The Latest News and Events @ Cardiff & Met HC

Three of Cardiff & Met HC’s teams secured spots at the 2018 edition of the Hockey Wales Finals Day.

The ladies 2nd team were the first of Cardiff’s teams to take the field in the Womens Trophy competition.

The Cardiff & Met Ladies 2nd team approached the Welsh Trophy
Final following an extremely successful domestic season, winning 18 of their 20 league matches and securing the Division 1 title and promotion! The recent heatwave and nervous excitement could do nothing to prevent Cardiff & Met confirming their final victory of the season, as they overcame the travelling Bangor University 2-0 in front of a large crowd. Cardiff began with some exciting attacking play with Cardiff Met student Hope Stevenson and NAGS player Tegan Waters pulling strings in the midfield and creating a number of scoring chances. The deadlock was broken late in the first quarter with a well worked penalty corner. Abi Griffiths deflected home from close range to add another goal to her season tally! With the nerves settled, Cardiff proceeded to control much of the game with their strong defence, led by captain Nic Hatch, staving off any Bangor attacks at source. Another goal was added by Cardiff later in the third quarter. Following a strong carry down the right from Daisy Lowe, a skilful reverse chip over the diving goalkeeper by Sian Rosewarne was poached on the goal-line by 2nd team legend Rebecca Chidley to seal a deserved 2-0 win and the League-Trophy double!

Womens Trophy Champions: Cardiff & Met 2nds 2 – 0 Bangor Uni 2nds

Eyes turned to the Mens teams as the sun rose on day 2 with the Mens E team first to take the field in the Mens Challenge Competition. Captain Mark Shelton, recounts the fixture as the Mens E competed in the final for the third consecutive season, arecord of 0-2.

“In the team huddle the team were determined to remedy this stat and make the beer taste sweeter later on. Tactics were discussed and it was agreed that the students would have speed and fitness on their side, so we would have to box clever and use all the experience within the team, with an average age the north side of forty.

Morgan set the tone for the day with a green after 3 minutes. Some say it was harsh but Sonny Bill would have been happy with the body contact in the tackle. A great move after 8 minutes saw John (bully) Ashton score a great goal, after fine work by Aron and Che.

Cardiff went two nil up after some rampaging asthmatic inspired run and cross from the ageing Captain, neatly finished by Sy Dovey. Inspired defending by Rhys and Lee, two important saves by Clevs, tireless midfield running by Sam, Morgs and John, made sure we held on to win 2- 0.

In the warm down after the game it was agreed that hockey was the true winner. Rhys got awarded MOM and unjustly, some would say, Shelts got DOD for a strong tackle with two minutes to go.”

Congratulations
to all involved:

Richard
Nicholls, Mark Shelton, Steve Way, Rhys Edwards, Lee Ireland, Malcolm Thomas, Joe Richards, Che Makan, Morgan Miles, Symon Dovey, Sam Edwards, Nick Patterson, Aron Waite, Colin Foad, John Ashton, Fil Pamment, Mike Cleverley

Mens Challenge Champions: Cardiff & Met E 2 – 0 Swansea Uni B

The last match of Hockey Wales finals day brought the return of a familiar Championship encounter between Cardiff & Met 1st and Whitchurch HC 1st in the Hockey Wales Mens Championship. Cardiff’s side secured 2nd in the Domestic National Conference West competition, while Whitchurch secured a mid-table finish in the Go Create Premiership.

While Whitchurch were in the midst of preparation for their Eurohockey Club Challenge II campaign in Slovenia, having recorded a strong finish to the league season, Cardiff saw the inclusion of Junior Internationals and the return of Senior Internationals from the Commonwealth Games. While the game remained competitive for long periods, the result was true to the league standings with Cardiff securing a 5-1 victory over cross-city neighbours. An early goal by Junior International Rhys Bradshaw set the tone, later followed by a further goal from Rhys, and goals Charlie Hunte, Ronan Taggart and Ieuan Davies.

Man of the Match – Jacob Draper

Head Coach Walid
Abdo, reflected on the Cardiff’s title retention.

“I have always felt it is hugely important as a coach, and as a club, that we safeguard the integrity of our domestic competitions in order to grow the game and inspire juniors to want to play in these finals. This is reflected by the strength of team I selected and how seriously we take winning competitions to develop momentum and confidence. This group of athletes have worked really hard all season and it is great for the group and the club to finish on such a high. It’s an honour and a privilege that this group are the top ranked team in Wales.”

