League matches in May are set to take place in Europe.

Inside the Games

Important to play simple hockey and not do anything too dramatic, says Rupinder Pal Singh

Having secured his place in the side for his first overseas tour since 2019 when India travelled to Belgium, the lanky defender is desperate to make up for the lost opportunities in the crucial Olympic year.


File image of Rupinder Pal Singh Image: Hockey India

Buenos Aires: On his first foreign tour since 2019, seasoned drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh on Friday emphasised on playing simple hockey instead of being too dramatic on the field as the Indian team gears up to take on Olympic Champions Argentina.

Rupinder, who arrived in Buenos Aires on Thursday along with the Indian team for a 16-day tour that includes back-to-back Pro League matches on 11 and 12 April, missed the tour of Europe in February due to a hamstring injury.

Having secured his place in the side for his first overseas tour since 2019 when India travelled to Belgium, the lanky defender is desperate to make up for the lost opportunities in the crucial Olympic year.

"I am super excited to play against the Olympic champions. It's been a very long break from competitive hockey. My last overseas tour was in September 2019 when we played in Antwerp, Belgium," Rupinder was quoted as saying in a Hockey India release.

Rupinder had injured hamstring one week before the team left for Europe.

"I was in good nick last year. Now against Argentina, it will be all about finding that rhythm back. It is important to play simple hockey, as chief coach Graham Reid always says and not do anything too dramatic. Focus will be on basic skills, strong defence, good on-field communication and coordination with each other."

Rupinder contributed to the team's campaign with a total of five goals from six FIH Hockey Pro League matches played by India last year.

India will play their first practice match against Argentina on 6 April.

The Indian team is scheduled to play six matches against Argentina.

Firstpost

Watkins and Ireland staying grounded despite big GB series show


Chloe Watkins celebrates during the GB series. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Chloe Watkins says Ireland’s recent victory over reigning Olympic gold medalists Great Britain is both hugely important and unimportant at the same time as the Green Army mount up for a big summer ahead.

She played a starring role in central midfield as Ireland beat GB for the first time ever, landing a 2-1 success in an overall drawn three-game series, scoring the equalising goal in that tie.

But she is wary of getting too far ahead of herself with a European Championships in June – which doubles as a World Cup qualifier – and the Olympics following six weeks later.

“It was a big scalp for us so that was obviously a huge positive,” she said this week in her role as an FBD ambassador, one of Team Ireland’s sponsors.

“But, at the same time, we are aware it was a friendly series and we are still a couple of months out.

“We are not looking to peak yet and there’s a lot of work and preparation to go. It was a good temperature check after a long period of training to say things are going in the right direction. It’s nice to see things gelling in matches which you have been working on in training. All in all, a positive experience for us.”

Indeed, after precious few international fixtures, it was a relief that things were on track. In a normal year, Ireland’s women could expect to play between 30 and 40 capped fixtures; Watkins has in excess of 200 caps.

As such, with just a January series against Spain under their belt in the past year, there was no idea of what to expect.

“I was apprehensive going into the GB series. I didn’t know where we would stand and often a March series is a tough one because you come off the back of a long training period and there is fatigue.

“You are not necessarily peaking for a tournament so sometimes it can go wrong. It was great to get good results, good performances most importantly and feeling like we controlled things in a way we hadn’t done before against them. We can take that confidence into the next few months.”

It was also the first time the Irish team were seen on the big screen since qualifying for Tokyo back in November 2019.

At the time, they were riding high on the crest of a wave with the 2018 World Cup silver medal also fresh in the mind.

The GB series was live-streamed on both RTE and BBC Northern Ireland with RTE2 carrying one of the games on a Sunday evening. All told, close to 200,000 households tuned in, helping to get the wheels back onto the bandwagon after a year training away mainly behind closed doors.

“Publicity is not too much at the front of our minds but we had a lot of momentum from the qualifiers coming into the Olympic run-in in 2020.

“Confidence, interest, excitement was high – all that stuff so getting some of that momentum and generating interest and excitement again in the team is always a good thing. Getting confidence up in the squad in good performances will always help.”

One element will be missing in Tokyo, however, this summer with confirmation no overseas fans can attend. It was such a strong feature of the 2018 World Cup when more than half of the 15,000 Lee Valley Stadium in London was bedecked in green.

“It is hard for them,” Watkins says as her family members have to scrap what plans they had in place.

“This was going to be a high point for them as well as us. From a squad’s perspective, we are happy to be able to go out there and compete. Obviously, [our fans] all wanted to be able to go out there but I have no doubt they will be loud and in full-green from head to toe, finding ways to celebrate at home.”

** FBD Brand Ambassador and 2018 World Cup silver-medallist Chloe Watkins. FBD Insurance is a principal sponsor to Team Ireland since September 2018. As part of its sponsorship, FBD is supporting Team Ireland’s Olympic hopefuls to enable them to focus on personal bests and breakthrough performances at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Head over to FBD’s social channels to see the latest in FBD’s “My Olympic Journey” video series. It is this same spirit of support and protection that sees FBD as Ireland’s largest homegrown insurer support more than 500,000 policyholders for over 50 years.

The Hook

Revival of Pak-India hockey ties on the cards



ISLAMABAD: The revival of hockey ties between the two historic rivals — Pakistan and India — is very much likely as top officials of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) are expected to take up the issue on the sidelines of the 47th International Hockey Federation (FIH) Statutory Congress that will be taking place from May 19 to 23 in New Delhi.

