NIT qualifier assignments announced

November 14th, 2009


The USFHA released the list of qualifying indoor tournament assignments on Friday (Nov. 13) and Maryland teams will be traveling as far as central Virginia and central Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Teams must do well in the qualifying tournaments in order to win a spot in the National Indoor Tournament, which is March 5 through March 7 in Virginia Beach, Va. Winning the tournament or finishing in the top few spots secures a spot in the NIT. How many sports are awarded at each qualifier depends on the number of teams in each tourney.

Here’s the list of who goes where, listing only DC and MD teams. To see the entire list for a particular qualifier, see the USFHA site.

U16
Dec. 12-13 Richmond, Va
MD United Annapolis, Md
Southern Maryland Explosion Leonardtown, Md
Southeast Storm Crofton, Md
Spark Silver Millersville, Md
Jan. 3 State College, Pa.
Rising Sun Sharks Colora, Md
Jan. 9 Feasterville, Pa.
Club Applebee Scotland Baltimore
Club Applebee England Baltimore
H2O 1 Baltimore, Md
Hymax Jaguars Baltimore, Md
Jackals 3 Rockville, Md
Jackals 4 Rockville, Md
The Gaels Severna Park, Md
Jan. 23 Millersville, Md
The Greene Turtle White Baltimore, Md
The Greene Turtle Green Baltimore, Md
SPark White Millersville, Md
TNT Cockeysville, Md
Western Maryland Wildcats Frederick, Md.
Jan. 23 Collegeville, Pa.
Capital Pegasus IROC Rockville, Md
North Bay Crush Earleville, Md
SPark Gold Millersville, Md
TB Colts Rockville, Md
Jan. 24 Parker Ford, Pa
H2O 2 Baltimore
Happyvalleyfh@gmail.com Germantown, Md
Strikers III Elkton, Md
Washington Wolves Germantown, Md
Jan. 31 Fairfax, Va.
Jackals 1 Rockville, Md
Jackals 2 Rockville, Md
Spitfire Red Columbia, Md
SPark Blue Millersville, Md
Strikers II Elkton, Md
Strikers I Elkton, Md
U19
Dec. 19 Rockville, Md
Capital Pegasus Eagles Rockville, Md
Capital Pegasus Terps Rockville, Md
Hymax Lions Baltimore, Md
Hymax Tigers Baltimore, Md
Jackals 1 Rockville, Md
Jackals 2 Rockville, md
Southeast Storm Crofton, Md
Southern Maryland Explosion Leonardtown, Md
SPark Blue Millersville, Md
Tazmaniacs N. Bethesda, Md
Western Maryland Wildcats Frederick, Md
Jan. 2 Bear, De
Maryland United Annapolis, Md
North Bay Chaos Earlville, Md
SPark Gold Millersville, Md
Strikers I Elkton, Md
Strikers II Elkton, Md
Jan 3. Fairfax, Va
Jackals 3 Rockville, Md
Jackals 4 Rockville, Md
Maryland Scorpions Crofton, Md
SPark White Millersville, Md
Spitfire Red Columbia
Jan. 10 State College, Pa.
H2O 2 Baltimore, Md
Strikers Pride Elkton, Md
Jan. 17 Dallas, Pa
Rising Sun Ratdogs Colora, Md
Jan. 17 Parker Ford, Pa
Capital Pegasus Hoyas Rockville, Md
Capital Pegasus Dragons Rockville, Md
H2O 1 Baltimore, Md
Jan. 24 Millersville, Pa
CCFHA Streak Elkton, Md
Club Applebee USA Baltimore, Md
TNT Cockeysville

Last call for pre-Festival tournament

November 13th, 2009


Clubs participating in an outdoor event this season, such as the National Hockey Festival, the Mason-Dixon festival or the Disney event in February can still get into the Champions of Tomorrow tournament on Nov. 21 (a Saturday) in McLean, Va.

Teams are guaranteed four 40-minute games on full-size fields, with playoffs at the end. As of Monday (Nov. 9) COT was looking for one more U19 teams and a couple of U16 teams.

The tournament is on the grass fields at The Madeira School.

Contact: Niki at niki@championsoftomorrow.com

Registration.

Indoor playing opportunities

November 12th, 2009


As the outdoor hockey season is winding down, hockey shifts indoors and there are a number opportunities for girls to learn and play indoor hockey this winter.

