News for 14 January 2019
All the news for Monday 14 January 2019
2019 Test Matches: CHI v IRL (W) - 2nd Test
Santiago, (CHI)
CHI v IRL 2 - 2
FIH Match Centre
Green Army 2-2 Chile
The Irish Women have drawn their second Test against Chile
It was the hosts that started the brighter as they held possession, passing around the back, and looking to exploit any midfield gaps in the Green Army line. Emma Buckley made the first save of the game when Manuela Urroz charged along the baseline and sent a reverse shot goal-ward from close range. Ireland settled quickly though and the possession stats evened out; the chance of the quarter in fact belonged to the women in green as Deirdre Duke and Emily Beatty teamed up to hound the Chilean backline as the latter poached the ball in the circle but her reverse shot drew a good save from Valentina Cerda. Ali Meeke was in imperious form as she appeared in her own circle to sweep up a Chilean attack before showcasing her trademark skills up and down the right wing. The pendulum had swung in favour of the Green Army as they pressed higher and put their opponents under pressure, but it was a brief error that saw the score board come to life. Lena Tice received the ball deep in her own circle but mis-controlled for a moment and Francisca Tala pounced to push goal-bound from close range. 3 penalty corner’s in quick succession saw the hosts try to extend their lead but it was an Irish counter that offered the best goal chance as Nikki Evans picked up a crash ball and shot first time but Cerda made another fine save on the cusp of half time.
The Green Army looked the stronger of the two sides as the game went on with some of the younger members of the squad putting in notable performances. The Chilean defence struggled to contain Sarah Torrans in particular and she created the 40thminute equaliser. Torrans picked up a loose pass and found Ruth Maguire to the right of the circle whose shot was deflected past Cerda by Sarah Hawkshaw; the trio having just over 20 caps between them. Torrans very nearly had a goal of her own moments later as she again pick-pocketed the defence but her shot fizzed just wide of the post. Duke and Evans were next to test Cerda as the former broke from the half way line to slip the ball to the latter whose reverse strike was well saved. A bit of poetic justice perhaps as Tice’s earlier misfortune was cancelled out as she slotted home a penalty stroke to give her side the lead following Duke’s shot being stopped on the line by a defenders body. In truth the scoreline could have been higher as Evans saw a reverse strike fly just past the far post and Duke lost control in front of goal before getting her shot away in the final quarter. Chile got their equaliser courtesy of Denise Krimerman’s penalty corner sweep that appeared to take a deflection over Buckley in the 59thminute. A penalty corner in the final second for the Green Army couldn’t tip the scoreline as Zoe Wilson’s strike was saved and cleared.
4 Match Test Series, Santiago
Ireland 2 (Hawkshaw, Tice)
Chile 2 (Tala, Krimerman)
Starting: E Buckley, K Mullan (Captain), E Beatty, C Watkins, H Matthews, S Hawkshaw, Z Wilson, D Duke, A Meeke, B Barr, G Frazer
Subs: E Murphy, Y O’Byrne, S Barr, N Evans, E Tice, R Maguire, S Torrans
Schedule (all times listed are local):
12/1/19 8pm Ireland 0 - 0 Chile
Prince of Wales Country Club
13/1/19 8pm Ireland 2 - 2 Chile
Prince of Wales Country Club
15/1/19 6:30pm Ireland vs Chile
Club Deportivo Manquehue
16/1/19 6:30pm Ireland vs Chile
Club Deportivo Manquehue
Irish Hockey Association media release
Ireland denied victory by late Chilean sucker-punch
Photo: Oscar Munoz Badilla
Ireland were denied victory 90 seconds from time as Denise Krimerman’s deflected corner goal saw hosts Chile nick a 2-2 draw at the Prince of Wales club on Sunday evening.
A strong second half performance looked well set to deliver victory for the Irish side as they came back from a half-time deficit to lead, picking off a number of interceptions and turning them into goals for Sarah Hawkshaw and Lena Tice.
But the late sucker-punch meant it is now two draws from two at the halfway stage of this four-game series in Santiago.
Chile shaded the first period, holding more of the ball and winning the first corner before the Green Army grew into the game, securing a corner in the 13th minute which was well saved.
The Diablas went in front in the 24th minute, though, when Lena Tice miscontrolled a ball around the back and Francisca Tala shot first time from a few yards out past Emma Buckley.
Three more corners for Chile went incomplete before half-time. The second half saw a sea-change with the greater attacking intent showing immediately with Emily Beatty bursting down the right wing.
Her pull-back bounced into Ruth Maguire’s path but she missed out on the volley. The equaliser did come soon with Sarah Torrans intercepting on the 23-metre line and her reverse pass to Maguire opened up the door; she pushed into Hawkshaw’s path to touch in her first international goal in her second cap.
Torrans was proving a handful while Nikki Evans forced a save from Valentina Cerda in a strong close to the third quarter. Ireland went in front with six minutes to go when Serena Barr got in front of her player to rob possession and pick out Deridre Duke in the circle. Her flick at goal hit a body and Tice stepped forward to convert the stroke.
Evans, Duke and Barr all went close to nabbing a winning third but Chile summoned up some late corners, one of which hit the post and then the back of Hannah Matthews’ foot to somehow stay out.
But Krimerman found the net from the next play for 2-2. Ireland had two corners in the last 75 seconds but Chile held on for the draw.
Ireland play again on Tuesday and Wednesday to close out their warm-weather training camp.
Women’s international test match
Chile 2 (F Tala, D Krimerman)
Ireland 2 (S Hawkshaw, L Tice)
Ireland: E Buckley, K Mullan, E Beatty, C Watkins, H Matthews, S Hawkshaw, Z Wilson, D Duke, A Meeke, B Barr, G Frazer
Subs: Y O’Byrne, S Barr, N Evans, R Maguire, S Torrans, L Tice
Chile: V Cerda, F Villagran, D Krimerman, F Flores, C Garcia, M Urroz, C Caram, C Palma, F Parra, J Salas, D Ananias Cancino
Subs: S Filipek, F Tala, M Lagos, J Villalbeitia, P Valdivia, J Roman
The Hook
SPAR South Africa seal historic series victory
For the first time in South African indoor hockey history, a South African side has won a series against a top 10 nation. Not only did the SPAR South African ladies do the aforementioned, but they did it in style winning the five-match series 3-1 away from home. For coach Lennie Botha it was a feather in the cap to the hard work he has done in creating a brand of indoor hockey that the country could be proud of. To the entire SPAR South Africa Women’s Indoor Hockey team, your country is proud.