Mens Championship Champions: Cardiff
& Met 1st 5-1 Whitchurch 1st

Cardiff & Met 1st team captain Luke Hawker, goalkeeper James Fortnam, Rhys Gowman, Alf Dinnie and Jacob Draper have all been selected to represent Wales at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in April. 18-year-old centre back Ioan Wall has also been named as a travelling reserve and will remain on standby until the tournament begins.

The 18 man Wales squad also contains 7 former Cardiff & Met players including Dan Kyriakides, who recently became the first Welsh player to represent Great Britain for a number of years and youth system graduate Dale Hutchinson. Assistant Men’s coach Danny Newcombe & Video Analyst Matt Mills both studied at Cardiff Met and represented the club meaning that over 50% of the squad and support staff have been through the Cardiff Met university or club system!

Rhys Gowman will play in his second Commonwealth Games after being part of the squad at Glasgow 2014, a fine achievement after only recently returning from a 15 month layoff due to a serious knee injury. Alf Dinnie will also be going to his second Games, his first in a playing capacity, after working at Glasgow 2014 as a volunteer, even filling the ice baths for the Wales squad! Alf is currently finishing a Masters degree at Cardiff Met and has also taken on the role of Ladies Performance Coach this season.

University Director of Hockey and lecturer Luke Hawker will co-captain the Wales squad in Australia after also taking on the leadership reins for Cardiff & Met 1st team this year. They currently sit in second place in the league and hot on the heels of leaders the University of Exeter.

Goalkeeper James Fortnam and midfielder Jacob Draper will be travelling to their first Commonwealth Games after impressing for both Cardiff & Met and Wales over the last couple of years. For youth system product Draper, who recently travelled to the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia with the Great Britain U23 squad, it caps off an excellent two years in which he has become an integral part of the club and international set ups.

Wales open their Commonwealth Games on 5th April, where they take on Pakistan. They will also play fellow group teams England, Malaysia and India.

Cardiff & Met continues to play a pivotal role in supporting Welsh
Junior talent towards international representation.

Throughout February half-term, Wales U16 & U18 Boys and
Girls attended training camps at the National Hockey Centre, Cardiff, vying for
selection ahead of Easter Test matches against Scotland.

Following three days of intense training a number of Cardiff
& Met HC players were successful in gaining selection for the test series
to be held at Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games Hockey venue.

Mari Paulson, Tegan Waters and Sophie Sedgebeer will
represent Wales U16, while Lilly Roberts, Nell Butler, Beth Wood, Katie Mulroy
and Louise Loughlin have been selected to represent at U18 level. All players
have played instrumental roles in the success of the Cardiff & Met HC
Ladies teams this season, playing throughout the 1st, 2nd
and 3rd teams, all of whom are in contention for league titles and
promotion places in the South Wales Womens Hockey League. All players also form
part of Cardiff & Met U18’s who are currently in the semi-final of the U18
knock-out competition.

Rhys Bradshaw, Rhys Payne, Will Riley, Rory Calderwood, Fergus
Stevens and Jet Treasure-Jeffreys will form a core component of the Wales U18
Boys team who will compete alongside the girl’s teams in Scotland. Rhys
Bradshaw and Will Riley have secured regular spot’s in Cardiff’s National
League squad and will benefit from their recent tournament experiences at
Cardiff’s European Indoor outing in Czech Republic. Rhys Payne, Rory
Calderwood, Fergus Stevens and Jet Treasure-Jeffreys continue to benefit from
inclusion in Cardiff’s performance training squad and will no doubt be in
contention for national league spots in the near future.

Test matches take place on Friday 30th, Saturday
31st March and Sunday 1st April @ Glasgow National Hockey
Centre.

We wish all players the very best of luck and look forward
to following their domestic and international progress.

Photos by Irfon Bennett (@beefybennett)

The Men’s 1st Indoor squad travelled to Prague
looking to build on their Welsh Cup win in Merthyr Tydfil in late January. With
a young group led by captain Sam Daymond, they arrived in good spirits with
many players looking to get their first taste of European Indoor hockey.

After landing in the early afternoon, it was straight to the
hotel to get acquainted followed by a short and sharp training session just
over the road at HC Slavia Praha, the Czech tournament hosts.

