• 

Men’s 1st’s (3) vs. (10) Kingston Upon Hull 1st’s
A depleted 1st Team were away to Hull last weekend for a middle of the night push back. Now those in the know, know the First’s rarely travel long distances well (on and off the pitch), so an AM push really was a ball in the… whilst you’re down.

Despite the attraction of 1000 Romany folk next to the pitch – no not the usual home fans, Hull fair was on, Slaz failed to impress.

Whilst an excellent goal from the better Gascoigne (Will) and two staples for Tuddenham kept the Slazenger chins part way up. Hull were clinical on the day and scored quite a few more….

Final score: First’s 3, Hull something.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (1) Chapeltown 2nd’s
Slaz hosted a youthful Chapeltown 2nd’s for a well spirited confrontation at Addingford. While the home side looked stronger on paper, they were sluggish to get going. The team took a while to get going and it was only when Asad Baig netted a stunning strike from the edge of the circle that the pressure was taken off the team.

10 minutes later, the pressure continued to show, with Ted Richardson netting a first time thunderbolt from a Keith Leonard cross. However the team couldn’t convert any further goals in the first half.

In the second, the team struggled to get play the progressive hockey which had helped the to earlier victories. Amir Khalil caused trouble in midfield, while Alex Stacey had a strong showing on the right. However, it was Chapeltown who broke through the back line to claim their opener. 

Slaz continued to work and while they went close multiple times, it was Baig again who converted a further corner to put the game beyond doubt. Slaz travel to Ben Rhdding Saturday looking to keep their run of form going.

Mens 3rd’s (5) vs. (4) Leeds 7th’s
Slazenger’s third team went into the game against Leeds still looking for their first win of the season. Leeds were the better team starting off going 2-0 up within 10 minutes due to sloppy marking. Slaz then pulled one back a few minutes later through a goal from MaxGodley following a short corner. However Leeds then continued to use their pace up top and then made it 3-1. About 10 minutes before half time Slaz reduced the deficit back to 1 as Dave Gascoigne scored a hit from a short corner. Just before the break Leeds scored another.

Despite being down 4-2 at half time slaz were still feeling positive and thought that they could get back in to it. This showed as Jack Lee scored early on with a nice slap into the bottom corner. The thirds were pushing hard to equalise and then they did through a second Godley goal following another short corner. Tensions then got high as both teams were pushing for the winner and many cards were handed out. With less than a minute to go Leeds scored the winner following a missed stick tackle from the umpire. The reaction from the opposition showed how hard they had to work. Hopefully Slaz can improve on the result and take all three points next week. MOM Godley.

Men’s 4th’s (5) vs. (0) Boston Spa 4th’s
Slazenger’s travelled away this week and fielded only a bare 11 again at this weeks away game, including a return for Adam Garside as temporary keeper, however, Boston had conceded the first 3 games of the season being unable to field a team and they only managed to pull together 10 players. Despite the numerical advantage, Slaz made hard work of the situation and it took a while with all the regular centre forwards unavailable to score that first goal, but when it came it was a simple effort from Scott Carruthers into the back of the net. 

Slaz maintained a strong press, leaving Boston with limited options to deliver the ball to a friendly player which gave Slazengers ample opportunities to pressure their goal. However, poor umpiring decisions and fractious exchanges with the older/experienced Boston players were frustrating the Slazenger team. This culminated in a green card for Pete Gunning for unsportsman like comment to one of his own team mates!!!!! Despite the frustrations, Slaz capitalised on the slowly collapsing Boston defence and scored a second goal before half time.

The second half continued in the same vein with Slaz pressing every opportunity possible. The final tally at the end of the match was a clean sheet for Slaz and 5 goals. Scorers: Scott Carruthers 2; Pete Gunning 1; George Bentley 1; Josh Hujwan 1. Man of the match jointly awarded for their outstanding efforts to Isaac Burrows and George Bentley. Wally – well this award could have gone to several players for innumerable amusing transgressions, though Scott’s inability to inject a ball from a short is one of many that could be mentioned.

Mens 5th’s (6) vs. (0) sheffield Hallam 7
Word had got out across the hockey playing world of the fifth teams innovative tactics and training methods. Son of Topper was inundated with calls from the world’s best players desperate for a game on Saturday against Sheffield Hallam. The decision was made to be true to the original squad and not glory hunt. 10 players turned up. This included debutant Rob Brear, who, unfamiliar with the teams fitness level, put in a stellar performance and even covered more ground then Kene Dene. The team played well and at 0-0 we were in uncharted territory. So much so that table topping Hallam suddenly substituted on a young Barry Middleton who scored 3 goals in as many minutes and promptly retired to defence. Any mention of ringers was surely way off the mark.

Tireless midfield work from Chugger and Topper jnr ensured the game was competitive. An elite snatch party was sent out to Hallam’s bench at halftime and succeeded in kidnapping Malcolm who was given a green shirt and pushed out onto the pitch. This master plan back fired as he forget who he was meant to be playing for and kept passing to his old mates. Another 3 goals  conceded did not dampen any spirits however and no heads dropped. M.o.m Hallam Malcolm and Tommy. C.o.m. Seasick Steve open goal 2 metres out, a titanic effort to miss.

Men’s 6th’s (2) vs. (3) Bradford 4th’s
The men’s development team faced a third away game in a row, travelling to Bradford in confident mood following the last two performances. Player numbers were a little light, but Alice Gascoigne and Ben Jackson bravely volunteered to double up and take on the Development team challenge to ensure that Slaz played with a full team.

Slaz started strongly and had the majority of the early possession and field position, with Will Parish, Luke Minchella, Eleanor Randle and Ollie Leonard having early chances. Bradford countered mid way through the first half however to score the first goal from a deflection from a Slaz defenders stick. Great defence from Bobby Brear, Dan Bailey, Josh Bennett and Alice Gascoigne, marshalled by keeper Jack Hancock kept Bradford at bay for the rest of the half. Slaz struck back just before half time after a great move up the pitch culminating in a well taken goal from man of the match Ollie Leonard to ensure a one all deadlock at the break.

Bradford had a change of personnel at half time and started the second half strongly, scoring a quick goal with a well hit shot from mid way inside the D despite Richard Coughtrey’s best efforts. This was soon followed by a third goal taken in similar fashion after a good passing move that beat the Slaz defence.

Slaz then finished the game as the stronger team, with good work in midfield from Dene Minchella and Ben Jackson leading to a second goal from Luke Minchella following his mazey run through the defence. Once again though Slaz were unable to find the equaliser and went down to a frustrating 3-2 loss, despite being the better team for the majority of the game. Many thanks to Ben and Alice for playing with us and for supporting the team so well.

• 

Ladies 1st’s (3) vs. (4) Halifax 2nd’s
The ladies 1’s travelled to an unusually warm and sunny Halifax on Saturday to play their Ladies 2’s. Despite being denied any chance to warm up in a goal, Slaz took the game straight to their opposition determined to hold on to their unbeaten run. The first half saw goals from Frith and Tyers, while Gk kept them well in the game with a tremendous save after Halifax were awarded a penalty flick (a decision that no one in green could dispute).

Sadly, this was to be a game of 2 halves. Halifax came out stronger after the break and put away 2 early goals. Chances were missed at the other end while Halifax took theirs and managed a further two to take the lead 4:2.  Slaz could’ve let their heads drop, however a penalty corner allowed Mini Minch to pull one back.  Despite great efforts the equaliser didn’t materialise and the unbeaten run came to an end.

Next week Huddersfield Dragons will be coming to Slaz for a 12 o clock start.

