Field Hockey Canada
2002 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Manchester, England

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July 27 - Round Robin - Canada vs. Wales : 1 - 1 (Half-time: 0 - 0) 1st Period (no score) 2nd Period 50' 0-1 WAL, Simon Organ, ps 58' 1-1 CAN, Wayne Fernandes, pc Report from David Bissett, Manager:Canada started its Commonwealth Games competition against Wales today. The game commenced at 1pm in warm and sunny conditions (unusual weather for here as so far its has been rainy and cold). Approximately 2,500 - 3,000 were on hand for the game at the Belle Vue Hockey Centre. Canada started well with several penetrating runs on counter attacks. In the seventh minute, Mike Oliver stole the ball from Wales deep defender and went in on goal. The Welsh goalie came out and made a fine save, but left a rebound for Rob Short who moved to his right and shot. It appeared that a Welsh defender got a stick on the shot in front of the goal as the ball deflected wide. In the ninth minute the flow of the game was disrupted as Michael Lee was sent off for a rough tackle from behind after he turned the ball over in deep defense. The umpire was rather harsh in leaving him off for 12 minutes! While Canada played short-handed, Mike Mahood made a brilliant save on a difficult reverse stick shot. Just before the half, again Rob Short broke into the right side of the circle for a clear shot. It was a cannonating drive that was, unfortunately, right at the goalie and easily turned away. Canada started the second half well using its short and effective passing game. Both teams had chances. In the 50th minute, the umpire made a marginal stroke call after a base line stick foul. Mike Mahood guessed right, but just failed to deflect the hard shot to the top right corner. After the goal, Canada did not panic. Instead, Canada played smart controlled and patient hockey. Canada was rewarded with a penalty corner in the 58th minute after a good period of keeping pressure on the Welsh deep in its end. The option left with the drag flick was a beauty as Wayne Fernandes scored from a high shot to the left side. Canada seemed to be taking control and had Wales back on its heels. Again, Canada hurt itself when Paul Wettlaufer was sent off in the 62nd minute for sliding into the ball. Canada defended well for the rest of the game, and were able to generate two penalty corners including one in the 69th minute, but were unable to convert. The game was not the start that Canada was hoping for. However, Canada did well to come back from being one goal down. In addition, Canada kept itself right in the Tournament with the draw. A loss would have left a big mountain to climb. The work effort was there, but the Team didn't seem to be clicking as it turned the ball over on numerous occassions. When Canada did settle, it made some nice passing plays, swiched the ball and penetrated effectively. Canada plays England tomorrow and it should be an exciting atmosphere as England will have its fans out in full force. Statistics Canada Wales Attempts on Goal: 10 10 Shots: 5 6 Penalty Corners: 5 4 Penalty Strokes: 1 Green Cards: 1 2 Yellow Cards: 2

July 28 - Round Robin - Canada vs. England : 1 - 2 (Half-time: 0 - 0) 1st Period (no score) 2nd Period 42' 0-1 ENG, Jon Wyatt, pc 46' 1-1 CAN, Rob Short, fg 68' 1-2 ENG, David Mathews, ps Report from David Bissett, Manager: Canada lost a heart breaker today in its game against England. There was a terrific atmosphere at the Belle Vue Hockey Centre with a full house of about 3,500 knowledgeable hockey fans. The weather was warm and sunny. The game started off well for both teams. There was good ball movement and a certain feeling out process during the first ten minutes. Canada came to play and were up for the game. Canada had good success in shifting its defence and preventing England from hitting the long penetrating hit and from getting a rhythm going. Canada's passing was crisp and accurate with good running off the ball and support for the ball carrier. Canada had two early corners, but were not able to convert as it was unable to get clean stick stops. The first really good chance came in the 29th minute and it belonged to Canada. Ranjeev Deol made a brilliant run down the right side beating a number of English players with an inside move. Bindi Kullar had made a run down the middle and found himself open in front of the net. The pass was just a little too far ahead of him, however, a high diving deflection just missed. England countered and in the 34th minute hit the far post on a good chance. The game was developing into a fast paced affair with a very high intensity level. Both