South Africa led the series 2-0 at the half way stage and managed to secure the historic series win in the fourth test with arguably their best display of the series so far. A very physical first half saw a rotated Swiss side through what they could at the South Africans, but their resolute character shone through and they started to dictate the pace of the game. They got the only goal of the first half when Tegan Fourie netted to make it 1-0. It was Fourie’s 17th International goal in only her 18th cap for South Africa.
Lilian du Plessis is no stranger to South African Hockey or goal scoring having netted numerous times in her 119 outdoor caps, but here she was playing in only her 9th Indoor cap for SA and made the score 2-0 with another field goal. Amy Greaves then made it three playing in her 46th indoor hockey game for South Africa. The nature of the goals flying in from quick team play is something that Botha and his video analyst Bright Mashaba would have been delighted about. South Africa added a fourth through their skipper Cindy Hack and although they let in a late consolation goal to Sofie Stomps, the African side knew they had historically won the series and extended their test unbeaten run to 29 matches.
It is always challenging to get yourself up for another game a few hours after the emotional victory in the morning game and Switzerland produced their best display against the tired South Africans in the final test. The Swiss had been fantastic hosts and gave their home crowd some joy in the final game.
Janice Thoma and Alexandra Walti gave them a 2-goal lead before Kelly Reed pulled one back for South Africa. Sofie Stomps, the top scorer for the Swiss throughout the tournament got 2 more as the hosts finally got the win they were looking for and ending South Africa’s long unbeaten run in test matches.
The result meant that the South African side, ranked 16th in the world, were series winners against the hosts ranked 7th.
South Africa travelled to Prague today where they will play the Czech Republic, ranked 5th in the world, in 2 test matches before returning home. Regardless of the result in those matches, they will return home as heroes.
SA Hockey Association media release
EuroHockey Indoor Junior Championship (M) 2019 - Day 3
Vienna, Austria
Results 13 January
BLR v RUS (Pool C) 2 - 7 (0 - 2)
TUR v CRO (Pool C) 9 - 3 (3 - 2)
ITA v SUI (3rd/4th Place) 1 - 2 (0 - 1)
AUT v POL (Final)
Final placings
Team Standing
Austria 1
Poland 2
Switzerland 3
Italy 4
Turkey 5
Russia 6
Belarus 7
Croatia 8
EuroHockey Indoor Junior Championship II (M) 2019 - Day 3
Paredes, Portugal
Results 13 January
UKR v SVK (Pool A) 3 - 7 (0 - 4)
CZE v DEN (Pool A) 8 - 1 (4 - 0)
POR v SWE (Pool A) 2 - 4 (1 - 3)
SVK v WAL (Pool A) 4 - 3 (2 - 1)
DEN v UKR (Pool A) 3 - 3 (1 - 1)
CZE v SWE (Pool A) 4 - 2 (3 - 2)
POR v WAL (Pool A) 5 - 2 (2 - 1)
Final placings
Team Standing
Czech Republic 1
Slovakia 2
Portugal 3
Sweden 4
Ukraine 5
Denmark 6
Wales 7
FIH Match Centre
Kathleen Sharkey: "Fans Cheering Us at Home Gives Us a Lot of Energy"
Question: Your thoughts on #FIHProLeague format?
Kathleen Sharkey: I think it is going to be really interesting. I think it is really exciting that we get to travel to all these countries and then they will also come to the U.S. to play us at home. I think it will be great for all the teams to play sixteen international matches over the course of six months.
Q: How much of a difference do your home fans make?
KS: I think they make a huge difference. Having them in the stands, cheering us on and creating a lot of noise for the home team, gives us a lot of energy.
Q: What do you like the most about the men’s league?
KS: I think that their speed and power on and off the ball is so impressive and it just makes the speed of the game so fast and really fun to watch.
Q: What does equality in hockey mean to you?
KS: I think equality in hockey is super important. I think that we play a sport where the equipment and rules are same for both men and women. So, I think that equal opportunity should be given to both genders.
Q: Which is the best team according to you?
KS: I think that over the years, as an opponent of ours, it’s just interesting to play against the Dutch. It’s really impressive the depth they are able to bring in year after year regardless of the number of retirements they have and something that we are trying to build-on in the U.S. is to establish the same level of depth.
#FIHProLeague
Content Courtesy of the FIH
USFHA media release
Hockey Ireland chief stays tight-lipped over status of men’s coach
No confirmation if interim coach Cox will remain in role as road to Olympics nears
Stephen Findlater
Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels with coach Alexander Cox. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels remains tight-lipped for the time being about the status of the senior men’s coach as the side looks forward to the Olympic qualifying process this year.
Dutchman Alexander Cox took on the role on an interim basis last summer ahead of December’s World Cup, combining it with his job with leading club side SV Kampong.
Pels says the national body are currently in “the process of evaluating the World Cup campaign and the future programme” with no confirmation of whether Cox would or would not be in situ.
The World Cup campaign felt like a missed opportunity as Ireland pushed the world number ones Australia all the way but came unstuck in a 1-1 draw against China that, in the end, put paid to their knockout stage hopes.
For Tokyo 2020, Ireland’s qualification route sees them travel to Le Touquet, France, in June for the Hockey Series Finals where they will require a top-two place to be guaranteed a head-to-head qualifier series in the autumn.
Add in August’s European Championships and it is a hectic year for the side.
Captain David Harte is already back in action for the new year as he links up with the University of Kuala Lumpur for the professional Malaysian Hockey League during the Dutch league’s winter break.
He played in their 2-1 win over THT in their opening game alongside two Dutchmen and a couple of Australians for the competition which runs during the European winter break.
