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Team Of The Month - January 2022
Following the Christmas/New Year break, it was fantastic to see hockey return indoors and outdoors in January.
There was clearly lots of great action across the country too as so many nominations came in for the first Team Of The Month of 2022 that two teams were created.
From juniors taking adult hockey by storm to more senior players showing the youngsters how it's done, true club all-rounders, first-time goalkeepers and so much in between, the two XIs really are a fantastic reflection of the incredible individuals involved in our sport across the country.
Having put out a call for more players on Monday, there were a lot of nominations sent in for the first weekend in February which unfortunately had to be discounted this time. Make sure to re-submit them when next prompted on the @EnglandHockey Facebook and Twitter pages in the coming weeks though.
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- Udara Gamalath (PHC Chiswick) – captain of the men’s 6th XI at the club, Udara stepped up to the cause for the club as he played three games in one day to cover for other teams. He performed superbly in all games, being named Player of the Match in two and also carried on through injury as well
- Vishy Sudarsan (Newport HC) – Vishy, who is just 15, only started playing hockey in September 2021 but has just been selected for his county and is now playing for the 1st XI. He’s now kept clean sheets in each of his last three adult games and is definitely one to watch for the future
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- Boots HC 3rd XI – numbers haven’t been easy to find for the team this season as they’ve played four matches without a goalkeeper and two with just 10 players. However, they’ve still managed to win a couple of those games and always turn everything into a positive. Already this season they have beaten the team top of the table, sit fifth themselves and have introduced a number of U14s into adult hockey
- Carla Pengelly (Penzance HC) – Carla has been a regular fixture at left back for years and never lets the 1st XI down. She also helps keep pitch and clubhouse maintained to a high standard, is in charge of safeguarding, DBS checks and first aid and also attends junior training and tournaments too
- Ashleigh Jones (Slazenger HC) – according to her nominator, Ashleigh is always shining like a star. As well as being a member of the 1st XI, she coaches four junior teams, is 100% committed to club and is hugely appreciated by everyone
- Rob Cooke (Chesterfield HC) – an ever-present in the 2nd XI this season, Rob stepped up and played two games in one day as his fine form this season and injuries meant he was called into the 1st XI, where he continued to excel
- Libby Ball (Matlock Baileans HC) – Libby has the club running through her veins. She is an inspirational player both in defence and going forwards and has led the U18s to national semi-finals this season as captain
- Sophia Fallan (Harborne HC) – Sophia stepped back into defence this season after injury to two players but has been fantastic and the standout player for the club in a tough division
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- Nickie Spalding (Poole HC) – Nickie took a ball to the mouth early in a game but played the full 70 minutes before discovering afterwards that she’d broken her jaw in four places. Incredible bravery and we hope she makes a swift recovery
- Cara Lee (Tynedale HC) – a highly versatile player, Cara scored two screamers in a game against Hartlepool, the first on the reverse while the second was a cheeky lob over the goalkeeper. Not bad for a 15-year-old!
- Vicky Mackay (Oxted HC) – Vicky is a 1st XI superstar, coach, manager and all-round good egg. She’s led her side to top of the league as player, manages the 3rd XI and has revolutionised selection policy so players can move between teams
- Lauren Colman (Chorley Phoenix HC) – Lauren dedicated herself to improving her game during Covid, taking opportunity of 1-2-1 sessions when they were allowed. As a result, she’s gone from five goals a year to 40 already this season and is a threat in so many different situations
- George Jackson (Fleet & Ewshot HC) – is there anything George cannot do? She captains the 2nd XI, coaches U14s and women’s 3rd XI, covers as a coach for the U12s, umpires men’s and women’s games, organises games for juniors and has helped set up a vets league too. According to all three of her nominators, George is a ‘modest all-round super star’
- Louise Hart (Wolverhampton Tettenhall HC) – Louise started out as just a spectator watching her daughter play but is now a regular in women’s 3rd XI. She always turns up full of enthusiasm and energy and lifts the spirits of senior players
- Jo Tanner (Bolton HC) – Jo may be a highly experienced member of the club but is still holding the defensive line solid. The ball sticks to her stick like glue and she is an inspiration to the juniors, often giving them a run for their money. Jo is always the first to turn up and leaves nothing on the table
- Sophie Thornton (Tynedale HC) – Sophie is just 15-years-old but she’s already smashing adult hockey. She scored a hat-trick in a game against Hartlepool and the third was so good that even the opposition stopped and clapped
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- Ellie Sutcliffe (Telford & Wrekin HC) – Ellie has an astounding game in January as she scored scored nine goals in just one match
- Ashleigh Lachenicht (Castletown HC) – another forward who had a great January, Ashleigh scored two winners in separate matches this month and can often be found side-stepping everyone on the pitch
- Duncan Scott (Wimbledon HC) – it was quite an end to January for Duncan as he scored three goals in two matches to help Wimbledon to a first ever men’s Super 6s title. That came a few days after he had earned his first ever senior international selection, news that was made public just a few days later
- David Hopkins (Gillingham Anchorians HC) – having had major knee surgery, David has made a hugely successful comeback with hat-tricks in consecutive games to lead his team to victories. He also helps out other teams, umpires every week, takes training sessions and is an instrumental member of the social and fundraising team
- Andy Platts – a highly versatile player who can play almost anywhere on the pitch, Andy has been in scintillating form in front of goal this season and has scored 19 goals across seven matches
- Ellie Rayer (East Grinstead HC) – Ellie was on fire in the indoor competition in January. She was only able to play two games in the Women’s Premier Division but scored five times before adding another four across the semi-final and final on Super 6s Finals Day to help East Grinstead to a third indoor title
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- Stuart Govier (Taw Valley HC) – Stuart is the social media lead and junior co-ordinator at the club. Last September, numbers were very low but he got to work, set up Hockey Heroes at Taw Valley and has helped the club re-engage with the community. He’s recruited new players, entered juniors into county festivals, taken leave to facilitate the junior section, spends countless hours supporting the club and turns up on Saturdays to watch senior games too. His work also ensured that Taw Valley was represented at Devon Junior County Championships in all four categories for the first time in its history.
- Victoria Gallantree (Ipswich East Suffolk HC) – Victoria only took up hockey for the first time this season and volunteered to play her first ever game in goal this weekend when Covid ruled out the usual ‘keepers. She pulled off several excellent saves and was full of positivity from the off
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- Chris Hunt (Lymm HC) – Chris no longer plays himself but umpires every single week for the club, often doing two games and is loved by all. He has been with the club since they first started and has been pivotal in creating large junior section
- David Thomson (East Grinstead HC) – David is the most dedicated of volunteers, organises umpires for every game across the club and frequently steps up to do it himself, often after playing his own game