The meeting is aimed at electing FIH president and Executive Board members of the board for the next four years in office. More importantly, it provides an opportunity to the PHF officials to discuss the possibilities of regenerating hockey activities for the benefit of the both countries and hockey followers.

A well-placed source in the PHF has told ‘The News’ that PHF president Brig (r) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and secretary Asif Bajwa are expected to attend the meeting.

“Yes, both are planning to attend the FIH meeting in New Delhi. They have already applied for Indian visas and hopefully would be there on May 22.”

More importantly, the PHF officials are planning to hold talks with hockey officials of India regarding revival of hockey ties between the two countries.

“On the sidelines of the FIH meeting, the PHF officials are planning to hold meetings with their Indian counterparts to revive bilateral hockey ties,” the source added.

Only a couple of decades back both Pakistan and India were regularly playing home and away hockey series.

“With no specific agenda during the meeting, the PHF officials will focus on the revival of hockey ties in an effort to popularise the game in both the countries.”

It is believed that the option of taking the series offshore could also be discussed during the meeting.

“Though the focus would be to revive the hockey series on the pattern both countries used to follow two decades back, the option of taking it offshore could not be ruled out. What matters the most is the revival of hockey ties for the benefit and entertainment of the game followers on either side of the border.

Meanwhile, after a thorough analysis, the FIH Executive Board has decided to give the option to each National Association’s delegates to decide whether they will attend the 47th FIH Statutory Congress either onsite — in New Delhi — or via an online platform.

With this hybrid format, all Members of the Congress, irrespective of whether they are currently able or not to travel internationally due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will have the possibility to take part.

The agenda includes, amongst others, elections for the position of FIH president and four positions of EB’s Ordinary Member. For all delegates, attending onsite or virtually, the voting process will be done exclusively via an online platform (e-voting).

The full agenda will be published around one month before the Congress.

The News International

EHL Men’s FINAL4 – the big preview



EHL Men’s FINAL4 sees Royal Léopold, Uhlenhorst Mülheim and Atlètic Terrassa all endeavouring to reach their first ever GRAND FINAL, joining one of the competition’s most decorated clubs, HC Bloemendaal for this weekend’s action.

Here’s a breakdown of how the sides are shaping up ahead of Saturday’s FINAL4 contests:

Saturday, April 3 (all games at Wagener Stadium, Amstelveen)

Match 3: HC Bloemendaal (NED) v Royal Leopold (BEL), 4.15pm (CET)

Bloemendaal started this current season like a house on fire with 12 successive league wins in the Hoofdklasse, the first time this had been done in over a decade. Since then, they have suffered a few blips but they bounced back with an important 2-0 win over HGC and then hammered Hurley 9-2 to build an eight-point lead in the Hoofdklasse.


HC Bloemendaal. Pic: Koen Suyk/World Sport Pics

The three-time EHL champions have undergone an overhaul since they won the 2018 EHL. Only eight of their final winning side are back: Tim Swaen, Roel Bovendeert, Thierry Brinkman, Yannick van der Drift, captain Glenn Schuurman, Jasper Brinkman, Florian Fuchs and Floris Wortelboer.

Out have gone Jamie Dwyer, Xavi Lleonart, Jaap Stockmann, Manu Stockbroekx and Tim Jenniskens. In has come a glut of star quality in two-time FIH player of the year Arthur van Doren, attacking livewire Jorrit Croon and the much travelled Tom Hiebendaal.

Hiebendaal has an EHL winner’s medal from 2011 with HGC when he was 17 but almost three years of injuries set him back before rejuvenating his career with Uhlenhorst Mülheim, scoring nine times in 11 games in a short, corona-affected stint. Tim Swaen’s rocket corners are always a feature as is Roel Bovendeert’s predatory instincts.

They could also feature Wouter Jolie who made a comeback in recent months; if he plays, they will be his first EHL games since 2015.

For Léopold, their big news is top scorer Tom Boon passed a fitness test in midweek and so is available to play. He has already scored 28 times for the Brussels club this season and gets to line out against his former club with whom he played in the EHL in 2015, winning a bronze medal.


Royal Leopold. Picture: Monokrom

His attacking partnership with Max Plennevaux is one of the most exciting in European club hockey while Nicolas Poncelet is their other Belgian Red Lion, operating usually down the right flank from the back. French duo Gaspard Baumgarten and Jean-Baptiste Forgues bring Gallic flair.

Beyond those star names, much of the club’s strength comes from its long-term soldiers, guys like Dimitri Cuvelier, Tanguy Zimmer, Arthur Verdussen and Romain Henet and youth products like Dylan Engelbert, Max Muschs, Corentin de Trez and Lewis Eaton.

Leo is one of Belgian hockey’s original clubs and was there at the formation of their national association and has won the most domestic titles – 28. They are in the mix for another, leading their section of the Belgian league with two matches left before the playoffs but it is a tenuous state of affairs with La Gantoise and KHC Dragons both within two points.

