Scots in Europe: Edinburgh University and Grove Menzieshill fly the flag
It was a big weekend of European hockey for Scotland’s Edinburgh University women, and Grove Menzieshill men and women. All three teams proudly represented Scotland in Europe, with Edinburgh University playing in Vienna, Grove Menzieshill women in Munich, and Grove Menzieshill men in Elektrostal in Russia.
Edinburgh University women clocked up four victories from four to secure promotion in EuroHockey Club Challenge II in Vienna. Grove Menzieshill men came fourth, and Grove Menzieshill women finished seventh.
Edinburgh University women
Game 1: University of Edinburgh HC v Navax AHTC Wien
Edinburgh University got off to a great start at women’s EuroHockey Club Challenge II in Vienna with a 5-0 victory.
The Scottish side stormed the host, Navax AHTC Wien, with a barrage of goals in the first two quarters, making the score 5–0 at half time.
The Scots were two up in just six minutes when Laura Swanson struck from a penalty corner, followed by a Maisie Morris strike a minute later.
The students inflicted further damage on their hosts in the second quarter when Caitlin Girdwood made it 3-0 from a penalty corner on 21 minutes.
A few minutes later and Lara Tomkins added her name to the score sheet when she made it 4-0 from a penalty corner.
Then on the stroke of half time, Rebecca Dru converted from the penalty spot to give her side a sensational five-goal lead at half time.
In the second half Navax had the crowd on its side but was unable to recover, and Edinburgh University took the points with a great win.
Full time: University of Edinburgh HC 5-0 Navax AHTC Wien
Game 2: University of Edinburgh HC v Iris Hockey Lambersart
Edinburgh University women continued the great form from the opening victory over Navax into game two, and shot to the top of pool B with another great performance in Vienna.
Lambersart had a win the previous day in a tight game with Wales’ Whitchurch Saints but they could not match the Scottish side’s power. The students established themselves early and won comfortably over their French opposition.
Again it was Laura Swanson opening the scoring from an early penalty corner to give her side the upper hand.
Then on ten minutes, Ellie Hutcheson doubled her side’s advantage when she struck to make it 2-0 early doors.
At the midway point in the second quarter Louise Campbell was on hand to make it 3-0 from open play – the students were on easy street.
Shortly after the start of the second half the French pulled one back through a strike by Julie Martinot to make it 3-1.
Edinburgh University issued the perfect response when Zara Malseed restored the three-goal advantage to make it 4-1, which was how it stayed to make it two wins out of two for Edinburgh University.
Full time: University of Edinburgh HC 4-1 Iris Hockey Lambersart
Game 3: Whitchurch Saints v University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh University women were on blistering form when they made it three wins from three in a stunning seven-goal victory over Whitchurch Saints.
Rebecca Dru opened the scoring from a penalty stroke on twelve minutes to give the Scots the advantage at the end of the first quarter.
It was in the second quarter that the students put the game out of sight. A quick-fire double strike by Waverly Miller and Caitlin Girdwood made it 3-0 before Zara Malseed made it 4-0 just before half time.
Sophie Maunder was the next name on the score sheet for the Scots when she made it 5-0 in the 43rd minute.
Malseed completed an exceptional hat-trick in the final quarter when she struck two goals in two minutes to complete the scoring in a great 7-0 win.
Full time: Whitchurch Saints 0-7 University of Edinburgh
Game 4: University of Edinburgh v SV Arminen
Edinburgh University women secured promotion in EuroHockey Club Challenge II with a tense shootout victory over SV Arminen in Vienna.
There was nothing to separate the sides until the final quarter of the match. Alison Eadie eventually broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when she finished off a penalty corner.
Taking the lead with four minutes remaining looked like the Scots would snatch victory at the death of the game, but the Austrians had other ideas.
In the final minute of the match Joanna Wieloch finished off a penalty corner to level the scores, taking the match to a shootout.
It was a dramatic end to the match with SV Arminen taking the lead in the shootout through an Alexander Lenzinger goal. Eadie levelled the scores before Sophie Newton gave the Scots the lead. Both sides failed to convert their fourth penalty before Sophie Maunder secured the victory with the last penalty of the match to give Edinburgh University a momentous win.