Incredible goalscoring
On home turf, Railway Union moved into a share of Leinster Division One’s lead with UCD with a 3-0 win over Portrane despite a series of absentees. Rob Devlin, Adam O’Callaghan and Michael McKenzie got the goals.
In Munster, Julian Dale’s incredible goalscoring run continued with a hat-trick moving Harlequins top of Munster Division One in a 5-2 triumph over Catholic Institute.
Dale had played until October in Belgium before returning to Cork for the winter break. He had planned to return to Brussels for the second phase of the campaign but that has been blocked by a local rule that does not allow for players to line out at regional level in other countries during the break.
The rule is not in place in Germany and the Netherlands and has seen women’s internationals Katie Mullan and Megan Frazer play in Ulster competitions recently.
Indeed, two Belgian indoor internationals have also been barred from their national competition for playing in an exhibition match in South Africa, showing the strictness of the rule.
For Dale, it means he will remain in Ireland for the rest of the season and his 18 goals already look like securing an EYHL2 spot for Harlequins.
The Irish Times
Tenaga go on rampage
By Jugjet Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional hammered NurInsafi 10-0 on Sunday to top the Malaysia Hockey League Premier Division standings.
There was so much of disparity between both teams, as Tenaga went on a 35 minute rampage to score seven and then take it easy in the other two quarters.
Firhan Ashaari opened the floodgates in the 10th minute and the other goals were scored by Norshafiq Sumantri (15th), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (18th), Shello Silverius (19th), Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi (25th), Azrai Aizad Kamal (27th), Akhimullah Anuar Esook (30th, 57th), Ramadan Rosli (47th), Noor Firdaus Rosdi (48th).
Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) also had a super run as they thrashed TNB Thunderbolts 4-0 with goals from Faizal Saari (18th), Jang Jong Hyun (24th), Fitri Saari (48th), Rashid Baharom (60th).
In another match, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) struggled in the 2-1 win over Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Sukri Mutalib (40th) and Martijn Peter Havenga (46th) scored for UniKL, while Azwar Rahman (59th) replied for UiTM.
"NurInsafi held on for 10 minutes, but once my players scoring act started, they had no answer to our game today (yesterday). If we continue playing like this, I believe we have a good chance of landing another title this season," said Tenaga coach Nur Saiful Zaini.
Tenaga were so comfortable that they even removed their goalkeeper S. Kumar and played with a kicking back in the last 10 minutes of the match.
Tenaga play UniKL on Friday, and even though the goal count will likely be less, they are expected to collect full points.
In the Alagendra Cup quarter-finals, Tenaga won 3-0 against a weak UniKL, who were without their foreign signings.
RESULTS: Men -- Tenaga Nasional 10 NurInsafi 0, UniKL 2 UiTM 1, Terengganu HT 4 TNB Thunderbolts 0.
MONDAY: Women -- Terengganu Ladies v PSHA-MSSP (Batu Buruk, 5pm), PKS-UniTen v Liaoning HC (Natiolal Stadium Pitch 1, 5pm), Tengku Mahkota Ismail v Blue Warriors (SSTMI, 5pm).
MEN'S STANDINGS
P W D L F A Pts
TENAGA 2 2 0 0 14 1 6
THT 2 1 1 0 6 2 4
UNIKL 2 1 1 0 4 3 4
MAYBANK 1 1 0 0 5 1 3
TNB 1 0 0 1 0 4 0
UiTM 2 0 0 2 2 6 0
NURINSAFI 1 0 0 1 1 5 0
New Straits Times
Fully-charged Tenaga overpower Nur Insafi to go top
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional, powered by 10 national players, went on a goal spree to hammer hapless Nur Insafi 10-0 to top the Premier Division standings in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
It was Tenaga’s second straight win as they defeated Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) 4-1 last week.
For Nur Insafi, it was their second defeat as they were outplayed 1-5 by Maybank last week.
Tenaga, who won the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup on Jan 6, started off aggressively by netting seven goals in the first two quarters.
Eighteen-year-old Muhd Akhimullah Anuar Esook was the toast after netting a brace in the 30th and 57th minutes.
Tenaga’s other goals came via Muhd Firhan Ashaari (10th), Norshafiq Sumantri (15th), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abd Jalil (18th), Shello Silverius (19th), Nik Muhammad Aiman Nik Rozemi (25th), Muhammad Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal (27th), Mohd Ramadan Rosli (47th) and Mohd Noor Firdaus Rosdi (48th).
Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini was delighted with the big win.
“I’m happy with the players’ performance as we took our chances well to score a double digit win,” said Nor Saiful.
“If we continue playing like this, we can win another title,” said Nor Saiful.
Terengganu registered their first win by outplaying TNB-Thunderbolt 4-0 at the Batu Buruk Hockey Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.
Faizal Saari gave Terengganu the lead in the 18th minute before South Korean Jang Jong-hyun doubled the score in the 24th minute.
Skipper Mohd Fitri Saari made it 3-0 in the 48th minute before Mohd Rashid Baharom completed the rout in the 60th.
Last year’s overall champions Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) also chalked up their first win by edging Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) 2-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Mohd Sukri Abdul Mutalib gave UniKL the lead in the 40th minute before Holland’s Martijn Havenga made it two six minutes later.
Mohd Azwar Andul Rahman narrowed the deficit for UiTM in the 59th minute.
The Star of Malaysia
Akhimullah admits he has missed more chances than scored
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional forward Muhd Akhimullah Anuar Esook is far from content after scoring two goals in three matches in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The Kemaman-born Akhimullah was the hero for Tenaga, netting the winning goal against Terengganu to give his team a 2-1 win in the final to lift their first Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup on Jan 6.
And on Friday, he was on target again to steer Tenaga to a convincing 4-1 win over Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in the Premier Division.
Akhimullah, 18, who is doing his pre-university at the Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) in Bandar Penawar, said that he is not pleased with his strike rate.
“I missed more chances in three matches than I scored. My finishing is not good and I need to be sharper in the semi-circle.
“I also need to improve my skills to beat defenders and score goals,” said Akhimullah, who made his debut in the MHL last year.
“Last year I scored six goals for Tenaga but this time I want to be consistent in netting goals.