Factfile

HC Bloemendaal

EHL history

2007/08 – KO16
2008/09 – Winners
2009/10 – KO8
2010/11 – KO8
2011/12 – KO8
2012/13 – Winners
2014/15 – FINAL4
2017/18 – Winners
2019/20 (incomplete season due to Covid-19) – FINAL8

Hoofdklasse position: 1st place (46 out 51 points)

Current internationals: Jorrit Croon, Glenn Schuurman, Roel Bovendeert, Maurits Visser, Thierry Brinkman, Floris Wortelboer all Netherlands; Arthur van Doren with Belgium; Florian Fuchs with Germany

Top scorers: Tim Swaen 16 goals, Roel Bovendeert 9 goals

Preview interviews: Tom Hiebendaal

Royal Leopold

EHL history

2012/13 – KO16
2015/16 – KO16
2016/17 – ROUND1
2018/19 – KO16 – won 9th place ranking match
2019/20 (incomplete season due to Covid-19) – FINAL8

Audi League position: 1st Group A, top three covered by two points (La Gantoise and KHC Dragons the other clubs)

Current internationals: Nicolas Poncelet, Max Plennevaux, Tom Boon – all Belgium; Jean-Baptiste Forgues, Gaspard Baumgarten – both France

Top scorers: Tom Boon 28 goals, Max Plennevaux 12 goals, Arthur Verdussen 7 goals

Preview interviews: Nicolas Poncelet

Head to head: first EHL meeting

Match 4: Uhlenhorst Mülheim (GER) v Atlètic Terrassa (ESP)

While the two sides have only met once in the Euro Hockey League – a 4-2 ROUND1 win for Uhlenhorst in 2011 – this is a match-up with loads of history, dating back to the old European Club Champions Cup. The two clubs met in four finals in 1989, 90, 91 and 92 with the German club winning each time amid an incredible run of nine successive European titles.

Atlèti, meanwhile, won in 1985 and then again in 1998, beating Mülheim in the group stages to that latter triumph. So typical of club hockey, lots of names traverse the generations with the fathers and sons from the Malgosa, Escudé and Cortès families in both teams while Windfeder, Hellwig and Brinkmann features in both Uhlenhorst eras.


Uhlenhorst Mülheim

Uhlenhorst Mülheim

For Uhlenhhorst, it is 25 years since their last Euro title and they do so with a very strong line-up featuring seven current members of the German international panel while 18-year-old Moritz Ludwig has also recently been added to that line-up. He, however, is an injury doubt with Jan Nitschke and Ferdinand Weinke also out.

Key defender and drag-flicker Lukas Windfeder and Dennis Holthaus have recovered from corona virus and are now out of quarantine. They hope their PCR tests will be negative to allow them to travel. The flying Timm Herzbruch leads their attack while Benedikt Fürk was also in strong form in Uhlenhorst’s only game of 2021 to date, scoring twice in a 4-1 win over Crefelder HTC.

They are coached by Olympic gold medalist Thilo Stralkowski who stepped back from playing in 2018 and he is anticipating “a typical Spanish team, technically strong and passionate”.

For Atlètic, they have been playing far more consistently over the past few months and arrive in Amsterdam off the back of seven successive victories. The side is powered by the vastly experienced Sergi Enrique from the back, one of the few players still active from the original 2007/08 season of the EHL.

Livewire Marc Bolto captains the side with Albert Beltran back in the mix after a spell with Rotterdam while Marc Salles is back at full throttle after injury.

Otherwise, it is a new look side this season following important retirements of Dani Malgosa, Santi Pujal, Xavi Galí and Oriol Peremiquel along with the departures of Lluís Melé and Pol Parrilla. It means new players have come in from their second team, Vallès Esportiu, Joan Dalmases, Joan Monzó and Pau Jover while Nil Escudé is back at the club after playing in Junior and FC Barcelona.

Pau Cunill (21) is another to move up from the second team and is now the topscorer due to its impressive drag-flick but his younger brother Pepe – already a Spanish international at age 18 – made his comeback last weekend, scoring twice in a 5-1 win over Giner de los Rios.

Factfile

Uhlenhorst Mülheim

EHL history

2011/12 – KO16
2012/13 – KO8
2013/14 – KO16
2017/18 – KO8
2018/19 – KO8
2019/20 (incomplete season due to Covid-19) – FINAL8

Bundesliga: 1st place, Section A (nine point advantage over UHC Hamburg)

Current internationals: Lukas Windfeder, Timm Herzbruch, Jan Schiffer, Ferdinand Weinke, Niklas Bosserhoff, Malte Hellwig, Benedikt Fürk

Top scorers: Malte Hellwig 22 goals, Timm Herzbruch 14 goals, Lukas Windfeder 13 goals

Preview interviews: Timm Herzbruch


Atlètic Terrassa

Atlètic Terrassa

EHL history

2007/08 – KO8
2008/09 – ROUND1
2009/10 – KO8
2010/11 – KO8
2011/12 – KO16
2012/13 – KO16
2014/15 – ROUND1
2015/16 – Fourth place
2016/17 – KO8
2017/18 – KO16

Honor Division: 1st (48 points out of 57, only one loss)

Current internationals: Marc Salles, Marc Bolto, Albert Beltran, Joan Tarres, Pepe Cunill

Top scorers: Pau Cunill 11 goals, Pepe Cunill 8 goals, Marc Bolto 7 goals

Preview interviews: Pau Cunill

Head-to-head:

October 2011: Uhlenhorst Mülheim 4 (Schmitz, Stralkowski, Fleckhaus, Rabente) Atlètic Terrassa 2 (R Oliva, A Beltran)

– For further Where to Watch details, click here

– EuroHockeyTV platform to broadcast all eight games for €9.99 (click here for info)

Euro Hockey League media release

Atlètic Terrassa’s 80s and 90s heroes and their sons recall epic rivalry with Uhlenhorst Mülheim



When Atlètic Terrassa meet Uhlenhorst Mülheim in the EHL Men’s FINAL4 on Saturday, it will reignite one of the most enduring rivalries in European club hockey of the 1980s and 90s for a new generation.