teams needed the win. At the start of the second half, England had the edge in play and were rewarded with a penalty corner in the 41st minute. Jon Wyatt hammered home a well placed shot to the low left side. Canada responded well and immediately went on the attack. In the 42nd minute, England's Brent Garrard received a yellow card and Canada increased the pressure. Canada was rewarded for its hard work shortly after that when Kenny Pereira stole the ball in the deep right corner and found Rob Short in front of the goal. A low shot beat the English goalie and it was 1-1. After Canada scored the intensity of the game increase a notch. Both teams were looking for a way to win, while at the same time trying to play strong defensive hockey. England penetrated first and in the 53rd minute, Michael Mahood had to make a fine save on a high drag flick. Canada had a good chance in the 60th minute when the English goalie stopped Rob Short who had again found himself open in the circle. The fans were really enjoying the game and were showing their appreciation by cheering good plays by both teams. In the 67th minute, England penetrated the Canadian circle on the left side and got a good shot away. Mike Mahood made the save deflecting the ball to the side. For some inexplicable reason the Scottish umpire blew his whistle and called a stroke. Canada protested vigorously, and asked the umpire to consult with his colleague, but to no avail. England's David Mathews made no mistake with a hard flick the left side. Although Canada was visibly upset by the call, it went on the attack and created two good chances in the last two minutes. Ravi Kahlon had a hard shot on a penalty corner that was saved by the English goalie, and Bindi Kullar had a great field chance with thirty seconds to go. After the game, Canada questioned the Scottish umpire and were told that he had called a stick hack. Thanks to the BBC and replays, it was clearly a phantom call. England had been given a gift and the umpire had decided the game at a time when it was effectively sudden death. The call was so bad that even the English coach and manager, and the other umpire, were apologetic. A very unfortunate result given the way the team played. On this day, the Canadian team was England's equal and then some. The Canadian team showed a great deal of class by thanking the fans for their support immediately after the game in difficult circumstances. The game was a well played hard fought game by both sides. It is a shame that the two teams weren't allowed to decide the outcome. However, the impact of Gene Muller's coaching are starting to show as the Canadian team played its most disciplined game yet under the system that he wants them to play. The results were obvious and the team can take this away and build on it for the coming games. Statistics Canada England Attempts on Goal: 11 20 Shots: 6 9 Penalty Corners: 4 10 Penalty Strokes: 1 Green Cards: 1 1 Yellow Cards: 1 Quote from Rob Short (on England's second goal): "It was a really bad call. I think the umpire knows it. It was a great game and I'm really proud of our team. We did really well and we'll recover against Pakistan. All the best to England. We hope to meet them again."

July 30 - Round Robin - Canada vs. Pakistan : 0 - 2 (Half-time: 0 - 1) 1st Period 21' 0-1 PAK, Muhammad Saqlain, fg 2nd Period 62' 0-2 PAK, Sohail Abbas, fg Report from David Bissett, Manager: Today, Canada's 0-2 loss to Pakistan combined with Wales 0-5 loss to England was enough for Canada to qualify for the medal round of the Commonwealth Games Hockey Tournament. Canada will play either South Africa and New Zealand tomorrow to decide who goes through to the semi-final against Pakistan. Although it was a cloudy cool day at the Belle Vue Hockey Stadium, there was still a good crowd on hand to see Canada play Pakistan. The Canadian team helped get the crowd on its side by throwing frisbees into it at the beginning of the game. The game started well for Canada as it played a counter-attacking style. Canada's first good chance came early as in the 4th minute, Bindi Kullar found Rob Short open in the circle and the Pakistani goalie made a good save. In the 21th minute, a Canadian turnover in midfield led to a Pakistani free hit outside the circle which found a forward unmarked with a clear shot and a "soft" goal. Both team played a relatively tight marking system and a lot of the play was between the 25 yard lines. Canada forced a number of Pakistani turnovers, but were unable to capitalise with deep penetration due to inconsistent pass selections. In the 28th minute, Pakistan had an excellent chance after some quick ball movement down the left