Full time: University of Edinburgh 1-1 (3-1) SV Arminen
Grove Menzieshill men
Game 1: Grove Menzieshill v Navax AHTC Wien
Grove Menzieshill men got their weekend off to a great start with a 6-2 victory over Austrian opposition, Navax AHTC Wien, in the EuroHockey Club Trophy.
The Scots didn’t get off to the greatest of starts to the match however, shipping two early goals to Linus Pilch and Lennard Gehrmann in the first quarter.
The two-goal head start was quickly clawed back with Albert Rowling and Paul Martin hitting the net in the second quarter to level the score.
It was in the final quarter of the match that Grove Menzieshill really showed their quality. Gavin Tomlinson gave his side the lead for the first time in the match when he scored on 48 minutes.
Adam Fallis secured the win with a goal in the 55th minute before two goals in a minute from Rowling and Martin put the icing on the cake for the Taysiders.
Full time: Grove Menzieshill 6-2 Navax AHTC Wien
Game 2: Grove Menzieshill vs SV Arminen
In game 2, SV Arminen consolidated their position at the top of Pool B with a 2-1 win over Grove Menzieshill men.
The Austrian side took the lead in the 15th minute as Patrick Schmidt again proved why he is a renowned striker of penalty corners. The lead was doubled on the stroke of half-time when Michael Berger took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to fire home.
The Scots fought back strongly in the second half but were unable to find a way past Mateusz Szmczyk in the Arminen goal. Finally, Scotland international Gavin Byers found the back of the net with a fierce penalty corner but that was the only opportunity Grove Menzieshill had to get back on terms.
Captain Gavin Tomlinson said: “We took until the second quarter to settle into the game due to the significant difference of pace between our domestic league and the pace at this Euro Trophy event.
“Once we had got into the game, the team felt comfortable and competed well. We now move onto tomorrow and stay united as a group and go again. We are strong unit and believe we will gain a positive result tomorrow.”
The result left Arminen at top of the pool and Grove Menzieshill in second place.
Full time: Grove Menzieshill 1-2 SV Arminen
Game 3: Paolo Bonomi v Grove Menzieshill
Grove Menzieshill men secured themselves second place in Pool B after their strongest display of the competition this far saw the Scots beat Paolo Bonomi 3-1.
It was a chilly day in Elektrostal at the EuroHockey Club Trophy but Grove Menzieshill were quickly into their stride and a good period of build-up play resulted in a goal for Adam Fallis in the 11th minute. Fallis showed a poacher’s instinct to deflect a blistering shot from Oliver James over the keeper into the roof of the net.
Euan Cuthill scored Grove Menzieshill’s second, a diving deflection from a cross by Gavin Byers, after the Scottish international had danced his way past several Italian defenders.
The third goal came in the 42nd minute after incessant pressure by Grove Menzieshill put Bonomi under all sorts of pressure. Albert Rowling was on hand to score his third goal of the tournament.
There was a consolation goal for Bonomi in the 45th minute when Fabio Cavallini was able to evade the Scottish defence but after that slip-up Grove Menzieshill shut up shop and saw the game out.
Captain Gavin Tomlinson said: “I am very proud and delighted with this young team’s performance and now we look forward to tomorrow’s match.”
In the match to determine third place, Grove Menzieshill would face the difficult task of playing Dinamo Elekstrostal, with home advantage and a partisan crowd to cheer them on.
Full time: ASD SH Paolo Bonomi 1-3 Grove Menzieshill
Game 4: Dinamo Elektrostal v Grove Menzieshill
It was a tough final match for Grove Menzieshill men as they lost 4-0 to hosts Dinamo Elektrostal in the 3rd/4th place playoff of EuroHockey Club Trophy 2017.
It was the Russians who got their noses in front early doors when Sergey Lepeshkin opened the scoring from open play in the 11th minute.
It was at a similar time in the second quarter when Dinamo Elektrostal doubled their lead. Dmitry Laptev finished off from a penalty corner to make it 2-0 three minutes shy of half time.
Midway through the third quarter the Russians put the game out of sight. Andrey Kuraev provided the finish on 39 minutes to make it 3-0 to the home side.
Aleksandr Gilev completed the scoring with two minutes remaining, resulting in a final score of 4-0 to the home side. It was a great effort by Grove Menzieshill but the Taysiders just fell short in the final match.