Many surnames will link the two eras with many descendants from the two clubs’ golden era, keen to write a new page in their respective histories.

For Atlètic, the German club were their ‘bête noir’ on the European stage. Dominant in Spain, they won an incredible nine league titles in a row and, in 1985 in Frankenthal, the Terrassa-based club lifted their first European title for the first time.


The 1988 Uhlenhorst Mülheim side

They looked set for a period of continental dominance but suddenly they came up against an impassable wall several times, the Mülheim club emerging to overshadow them with an outrageous nine Euro titles in succession between 1988 and 1996.

The names of Carsten Fischer, Sven Meinhardt, Andreas Becker or Jan-Peter Tewes became a nightmare for Atlétic and many other teams. Of that era, surnames like Windfeder, Hellwig and Brinkmann will be reprised in their 2021 vintage while the names Malgosa, Escudé, Freixa and Cortès traverse the Catalan generations.

They met in four consecutive finals: 1989 in Mülheim, 1990 in Frankfurt, 1991 in Wassenaar and 1992 in Amsterdam. In all of them, the Germans emerged victorious.

In 1995, playing at home, Atlético had a good chance to take some revenge but in the decisive group match ended in a draw and Uhlenhorst went to the final on goal difference.

Finally, in 1998, again at the Can Salas, it was the Spanish side’s time, edging through 2-1 in the group before defeating AH&BC Amsterdam to reach the promised land once more.

TV3 commentator Lluis Cervelló spoke to some of those famous Catalan names about then and now!

***

Nani Escudé: “To remember the Uhlenhosrt of our time is to think of the ‘black beast’. We lost finals, but they won nine in a row and no other team has done that. Now, there are great teams and for sure as a German team, they will put us in trouble. But we are a great team and I am convinced that playing at our level we will have options and move on to the final.”

Joan Tarrés (Nani’s nephew): “My uncle Nani has told me many stories about those years when Uhlenhorst was a team that battled so much to win. For us, in addition to being an opportunity to reach an EHL final, it is also to put a thorn in the side of the German team who haunted Atlètic for so many years”

**

Xavi Escudé: “When I found out who we were playing against, I was very happy because it reminded me of the great moments of a great stage, although I must admit that Uhlenhorst was our ‘black beast’.

“Had we not found ourselves against that team, we would have many more European cups. For this edition, I am very excited that Marc can relive a game that many of Atlètic have in their memories and I know that my son, along with the rest of the team, will surely know how to take advantage of the additional motivation that this means. We hope to enjoy a great victory that will give us great family satisfaction and for our club!”

Marc Escudé (son of Xavi): “It is an honor for me to be able to play a game of this very high level and with a rival that I have heard so much about for years. It gives me great motivation and more, knowing that we were beaten so many times. We now have the long-awaited opportunity to take revenge after 30 years. So, there is no doubt that we will leave our skin in the field and do our best to bring the cup to the cathedral [Atlètic’s home]!!”

**

Jaume Escudé: “So near and yet so far! The privilege of having played all the finals against Uhlenhorst, and the pity of losing them. The most sincere admiration for the German team, mythical and unrepeatable, and the same admiration for our team, also mythical and unrepeatable, but acknowledging that they knew how to compete better than us.

“Atlètic-Uhlenhorst marked an era and they are a page with golden (and silver) letters, unforgettable in the history of European hockey.”

Nil Escudé (son of Jaume): “My father always told me about this team but it sounded like a battle … until I saw a video of Xavi Escudé dribbling in the middle of a German team and leaving Fischer sitting on the ground. There, I saw that the level was already brutal when I was not even born yet.

“Times and hockey have changed but both teams are still benchmarks in our countries.

“This year we have the unique and exciting opportunity to play a European semi-final, which will make us all 200%. And why not, stand in the desired end, and this time we will be the ones to emerge victorious from the historic duel.”

**

Quim Malgosa: “When I think of Uhlenhorst, the first thing that comes to mind is a mixture of frustration and motivation to work all year to overcome them and not succeed. Getting up year after year to outdo yourself and also, why not, a sense of admiration for a super team in quality but also with motivation.

“Although we stayed at the gates many times, they certainly helped us to be better players as well. And it ended by finally winning against them and winning the second European Cup, in 1998.”

Quim Malgosa (son of Quim): “I have heard so many stories told … I know they provide another incentive for the club and for those who suffered and enjoyed it.

“For me, it is another challenge. We have been working for a long time to play in a FINAL4 again; I was lucky enough to play the Final 4 in Barcelona in 2016. Now we’re back, with the ambition of trying, why not, to play a final in Amstelveen.”

**

Santi Cortès: “April 13, 1998. Semi-finals against Uhlenhorst, we were at Can Salas, perfect organisation and an extraordinary atmosphere, we couldn’t go wrong with our fans!