Day 1

A tough opening fixture saw Cardiff & Met play AD
Lousada, the Portuguese team who had been relegated into the division the
previous year and were looking to climb straight back into the Euro Trophy for
2019. Cardiff started slowly and were made to pay heavily, as a combination
of some clinical Portuguese finishing and some sloppy Cardiff errors meant that
Lousada earned a 12-2 win, with Cardiff’s goals scored by Ieuan Davies &
Jack Valentine.

The squad immediately looked to bounce back in the afternoon
match, which saw them up against HC Lipovci of Slovenia. Cardiff showed huge
improvement from their morning performance, displaying far more nous in defence
whilst managing to create plenty of chances in attack. After falling behind
twice, goals from Ieuan Davies and 17-year-old Rhys Bradshaw meant the game
finished in a 2-2 draw.

Day 2

The final group game saw Cardiff & Met play HC Vinnitsa,
the Ukrainian team who had secured two wins from their two matches and were
looking to top the group. Cardiff once again showed great improvement from
their previous matches and fought hard against an experienced indoor team, however
3 late goals meant that the game ended in a 5-2 defeat, with goals from Jack
Pritchard & Ieuan Davies. The result meant that Cardiff finished 4th
in their pool and moved into the relegation crossovers alongside their
Slovenian counterparts HC Lipovci.

The evening match saw Cardiff pitted against Soroksari HC in
a must-win relegation crossover match. The two sides had faced off indoor
several times over the years with fairly even results, however it was Cardiff
who took the spoils this time with a 6-5 victory in a thrilling see-saw of a
match, with a hat-trick for Jack Pritchard and further goals from Ieuan Davies,
Jack Valentine & Callum Stanley.

Day 3

Cardiff went into their final match of the tournament
knowing that they needed a minimum of a losing bonus point to ensure survival
in the division. A mature and professional display followed to secure a 2-2
draw against Slovakian side HC Senkvice, with goals from Ieuan Davies &
Jack Pritchard. The result meant Cardiff finished the tournament in 6th
place, securing their place in Challenge 1 for 2019, a solid achievement for a
young squad containing 9 Euro Indoor debutants.

A big thank you to coach Walid Abdo and Debbie Mason, who
juggled the physio/manager roles expertly!

Squad: Sam Daymond
(C) Jack Pritchard, Charlie Hunte, Mark Philpot (GK), Ieuan Davies, Eddy Evans,
Will Raymond, Callum Stanley, Jack Valentine, Ronan Taggart, Will Riley &
Rhys Bradshaw.

Cardiff & Met’s
Player of the Tournament – Ieuan Davies

Cardiff & Met came from behind once
again to secure a 4-1 win over Clifton Robinsons and maintain the pressure on
league leaders the University of Exeter.

In the final
game before the winter break, Cardiff & Met enjoyed the majority of
possession during the early stages but found it difficult to convert their goal
scoring chances. They were soon made to pay for their profligacy, as Robinsons
took a 1-0 lead against the run of play after a close-range finish from Tom
Jarvie.

As is
becoming the norm, conceding early seemed to kick Cardiff & Met into life,
and although they were unable to find an immediate equaliser, they found an
extra level of intensity and began to put Robinsons under significant pressure.
The Bristol team held strong however, and took their one goal lead into the
half-time interval.

Following a stern
team talk from coach Walid Abdo, Cardiff & Met came out of the traps in the
second half looking like a different team. The pressure quickly told on the
Robinsons defence and they soon conceded a penalty stroke after their
goalkeeper clattered into Ronan Taggart from behind following a sharp Cardiff
& Met counter-attack. Jack Pritchard converted from the spot in the 43rd
minute to bring the two sides level at 1-1.

Cardiff &
Met continued to attack in the same vein, and were rewarded four minutes later with
a maiden National League goal from youngster Will Riley, who made himself room
in the circle and slotted home past the Robinsons goalkeeper to make the score
2-1.

The home side
needed another goal to make the game safe, and it came in the 66th
minute after Eddy Evans pounced on a penalty corner rebound to grab his first
National League goal. Pritchard got his second of the match a minute later
after some excellent work from Charlie Hunte down the left wing to give Cardiff
& Met a deserved 4-1 win.

After league
leaders the University of Exeter lost 3-2 on the same day, the Welsh side head
into the winter break 3 points behind them in 2nd place and will
look to put plenty of pressure on in the New Year.

Next up// Cardiff & Met host Wooton
under Edge in the England Hockey Championships 2nd Round after being
granted a bye in Round 1.