side. However, Michael Mahood was there with a fine save. In the 34th minute, Sean Campbell created a turnover deep on the right side after some hard work. Scott Sandison made a precision pass to Rob Short who forced the Pakistani goalie to make a good save. Canada was getting its chances and was defending well holding Pakistan to only one penalty corner in the first half. In the second half, Canada started off slowly. Pakistan had a penalty corner in the 37th minute that just missed with an option play to the right side. In the 38th minute, Abbas hit the crossbar from a penalty corner drag flick and in the 39th minute, Pakistan had a break down the right side forcing Michael Mahood to come up with a big save to keep it a one goal game. Eventually, Canada found its legs and started to have more of the play with Ranjeev Deol, Ken Pereira, Rob Short, and Paul Wettlaufer all having some penetrating runs. The midfield was supporting well and causing the Pakistani defence some problems. Canada had two corners in a row in the 45th minute, but Ravi Kahlon was unable to convert on two direct shots. Just after this, Rob Short crossed the ball for Bindi Kullar for a deflection that went off the Pakistani goalie's helmet and just missed. Pakistan had a wonderful scoring chance in the 56th minute as they broke in on the right side forcing Michael Mahood to make a reaction save that left a rebound sitting for the Pakistani winger on the left side. Michael Mahood dove across and got just enough of the ball to stop a sure goal from point blank range. Canada followed up with a nifty deflection by Mike Oliver that fooled the Pakistani goalie and was deflected wide at the last moment. Abbas put his team up by two in the 62nd minute with a precision drag flick low to the left side. Canada rallied and pushed hard in the final minutes winning two penalty corners, including one in the 70th minute, but were unable to convert. Although Canada lost, it was another good effort by the side. The team followed the game plan quite well and stayed close giving itself a chance to win or draw. Canada needs to keep its work rate up and start converting some of its chances. If it can do this, then it has a good chance of winning its next game and reaching a semi-final. Statistics Canada Pakistan Attempts on Goal: 14 12 Shots: 10 6

July 31 - 1/4 Final - Canada vs. New Zealand : 2 - 3 (Half-time: 2 - 1) 1st Period 6' 1-0 CAN, Wayne Fernandes, pc 16' 1-1 NZE, Hayden Shaw, ps 31' 2-1 CAN, Ravi Kahlon, pc 2nd Period 40' 2-2 NZE, Hayden Shaw, pc 65' 2-3 NZE, Hayden Shaw, pc Report from David Bissett, Manager: Canada lost to New Zealand 2-3 in the quarter final tonight. The weather has really changed here as there has been heavy rain in the last 24 hours causing some flooding. Notwithstanding, about 2,500 fans were on hand for the game at the Belle Vue Hockey Complex. The rain had stopped by the 6:30pm game time and the field was in very good condition. Canada started the game with a half-field press allowing New Zealand to pass the ball around the back. This caused problems for the Kiwis as they found it hard to penetrate the Canadian defence. Early in the game, Canada intercepted one of the New Zealand passes in midfield and counter attacked which lead to a penalty corner. The option to Wayne Fernandes worked perfectly and he drag flicked the ball into the net on the left side. Canada was content to let New Zealand have most of the ball possession, while marking tightly and looking for attacking breaks. About half way through the first half, New Zealand was able to penetrate deep into the Canadian circle on the left side and get the ball out in front. The Kiwi shot hit a Robin D'Abreo in the body and a penalty stroke was called. Hayden Shaw fired a hard shot to the left side giving Michael Mahood no chance. In the 30th minute, Canada had some good passing down the left side which led to penetration of the New Zealand circle and a penalty corner. Ravi Kahlon scored on a powerful direct shot that eluded the goalie to the low right side. In the 35th minute, Robin D'Abreo made a fine effort in getting his stick to a half-ending New Zealand penalty corner. Canada had played well in the first half with disciplined hockey and by sticking to its game plan. Unfortunately, the second was all New Zealand. The Kiwi's seemed to have Canada under constant pressure. Canada had difficulty breaking the New Zealand press and had difficulty stringing passes together and getting away from the tenacious back tackling of the New Zealand forwards. New Zealand scored early in the half on a penalty corner drag flick and gained momentum from that. Michael Mahood was forced to make a number of