“’It was time’ to beat the Germans and play the final the next day against Amsterdam. The club deserved that second European Cup and those players left their mark on the champions.

“How great! Now history repeats itself with a new match against Uhlenhorst!”

Sam Cortès (Santi’s son): “With the EHL, we have an exciting challenge. We compete against three of the most powerful teams in Europe and we face it with all the desire and enthusiasm in the world.

“We face Uhlenhorst in the semi-finals, a historically difficult rival, but we are ready to play a good game and be able to aspire to the title.”

**

Joan Malgosa: “After many years, being able to see an Atlético-Uhlenhorst match in the European Cup again, and knowing that one of my children will be on the pitch, makes me very excited. Too bad we won’t be able to be in the stands. The memories are unforgetable and I will am proud, after all, that we competed and were the second team in Europe for a good time. We have to admit that for nine years they were better.”

Jan Malgosa (son of Joan): “I’ve heard a lot of stories of defeats against Uhlenhorst. Of my grandfather, my aunts and my father, who lived them on the field in the first person as a player and then as a coach. The club’s record at European level could have been more extensive had it not been for Carsten Fischer and company, which is why I am proud to have the opportunity to play in these semi-finals. father and his teammates when he is in the field.”

Euro Hockey League media release

Euro Hockey League women finally gets its introduction


EHL women finally kicks off in Amsterdam PIC: EHL/Worldsportpics

This weekend will feature the long-anticipated introduction of EHL Women for the first time.

The Euro Hockey League was praised back in late 2018 for taking club hockey “to the next level” following the news that the 2019/20 season would see the introduction of EHL Women.

The pandemic twice pushed the new format back but the women’s event will join the men’s European showpiece for the first time in Amsterdam after two standalone tournaments.

The historic first match features Spanish champions Club de Campo against Germany’s 2018 and 2019 winners Der Club an der Alster.

Following that, a Dutch classico matches up its two biggest rivals – AH&BC Amsterdam and Den Bosch.

Here, EHL previews the two encounters

Club de Campo de Madrid (Spain) v Der Club an der Alster (Germany), 11.30am (CET)

The first ever EHL Women’s contest is also a first ever meeting between these two clubs outdoors but there will be plenty of knowledge of each other due to the high volume of international talent between the two squads.

Campo feature 10 of the latest Spanish women’s squad named in March with the Barrios twins Laura and Sara joining experienced heads like Bea Perez, Maria Ruiz, Begoña Garcia, Alicia Magaz and Maria Lopez.

The side is captained by Rocio Gutierrez, now 35, who signed off iher nternational career outdoors with a World Cup bronze in 2018. She says she feels “fitter than when she was 20” but she is keeping cards close to her chest about whether this will be her last season, saying: “If this is the first and last EHL for me, I don’t know!”

They are coached by Edu Aguilar who was at the helm when the side won bronze in the old EuroHockey Club Cup in 2015 and 2018. He is hoping it will be third time lucky and he has plenty of EHL pedigree. His last game as a player for Campo was in the 2011 EHL GRAND FINAL for Campo, losing 1-0 to HGC.

Campo come into the contest with an unbeaten league record, winning 52 out of 54 points on offer in the Iberdrola League.

For Alster, their only outdoor EuroHockey Club Cup appearance ended in a bronze medal, brilliantly coming back from 1-0 down to defeat Den Bosch in the third/fourth place playoff in the 2019 competition.

The Hamburg club had a tough pre-Christmas run in the Bundesliga but they have been superb in their three games in 2021, beating Rot-Weiss Köln 4-2, Harvestehuder THC 2-0 and Rüsselheimer HC 5-0, all away from home.

While they still third in their section of the league, it has reignited their hopes of making it three successive German titles having made the breakthrough in 2017/18 and backed that up in 2018/19.

Anne Schröder is a guiding force in midfield while top scorer Hannah Gablac knows the route to goal. Carlotta Sippel is their rising star, the 19-year-old drag-flicker giving them penalty corner power. There is a Scottish flavour too with goalkeeper Amy Gibson and new arrival from Edinburgh University Laura Swanson in the line-up.

Alster coach Jens George has an idea of what to expect, saying: “They are technically very good, internationally experienced and strong in their duels. Above all, their switching play is dangerous. There is no such thing as easy in a European semi-final! Two years ago we made the mistake of thinking we were in the final already when we took on the Spanish representative [Real Sociedad] at the time. We will definitely not make the same mistake again! “

AH&BC Amsterdam v HC ’s-Hertogenbosch

The Dutch classico, between them, these two clubs combined to win 30 EuroHockey Club Cups wince the competition was introduced in 1974 with host club AH&BC Amsterdam landing 14 of them and Den Bosch holding a record 16.

Amsterdam are slightly behind on that front but they did cut that gap back in 2019 when they edged out Den Bosch in the semi-final 1-0 before winning the cup title with a 7-0 success over Real Sociedad with Marijn Veen scoring a hat trick. Since then, the likes of Charlotte Vega and Kitty van Male have retired while Kelly Jonker moved on to Pinoké.