#onwardsandupwards
#bringiton🐉

Ladies 2nd’s (3) vs. (6) Sheffield Uni Bankers 2nd’s
Both teams started off strongly in Slazenger’s ladies 2s games against Sheffield Bankers. In the first few minutes Nicci smashed an amazing ball past the keeper scoring the game’s first goal of the game. However Bankers responded quickly scoring themselves an equaliser. Next a flick was awarded to Bankers to which they scored their second goal. Bankers seemed to be on a roll, scoring their third goal. During a short corner Slazenger’s Nicci scored our second goal. Finishing the first half on 3-2. starting off in the first 10 minutes, bankers scored through some excellent passes they managed to score 2 more goals before Coops did an amazing run and hit into the back of the net. bankers scored their last goal finishing off the game with the end score being 6-3. There were some solid performances in defence, notably Nicole who made some excellent tackles. Player was jointly awarded to Nicole and Cherry, who had another good game in midfield.

Ladies 3rds (1) vs. (2) Halifax 4th’s
This week Slazengers ladies 3’s travelled to Halifax on an ideal day for a hockey game. With a squad averaging 3x the age of the opposition.

Slazengers started strong in the first half and the defence kept Halifax away from the goal despite a few chances which were saved excellently by Slazenger keeper Lizzie Tunstall. Slazengers then found the backboard with a goal from Caro Schofield, the ball travelled perfectly through defender Emily Chason to Caitlin McGrath down the right wing who provided an excellent cross into the D for Caro to tap the ball in the back of the net. Half time score Slazengers 1-0 Halifax

When the second half commenced Halifax came out fighting and soon scored their first goal in open play. Slazengers defended a few short corners well and Halifax were not able to score but they later found the goal again in open play leaving the score 2-1 to Halifax. Slazengers tired invain to make the score level, however the Halifax keeper and defence made this impossible. Ladies 3s battled hard thought the game.
Final score Slazengers 1-2 Halifax. Player of the match was awarded to Sarah Ritchie for her excellent defending.

Ladies 4th’s (2) vs. (3) Halifax 5th’s
Slazenger Ladies 4’s made a strong start against Halifax. The pressure resulted in an early well-worked team effort which was scored by Josie Hughes. Slazenger then conceded a flick after a deliberate foul in the D. Slaz keeper Lauren Hattersley got her stick to it but couldn’t  prevent the score being levelled at 1-1.

Slazenger kept working hard with some great play by Gemma Wroe and Emily Wood in the midfield and good work up front from Julia Weavers and Lynn Wood creating further changes. A shot from Lauren Fealey was deflected into the goal by Halifax. Slaz was back in the lead at 2-1. Slazenger seem to take the foot of the paddle a little, and despite excellent defence from Sara Chilton,  Freya Wilson and goalkeeper Lauren Halifax was able to equalised before half time, 2-2.

Down to 10 players in the second half lead to Slaz being under a lot of pressure. Great defence from ‘Player of the Match’ Stephanie Clements and Ingrid Coughtrey kept Halifax out. Till a shot got deflected from a defenders stick into the goal, 2-3. Slazenger ladies 4’s are still waiting for their first win this season but today’s game showed some brilliant hockey and great teamwork.

• 

Under 10 Girls
The Under 10 Girls A team gained promotion to the 3rd division we were certainly the under dogs in our first tournament of the season. On a very wet and miserable Sunday morning at Weetwood the under 10 girls were in high spirits. We played the first 4 games and dominated every one! We just couldn’t score and took 4 draws. We then went into our last game against Huddersfield Dragons and the scoring fell into place, winning 3-0, felt good and the girls left on a high! 

The newly formed B team also had success on their first outing. With a novice goalie, and the first outing as a team, they took a little while to get going, losing out 3-0 to Ben Rhydding 3rd team. However, they drew two (0-0 and 1-1), and finished off the tournament with 4-0 victory over Adel 2nd’s. A really fantastic team outing, and a day to be proud of! 

• 

Under 14 Girls
With all but 2 of the squad playing their first competitive 11 a side game on a full size pitch Slazenger under 14 girls grew quickly into the tournament. An opening 4-0 defeat to Wakefield was much closer than the score line suggests. The back line of Imogen Kiki and Brooke played exceedingly well with Charlotte in goals making some great saves.

The second game formation was changed to a back four which resulted in a narrow 2-0 defeat to Harrogate. The girls did everything but score, but it was evident the girls were getting use to the new format. Sophie, Evie, Edie and Ruby worked well together in midfield and played some lovely passing hockey. In the final game the girls improved yet again, Kiki and May solid in defence and with Ruby outstanding in midfield. All their hard work resulted in a well deserved win. Eleanor finding the net first, followed by a goal from player of the tournament Erin on her Slaz debut.

Under 16 Boys
Slazengers Under-16s were unable to make an impact in their second Yorkshire Youth League tournament of the season as they narrowly lost all three games to be relegated back to Division Two.

First opponents Doncaster went two goals up as one of their players, who plays in the Men’s National League, took control. The Slaz defence of Joe Minchella, Tommy Randle, Isaac Burrows, Alex Stacey and keeper Aidan Coughtrey did well to prevent further goals and, with two minutes left, they were awarded a short corner and Rhys Hancock scored to reduce the deficit. But Slaz ran out of time to find an equaliser as it finished 2-1. The National League player then left to play a club game and did not feature against either Harrogate or Wakefied, who were Slazengers’ next opponents.

Wakefield took the lead early through a well-drilled short corner and although Hancock finished off a fine move to equalise, Wakefield broke upfield after a period of Slaz dominance to net the winner in another 2-1 defeat.

The final game against Harrogate was end to end but Slaz were unable to capitalise on their chances and Harrogate won it with the only goal.

Despite the disappointing results, the Slazengers players performed well and will be determined to fight their way back into Division One in the next tournament.

• 

Men’s 1st’s (9) v. (1) Rotherham 1st’s
Men’s 1st.’s beat Rotherham 1st’s at home 9-1. A usual well battled encounter was run out by the home side in strong form. Goals from Mark Swinden (2), Jimmy Swinden (2), Richard Tuddenham (1), Owen Smith (1), Will Gascoigne (1), Danny Perry (1), Ben Jackson (1)

Men’s 2nd’s (2) vs. (2) Kingston Upon Hull 2nd’sMens 2nds travelled to a wet and dreary Hull in what turned out to be a fixture memorable for all the wrong reasons. A flooded pitch was eventually cleared for the game to start. While Slaz played a well paced technical game. the home side were looking forward to a physical confrontation and looked to throw their weight around with gusto.

The game was evenly balanced, but Slaz looked to have gone ahead until the goal was overturned. At the other end of the pitch, Hull went ahead with a short corner routine before the break. The second half was a similar affair; Slaz weathered a storm of fouls, shoulders and errant sticks to maintain the deficit at 1 goal. However after Hull scored from a drag flick, it looked a mountain to climb.

Fortunately, where in previous seasons the team might have let the game play out, they redoubled their efforts. Amir Khalil danced through the home side, setting Asad Baig up for a rapid strike to beat the keeper, and Slaz didnt let up. Minutes later, a penalty corner was converted by Baig to level the scores with minutes remaining. While the travelling side couldnt find a winner, wrestling a point away from that fixture was a victory in itself; keeping the 2nds topping the table at this early stage of the league.

Men’s 4th’s (4) vs. (1) Scarborough 2nd’s
Slazenger’s fielded a strong home side for the travelling Sacrborough team to contend with, including the welcome return to play of Jez Whawell. However, with less than 5 minutes played Scarborough led the game by 1 goal after what was a relatively easy left corner strike by one of their fast running young forwards who had broken through the defence.

The midfield was going to be a tough battleground it appeared and it took a good 20 minutes for Slazenger’s to find their rhythm and get a sense of control around their side of the game. However, once this was in place, the ball started to spend a lot more time in the Scarborough half with ample chances not quite being converted. The “press” against their free hits and 16’s stated to frustrate the Scarborough defence who had limited options and the ball was turning back into Slazs’ hands on a regular basis and it was only a matter of time before that equalizing goal was squarely placed into the net.