Venue and time TBC.

Cardiff & Met were held to a 2-2 draw
for the second week running as they battled hard to earn a point away at Olton
& West Warwicks, courtesy of a late equaliser from Jagdeep Hanspal.

Cardiff & Met started slowly in the
face of some unfamiliar opposition, this was the first time the two teams had
played each other in the league, since Olton had transferred to the West
Conference for the 2017-18 season.

The hosts enjoyed the majority of the
possession in the early stages and took a deserved lead in the 20th
minute. Cardiff & Met were robbed of possession in the middle of the pitch,
and after a quick counter-attack, an Olton forward was able to slot home past
the onrushing James Fortnam.

Jack Pritchard equalised for Cardiff
& Met with a reverse-stick shot six minutes later, but they conceded again through
some soft defending almost immediately. After successfully defending a penalty
corner, Cardiff & Met were unable to clear the rebound, and a hopeful ball across
the circle found its way to an unmarked player on the back post, leaving a
simple tap-in to give Olton a 2-1 lead going into half-time.

Following a tactical re-shuffle and
some sharp words from coach Walid Abdo, Cardiff & Met came out in the
second half with far more intensity and immediately began to put the Olton defence
under pressure.

The game started to open up, with both teams
enjoying equal possession without creating many clear-cut chances, although Olton
were particularly grateful for some brave last-ditch tackles from their
defenders, as both Pritchard and Rhys Bradshaw were denied from close range. Both
teams also incurred the wrath of the umpires, who dished out green cards for some
of the niggly tackles on display in midfield.

Although both teams were unable to capitalise
on their one-man advantage, it was Cardiff & Met who finally made a breakthrough once the numbers were restored to normal. Despite Olton defending an
initial penalty corner, a well-executed routine from the re-award allowed
Jagdeep Hanspal to score the equaliser in the 65th minute to make the
score 2-2, his first National League goal for the club.

Cardiff & Met continued to pile on
the pressure but were unable to find the winner in the final five minutes,
meaning that for the second consecutive week they departed Birmingham with a
2-2 draw.

Next up// Cardiff & Met host
Clifton Robinsons in the final game before the winter break.

WIS (12.30pm PB)

Cardiff & Met were held to a 2-2
draw at the University of Birmingham as the hosts scored a late equaliser to
rescue a point in a frenetic Saturday night fixture.

With both teams looking to close the
gap on league leaders Exeter University, the match started cagily as both teams
looked to work their way into the match.

Both teams quickly grew in confidence and
it wasn’t long before the match opened up, as Birmingham took the lead in the 9th
minute, courtesy of a well-executed penalty corner from Scott Wall.

This seemed to shock Cardiff & Met into
life and they responded almost immediately, Ronan Taggart equalising three
minutes later as he picked up a bouncing ball, rounded the goalkeeper and
hammered home for his 3rd goal of the season.

The first half continued in a fairly
even fashion as Cardiff & Met failed to capitalise on some half chances and
the home side were especially thankful to their goalkeeper for a couple of fine
saves from Cardiff & Met penalty corners.

Birmingham had some chances of their
own and looked particularly dangerous on the counter-attack, but the Cardiff
& Met defence held strong and both sides headed into half-time with the
score level at 1-1.

Both teams started the second half with
added intensity following the interval, but neither side were able to capitalise
on their spells of possession and create many clear-cut opportunities. However, it was Cardiff
& Met who took the lead in the 52nd minute, when captain Luke
Hawker powered a drag-flick into the top right-hand corner.

They soon found themselves under
increasing pressure and although they successfully defended a barrage of
penalty corners, they were perhaps fortunate when Birmingham had a goal
disallowed, a decision which left the home side bemused.

Cardiff & Met’s resolute defence
was eventually broken in the 69th minute, as they gave away
possession in the middle of the pitch and despite goalkeeper James Fortnam making
an initial save, the rebound fell kindly to a Birmingham attacker who calmly
equalised from a tight angle.

Cardiff & Met then survived a
further scare as Birmingham were awarded a penalty corner in the last play of
the game, but the resulting effort was wide of the target meaning both teams took a share of
the spoils and were left to rue what might have been.

The Welsh side remain 2nd in the table, four points adrift of the University of Exeter.

Next up// Cardiff & Met travel to Olton & West Warwicks on Sunday 19th November (1.30pm PB).