It has opened the door for some rising stars like joint top scorer Michelle Fillet, Joy Haarman, Noor de Baat and Floor de Haan to play a greater role. 2018 and 2019 FIH Player of the Year Eva de Goede runs the midfield while Maria Verschoor, Lauren Stam, Ilse Kappelle and Anne Veenendaal bring quality to each line. Up front, Freeke Moes has enjoyed a brilliant first season at the club since joining from Oranje-Rood.

Coach Robert Tigges is another with EHL know-how, playing in the competition 33 times in stints with HC Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

They currently sit top of the Hoofdklasse, three points ahead of Den Bosch but with a game extra played in the competition. Their January meeting saw Amsterdam win 1-0 with Noor de Baat’s fortuitous goal the difference.

For the Brabant club, they will be without Margot van Geffen due to a broken arm sustained during the big freeze in the Netherlands. Nonetheless, they have so much international talent in their line-up with a fearsome forward line including Frédérique Matla and and Lidewij Welten with speed and direct running the order of the day.

Laura Nunnink is another brilliant addition since moving from Oranje-Rood while Ireen van den Assem has a dangerous corner option in addition to her defensive work.

The tournament will mark the last European competition – for the time-being anyway – for coach Raoul Ehren who will take on the Belgian women’s job full-time after this season. He has been at the helm for the last 12 years, winning 13 Hoofdklasse crowns and 11 Euro Club Cups. He will be replaced by Marieke Dijkstra.

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The Hockey Paper

UniKL set for historic sweep

By Jugjet Singh


Terengganu Hockey Team’s Faizal Saari (right), the top scorer with 14 goals in the Malaysia Hockey League, will be the main threat to UniKL in their TNB Cup final match today. - BERNAMA pic

Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) get the chance of a lifetime to sweep all titles at stake in the men's and women's Malaysia Hockey League today.

UniKL men, who have won the Charity Shield and League titles, will play Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) for the TNB Cup.

UniKL Ladies, who have won the League, will play Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UniTen-PKS) for the Vivian May Soars Cup.

But both the UniKL teams will not only be facing experienced and determined opponents, they will also have to contend with wily coaches K. Rajan and Lailin Abu Hassan.

Rajan holds the rare distinction of having won MHL titles, both as player and coach as well.

The former National Juniors coach won the MHL Overall title in 1987 as a player with Tenaga Nasional before becoming the club's coach four years later.

As a coach, he powered the utility giant to their first MHL double in the 1991-92 season and went on to win a string of League and Overall titles for his employer before quitting in 2018 and becoming the National Juniors coach.

UniKL know that they are up against a master tactician with a powerful striker and penalty corner flicker Faizal Saari to deal with.

Faizal is the League's top scorer with 14 goals, and could be the tie-breaker in the final as well.

For UniKL, their ace is national No 1 penalty corner flicker Razie Rahim who has delivered eight goals so far.

As for Lailin, the Olympian has a knack for bringing out the best in his ladies, and he proved it by turning the tide against favourites HockAdemy to snatch the Vivian May Soars Cup from their grip last year.

And this season, he pulled off a great escape against Police Blue Warriors by capitalising on the away goals rule.

Playing away, UniTen were 3-1 down in the semi-final first leg, but a strong rally saw them equalise at 3-3.

In the return leg, the match ended 1-1, and UniTen advanced to the final on three away goals advantage.

Lailin and his angels may have lost 3-0 to UniKL in the League, but the final might just be the other way round.

Today is the third straight season that sees UniKL and THT squaring off for the TNB Cup.

In 2019, THT lifted the Cup while UniKL prevailed last year. This time, it is too close to call.

TODAY

TNB Cup final: Universiti Kuala Lumpur v Terengganu Hockey Team (8.30pm, Pitch 1)

Third-fourth: Maybank v Tenaga Nasional (8.30pm, Pitch II)

Vivian May Soars Cup final: Universiti Kuala Lumpur Ladies v Universiti Tenaga Nasional (6.30pm, Pitch I).

Third-fourth: Police Blue Warriors v Sabah (6.30pm, Pitch II).

New Straits Times

No. 13 Maryland field hockey shuts out No. 2 Iowa for 1-0 win

Shane Connuck


Maura Verleg fires a shot during Maryland field hockey’s 5-0 win over Indiana on March 19, 2021. (Julia Nikhinson/The Diamondback)

For No. 13 Maryland field hockey’s second penalty corner of the match in the third quarter, coach Missy Meharg shook up her squad’s attack a bit. While Bibi Donraadt still handled the insertion, she didn’t pass it to Maura Verleg.

Instead, it was Natalie Fiechter who crouched down and laid out her stick. The ball rolled toward her, and it hopped off her stick toward Verleg. And just as she did two weeks ago, the sophomore newcomer rifled a shot into the back of the cage to break the ice in the third quarter.

Along with a stellar performance by goalkeeper Noelle Frost, the goal was the only one the Terps needed to shut out No. 2 Iowa, 1-0, Friday evening.

After Maryland was blanked by Penn State earlier in the season and fell below .500, it knew it needed to turn things around. And Friday, it kept its four-match win streak intact, pulling off a shutout over the second-ranked team in the nation.

“I think Maryland looked fresher. I think Maryland looked faster,” Meharg said. “We thought that Iowa was slow collectively in counter defense.”

Getting off to a hot start has been critical to the Terps’ and Hawkeyes’ successes this season. But with two Big Ten field hockey powerhouses facing off on Grant Field Friday evening, Iowa couldn’t register a single shot against Maryland’s defense through that quarter. And the Terps were also held shotless against the Hawkeyes’ strong defensive corps, which had held opponents to just 31 shots entering Friday.