“I want to play well to become a national striker. I’m using the league to impress the national selectors to get a call-up for national training,” said Akhimullah, who has proven himself at the junior level by scoring a whopping 22 goals to help Malaysia win their first Youth Olympic Games gold medal in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October.
Akhimullah said he hopes to play much better in the next match against Nur Insafi at National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil today.
“We need to consistently win matches with the hope of finishing better than the third placing in the league and the overall cup last year.
“Teams like Terengganu, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Maybank have foreign players and they’ll pose a threat to us in the league and the overall cup,” said Akhimullah.
Nur Insafi are bottom of the seven-team standings after they were thrashed 5-1 by Maybank on Friday.
The Star of Malaysia
Nuraini scores hattrick for Uniten
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: National defender Nuraini Abdul Rashid is on fire in the National Women's Hockey League.
The 29-year-old Temerloh born player, who won the top scorer award twice in the league, has converted four penalty corner goals for PKS-Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) in the first two matches.
She scored a hattrick to steer Uniten to thrash Penang Sport Hockey Association (PSHA)-MSSPP 8-0 in the first match last week.
Last year's league champions Uniten powered by eight national players edged defending overall champions Police Blue Warriors 1-0, with Nuraini netting the solitary goal on Saturday (Jan 13).
Nuraini, who has been featuring in the women's league since its inception in 2015, wants to help Uniten win both the league and overall titles.
"It is tough to achieve the double, but not impossible as we have reliable players who can beat any team in the league.
"We had a good start in the league, but we need to keep improving our game as the league progresses," said Nuraini, who won her first top scorer award in 2017 by netting a whopping 21 goals for Terengganu Ladies team.
Last year, she joined PKS-Uniten and was top scorer in the league with Hanis Nadiah Onn of PKS-Uniten and Tuan Nur Hidayah Tuan Ismail of Terengganu. All three players scored 14 goals each.
PKS-Uniten top the standings with two wins and will face their first acid test against Liaoning Club of China, who are making their debut in the league.
The Chinese club outplayed KL Wipers 4-0 in the first match on Saturday.
Nuraini, who has represented Malaysia since 2007, said that they would face a real challenge from the Liaoning Club, which have produced a number of national players for the China national team.
The Star of Malaysia
One of the mainstays in the Indian defence
Surender says it was disappointing not to win a medal at hockey World Cup
K. Keerthivasan
Surender Kumar.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) managed to eke out a 2-1 win over Sports Authority of Gujarat to top (Pool F) the group in the National men’s B Division hockey championship at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Sunday, thanks to some solid work from the backline by its captain Surender Kumar.
“He is the backbone of our team, one who absorbs all the pressure. He keeps motivating all the players,” said FCI manager Mukesh Kaushik.
The 25-year-old from Haryana, who has 107 International caps, has been one of the mainstays in the Indian team defence for the past two years.
“‘It was disappointing [not to win a medal] at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar,” said Surender. “We win or lose as a team. A medal of any kind would have been great.”
He didn’t want to single out any player for the failure at the World Cup, but felt things would have been different had the forwardline played to its potential.
Bright spot
While India lost in the quarterfinals to The Netherlands in the World Cup, the sole bright spot was Surender bagging the Player-of-the-match award in the contest. “Where is joy in that? In the end, the team lost,” he said.
Playing along with his idols Birendra Lakra and Sardar Singh has helped him hone his skills. “It is to Lakra I go to for advice and suggestions regarding my game,” said Surender.
Sardar, according to the defender, taught him the importance of being positive, during the Hockey India League. “He always tells me to remain positive whatever the situation.”
Qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is an arduous task. “We have to plan and prepare. It is difficult. We need to focus,” said Surender.
But for the moment, his big assignment will be to help FCI get back to the A division of the Nationals.
The Hindu
Vinod nets thrice in Tamil Nadu’s big win
Rayer V Vinod slammed a hat-trick in Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu’s 5-2 victory against Hockey Puducherry in a Group G senior hockey championship B division match on Sunday.
Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Puducherry players in action. Ashwin Prasath
CHENNAI: Rayer V Vinod slammed a hat-trick in Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu’s 5-2 victory against Hockey Puducherry in a Group G senior hockey championship B division match on Sunday. Tamil Nadu have one leg in the quarterfinals following their third straight win. They face Himachal in their last group match on Tuesday.
At MRK: Bengal bt Delhi 2-1; Rajasthan bt Kerala 2-1; FCI bt Sports Authority of Gujarat-Hockey Academy 2-1; TN bt Puducherry 5-2. At ICF: CISF bt Assam 9-2; Coorg drew with SAI 1-1; Steel Plant Sports Board bt Madhya Bharat 5-0.SJCA, VMCA triumph
SJCA boys sealed a thrilling four-run victory against CCE in the U-10 section, while their U-12 team lost to VMCA in the New Year Trophy.
Brief scores: U-10: SJCA 126/9 in 25 ovs (Prajith 51) bt CCE 122/8 in 25 ovs. MoM: Prajith. U-12: SJCA 143/4 in 25 ovs (Priyan 43, Porus 34) lost to VMCA 144/1 in 16 ovs (Jay Shankar 66). MoM: Jay Shankar.
Agarsen beat Sindhi
JHA Agarsen College won the 16th Sindhi College Trophy defeating Sindhi College.
Brief scores: Sindhi College 105 in 28.5 ovs (M Vamsi 3/24) lost to JHA Agarsen College 107/3 in 22.5 ovs (A Rahul Kumar 84).
Chandra bags 6/4
DT Chandrasekar’s 6/4 paved the way for Fine Star CA to beat Thiruthani CC in a First Division match of the TNCA Thiruvallur DCA league.
Brief scores: I Division: Thiruthani CC 78 in 18.4 ovs (Chandrasekar 6/4, Sumra 4/48) lost to Fine Star CA 79/4 in 16.4 ovs. II Division: Classic CC 88 in 26.2 ovs (Prabhu 4/25, Sabaorish 3/12) lost to Pattabiram CA 89/7 in 22.5 ovs (Kapil 4/28). Thiruvallur CC 212/9 in 30 ovs (Varun 82, Rajesh 53; Kumara 4/32) bt Autolec ERC 140/9 in 29.1 ovs (Kumara 69; SL Raja Ganesh 3/44). IV Division: Frank Worell CC 124/9 in 30 ovs (Sathya 4/28) bt Jaya Education Group RC 58 in 20.3 ovs (Surya 5/21, Abhinav 4/28).