saves to keep the scored tied. In the 57th minute, Mike Oliver got a yellow card for a five yard infraction leaving Canada one player short. New Zealand turned up the pressure and got a penalty corner in the 64th minute. Hayden Shaw completed his hat trick with another powerful drag flick low to the right side. Canada tried to press forward in the closing minutes, even pulling its goalie for an extra attacker, but without success. On this night, New Zealand were the stronger team. Canada has improved a great deal, however it did not play at the same level as it has in earlier games. Canada had difficulty keeping possession of the ball and committed way too many turnovers, many of them unforced. The commitment and work rate were there, but the execution and mental part of the game wasn't what it should have been. Canada has a tough game against England in its final game for 5th and 6th. Statistics Canada New Zealand Attempts on Goal: 3 15 Shots: 3 8 Penalty Corners: 3 4 Penalty Strokes: 0 1 Green Cards: 2 1 Yellow Cards: 1 0

August 2 - 5th-6th place - Canada vs. England : 3 - 6 (Half-time: 1 - 2) 1st Period 2' 1-0 CAN, Ken Pereira, fg 10' 1-1 ENG, Danny Hall, fg 25' 1-2 ENG, Danny Hall, fg 2nd Period 46' 2-2 CAN, Ken Pereira, fg 54' 2-3 ENG, Billy Waugh, pc 59' 3-3 CAN, Wayne Fernandes, pc 61' 3-4 ENG, Mark Pearn, fg 62' 3-5 ENG, Danny Hall, fg 64' 3-6 ENG, Danny Hall, fg Report from David Bissett, Manager: The rain finally let up here in Manchester around game time, but it didn't help the Canadian team. Canada scored an early goal on a counter attack after England hit the post on a penalty stroke. A long ball down the left side found Rob Short open and he made a nice pass to Ken Pereira who deflected the ball over the rushing English goalie. After that though it was pretty much all England. England equalised in the 10th minute after the Canadian defense missed a trap at the top of the circle. England went ahead in the 25th minute on a nice penalty corner option that was deflected into the net. Jon Mackinnon was playing in goal for the first time in the tournament and he was forced to make a number of saves to keep it close. Canada was lucky to be only down by one at the end of the half. England seemed to be able to switch the ball at will during the half and Canada was having trouble in its defense with holding the ball and maintaining possession. Canada came out in the second half and played better at the start. Canada was channelling England better and was putting some short passes together and keeping more possession. Canada was able to put some pressure on England for the first time in the game and it paid off. Rob Short stole the ball from the English deep defender and went in on goal for a good scoring chance. The rebound went to Ken Pereira who made a great reverse stick shot to even the score. Canada seemed to have some momentum. Unfortunately, a niggly incident resulted in Ranjeev Deol and the English sweeper being sent off. This seemed to unsettle the Canadian side and England again took control. England went ahead in the 54th minute on a penalty corner. However, Canada didn't rolled over. It got a penalty corner on some hard work by the forwards, and Wayne Fernandes converted on the bump and drag flick option. England scored the winning goal a few minutes later on some sloppy defensive marking in the circle and on a shot that Michael Mahood, who started for Canada in the second half, would love to have back. One minute later, England sealed the game with a field goal by Danny Hall for his hatrick. Canada pulled its goalie for an extra attacker in an attempt to get back in the game. England took advantage and in the 64th minute converted a field chance into an empty net. Canada kept on attacking and gained a penalty stroke in the 69th minute which was not converted by Rob Short. Canada did not play well this game, especially in the first half. Although the second half was better, Canada needs to find a way to play at a high level consistently and with confidence on the ball. Canada's defense and midfield had trouble maintaining possession and putting a string of passes together throughout the game. This put constant pressure on the defense and allowed the other team to hem Canada in its own end. The game was disappointing as Canada has played reasonably well since its first game against Wales. There are many positives to be taken from this tournament and much improvement has been made. However, much work still needs to be done. Statistics Canada England Attempts on Goal: 7 24 Shots: 6 8 Penalty Corners: 2 6 Penalty Strokes: 1 1 Green Cards: 0 1 Yellow Cards: 1 1

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