But Iowa’s offense heated up once the game clock was reset. Early in the second quarter, midfielder Ellie Holley drove down the pitch and took a shot against Maryland goalkeeper Noelle Frost. Off the miss, the Hawkeyes rebounded and tried again, but Frost was there to stop it.

About seven minutes into the second quarter, Iowa had already taken five shots, and the Terps had fired off one.

It took until there was four minutes left in the first half for a team to draw a penalty corner. And it was Maryland that did.

Bibi Donraadt inserted the ball to Maura Verleg, who set Riley Donnelly up for her unique drag flick shot. But she deliberately aimed her blast just to the right of Hawkeyes’ goalkeeper Grace McGuire, and Donraadt jumped out from the backline and tried a shot. McGuire took care of it.

Soon after, as Iowa began to attack, Holley launched an open shot toward the cage. Maryland goalkeeper Noelle Frost stretched out to her right and swatted the ball away with her stick.

“They framed the goal very well,” Frost said. “They made it really difficult for us to make sure we were in the correct spots.”

Just over six minutes into the third quarter, Iowa drew its first penalty corner. Senior Maddy Murphy headed to the backline for the insertion as Noelle Frost and the Terps’ defense readied. Holley’s eventual shot was deflected.

As the stalemate continued, Maryland earned its second corner of the evening — which preceded the match’s only goal.

“It’s a corner that we’ve only used one other time the whole season,” Meharg said. “It’s one of our specialties.”

And six minutes into the fourth quarter, Maryland drew another corner. Donraadt took care of the insertion and sent the pass to Verleg. Donnelly rocketed a shot toward McGuire that missed, and Fiechter couldn’t connect on another attempt when the ball was loose.

The Terps quickly broke away about two minutes later, when Mayv Clune took a shot from just outside the circle. Iowa knew it needed to get its offense going.

But it couldn’t.

Maryland forced several turnovers over the last few minutes as it tried to just keep the ball away from the Hawkeyes.

With about two minutes left, Iowa moved down the field. And the Terps’ stingy defense wouldn’t even let it into the circle.

So coach Lisa Celluci pulled Grace McGuire as an extra attacker joined the offense. And with around 30 seconds left, the Hawkeyes moved toward their cage.

But Maryland defender Riley Donnelly was there to turn the ball away, and secure the Terps’ 1-0 shutout of the No. 2 team in the nation.

“Riley Donnelly’s patience and maturity in the final quarter was outstanding,” Meharg said.

The Diamondback

No. 9 Penn State Field Hockey Squad Falls at No. 12 Rutgers

Nittany Lions drop tough road contest in Piscataway



NIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey team (4-4, 3-2 B1G) dropped a hard-fought contest at Rutgers (6-3, 4-2 B1G) in a Big Ten road game Friday in New Jersey. The Nittany Lions could not break through a stingy Scarlet Knight defense in a 3-0 loss in Piscataway.
 
In instances where teams are scheduled to play each other twice during this year's Big Ten season, only the first game between the two squads is considered for the Big Ten regular season standings. Given that, today's game counts in both the conference and overall standings.
 
The two teams traded early possessions with each team pushing the ball into the opposing circle early on.  The Scarlet Knights maintained possession midway through the period and picked up the game's first penalty corner at the 6:13 mark.  Penn State goalie Brie Barraco (Allentown, Pa.) made a good save on the initial shot off the corner but Rutgers' Clayre Smith knocked in a goal off the rebound to give the Scarlet Knights a 1-0 lead at the 6:06 mark.  Penn State worked to rally its offense after the goal with Emma Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) and Bree Bednarski (Wyoming, Pa.) controlling action in the RU circle.  But Rutgers defense was able to push back on the Lions and Penn State trailed by one after the opening period.
 
Penn State began the second period in control offensively.  The Nittany Lions spent the first minute pushing the ball into the Knight circle.  Rutgers briefly regained possession but Penn State answered on defense the teams traded barbs in the midfield.  Abby Myers (Hartland, Wis.), Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.) and the Lion forwards kept the pressure on Rutgers as the clock moved to the 11:00 mark but lost possession out of bounds, allowing the Knights to hit the ball down to the Nittany Lion side of the field. Penn State won the time of possession battle over the course of the second period but Rutgers had the period's best scoring chance, with Barraco knocking back a late RU pass at the :35 mark to set up a Penn State fast break.  Spisak and Wallis, however, countered offensively and moved the ball downfield to pick up the Lions' first penalty corner with just :05 on the clock. Rutgers was able to keep its shutout alive as Penn State did not score on the corner and the Nittany Lions trailed 1-0 at the half.
 
Rutgers had the only two shots of the first half, owning a 2-0 edge in shots over the first 30 minutes.  Neither Barraco nor Rutgers goalie Gianna Glatz had a save.  Each team had one penalty corner as well.
 