Surendar shines
D Surendar Doss’s 93 was the feature of Ranji CC’s 50-run win over Chatnath RC in a TNCA Fourth Division C Zone league match.
Brief scores: Ranji CC 279 in 49.5 ovs bt Chatnath RC 229 in 46.5 ovs; BPCL Club 204/9 in 50 ovs bt Bharathi SC 183 in 48 ovs; Prithvi CC 174 in 48.5 ovs lost to BSNL Chennai Telephones RC 175/8 in 47.3 ovs.
New Indian Express
QPCC I, Ventures on course for more indoor glory
by Nigel Simon
UWI's Joshua Olton shoots and scores against Notre Dame's goal-keeper Gregory Garraway during the UWI second annual Invitational Indoor Hoceky Tournament at UWI SPEC, St Augustine on Saturday. Kerlon Orr
Queen's Park Cricket Club (QPCC) I (men) and Ventures (women) stayed on course to win a third straight title on local soil when they advanced to yesterday's semifinals of their respective Men and Women Open Division of the second annual University of the West Indies (St Augustine Campus), at the UWI Sports and Physical Educational Centre, St Augustine.
In the final four, QPCC I, national champion and recent winner of the 16th annual Ventures Indoor Invitational, came up against Paragon while Police faced Guyana's Supernova.
Evan Pierre Farrell was influential in the three first-round wins for QPCC, producing four in his team's 11-1 crushing over Notre Dame, netted one in QPCC's narrow 6-5 victory against Supernova and another in the win over Malvern (4-0).
A new champion will be crowned in the men's competition after last year's winner, Defence Force failed to advance from its round-robin Pool B qualifiers. Paragon emerged the top team of the group with victories over Defence Force (4-2) and QPCC II (10-1) on Saturday, bouncing back from its opening loss against Police 5-2 on Friday.
In the women's Open, title-holders Paragon faced a tough semifinal encounter against national women’s Indoor champions and winners of their recently held event, Ventures while Shandy Carib Magnolias Pink battled UWI. The tournament was expected to conclude last night.
Saturday
Men’s Open Division:
Pool A:
QPCC I 6 (Evan Pierre Farrell 2nd, Aidan De Gannes 13th, 15th, Jerazeno Bell 24th, 26th, Shawn Lee Quay 30th) vs Supernova 5 (Jamarj Assanah 5th, Kareem Mc Kenzie 10th, 30th, Omar Hopkinson 21st, Warren Williams 28th)
UWI 6 (Joshua Olton 3rd, 19th, Jordan Reynos 5th, 19th, Daniel Byer 15th, 28th) vs Notre Dame 2 (Nicholas Whiteman 12th, 27th)
Supernova 3 (Jamarj Assanah 15th, Shakeem Fausette 29th, Kareem Mc Kenzie30th) vs Malvern 2 (Michael Stewart 20th, Kristien Emmanuel 25th)
QPCC I 11 (Evan Pierre Farrell 2nd, 4th, 15th, 24th, Robert France 7th, 24th, Dominic Young 15th, 22nd, 23rd, Mark Ayen 19th, Shawn Lee Quay21st) vs Notre Dame 1 (Joel Le Gendre 29th)
UWI 6 (Jordan Reynos 4th, 13th, Joshua Olton 12th, 23rd, 25th, 28th) vs Malvern 4 (Kristien Emmanuel 11th, 29th, Aidan Marcano 21st, 23rd)
Pool B:
Fatima 4 (Roshane Hamilton 7th, 12th, 28th, Ghardel Elcock 15th) vs QPCC II 2 (Ethan Reynos 4th, Shane Samuels 1Fatima 4 (Roshane Hamilton 7th, 12th, 28th, Ghardel Elcock 15th) vs QPCC II 2 (Ethan Reynos 4th, Shane Samuels 14th)
Paragon 4 (Christian John 13th, Kelon Skerritt 17th, Kiel Murray 30th, Akim Toussaint 30th) vs Defence Force 2 (Mickel Pierre 9th, Javon Woodward 18th)
Police 5 (Ryan Ramberan 14th, Wayne Legerton 18th, 19th, 30th, Michael O’Connor 26th) vs Fatima 2 (CheModeste 9th, Ghardel Elcock16th)
Paragon 10 (Christian John 7th, 19th, 20th, 24th, Jabari Perez 11th, 18th, Kelon Skerritt 13th, 29th, Joel Daniel 16th, 16th) vs QPCC II 1 (Mahinder Mali 14th)
Police 9 (Triston Grant 6th, 19th, Wayne Legerton 10th, 22nd, 29th, 30th, Solomon Eccles 12th, 18th, Ryan Ramberan 24th) vs QPCC II 1 (Mahinder Mali 14th)
Defence Force 4 (Shane Legerton 11th, Mickel Pierre 15th, Marcus James 20th, Javon Woodward 25th) vs Fatima 2 (Ghardel Elcock 24th, Che Modeste 28th)
Women:
UWI 3 (Gabrielle Thompson 7th, 20th, Daniella Martin 22nd) vs Paragon 2 (Felicia King 16th, 24th)
Ventures 5 (Arielle Williams 5th, 6th, 21st, Yesenia Luces 22nd, 25th) vs Magstastic 3 (Michelle Leotaud 2nd, 18th, Rebekah Ngui 27th)
Notre Dame 3 (Teresa Lezama 13th, Tonya-Marie James 19th, Romichelle Brumell 22nd) vs Police 0
Pink 5 (Shaniah De Freitas 1st, 12th, Kaitlyn Olton 17th, Samantha Olton 21st, Saarah Olton 28th) vs Magstastic 0
Ventures 5 (Arielle Williams 5th, 26th, Lindsay Williams 13th, Ayanna Mc Lean 20th , Yesenia Luces 28th) vs Paragon 3 (Felicia King 4th, Kristin Thompson 16th, 24th)
UWI 1 (Krizia Layne 22nd) vs Police 0
Pink 11 (Shaniah De Freitas 1st, 26th, 29th, 30th, Amie Olton 3rd, Savannah De Freitas 4th, 5th, Kaitlyn Olton 9th, 21st, Samantha Olton 18th, 28th) vs Notre Dame 0
Paragon 4 (Kristin Thompson 14th, Felicia King 17th, 26th, 27th) vs Magstastic 3 (Lauryn Pounder 4th, Elise Olton 27th, 30th)
Ventures 5 (Amanda George 11th, 17th, Yesenia Luces 24th, 30th, Arielle Williams 25th) vs Police 0
Notre Dame 3 (Teresa Lezama 8th, 13th, 24th) vs UWI 3 (Gabrielle Thompson, 2nd, 14th, Krizia Layne 28th)