Opinions at half time were in agreement on the things that were working and those that needed tweaking, so Slaz took those words quite literally and within less than a minute of the second half re-start Slaz had taken the lead with a fantastic 2 nd goal. Things, were starting to look positive. The remainder of the second half continued with Slaz pressing the ball at every opportunity leaving Scarborough with limited chances and their attempts to squeeze the ball through to their fast paced runners were intercepted by the talents of Tommy Randle and Scott Carruthers. In an unfortunate turn of events, Isaac Burrows picked up a green card for “deliberately” kicking the ball which put Slaz under pressure but despite this minor setback Scarborough were unable to capitalise with the player overload.

A further two goals whistled passed the Scarborough keeper, with George Bentley claiming his second goal in as many games although its fair to say that Scarborough helped the ball across the line for him. Final result was a hard fought 4 – 1 victory to Slazenger’s 4th team and top of Division 5 North for the time being.

Scorers: Andy Birkett – 1, George Bentley – 1, Scott Carruthers – 1, Harry Buttery – 1; Man of the match went to Tony Walker for his constant hard work at the back keeping Scarborough at bay, which was a well-earned early birthday present for his celebrations on Sunday 8 th . Wally of the week went to Harry Buttery for a number of transgressions including attempting to kill a passing seagull with a shot on goal and for thinking he knew better than the umpire 😉

Men’s 5th’s (1) vs. (7) Brigg 4th’s
A closely fought game became a brigg too far for the mighty greens. Camped for vast periods of the game in the opponents half, Slaz’s attackers showed their charitable side by trying their hardest not to find the back of the net. Buoyed by scoring 3 last week, the formation of 1 defender 9 forwards looked to be working until the visitors spotted a fatal flaw. Unfortunately our defender was not the nimblest after a pie filled summer and Brigg managed to nick 7 breakaway goals. Man of the match right back Fluffy Jolly popped up to score for Slaz, wally went to Stopper who threw his teddy out of his pram along with his stick after conceding number 5.

Men’s 6th’s (0) vs. (3) Ben Rhydding 7th’s
The men’s development team had another away trip this week, travelling to a sunny Ben Rhydding to face their Men’s 7’s.

Slazenger’s started the game well with some good defending from Dan Bailey, Josh Bennett and guest centre back, Aidan Coughtrey, but were soon under pressure from the opposition who were playing some experienced players in their mid field and in attack. The pressure took its toll and Ben Rhydding took an early one nil lead. Slazenger’s had some chances before half time with some good work from man of the match Luke Minchella and Bobby Brear in midfield, but Slaz went two nil behind before half time.

Master tactician Dene Minchella rearranged the line up and the formation at half time and this had a positive effect on the team. Slazengers had the best of the second half with great wing play from Eleanor Randle and Ollie Leonard creating some chances for Harry Ashford and Luke Minchella, but the goal eluded Slaz. Ollie Leonard then galvanised the defence, moving to left back with Owen Coughtrey replacing him on the wing, and Ollie proved to be equally effective as a defender. Ben Rhydding increased their goal tally to three late in the second half to put the game to bed, despite some good goal keeping from Jack Hancock, but overall, this was a fantastic performance by the whole team, that was not reflected by the score line. The team are starting to play some really good hockey and based on this performance, the first win in not too far away.

• 

Ladies 1st’s (3) vs. (2) Harrogate 2nd’s
Ladies 1’s played host to Harrogate ladies 2’s on Saturday. From previous meetings, as far as anyone could remember, Slaz were yet to take a point.

On the back of last weeks win, Slaz hoped to continue their unbeaten run and made that resolve clear from the off. Pressing hard to keep the ball in the Harrogate D Slaz made the defence work hard to keep the ball from nearing the net. It was a good 15 mins before Slaz finally broke the deadlock when coops put the first in. This was followed minutes later with a second for the striker when she got a slight touch on Gilbert’s shot from the top of the d. Slaz continued the pressure for the remainder of the half but couldn’t manage a third.

The second half started in a similar vain only this time it was Harrogate calling the shots and they managed to level the score with about 15 minutes to go. However, having enjoyed the winning feeling the previous week and not wanting to lose their unbeaten start to the season Slaz were not going to give up easily. Determined to regain the lead Slaz regained their composure and went back to playing as they had in the first half. With 5 minutes to go the ball was sent to Field from the back, she quickly smashed it through the Harrogate defence to coops who was waiting to take the ball around the keeper to complete her hat trick and give the lead back to Slaz.

Harrogate did not give up and play was end to end for the remainder of the game. Slaz were unlucky not to manage a forth with shots skimming the posts, but when the final whistle went with the score line at 3:2 in Slaz’s favour the ladies were more than happy to be finally taking all the points from “the gate”.

Ladies 2nd’s (1) vs. (1) Harrogate 3rd’s
Slazenger’s Ladies 2’s game against Harrogate started off with Slazenger defending short corner after short corner with some excellent clearance and saves from their goalkeeper Tracy Lorriman. Despite Slazenger’s efforts, Harrogate managed to score the game’s first goal. The first half ended 1-0 to Harrogate.

At the start of the second half however, Slazenger were ready to go. With an amazing pass around the keeper from mush to Mia Davies who then swept the ball in to make the equaliser. Throughout the second half both Slaz really stepped up the pressure to challenge Harrogate but no further goals were achieved by either side. The end result was a well deserved 1-1. Player of the match went to Tracy Lorriman for great saves!

Ladies 3rd’s (4) vs. (1) Bradford 1st’s
Slazenger’s first home game of the season against Bradford and they were hungry for a win. From the start Slazenger’s attackers and midfield pushed forward pressing the Bradford defense. Some super crosses from midfield Jess Downing, Justine Birkett and Lauren Fealey allowed the forwards Caro Schofield, Linda Stacey, Ellie McWilliams and Natalie Beech to have some great shots on goal, which were saved by Bradford’s keeper. Bradford retaliated and pressed the Slazenger’s defense of Sarah Ritchie, Jess Lloyd, Emma Eley and Emily Chason hard. However, some great defending and saves from keeper Lizzie Tunstall did not allow Bradford to gain a goal.

Slazenger’s quickly passed the ball up the field and with an open run from Caro and one on one with the keeper Caro made the ball connect with the back boards. Bradford not happy with this pushed forward and gained a short corner from open play. A straight strike from the top of the D and a deflection of a Slazenger’s defender saw the ball pass the keeper and hit the back boards. Bringing the half time score to 1-1.

Slazenger’s pushed hard from the off and put pressure on the Bradford keeper early. Some great play and perseverance saw Lauren Fealey gain a goal and Caro added another two. Bradford fort hard and gained some short corners from open play for these to be saved by the Slazenger’s keeper and defenders. Final score Slazenger’s 4-1 Bradford; Player went to Caro Schofield for her hat trick.

Ladies 4th’s (0) vs. (3) Leeds 6th’s
Ladies 4’s played late in the day at Weetwood against Leeds 6th team in what proved to be a challenging game. From the start, Leeds were fast on the attack keeping the Slazenger more than defence busy.

Ingrid Coughtry impressed both sides with her ‘hitting the ball hard’ skill but it struggled to break through to the Slazenger attack. Sara Chilton had a superb game as did Freja Wilson and Steph Clements but soon Slazenger’s we’re two nil down.

A refreshing team talk at half time payed off going into the second half with Caitlin McGrath, Jess Morris and Hannah Tindall-Miller stepping up the Slazenger attack but Leeds fought back hard each time with Slazenger’s back on the defence. The final 10 minutes saw Leeds take shot after shot with little opportunity for Slazenger’s to break free. Lauren Hattersley in goal held her cool but despite her efforts, another Leeds goal slipped past. The final result 3-0 to Leeds.

• 

Under 10 boys
The under 10 boys travelled to Leeds for their first tournament of the season. Slazenger started against a strong Ben Rhydding 2 team. We worked hard as a team with some excellent play from Owen Wiper on the wing, but lost 3-0.