The indoor game is an extremely fast-paced game played on a hard floor with five players and a goalie on each team. Players hone their stick skills and learn how to play angles and position themselves.

  • Adults wanting to get in on the indoor fun can play pick-up hockey at the Champions Field House in Rockville on Wednesday nights starting the first week of December. The sessions are co-sponsored by the field house and the dcDragons club. See this for details.
  • For younger folks in Anne Arundel County, the SPark club is sponsoring three leagues starting in December at the Maryland Sportsplex and Woods Community Center (down Benfield Road from the Sportsplex). Registration is under way and the appropriate forms can be found on the SPark website.The high-school league will meet Mondays between 4 pm and 10 pm, with each team playing two 25-minute games. The sessions are on Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28; Jan. 4, 11, 18 and 25 and Feb. 1, 8 and 15. High school players must register as a team only, no individual signups are accepted.A middle-school league for girls in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades will meet on Sundays between 4 pm and 10 pm, also playing two 25-minute games. The sessions are on Dec. 6, 13, 20 and 27; Jan. 3, 17, 24 and 31 and Feb. 7. Girls can sign up as individuals or as a team.

    For the younger player, there’s an elementary school league on Sundays for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Sessions are between 4 pm and 8pm at the Woods Community Center on Dec. 6, 13, 20 and 27 and Jan. 3, 10, 17 and 24. Each meeting consists of a 25-minute clinic and one 25-minute game. Teams and individuals can sign up.

  • In Howard County, there’s still room for in a high school league starting in January at the new Meadowbrook Athletic Complex in Ellicott City.Teams will compete in 25-minute, 6 v 6 games. Indoor stick, mouth guard and shin guards are required. All teams must have a goalie; goalies must provide own equipment. Registration includes team shirt, facilities and paid officials. Games will be played on Wednesday evenings. Team registrations only. Rosters set at 14. Individuals interested in playing or forming a team may contact the league coordinator. All registered teams must have a manager or coach over the age of 18 in order to participate in the league. For more information, contact Susan Markovitz at 410-313-4674.The county’s website has more information, but you’ll need to drill down to it. Click on “View Activities”, then choose “Sports” from Activity Category, then finally “Meadowbrook Park” from Location.
  • In Montgomery County, the Playher club is holding tryouts on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Rockville Sportsplex (60 Southlawn Ct, Rockville 20850) for its indoor club teams. Details here. Contact is Amanda Gordon, 240-731-5496, playherfhcoach2@yahoo.com.The same group will be holding a six-week indoor league starting in March for both high-school- and middle-school-age girls. These are 7-on-7 games played on indoor turf. Games last about an hour on Sunday afternoons. Preference is given to teams that sign up, but individuals are also accepted.

Teams sought for Turtle tourney

November 9th, 2009


The Greene Turtle club of Baltimore is putting together an indoor tournament for younger girls in mid-January and is looking for teams now.

The tournament will be at Dundalk Community College, 7200 Sollers Point Road in Baltimore, on Jan. 16.

U14 girls will play between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Girls in the U16 division will play from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The tournament is a standard indoor event using USFHA certified umpires, official indoor rules, 6 v 6. Each team is guaranteed four games. There will also be playoffs to a championship.

Cost is $375 per team, $350 if registered by Dec. 10.

Weather cancellation date: 2/13/10

Registration and more details are at the Greene Turtle site.
Rosters and waivers are due Feb. 1. All players must be a current USFHA member.

Teams sought for Relay for Life tournament

November 7th, 2009


Organizers of the annual Relay for Life indoor tournament are looking for U16 and U19 teams to compete in the benefit event in mid-December.

The tournament, which beneifts the American Cancer Society, will be on Dec. 13 at the new Meadowbrook Athletic Complex near Ellicott City, starting around 8 a.m.

Cost is $350 per team but includes a T-shirt for each player and medals for the winning team in each division. Each team will play four or five games.

All money raised goes to the Cancer Society, with the umpires volunteering their time. Two years ago the tournament raised $8,500.

Interested coaches should e-mail Shelley Chamness by Nov. 18 with the number of teams and age groups you are interested in entering.

Hockey clinic near Bethesda this week and next

November 1st, 2009


A field hockey clinic for girls in 4th through 8th grades is being held this month by the Walt Whitman High School Field Hockey players and coaches. All are welcome, whether a beginner or a girl with prior experience. Groups will be made based on age and ability level for drills that practice a variety of hockey techniques and skills as well as small games.