Full time: Dinamo Elektrostal 4-0 Grove Menzieshill
Grove Menzieshill women
Game 1: Grove Menzieshill v GHC Ritm Grodno
It was a tough opening game for Grove Menzieshill women against GHC Ritm Grodno, losing 3-0 in the women’s EuroHockey Club Trophy.
Early goals from Sviatlana Bahushevich in the third and eighth minute rocked the Scots and a well-struck penalty corner in the 10th minute from captain Volha Shyntar effectively ended Grove Menziehill’s hopes of a point from the game.
Grove Menzieshill rallied in the second half of the match, with goalkeeper Catherine Rae particularly effective but the Belarus team proved itself defensively adept.
“We knew it would be a tough game, they have lots of experienced players and we knew coming out here we wanted to get something from the first game,” said Grove Menzieshill’s Louise Carroll.
“The first quarter wasn’t good but we have a lot of youngsters who haven’t played at this level before. Room for improvement, yes, but the first game is out of the way, so hopefully we will build on that.”
Full time: GHC Ritm Grodno 3-0 Grove Menzieshill
Game 2: Grove Menzieshill v Pegasus
Game two for Grove Menzieshill women was a feisty fixture that matched the weather, as another day of hot temperatures made the pace of the game at EuroHockey Club Trophy 2017 uncomfortable for the players.
Grove Menzieshill got off to the better start in this second match, with Judith McMullan slamming the ball into the net from a penalty corner in the seventh minute of the game. Pegasus quickly rallied however, captain Alex Speers bringing the scores level in the 12th minute, with a beautifully taken goal from open play. No sooner had play resumed than Speers was at it again. Her unerring eye for the net saw her take her second goal and put her team in the lead.
In the second quarter, Pegasus grew into the game. A series of linking passes resulted in a chance for Hannah Grieve to strike the ball home – something she did in style.
After the break, Grove Menzieshill really turned up the pressure. One goal was disallowed as dangerous but Linda Clement managed to bring the scores closer in the 48th minute with a penalty corner strike. Despite pressure from the Scottish side, Pegasus hung onto their lead.
A special mention goes to Karin Belch who was outstanding in both attack and defence in this match.
Full time: Grove Menzieshill 2-3 Pegasus
Game 3: Grove Menzieshill v Club Campo Madrid
Sunday for Grove Menzieshill women was another tough day at the office, with the team going down to a 6-0 defeat against Club Campo de Madrid.
The Spanish team proved their quality and went through as pool winners.
The opening goal came on six minutes with Alicia Magaz Medrano scoring from open play, and this was quickly followed up by a strike by Carmen Cano Ruiz.
It wasn’t until half way through the third quarter that Campo really put the game to bed; Magaz Medrano scoring her second of the match followed by Monica Figar Coghen striking the fourth of the match.
In the final quarter Empar Gil scored a fifth from a penalty corner, before Maria Lopez Garcia finished off the scoring with four minutes remaining.
Again a lot of Grove Menzieshill’s good work was done in defence, starting in the front line with the strikers. Rachel Strachan played the whole game due to an injury to Cath Rae and played very well making some crucial saves.
Full time: Grove Menzieshill 0-6 Club Campo de Madrid
Game 4: SG Amsicora v Grove Menzieshill
In their final game of the EuroHockey Club Trophy 2017, Grove Menzieshill women secured 7th spot with a 3-2 victory over SG Amsicora in Munich.
It was the Scots who got off to a great start in this encounter, scoring two goals in the opening quarter. The first goal came in the fourth minute when Hanna McKie converted from open play to get her team off to a flyer.
McKie’s strike was quickly followed up by Susan Hamilton who deflected a penalty corner high into the net to make it 2-0 on 11 minutes.
Jennifer Walls eventually put the game out of sight when she lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper in the 42nd minute to make it 3-0.
The third goal seemed to spur a late fightback from the Italians with two strikes in the final quarter making it a nervy end to the match. Federica Carta scored with ten minutes remaining to give her side a lifeline, before Teresa Dalla Vittoria struck with two minutes remaining.
It was too little too late for the Italians and Grove Menzieshill took the spoils to end the tournament on a high.
Full time: SG Amsicora 2-3 Grove Menzieshill
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