Thirsk put Slazenger under great pressure in the second game. Great play from Leo Sheen-Meakin and Frances Richardson in defence kept the score at 7-0.

The third game saw the Slazenger team working well together. Stan Hirst finished a brilliant team attack to score. But Airedale were stronger in attack and the game finished 3-1 to Airedale.

Game 4 was the turning point for the team. Slazenger took the early lead against Leeds Adel through a goal from Aleks Thompson. Great defence from Declan Buxton and some amazing saves from Frances kept Leeds Adel from scoring. 1-0 win for Slazenger.

Bingley Bees were up next. Slazenger had some good pressure with great play from Rhuben Foster in attack. But neither team were able to break the defence. A goal-less draw was the result.

The last game was against Wakefield 2. Slazenger made a strong start, with Owen Coughtrey driving up through the middle to score his first goal. Slazenger created many chances in an overall strong team performance. Player of the tournament, Owen Coughtrey scored two mores goals, to finish an excellent tournament with a well deserved win.

Under 14 Boys
Following the success of the U14 Boys last season the new look team set about an incredibly tough challenge of competing in division 1 against Ben Rhydding 1, Doncaster 1, and Harrogate 1. The boys had the home advantage but the other teams were stronger on the day.

The team came together well, with some notable performances from Tori in Goal, Bobby in defence and Luke and Tommy through the centre. They had a good few chances with some well worked short corners and a couple of very close calls.

All in all a great start with a new team.

Mens 1st’s (2) vs. (5) Bradford 1st’s

The men’s first’s were away to in-form Bradford last week. Despite some spells of promising Hollywood hockey the game wasn’t to go their way. Bradford were the first to open their account when White passed to their centre forward 5 minutes in leaving just Loftus in net to beat.

Slazenger pulled one back in the first half thanks to some skillful play around the Bradford ‘D’ finished neatly by Ben Jackson. However in the second half Bradford turned up the Autumnal heat taking the game out of Slazengers’ reach. The First’s did manage to pull a goal back from a Richard Tuddenham short corner with seconds left on the clock to make the final scoreline more respectable at 2 – 5.

Men’s 2nd’s (4) vs (0) City of York 5th’s

The seconds hosted travelling side City of York for their first home game of the 2019 campaign. It looked like a tough battle ahead with York warming up 30 minutes before the game, and Slaz only just arriving. However Captain Green marshalled his troops and the side put to work.

The home side looked more dangerous from the outset, but some strong defensive work, tied with poor accuracy gave no result from early pressure. It wasn’t until a rather ill Ted Richardson converted, that the game began to open up. From then, two more goals came in quick succession; Asad Baig netting, followed closely by a strike from Amir Khalil.

In the second half, York were a far harder unit to break down. Coupled with some decreased accuracy from Slaz and it was the posts and crossbar which took far more of a hammering than the net itself. However, a well worked penalty corner routine allowed Ben Graham to net a fourth.

Of particular note were the defensive back link this week of Green, Swallow and Taylor who helped Goalkeeper Daz Buttery to his first clean sheet of the season.

Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (3) Barnsley 1st’s

Slazenger 3rd’s hosted Barnsley 1st’s for a tough home encounter. Last seasons matches had both been close affairs, and this one proved to be similar. It was Slaz who went ahead early on with Scott Carruthers winning a short corner which as converted by Dave Gascoigne. However within the first half, Barnsley equalised to make it equal at the halfway mark.

In the second half, Slaz worked hard and shut out the Barnsley attack. Tim Carr was on hand to convert, putting the side ahead. However in the remaining minutes of the game, Barnsley netted a second and quickly followed with a third. While the home side looked for the equaliser until the final whistle, a mad scramble defence kept the visitors ahead at the close.

Men’s 4th’s (6) vs. (1) Halifax 4th’s

It wasn’t until late on Friday that a team was eventually sorted so it was with the bare 11 man squad needed that the 4’s travelled to Halifax for their second game of the season. The weather had been appalling all morning so there was an expectation of rather torrid and wet conditions, it was therefore a nice surprise that the clouds cleared and the rest of the day went without any further downfall to impede the match.

The squad was a mix of the usual players and a few new faces making up what on paper appeared to be a strong team. With the toss won, Halifax began the pushback. The first 20 minutes were a sporadic mix of turnovers as both sides tried to get the measure of the other and things looked to suggest that this would be a tough game ahead. However, this was soon put to bed with a timely goal from John Sykes. A further goal soon followed and confidence was growing, though this was set back when Halifax nailed a short corner in the right corner of the net.

Undeterred and heads high, Slaz pressed on and finished the half with a further goal and a half time lead of 3-1. The second half was a continuation of how we had finished the first, constant pressing of the Halifax free hits and 16’s prevented them from making any headway and the Halifax team barely had a look at the Slazengers goal area. By the end of the match a further 3 goals had been sotted passed their keeper, with the final score being 6-1 to Slaz Scorers for the day; John Sykes with 3, Pete Gunning 2, and a goal for George Bentley on his debut and man of the match to a boot for his overall contribution.

Two wins from two sees Slazengers 4 sitting second in the Division 5 North on goal difference.

Mens 5th’s (3) vs. (3) Huddersfield 5th’s

The 5th team travelled away to a wet and rainy Huddersfield. The team started brightly despite the weather, controlling much of the ball and play for the first 10-15 minutes. A couple of Huddersfield goals against the run of play started a bit of panic with Slaz struggling to find each other and losing possession. Huddersfield capitalised and put a 3rd home via a penalty flick. Aiden Coughtrey scored shortly before half time leaving the score at 3-1. After half time Slazenger came out slightly rearranged and on the hunt for goals.

WOTM Karl (the Calf) Ashford pulled up injured shortly after, claiming to have been hit by the opposition with no one round him. Adam Searle replaced him and quickly assisted Seasick Steve in putting the first goal of the half away leaving the score at 3-2. The 3rd goal came via a Richard Coughtrey back post tap in! Slaz continued to pressure the Huddersfield goal for the last 10 mins other than the odd breakaway which amounted to nothing. Game finished 3-3 with MOTM shares between 5 players due to an all round good team performance.

Men’s 6th’s (1) v. (2) Huddersfield Dragons 5th’s

This was the first game of the season for the Development team, an away game at a rain soaked Huddersfield Dragons. The new look team, led superbly on the pitch by Dene Minchella, played some fantastic hockey throughout and were unlucky to go down to a 2-1 defeat against an older Huddersfield team. Slaz dominated early on with great work through the middle by Luke Minchella, Turner Booth and Harry Ashford but were unable to score. Huddersfield managed to turn defence into attack and scored midway through the first half despite some great goalkeeping from Jack Hancock, going into the half time break 1-0 up.

Huddersfield scored a second goal, straight after half time, which spurred Slaz into action. Great wing play from Eleanor Randall and Ollie Leonard saw Will Parish go close to scoring on a couple of occasions on his first ever hockey game. Some solid defence from Lewis Killey, Elliott Booth and Dan Bailey kept Huddersfield out before Luke Minchella scored for Slaz to set up an exciting finish. We couldn’t quite grab the equaliser despite going close on several occasions, but this was a fantastic start to the season. Well played everyone. Special thanks to Johnny Meeson who stepped in at very short notice to cover for the injured Karl Ashford and shared the centre back roles with Richard Coughtrey.

Ladies 1st’s (4) vs. (3) Dewsbury 1st’s

The Ladies 1st’s travelled to local side Dewsbury for an end to end thriller, coming away with a 4-3 win. Goals came from Sarah Sykes (3), and Mollie Gilbert

Ladies 2nd’s (4) vs. (1) Airedale 1st’s

Slazenger Ladies 2s started off strongly with excellent passes from defence to midfield. Brilliant runs from forwards allowed Nicci Swinden to score with a powerful straight strike. However, Airedale responded quickly with a goal in response. The first half ended with a 1-1 draw.