The Nittany Lions once controlled action early on in the third period but could not break through the final levels of Rutgers' defense.  The Scarlet Knights regained possession and worked the ball down into the Penn State circle at the 9:00 mark.  After a minute-plus of action, Rutgers took a 2-0 lead when Rachel Houston scored at the 7:29 mark.  Down by two, Penn State quickly tried to press the action into Rutgers territory but the Knights' defense continued to stymie the Lion efforts.  Penn State forced a penalty corner with 5:20 on the clock. Glatz knocked back an Anna Simon (Hanau, Germany) shot after the corner to keep Penn State off the scoreboard.  Penn State staved off a final Rutgers offensive push and trailed by two goals heading into the final period.
 
Rutgers was able to work away the first minutes of the fourth period, forcing Barraco and the Lion defense to push back an early Knight effort as the clock moved to the 11:00 mark.  Myers and freshman Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.) nearly connected shortly after that as a Lion Fastbreak moved the ball into Rutgers territory.  But the ball skipped past the Knight cage and Penn State continued to trail by two.  Penn State was able to force a penalty corner at the 6:59 mark but Glatz slapped back a hard Gladieux shot to keep her shutout intact. Another Lion corner at 2:15 led to a Glatz kick save on a Simon shot and the Scarlet Knights added a late goal from Milena Redlingshoefer to post a 3-0 victory.
 
Penn State outshot Rutgers 8-5, including a 7-2 advantage in the second half.  The Lions also had seven corners to only two for the Knights.  Glatz had five saves for RU while Barraco had three for the Nittany Lions.
 
"I thought that Rutgers played very well, the best we've seen," said Morett-Curtiss.  "They were good offensively and defensively, and while we didn't give them a lot of chances on offense, they capitalized.  This game is a reflection of how competitive the Big Ten is this year.  I think, after a slow start, we got our game going offensively in the second half but couldn't break through their defense."
 
Penn State is now 4-4 overall, 3-2 B1G.  Rutgers 6-3, 4-2 B1G.  The two teams will face each other again on Sunday at 12 p.m.

GAME BREAKDOWN
 
SCORING:                  1          2          3          4          FINAL
PENN STATE              0          0          0          0          0
Rutgers                       1          0          1          1          3
 
STATS:                                   PSU     RU
Shots                                       8          5
Corners                                   7          2
 
SCORING SUMMARY (goal/assist) – TIME
1st: RU – Clayre Smith (unassisted); 6:06
3rd: RU – Rachel Houston (Redlingshoefer); 7:29
4th: RU – Melina Redlingshoefer (Kerrie Burns, Katie Larmour); 0:00
 
GOALKEEPERS:                   MIN     GA       S
PSU:    Brie Barraco                60:00   3         
RU:      Gianna Glatz               60:00   0

Go PSU Sports

JMU Field Hockey Edges Drexel, 2-1



PHILADELPHIA - James Madison scored a second half goal to break a tie and defeated Drexel, 2-1, in a Colonial Athletic Association game at Buckley Field on Friday afternoon. The Dragons fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in league play, while the Dukes are now 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the CAA.

James Madison got on the board first late in the opening. Eveline Swager scored with just under four minutes to go. She was set up by both Rachel Yeager and Kara McClure. The Dukes controlled play for most of the quarter and held the Dragons without a shot for the first 15 minutes.
 
It appeared the game would go to intermission with the Dukes in the lead, but the Dragons had other intentions. Despite the Dukes getting the seven of the first eight shots in the game, Drexel found more offense later in the second quarter and answered with a goal to send the game to intermission even at 1-1. Freshman standout Eline Di Leva once again found the back of the net. The rookie broke in alone down the right side. She fired a shot past the JMU goalie's left pad to tie it up. It was her fifth goal in six games during 2021.
 
Late in the third quarter, JMU was able to break the tie. The Dukes' Lauren Satchell fired home a rebound past Drexel's Megan Hadfield to make it a 2-1 game. That proved to be the final goal of the contest. The fourth period turned into a defensive struggle as each team was only able to get one shot off. JMU and Drexel each had two penalty corners, but both defenses held their opponent off the scoreboard.
 
Hadfield picked up five saves in goal for DU. JMU's Brandely Heinbaugh stopped one of the two shots she faced. Overall, JMU outshot Drexel, 11-3. The Dukes had seven corners, while Drexel had just its two it earned in the final 15 minutes.
 
Drexel will face Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y, on Wednesday in a CAA contest. The Dragons will return home next Friday for Senior Day at Buckley Field.           

Drexel Dragons

Field Hockey Travels to Philadelphia for Two Games Against Villanova



STORRS, Conn. – The No. 7 University of Connecticut field hockey team will travel to Philadelphia this weekend to square-off against BIG EAST rival Villanova on Saturday and Sunday.  Both games are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.

The Huskies enter the weekend with a 7-1 overall record and a 6-1 mark in BIG EAST play following a two-game sweep of Quinnipiac last weekend.  In fact, the Huskies have not allowed a goal since March 14 and are outscoring the opposition 21-0 over that three-game span.

Sophomore star Sophie Hamilton leads the Huskies with 11 goals, nine assists and 31 points and is the reigning BIG EAST offensive player of the week following a pair of standout performances this past weekend.

Freshman Claire van den Noort, who was honored as the league's freshman of the week for the second time on Tuesday, is fourth on the team with five goals.  Four of those scores came last Friday during the win over Quinnipiac.

The Wildcats enter the weekend with a 4-6 overall record and a 3-5 mark in league action.  Villanova is led by Meghan Mitchell, who has tallied eight goals and two assists for 18 points.

UConn Huskies