Pink 3 (Kaitlyn Olton 20th, Samantha Olton 22nd, Savannah De Freitas 30th) vs Paragon 1 (Kristin Thompson 4th)
Magstastic 3 (Michelle Leotaud 18th, Elise Olton 26th, 28th) vs Police 1 (Kwylan Eccles 2nd)
Pink 3 (Shaniah De Freitas 17th, Chelsea Day 26th, Amie Olton 29th) vs UWI 0
Ventures 6 (Lindsay Williams 17th, Arielle Williams 22nd, 29th, 30th, Jade Piper 26th, Yesenia Luces 28th) vs Notre Dame 2 (Romichelle Brumell 12th, 27th)
Friday
Women’s Open:
UWI 2 (Gabrielle Thompson 19th, 26th) vs Magstastic 1 (Mika Ella Tang 17th)
Paragon 1 (Kristin Thompson 20th) vs Notre Dame 0
Pink 7 (Savannah De Freitas 3rd, 18th, Shaniah De Freitas 8th, 12th, Samantha Olton 28th, 30th, Chelsea Day 21st ) vs Police 0
Men’s Open Division:
Pool A:
QPCC I 4 (Robert France 7th, Shawn Lee Quay 18th, Kadeem Fortune 26th, Evan Pierre Farrell 30th) vs Malvern 0
UWI 4 (Jordan Reynos 2nd, 21st, Daniel Byer 26th, Daniel Byer 26th) vs Supernova 4 (Omar Hopkinson 2nd, 20th, Shomere Garnett 24th, Warren Williams 24th)
Malvern 4 (Devante Stewart 13th, Kristien Emmanuel 16th, 17th, 21st) vs Notre Dame 3 (Joel Le Gendre 5th, 23rd, Nicholas Whiteman 29th)
Pool B:
Defence Force 3 (Shane Legerton 23rd, 28th, Mickel Pierre 30th) vs QPCC II 1 (Michael Durity 9th)
Police 5 (Ryan Ramberan 11th, Justin Beharry 14th, Kerwin Hume 19th, Wayne Legerton 21st, 27th) vs Paragon 2 (Kiel Murray 4th, Akim Toussaint 13th).
The Trinidad Guardian
All change at the top of Scottish Men’s Indoor National league 1
It is all change at the top of the men`s indoor National League 1, a hat-trick of victories pushed Grove Menzieshill to the top of the table by three points, Wildcats are second on goal difference from champions Inverleith who drop down to third ahead of Grange.
Grove Menzieshill emerged 7-1 winners over traditional rivals Inverleith in the game of the day, a result that pushed the Taysiders into pole position on goal difference. The game itself had its fractious moments from time to time, in fact there were almost as many cards as there were goals during the fray.
The first half was a fairly even affair, Jamie Golden`s penalty corner opener for the Dundonians was matched by a set piece equaliser from Patrick Christie. A turning point emerged in the final minute of the half, a Gavin Tomlinson shot seemed to have been stopped by the foot of the Inverleith keeper, but subsequently squirmed its way over the line for a 2-1 advantage.
The contest lapsed into indiscipline in 22 minutes when Inverleith were reduced to four players with Sean Stewart and Adam Czub in the sin bin, to be followed by Grove Menzieshill`s Cameron Golden.
Midway through the half the Taysiders added to their slender lead through Chris Wilson. Thereafter it was one-way traffic with further Grove Menzieshill goals through Tomlinson for his own second, Jamie Carnegie and a late double from Cameron Golden.
Grove Menzieshill were in ominous form in their opening match with a 10-2 victory over third placed Grange. The Taysiders strolled into a 6-0 lead just after the interval, Cameron Golden scored a hat-trick, there were two for Gavin Tomlinson while Paul Martin got the other. There followed a transient comeback from the Edinburgh side with strikes by Dan Coultas and Ali Irvine, but Grove Menzieshill retaliated with a further four, Golden got his fourth of the contest, Ross McPherson scored a brace while Tomlinson completed his own hat-trick with the final counter.
Grove Menzieshill completed their hat-trick of victories with a convincing 9-1 win over city rivals Dundee Wanderers in their final outing. Although Elliot Sandison opened for Wanderers in six minutes, that was the end of their threat.
By the interval Grove Menzieshill had advanced to 4-1 through Tomlinson, Ben Cromar, Albert Rowling and Camerson Golden. The procession of goals continued in the second half, Golden got his second of the game, brother Jamie got a couple while Martin and McPherson picked up one each.
Inverleith`s day was complete when they went down 6-3 to Wildcats in their second outing of the day. The champions led 3-1 at the interval, David Ogden converted twice from the spot while Alex Wilson got the other, Andrew McConnell replied for the Wildcats. Wildcats clawed their way back into the contest in the second half with five goals without reply, McConnell got another two for his hat-trick, while the other goals came from Fabien Goldie, Rob Harwood and Joe McConnell.
A last minute open play goal from James Nairn gave Grange a narrow 3-2 win over Western Wildcats, a result that effectively put paid to the latter`s aspirations to finish the league competition in pole position. But the Wildcats roared into a two goal lead by the interval, Adam McKenzie converted a penalty corner in only two minutes, then Fraser Moran doubled the tally just on half-time. Then the Wildcats went into second half hibernation, two goals from Callum Milne brought the scoreline level before Nairn`s late winner.