Slaz were straight on as the whistle blew, carrying with speed along the wings, allowing the opportunity for a short corner to which Ingrid scored Slaz’s second goal with a quick and powerful hit. An excellent cross from Nicci allowed Mia Davies to smash the ball into the net, making the score 3-1. Despite some distraction from the opposition, Stacey Drake hit the ball from defence right to the opposition’s D to Mia who passed the ball to Mush. Then scoring Slazenger’s final goal. Finishing with a 4-1 win despite having no subs. Cherry Bedford had a brilliant game in midfield, with strong tackles and awesome passes.

Ladies 3rd’s (0) vs. (6) Batley 1st’s

The rain held off for a hard-fought game between Slaz and Batley, which ended in a 6-0 defeat – a scoreline which didn’t reflect how well the team played. Starting strong, Slaz demonstrated some good passing and pressure through the centre and left wing between Tuscany Mellor, Beth Elsworth and Caitlin McGrath, however the Batley defence denied any shots on goal. A Batley hit out saw them quickly break down field and gain a short corner off a Slaz foot. Slaz defended well, but after 4 repeat short corners, the ball was deflected in off a Slaz stick.

Again Slaz went on the attack, putting pressure on the Batley defence and moving the ball well as a team. A great ball from Caro SChofield to Nat went wide and a cross into Caitlin was saved by the goalkeeper. Linda Stacey also had some shots on goal from short corners, but unfortunately none found the backboard.

Just before half time, Batley scored again from a deflected ball off a slaz stick into the D which rebounded off 2 Slaz sticks and past Lizzie to give them a 2-0 advantage.

After half time Batley pushed on with 2 goals in quick succession despite great efforts from the Slaz defence. Slaz kept fighting though with some good long passes up field to Caro, Caitlin and Nat, but their shots were saved by the goalie. The last 2 Batley goals came from another deflection and an intercepted pass out of nowhere!

Final score Slazengers 0-6 Batley and Tuscany Mellor got player of the match.

Ladies 4th’s (0) vs. (3) Cleckheaton 1st’s

The ladies 4th team faced stiff opposition this week against Cleckheaton 1’s at home. Introducing another two new juniors, Ruby Fawdington-Fisher and Jess Morris and Gemma Wroe finding herself on the pitch for the first time in 5 years – it was clear from the start that Cleckheaton had fielded a more senior side with serious goal shooting skill.

Lauren Hattersley, Slazenger’s keeper, made her return from injury and didn’t disappoint, making several spectacular saves from the start but it wasn’t enough and at the half time whistle, Slazenger’s were 2 nil down.

Jules Measures worked tirelessly in midfield and the second half proved more successful with the Slazenger defence preventing Cleckheaton scoring further. An unfortunate home goal by captain Julie Bailey was all that slipped through.
A 3-0 defeat, but great sportsmanship from both sides made up for loss. Player – Jules Measures.

Under 12 Boys

The Boys under 12’s took on North Yorkshire outfit Driffield, making quick work of them While Driffield looked organised, Slaz quickloy got to work. A brace from Curtis Jones got the team underway. Luke Minchella followed with a top corner tomohawl worthy of the Premier league, with Owen Coughtrey following up for a fourth. Great work from Luke and good wing play from Owen and Curtis created the goals. Final score 4-0.

The second fixture say Slaz face off against City of York; again coming away with a dominant 3-0 performance. Luke Minchella and Amar Khalil were again dominant in attack throughout, creating many chances in an overall strong team performance across the board. Goals came from Khalil (2) and Minchella

Game 3 saw Slaz face off against Adel. Good early pressure came from Amar and Luke, with Curtis going close. The first goal came from Khalil. However, stand out performance went to solid defence from Ollie Leonard to deny Adel. Great long ball through from Luke set up Amar to net the second. Final Score 2-0.

The final game of the day was against Selby. Not to be outdone by the earlier performances, the team worked hard to bring home a 6-0 victory. A great cross in from Minchella set up Amar to score the first. Luke followed this up with a second from close in, and a 3rd from a goal mouth scramble. Curtis was close to netting the fourth, but great defence from Selby kept them in the game. Minchella was on hand to break the deadlock, creating 2 goals out of nothing with creative play in space. Ollie Leonard again demonstrated some solid defensive work to to deny Selby. In the closing minutes, Amar intercepted the ball just outside the D, setting up Minchella for the 6th. Final score 6-0.

Under 16 Boys

Slazengers Under-16s secured promotion to Division One of the Yorkshire Youth Hockey League at the first time of asking as they took full advantage of playing at home – including beating old foes Ben Rhydding. The withdrawal of Driffield from the opening tournament of the season appeared to relax the Slaz boys as they knew they could not be relegated, although they later admitted they did not expect to finish top of the table.

They opened with a 1-1 draw against a Hull side who tested the umpires’ patience to the extreme with their robust play and constant complaining about decisions. Hull took the lead with a drag flick from a short corner into the top corner, giving keeper Aidan Coughtrey no chance, but Slazengers hit back strongly and fashioned an excellent equaliser. Max Godley impressed all tournament with his use of the aerial pass and from one of these, towards the right corner of the pitch, Alex Stacey used his pace to outsprint his opponent before cutting back and beating the keeper from a tight angle.

Slazengers just about edged the rest of the match in terms of possession but could not find a winning goal, before Ben Rhydding beat Hull 2-1 in the next match. This meant any victory against their nemesis opponents would enable Slaz to finish top – and they achieved this by outplaying the Ilkley side to win 1-0. A solid defensive display by Joe Minchella, Lucas Smith, Stacey, who dropped back from his usual midfield role to add some extra muscle, and new recruit Rhys Hancock meant Coughtrey was untroubled. It also meant that when Will Gascoigne’s powerful shot from the edge of the D found the corner of the goal, it proved decisive as Slazengers then wound down the clock with some impressive game management. Opponents in the top division next tournament will be Doncaster, who were overall champions last season at under-14 level, Wakefield and Harrogate.

Under 16 Girls

Harrogate V Slazenger: Despite the wet conditions and Slazengers only having 10 players the girls were ready for the challenge. The girls started well with the ball being passed around quickly. Slazengers were awarded a short corner however did not manage to score but were given a second chance when the ball hit the oppositions foot. Maisie received the ball at the top of the D and instead of striking passed it around the D, which made its way to Cherry who was waiting on the post for their first goal.

The rain became extremely heavy and made it difficult for the girls to see but this did not deter them and quickly followed their second goal as Hannah positioned herself on the back post as the ball made its way around the goal keeper. After half time both teams were playing well but as Harrogate became frustrated they made a number of errors leading to multiple short corners and again Slazengers utilised this to finish the game 3-0.

Slazenger V Northallerton: After a 40 min break and having dried off a little, Slazengers started off strong keeping the ball in the oppositions half, the teams appeared evenly matched despite Slazengers being a player down. Mia, Masie and cherry worked hard in midfield however a miscommunication between the forwards and midfield allowed Northallerton through leading to their first goal. Slazengers battled on as Northalleron grew in confidence, Ashleigh and Freya communicated well in defence and with a brilliant save from Maisie in Goal they managed to hold Northalleron to a 1-0 score at half time.

In the second half Northalleron upped their game some more, the additional player made all the difference to them but with some lovely stick work from Catlynn and a number of excellent hit outs from Freya, Slazengers looked like they were going to even up the scores. However with a lucky shot from Northallerton the game ended 2-0.

Men’s 1st’s (0) vs. (2) Leeds 4th’s
The first match back in the North East League for the Men’s first’s didn’t go our way, but it wasn’t a total write off…

After a grueling summer of fitness training it’s fair to say the squad looked primed and ready for it. From the start both teams had chances on goal; Leeds within seconds, Slazenger 15 minutes later when Birkett picked out Tuddenham in the Dee. However halftime arrived with the teams in deadlock at 0 – 0.