The clinic sessions are at the Whitman field hockey and baseball field from 4 pm to 5:30 pm each day, spread over two weeks: 11/10, 11/11 and 11/12 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and again the next week, 11/17, 11/18 and 11/19, also Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The field has lights.

The school and field is at 7100 Whittier Blvd, Bethesda, MD‎.

If any of the clinics are called off because of bad weather, parents will be notified through email.

Cost for all six sessions is $100, with checks payable to Whitman High School Booster Club.

Players need a molded mouth guard, shin guards, cleats or sneakers, stick if available (sticks will be provided for those who do not have one), water bottle, possible sweatpants and/or sweatshirt for evenings.

Please register by contacting Melissa Dorman at: Melissa_V_Dorman@mcpsmd.org

Parents should provide child’s name & grade, parent email address, phone number, any medical problems that should be known about, and an emergency contact. Confirmation will be sent via email. Your daughter can bring the check to the first session of the clinic.

Maryland playoff brackets set

October 24th, 2009


Playoffs in Maryland start next week (Oct. 27) as the high school season winds down.

Full information is on the MPSSAA site, and we’ve published links to the brackets below so you can go directly there.

Quarterfinals in each region start Oct. 29, with semi-finals on Nov. 3 and regional finals on Nov. 5. The state semi-finals are on Nov. 9 and Nov. 11 on turf at Broadneck and Arundel high schools.

The state finals are on Nov. 14 at Washington College in Chestertown.

Brackets:

Class 4A
Class 3A
Class 2A
Class 1A

UMd hockey program profiled

October 24th, 2009


The Washington Post finally paid some attention to the dynasty being built at College Park — the University of Maryland hockey team. Winners of three of the last four NCAA Division I titles in field hockey, the Terps cruise along under the radar of most mainstream media outlets.

Story is here, with more photos and how it looked in print here as a PDF. The print version’s pictures are way better than the one piddly shot of Missy Meharg online, so be sure to look at that PDF.

Spitfire Field Hockey Goalie Clinic

October 2nd, 2009


Middle- and high-school goalies are invited to learn goal-tending tactics and techniques from one of the country’s best goalies, U.S. Men’s Field Hockey Team Goalkeeper Andrew Zayac. He’ll share skills that have taken him around the world to play matches at the highest level.

The $35 clinic is at the SoccerDome in Jessup on Friday, Oct. 16, which is a school holiday in many counties. Middle-schoolers will work from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, with high-schoolers from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Address of the dome is 7330 Montevideo Road, Jessup, MD 20794, telephone is (443) 755-0014 .

Sign up online at www.soccerdome.com.

Players must bring their own goalie equipment and should wear turf shoes only, as no cleats are allowed at Soccer Dome.

For more information call Dona DeZube (301) 490-9997 or email dezube@comcast.net.

Not going to Festival? Try Mason-Dixon instead

September 15th, 2009


Team registrations are now being accepted for the inaugural Mason – Dixon Field Hockey Festival being held Thanksgiving weekend in York County, Pennsylvania. (This is the same weekend as the National Hockey Festival in California, Nov. 27 to Nov. 29.)

Women’s competition is being offered in the 14 & Under (7th & 8th grade), 16 & Under (JV), 18 & Under (Varsity) and 19 and Over (Women’s Open) levels (age as of 01/01/09). The tournament is open to all competitive travel level teams and will feature a round-robin format with all teams being guaranteed a minimum of five 50 minute (two 25 minute halfs) games. Where registrations merit, additional play-off and championship competition will be scheduled.

The early registration fee is $900 (which includes all umpire fees and T-shirts) if received by 10/01/09; late registrations received after that date will be $1,000. A deposit of $450.00 will hold your early registration discount, requiring your balance to be paid by 10/01/09. Additional information, registration and the roster – release forms are available at both usamateursports.com and cmsasoccer.com under the tournament’s listing.

To register, print a copy of the registration form and send with your fee (roster/release forms are due prior to your first game) to:

MASCOM – Field Hockey
11022 Reisterstown Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117

There is a roster limit of 18 players on each team. Spaces are limited and registrations will only be accepted on a first come – first serve basis. Once all slots are full, registration will be closed. For additional information please e-mail taysmom34@hotmail.com or usamateursports@aol.com; or phone 410-363-8610 Monday through Friday between 10 am and 5 pm.