Dundee Wanderers` aspiration for a top four place took a turn for the worse when they were held to a 3-3 draw by Clydesdale, and that was only achieved with a last minute penalty corner strike from Elliot Sandison. Earlier in the contest the Dundonians went into a 2-0 lead through Sean Dowie and Bobby Ralph, but midway through the second half the Tiitwood-based side were 3-2 ahead with goals from Struan Walker, Chris McFadden and Gordon Amour. Although Clydesdale were the better side in the second half, they lost their cool in the closing minutes, Ciaran Crawford was sent to the sin bin, and they were subsequently punished with a belated Sandison equaliser.
Wanderers followed up with their second draw of the day, 4-4 against Kelburne. The first half produced no goals, but eight were evenly divided between the teams after the interval. Iain Scholefield, Chris Caldwell and two from Jonny Christie were on target for the Paisley side while Wanderers replied with doubles from Elliot Sandison and Sean Dowie. Wanderers can consider themselves unfortunate not to take full points, at an overtime penalty corner the shot looked goalbound only to be kept out by a spectacular goal-line save by Josh Cairns.
Earlier in the day Kelburne finally came to life with a 4-3 victory over Dunfermline Carnegie, their first points of the campaign but they still remain in bottom position. It was two each at the interval with a double from Kelburne`s Gary Maitles cancelled out by strikes from Andrew Doyle and Martin Daw. Doyle scored again in the second half for the Fifers but two goals from Jonny Christie on his first indoor appearance of the season secured the narrow win for Kelburne.
Clydesdale pushed themselves up two places to fifth spot with a 7-4 defeat of Dunfermline. The Glasgow side were 6-1 ahead at the interval, Ciaran Crawford and Struan Walker both scored twice while David Nairn and Dean Baber got the others, Mike Ross got the Fifers` consolation. The second half was a better affair for Dunfermline with Steven Glass and a couple of set piece conversions by Andrew Doyle reducing the deficit, although Chris McFadden added a seventh for Clydesdale.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Strathallan win Girls’ Indoor Cup 2019 at Bells
12 Jan 2019 at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth. Scottish Girls Indoors cup winners – Strathallan School – photo by Duncan Gray
The Scottish Girls’ Indoor Cup 2019 took place at Bells Active Sports Centre on Saturday with Strathallan coming out on top of a tremendous day of youth hockey.
The first match in Pool A saw Strathallan take on George Watson’s College. The first half saw each team testing their opponents. Both teams had a number of probing attacks but neither able to convert their chances. The first goal of the tournament came from Sophie McGlynn from the near post just sliding the ball under the keeper. In the second half Strathallan pushed for an equaliser, they gained several Penalty corners, but the Watsons Keeper was equal to the shots. George Watsons broke through the Strathallan defence by way of an Emily Simmers run down the board, she slotted the ball low to the keeper’s right to take the score to two. Strathallan pushed forward in the dying minutes but could not break through. The game ended With George Watsons taking the points.
In the First Match of pool B George Heriot’s started their tournament against Robert Gordons College. Katy Martin opened the scoring early on in the match with a well worked run to break through the defence. Martin extended Heriots’ lead late on in the second half with a driven shot beyond the keeper’s reach. Robert Gordon pushed back but could not get an opportunity to test the keeper. In the second half Heriots pushed to extend their lead within four minutes of the restart, Cesca Lang sliding the ball past the right hand side of the keeper. Within a minute Victoria Cameron flicked the ball high into the net to make it four goals in front. Sophie Hinds got her name on the scoring sheet with minutes left on the clock. Despite several penalty corner opportunities, RGC could not convert their chances. The match ended five goals to nil for Heriots.
The second match in pool A had George Watsons playing their second match of the day and The Glasgow Academy in their first. The Glasgow Academy was first to break the deadlock through Emma Forrest. George Watsons replied four minutes later through Emily Simmers. The second half was a feisty affair with both teams having chances but unfortunate not to convert in to goals.
Galashiels Academy first match was against George Heriot’s. Heriot’s having a win under their belt started strong, it was Galashiels that scored through Holly Shepherd, she picked up a stray ball and sent a driven ball past the keeper at the near post. Heriot’s had no reply in the first half. In the second half the match was full of hard challenges from both sides to try and win the ball. Heriot’s pushed hard to try and gain a point from the match. It wasn’t until the dying seconds of the match that Jessica Thain took a run up the right unchallenged leading to a low shot beating the keeper.
Strathallan and The Glasgow Academy faced off in the final match of their pool. Strathallan took the lead in the 3rd minute through Lisa Biermann. The academy responded straight after the restart with an equaliser by Emma Forrest. The match continued at a fast and competitive pace with Strathallan pushing hard to get their lead back. Biermann with her brace regained the lead. Anna Ballantyne reigned Strathallan back in in the 15th. The second half started with Strathallan blazing forward to convert in just seconds, Biermann with a hat trick. Strathallan’s Captain Izzy Folan added the fourth five minutes later. The pace of the match continued to be high in the last minutes, a ball rocketed across the face of goal ended in Steph Craig slamming the ball into the back board, 5-2. Glasgow Academy gained a penalty corner in the last minute, a body save on the line by a defender escalated to a penalty stroke. Goal Keeper Sarah Cameron-Sutcliffe got a toe to the flick ending the game with a 5-2 victory for Strathallan.
In the final pool match of the day Galashiels and Robert Gordon’s College faced off. Anna Lewis put RGC ahead after ten minutes of the match. No more than a minute later Galashiels rained the Aberdonians back in through Meghan Campbell. Lewis scored her brace to get the lead back for RGC. The second half first goal came two minutes in with Galashiels again pulling back a draw through Molly Turnbull. The Aberdeen team were not content with only two goals Varada Kamate extended the lead once more.