As the second half progressed Slazenger had several chances from short corners but were unable to convert. Leeds however were lucky to slip one passed the shiny new kickers of Loftus.

The First’s kept battling but early season ball control got the better of them as Leeds snuck in one more goal to put the game out of reach. Final score 0 – 2.

Men’s 2nd’s (9) vs. (2) Doncaster 4th’s
The mens 2nds got off to a strong start with a 9-2 victory on the road at Doncaster 4th’s. In what was anticipated to be a tough encounter after last seasons promotion, the team got off to a rapid start. Early pressure was converted with a trademark strike from Asad Baig, followed by a second off a cross from Ian Hedges. The team maintained the pressure, wth Baig netting another brace to put the visitors 4-0; with assists from Sam Haigh and Ben Graham in the middle. With the team ahead, the pressure dropped and Doncaster were awarded a penalty flick and a subsequent scrappy conversion from a penalty corner.

After the combined hairdryer treatment of both ex captain Ben Graham, and new captain Matt Green, the team came back out in force. The second half continued to be a strong showing for Slazenger. While Doncaster defended hard for 10 minutes, Isaac Fisher broke the deadlock picking up a pass from Amir Khalil to slot it past the keeper for the 5th. Damo Grieg followed on quickly with a 6th, and Baig completed an impressive 7 goal haul with a further hat trick.

In all a fantastic start to the league campaign, with the 2nd’s looking forward to their home encounter with City of York on Saturday.

Men’s 3rd’s (1) vs. (2) Brigg 3rd’s
On a hot day Slazenger’s third team trekked down to Brigg for their first game of the season. Slazenger’s started off strong dominating the first 20 minutes with Slazenger’s then taking the deserved lead through a nice goal started from the midfield and finished off by Tim Carr.

Brigg then started to come back into the game and it resulted with a nice individual goal from a Brigg player. Just before the half time whistle Tim scored again with a nice deflection but then for the umpire to disallow it as he ‘didn’t see the touch’.

With heads still high at half time Slazengers went out to the second half feeling confident and it was end to end until some sloppy marking cost slaz a goal. The rest of the game was in Slazenger’s momentum despite the goal and Slaz were really pushing for the equaliser. With just under 10 minutes left after some skills from Max, Tim found himself through on goal only to hit the post with a reverse stick shot. Slaz pushed forwards but just couldn’t score and they feel that they could have got something out of the game.

An unlucky 2-1 loss but Slaz hope to take three points next week at home to Barnsley. Well done to Joe and Matthew who both had great 3rd team debuts. MOM Max Godley.

Men’s 4th’s (7) vs. (1) Bradford 3rd’s
After the previous weeks disappointing result in a friendly against Leeds there was some trepidation heading into the fist league match. However a full strength squad at least gave us a chance to see what we could achieve. It was hot afternoon so fatigue was likely to be factor in a fast paced game. Starting with the same formation as previous weeks of 2 3 2 3 it was into the game Slaz marched forth.

Suffice to say it was a game of two halves both of which belonged to Slaz who dominated the play from the off. After the initial settling in period Slaz deftly slotted in their first goal within 10 minutes from Pete Gunning. This was followed soon after with a penalty flick being neatly tucked into the bottoms left corner by John Sykes. The confidence was growing as Slaz continued to move the ball around the field and allowing Bradford litre opportunities. However they soon gained that change when they were awarded a short corner. They had a clean strike which was partially stopped with his stick by Chris Flavell on left post but it deflected into his shin and Bradford subsequently put themselves on the score sheet with simple goal.

Undeterred Slaz maintained the pressure and before the end of the second half a further two goals had been added to the score line. Cofindence at a real high Slaz went into the second half ready to increase the score line and they didn’t disappoint increasing the score by a further 3 goals. That said it could have been far more though it would seem that some work needs to be done on injecting short corners as several attempts never made it out of the D, much to everyone’s amusement. However, By the end of the game the previous weeks loss was but a distant memory . Final score was 7-1 to Slaz
Scorers were Andy Birkett 1, John Sykes 2, Pete Gunning 1, Josh Hujwan 1, Scott Carruthers 1, Matt Smith 1

Man of the match went to Harry Buttery for his outstanding midfield efforts which have shown he is as much of force outfield as he has in net. Next weeks sees 4s travel to Halifax

Men’s 5th’s (0) vs. (4) Kingston-Upon-Hull 4th’s
The 5th team looked to start the season with a win but that wasn’t the case. We started positively with MOM Ian ‘Topper the Stopper’ Randle keeping scores level. Hull eventually broke the deadlock, despite a couple of off target chances for us, and continued to put 3 past us by the halfway point of the match.

The second half was much of the same with Hull continuing to attack. However only managing to put 1 goal past us in the second half, despite WOM Blocker Bailey giving away more and more short corners with his hacking tackling technique. We finished the second half with a couple of good attacks as Hulls older legs started to tire, but unfortunately with no reward! The game ended with a 4-0 loss. But still an improvement on last seasons 9-0 loss opener!

Ladies 1st’s (2) vs. (2) Kingston-Upon-Hull 1st’s
The ladies 1’s travelled east along the M62 to Hull on Saturday for their first league match of the season. Another scorcher of a day and a squad of 11 it was clear that everyone was going to dig deep if they were to gain anything from the tie. The first half saw Slaz match Hull for the most part, but a couple of breaks let Hull sneak a couple of goals in – the second on the stoke of half time.

The ladies 1’s travelled east along the m62 to Hull on Saturday for their first league match of the season. Another scorcher of a day and a squad of 11 it was clear that everyone was going to dig deep if they were to gain anything from the tie. The first half saw Slaz match Hull for the most part, but a couple of breaks let Hull sneak a couple of goals in – the second on the stoke of half time.

A rousing team talk from captain Tyrell and a couple of changes to positions saw a different team come out for the second half. The friendly banter from the home team soon disappeared as Slaz piled on the pressure. MVP Jones in defence helped thwart any chances Hull thought they might have of increasing their goal tally and kept the ball in Slaz’s attacking half. The pressure eventually paid off when Gilbert’s reverse shot rattled the backboard.

In the mid day sun and at 2:1 down Slaz could’ve been forgiven for slowing, but as temperatures soared along with some tempers Slaz determination grew and with 5 minutes to go Tyers slotted home the equaliser much to Hulls dismay. Despite their best efforts in the dying minutes, Hull were unable to break the Slaz defence and the final score ended 2:2.

All in all a fantastic team effort saw the Ladies gain their first and very welcome point of the season. A great confidence boost ahead of next weeks clash with Dewsbury – 12:30 push back at Hecmondwike Grammar school… be there or be square🤩

Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (3) Skipton 1st’s
Ladies 2nd’s hosted Skipton 1st’s. Goals came from Mia Davies and Sarah Cooper.

Leeds 3rd’s (1) vs. (2) Thirsk 2nd’s
The first league match of the season at Thirsk and it was “scorchio”. The first 10 minutes was evenly matched, but an injury to a Thirsk player disrupted play, having to leave the pitch, and we think a visit to A&E. Slaz moved the ball swiftly from the defense, including Jess L, Emma E and Jess D and H up to the midfield where Ellie ran tirelessly to create some excellent balls through to the forwards, Caitlin, Caro and Nat.

There were some chances for Slaz with great passing between Justine and Caitlin on the right, who passed to Caro in the D, who got a call from Nat but just missed turning the cross in. Caitlin, our youngest player turned out for 3s a little nervous, but she played brilliantly, getting into great positions on that right wing, and skillfully getting around the experienced Thirsk defenders, working well with Ellie, who had a shot at goal, but denied by the keeper.

Beth and Nat on the left worked well together. The Thirsk attackers had a few shots on goal in the first half also, with Lizzie taking charge and keeping a clean sheet in the first half. A through ball from Slaz defense to Ellie, then Nat, who passed a great ball to Caro, whereby she was battling it out with a couple of defenders and managed to get into the D, with a 1 on 1 with the keeper, and slotted it past her to secure a 1-0 lead.

The 2nd half saw Thirsk coming out all guns blazing, they were putting constant pressure on the Slaz midfield and defense, gaining short corners, of which their first goal came from a decent cross, that was simply deflected in off one of their sticks (bit of a fluke really). Slaz did have some further breaks, with Beth & Nat dominating the left side, allowing Caro to strike just wide of the post, but Thirsk persisted, and with their 2 subs, capitalised on a fatigued Slaz squad of only 11. It wasn’t long before they had another short corner, and secured a 2nd goal from the ball “double bouncing” over two Slaz sticks (again, a soft goal).

Slaz were disappointed with the 2nd half performance, and felt that a draw would have been a worthy result. Player of the match was Caitlin, with Ellie in 2nd place, both of whom had great matches.

Ladies 4th’s (0) vs. (4) Ben Rhydding 6th’s
The ladies 4th team faced Ben Rhydding 6th team this weekend at home – and what a glorious day to play hockey! Although the 4-0 defeat didn’t reflect the games effort.

Whilst Ben Rhydding netted 3 goals in the first half, keeper Maisie Royston saved many more and Slazenger’s were not without their chances. Di Jones’ shot fell just wide of the goal, Josie Hughes’ great effort was saved by the keeper and Lyn Wood just missed a deflection.

The second half saw the Slazenger ladies pull together defensively and prevented Ben Rhydding getting through much more effectively. Steph Clements worked tirelessly in defence, joined by Freja Wilson and Hannah Tunstall-Miller in midfield – both juniors moving up to play ladies hockey for the first time. An unlucky 4th goal for Ben Rhydding hit the post when the ball was deemed lost and was sneakily tapped in. Player – Emily Craven in midfield.

Girls Under 12’s
Sunday 22nd September saw the start of the U12 girls tournaments for this season at Adel. The opening match of the tournament saw Slazenger draw 0:0 with Northallerton, despite most of the action being in our attacking end, only great goalkeeping by the opposition kept the score equal.

There was some excellent passing and defending in this fast paced second match, seeing Courtney score an excellent goal. The final score saw Driffield beat Slazengers 2:1.

A short corner was well defended during this third match keeping the score 0:1 to Leeds Adel. The girls communicated well with each other to keep the ball moving.

Some great hockey was played in the last match of the tournament with lots more control of the ball. In a well balanced match Slazengers were unfortunate to concede two goals, leaving the final score, 0:2 to Halifax.

U12 Girls should be proud of their efforts today, with some great communication and teamwork both in attack and defence.

Player of the Tournament, voted for by the team, went to Millie – well done!

Junior Training restarts in just under a months time. Please remember to check the ages groups and their times. If you son/daughter has moved up an age group, their training time may have changed! First training sessions are as follows:

• Under 8 & Under 10’s (Year 2,3,4 & 5) – Sunday 8th Sept (9:15 – 10:30am)
• Under 12’s & 14 (Year 6, 7, 8 & 9) – Tuesday 10th Sept (6-7pm)
• Under 16’s (Year 10 & 11) – Monday 9th Sept (8-9pm)

New players are encouraged to come and give it a go, so if you know someone who might be interested, invite them down!

Congratulation to the Men’s over 40’s who joined forces with Huddersfield HC, to enter the England Hockey Summer Over 40’s National Competition (Tier 2). The team made it all the way to the final, facing off against National League side Hampstead & Westminster.

In a close fought match, they were edged out 5-2; picking up the silver medals. Congratulations to all those involved.

The FIH published the new Rules of Outdoor Hockey in December 2018. These took effect internationally from 1 January 2019, but National Associations have discretion to decide the date of implementation at national level. As communicated on 18th December 2018, England Hockey chose not to implement the changes during the 2018-19 season.

England Hockey can now confirm that it supports the implementation of all the rule changes with the exception of one.Therefore the following (major) changes will be implemented at all levels of the sport in England from the start of the 2019/20 season:

• Removal of Player with Goalkeeper Privileges (PwGKP)
• Amendments to Attacking Free Hits within the 23m
• Defensive Free Hits awarded within the defensive circle
• Amendment to ruling around Attackers entering the circle early at a Penalty Corner

England Hockey has, in recent years, striven to apply a consistent set of rules throughout all levels of the sport, however, the proposed change to 15-minute quarters has caused considerable concern. Since December England Hockey has been considering the full implications of the rule change including research on the impact on game length consultation with officiating bodies and discussions with other hockey governing bodies around the world.

England Hockey has also been liaising with the FIH to understand whether they were reconsidering the proposals in light of the number of countries opting to continue to play halves or opting to move to 17.5 minute quarters (without the clock stopping at Penalty Corners). The Board of England Hockey met on 16 July and has agreed the following changes:

1. To apply 17.5 minute quarters (without the clock stopping at Penalty Corners) to the elite domestic club game specifically:
   • a. All Divisions of the England Hockey Leagues (the Investec Women’s Hockey League and Men’s England Hockey League);     
   • b. Tier 1 of the Adult Club Championships.
2. For season 2019-20, to leave the rest of the club game played as halves, usually of 2×35 minutes (or shorter formats in the junior game as appropriate).

The implementation of quarters at lower levels will be considered over the course of the 2019/20 season, in light of the experience at the higher levels.

Support will be available for players, coaches, umpires and officials in learning these rule implementations through access to material on the Hockey Hub and this will be shared with Leagues & Umpiring Associations to enhance the learning of their members ahead of the new season.

Due to the variation in rule sets for the domestic game, the Hockey Hub will host both versions of the rules that England Hockey will be playing to during the 2019/20 season.

As previously stated, there are a number of changes to the Outdoor Rules. These are all marked with a vertical line in the margin of the Rule Book. The key rule changes are summarised below, but players, coaches, umpires and officials are encouraged to read the full text of the new rules rather than relying on this document.

Key Changes

2.2– Mandatory Experiment: a team no longer has the option to play with a player with goalkeeping privileges. This means that teams either play with a Goalkeeper, or 11 outfield players.

5 – timing of matches to be more closely aligned with the international game as seen at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup or FIH Pro-League. See above / below for further details.

6 – wording change around the start and re-start of the match to reflect the change to quarters in the rule book.

9.12 – Very minor clarification of third party or shadow obstruction during a penalty corner on defenders (and goalkeeper).

11.6 – wording added to this rule to show that Umpires blow the whistle for the start / end of each quarter and for the stopping / re-starting of time around a Penalty Corner.

12.4 – clarification added to the awarding of a Penalty Stroke if the ball hits a piece of equipment lying in the circle and a probable goal is prevented, a penalty stroke may be awarded.

13.1 – A free hit awarded to the defence within the defensive circle can be taken anywhere in their circle OR taken up to 15 metres from the back-line in line with the location of the offence, parallel to the side-line.

13.2 – Additional wording in the guidance concerning the re-start after awarding a Free Hit to the attacking team within 5 metres of the circle they are attacking. The introduction of a quick self-pass for these Free Hits allows the defenders to stay within the circle, within 5m and not interfere with play until the ball can legitimately enter the circle. If there is no quick self-pass, then ALL defenders, regardless of location in the 23m, have to retreat 5m if they wish to legitimately play the ball once the Free Hit is taken.

13.3.g – Clarification on defending team’s responsibilities when defending a Penalty Corner when playing with no Goalkeeper.

13.5 – Removal of previous rule of when a Penalty Corner is finished if time has already lapsed and clarification that if play during a Penalty Corner is stopped because of an injury or for any other reason during the taking of a penalty corner at the end of a quarter or half and a bully would otherwise be awarded, the penalty corner must be taken again.