The first semi-final saw Strathallan take on George Heriot’s. Strathallan laid down their intent early with a goal from Nicola McArthur. A penalty corner minutes later took a heavy deflection from a defender, giving Biermann another notch on her goal tally for the day. Biermann then added a floated flick from a penalty corner to the top left of the keeper, the defence just shy of saving leaving it three goals to nil. There were no further goals in the second half, meaning Strathallen advanced to the final.
In the second semi-final George Watson’s and Robert Gordon’s College played for the chance to play in a final. The opening goal came after nine minutes, making Abbie Grant a conversion on a penalty corner shot. No other goals came until the dying seconds despite the competitive attacks from each team. George Watsons extended their lead with Emily Simmers capping of her day with a well worked goal for her team. The match ended with Watson’s two goal advantage, seeing them in the final versus Strathallen.
In the 5th and 6th play-off, The Glasgow academy took the higher placing with a 6 -1 win leaving Galashiels to take 6th place for the day. The 3rd -4th play-off was between George Heriot’s and Robert Gordon’s. There was no score in normal match time leading to a running penalties competition. George Heriot’s coming out on top scoring two out of their three and RGC with just one.
12 Jan 2019 at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth. Scottish Girls Indoors cup winners – Strathallan v George Watsons – photo by Duncan Gray
The Final between Strathallan and George Watsons was a rematch of the previous year. Watson’s looking to retain their title. Strathallan not lying down pushed from the start and gained a penalty corner, Biermann sent the ball high towards the net, a deflection off a defender sent it out of reach of the keeper one-nil Strathallan. Strathallan pushed again Izzy Folan picking up the second goal of the game sending the crowd in to elated applause. The first half played out with no changes to the score. In the second half Izzy Folan scored her second of the game to extend Strathallan’s lead to three, after collecting a rebound from a penalty corner. George Watson’s gained a penalty corner but the ball spilled out of the D and Strathallan were able to recover. Strathallan pushed forward and then gained their own penalty corner, the shot hit the post and bounced out giving Watson’s defence a chance to recover. The clock ran down with three goals the difference giving Strathallan the Girls Indoor Cup title.
Final Placings
1st Strathallan
2nd George Watson’s College
3rd George Heriot’s School
4th Robert Gordon’s College
5th The Glasgow Academy
6th Galashiels academy
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Victoria & Queensland Triumph At Under-15’s Indoors
Ben Somerford
Victoria and Queensland Maroon have taken out the major boys and girls titles respectively at the Under-15’s Australian Indoor Hockey Festival at Goulburn’s Veolia Arena.
The Under-15’s finals were played on Saturday, with Queensland Maroon edging New South Wales 1-0 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw in the girls’ decider.
Claire Colwill scored the decisive goal in the shootout after netting both of Queensland’s goals during the match, before NSW rallied with two late goals to level the match.
In the boys’ final, Victoria defeated New South Wales 5-3 with doubles to captain Liam Henderson and Angus Hendry.
Hendry scored a first-half double as Victoria raced to a 3-1 half-time lead and never looked back despite Rhys Cropper’s hat-trick for NSW.
WA defeated ACT 4-3 in a shootout following a 4-4 draw in the boys’ bronze medal match, while Victoria knocked off Queensland Gold 2-0 in the girls’ bronze medal match.
Ex-Kookaburra Glenn Turner was on hand as numerous Under-15’s awards were also handed out on Saturday following the finals, with the winners listed below.
Boys
Play the Whistle: SA, NSW, Queensland Maroon
Top goal scorer: Liam Henderson (Victoria) - 13 goals
Player of the Tournament: Aiden Dooley (ACT)
Girls
Play the Whistle: WA
Top goal scorer: Tallulah Gouldthorp (WA) - 9 goals
Player of the Tournament: Claire Colwill (Queensland Maroon), Dacia Koelmeyer (Victoria), Ella Du Preez (WA)
The Festival will run from Friday 4 January to Saturday 26 January 2019, across Under-13, Under-15, Under-18, Under-21 and Open divisions, with the Masters divisions having already competed in December.
Hockey Australia have partnered with Destination NSW and the Goulburn Mulwaree Council to make the Festival possible and we thank them for their support.
Head to https://hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com/competitions/ for fixtures and match information. Follow @HockeyAustralia on Twitter for updates. Entry is free at Veolia Arena.
Hockey Australia media release
Openda hangs up Telkom call: Long-serving coach Jos walks away from hockey queens
Tactician has guided side to numerous victories in national and Africa women Club championships
By Ernest Ndunda
Jos Openda coach telkom orange hockey team
Long-serving Telkom head coach Jos Openda has called it quits after leading the African hockey queens to numerous victories in the Africa Women Club championships.
It is a befitting ending for Openda, who last month led Telkom to their 21st domestic league title.
Telkom won their 10th Africa Club title in Nigeria last month after they recaptured the continental title they had lost in 2017 to Ghana Revenue Authority.
Openda guided the queens to a record 21st Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s Premier League title with an emphatic 7-0 win over Vikings.
Telkom Kenya players and coach Jos Openda celebrate winning the team of the year award during the 15th edition of Soya awards held at Fort Jesus in Mombasa on January 11, 2019. Photo Stafford Ondego/www.sportpicha.com
The champions enjoyed a seven-point lead against second-placed Strathmore University.
“I have done a lot for Telkom and it is my time to hand over leadership to a new and energetic coach,” said Openda in an interview during last Friday’s Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year (Soya) awards at Fort Jesus, in Mombasa.
“Winning the domestic league for 21 years is enough for me to move on to better things,” said Openda, hinting that he may trade hockey sticks and begin coaching football.
“Hockey has 11 players, same as football and it would not be difficult for me to move from hockey to football. You never know, I might be the next Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards coach,” joked Openda.
The tactician tipped four members of his technical bench members, whom he did not name, to succeed him.
“My focus in 2018 was to win both domestic and Africa Women Club championships, which I did and my turn now is to hand over the team to a new coach, who will guide the queens to another level. Pick from where I have left and make the team even better,” he said.
“I have been grooming my successor and I have potential ladies within the technical bench who will fill the position.”
The award-winning coach guided Telkom to victory in the 2018 Soya awards, where they bagged the women team of the year.
Openda was third in the coach of the year awards.
The Standard Digital