13.6.e – change to current rule, now if an attacker enters the circle at a Penalty Corner before permitted, the player taking the push or hit from the backline is required to go beyond the centre-line and the Penalty Corner is taken again.

13.7.e – if a team has chosen to play with eleven outfield players and no goalkeeper, if they concede a Penalty Stroke then this explains what protective equipment is permitted for the defender.

Can you believe it, it’s almost hockey season already! With that in mind, here’s a quick email with preseason & seasonal training information on. We’re sure your’re all ready to get back to it, so here’s what you need to know: PRESEASON TRAINING Preseason training has started already! Sorry for the late notice. All preseason training is included in membership subs, so you don’t need those £3’s anymore! Ladies: Monday nights 8-9pm Mens: Wednesday nights 8-10pm SEASON TRAINING Season training will start the first week of September. Again, all costs are covered in membership, so its free to turn up and get training: Mens: Wednesday nights 8-10pm (Starting 4th September) Ladies: Thursday Nights 7:30-10pm (Starting 5th September) More information will follow, but please take advantage of the training time which is available.  See you on the pitch!

In light of recent advice from England Hockey, the club has revised its policy for face masks. For further information, please speak to your captain, coach or any club official:

Junior Players
It is the policy of Slazenger Hockey Club, that any junior (under the age of 18) defending a penalty corner must do so wearing a face mask.

In all Yorkshire Youth Hockey League matches (Sundays) and Development team fixtures, masks will be provided by the club.

If a junior member plays senior hockey and a mask is not available then they will not be allowed to defend the corner. 

Senior Players
Senior players defending penalty corners are encouraged to wear a face mask, however it is up to the individual whether or not they choose do so.

Match Reports from Weekend of 22nd & 23rd September 2018

Men’s 1st’s vs. Bradford 1st’s
Men’s 1st’s hosted Bradford 1st’s for a tough opening game in the newly promoted Premier league. With Bradford finishing 2nd in the league last season it was a tough test. While Slaz lost out 4-3, they rose to the pace and speed of the new league. Richard Tuddenham netted a hat trick to keep the deficit to only a single goal.

Men’s 2nd’s vs. Men’s 3rd’s
Following a league restructure, Slazengers Hockey Club were in the unusual position of having their men’s 2’s and 3’s face off against each other in the first league game of the season. Unfortunately a few players were missing due to injuries and other commitments leaving the 3’s weaker than they would have liked and this was only compounded when keeper Daz Buttery had to leave the field injured mid way through the 1st half.

Outfielder Jack Mumford stepped up and took the pads even saving a Ben Jackson penalty flick towards the end of the game. Despite the 3’s best efforts, the 2’s ran out comfortable 11-0 winners. Goals came from Asad Baig (3), Ben Jackson (2), Damo Greig (2) and 1 each for Ben Graham, Will Gascoigne, Ian Hedges and James Taylor. The 2’s will take confidence from some good hockey and a solid performance throughout whereas the 3’s can take heart from some strong individual performances especially from newcomers Max Godley and Alex Stacey under difficult circumstances. Man of the match for the 2’s was shared between Ben Jackson and Damo Greig.

Men’s 4th’s vs.Leeds 8th’s
Unfortunately a new look Slazenger 4th’s took to the pitch against a strong organised Leeds 8th’s. Unfortunately they were run out 4-0 in a game where the scoreline did not reflect the flow of the game.

Men’s 5th’s vs. Wakefield 7th’s
An inexperienced team took to the pitch for their first league game ever. Unfortunately it was clear from the get-go that they were outclassed. However in typical Slaz form, they battled on for the whole game and came away with their heads held high.

Unforgettable debuts from Mark Rodgers, John McGrath and Ian Randle, 2 of whom retired injured much to the delight of other squad members. Despite Man of match performance from Darren “Blocker” Bailey Slazengers ran out a close second in the 9-0 defeat. Great times however were had in the clubhouse afterwards.

Ladies 1st’s vs. Thirsk 1st’s
1st league game having been promoted into North Division 2 did not start as well as hoped. Thirsk started on the front foot and quickly got into their stride. Within first 5 minutes they constructed a swift move down the right hand side, passing to their forward high up the pitch who turned the defender, to created herself some space, shot and scored. 0 – 1

Slazengers, although appeared a little sluggish at the start, with a few misplaced passes, soon upped their game as they picked up the pace. Strong play down the right from Alex Gilbert resulted in a cross into the path of Clare Dunston, whose shot was saved by the keeper.

The remainder of half was pretty even with both teams creating a number of chances. Thirsk came very close as they intercepted a pass and pushed forward, leading to a 1 on 1 with Gemma, the keeper, who made a fantastic save. As half time approached, Slazengers went wide down the right wing, with Molly Gilbert skillfully bi-passing the defender, crossing to Claire Dunstan, who set up Katie MInchella to score from the top of the D. 1 – 1

Thirsk started strongly in the second half passing well and pressing high up the field. Slazengers defended well and managed to scramble the ball away. During this time Thirsk were awarded a short corner which according to the umpire hit a defenders foot on the line, so a flick was awarded. Thirsk flicked the ball high right giving the keeper no chance of saving. 1 – 2

Not disheartened Slazengers continued to work hard and had opportunities themselves with Katie Minchella missing the goal by inches from a reverse stick shot. From a quickly taken hit out, Thirsk broke quickly, and with some accurate passing were able to create an opportunity and scored from open play. 1 – 3

Following another short corner for Thirsk, the initial shot was saved but in the following scramble the ball jumped up into the defenders hand and another flick was awarded. This time the keeper anticipated the flight of the ball and prevented a goal being scored.

Slazengers again rallied and a pass intercepted by Lisa Minchella deep in the Slazenger half was quickly dispatched down the right. Once picked up by Frankie in midfield she cut through the defence to find Claire Dunstan free in the D who slotted the ball home. 2 – 3

Ladies 2nd’s vs. Thirsk 2nd’s
Heading into the first game of the season with lots of new players, Slazengers 2 new they had to go out strong. The first 20 mins were evenly matched, with short corners at both ends. Finally a break from a long ball to Caro Schofield forced an error by the goal keeper, giving slaz a penalty flick. Calmly Stacey Drake transferred the ball to the back of the net, 1-0 Slaz. However, the lead was short lived after a thirsk short corner resulted in a goal, half time 1-1.

In the second half, open play was again even between both sides. Short corners were given at both ends but Thirsk were unable to penetrate through slaz’s solid defence. However, after a Slaz player received a yellow card and was sent off, they knew they had to dig deep and stay focused. Despite the odds, Slaz prevailed and with only 10 on the pitch, managed to secure another short corner taken as a straight strike which was rebounded to the open arms of Caro, who rhubarbed the ball into the back of the net. Final score 2-1 to slaz, a great start to the season, with Stacey Drake receiving Player of the match.

Ladies 3rd’s Game Cancelled

Ladies 4th’s no game

Boys Under 14’s
Slazengers Under-14 boys won promotion to Division Three of the Yorkshire Youth Hockey League with the minimum of fuss. Their three games produced 15 goals and none conceded as they saw off Halifax, Adel and hosts Bradford.

The opening match was a 4-0 win against Halifax, with Max Godley scoring twice plus goals from Will Gascoigne and Alex Hobson, playing his first full pitch game of hockey.

Bradford were expected to be a tougher proposition but they were dispatched 7-0 thanks to some devastating attacking hockey by the Slaz boys. A Godley hat-trick was supplemented by goals from Gascoigne (2), Hobson and Alex Stacey.

A win against Adel would secure top spot in the division and another 4-0 success came courtesy of two more Godley goals and one from Hobson after Tommy Randle had opened the scoring.

The promotion was highlighted by some excellent team play built on solid defence, with keeper Aiden Coughtrey well protected by Lewis Killey, Joe Minchella and Isaac Burrows.
Curtis Jones, also steeping up form the U12s to play his first 11-a-side game, battled hard up front without reward.