26th March 2004

GB Women out of Olympics and Leisa considers her future

GB lost to Korea 2-0 to see their Olympic dreams go down in flames. Ipswich star Leisa King is part of the GB squad and words cannot describe the disappointment we all feel for her and the rest of the team.

Leisa talked to BBC Suffolk website and said

 "I'm kind of still in shock I suppose, I'm going through that phase where I still can't believe it's actually happened. We're going to wake up and it's all a dream and we're going back out there...

"But we're all pretty much gutted really and we had a lot of the play first half and then kind of lost it, I think. We just didn't have it in the bag. I don't know. It's hard to describe, but very very disappointed."

It means the squad won't be going to Athens this summer - a massive blow considering they went into the competition as favourites. Leisa admitted she's now considering her future:

"I think next year's Europeans...but for me I really don't know. I just want to finish this tournament and then take a little time out.

"Because it's been a long road, it's been a long three years, I've been all over the place. I'm just going to sit down and have a think. I'm not getting any younger. I don't know.

"Obviously there's going back to work, having a normal life. It's very scary, that's probably why I'm not looking forward to it, but I really don't know. But I need to sit down, get away for a while and have a think."

26th March 2004

Ladies 1's aim for win as its the final game for rest of teams.

The 1's face Slough at their new ground and will want to get the win after 3 torrid results. Slough will not be  a pushover though and will use all their experience to try and take the 3 points.

The 2's face Sevenoaks, who are just above them in the table and a win would see Ipswich finish in 6th place, a fantastic result considering the terrible start to the season for the team.

The 3's face 4th placed Watton and will be wanting the win.

The 4's on a real run face  Stour valley who beat them 5-0 in the reverse fixture, a different result is expected this time round.

Hard games for all sides but a clean sweep of wins would be the prefect way to round off a difficult season.

26th March 2004

Men's 1's need 1 more point, as 3's keep chasing promotion.

Ipswich 1's face Bluehearts and know that unless Peterborough win by a hatful and Ipswich lose by a hatful they are safe for next year.

The 2's also safe in Premier B play Colchester . Ipswich won 5-4 last tie so a fast paced game is to be expected.

The  3's are still chasing promotion and face leaders Wapping in a must win contest.

The 4's face the university of Essex and with the teams level on points it is vital that the 4's get a win

The 5's stuck at the bottom of the table and play 3rd place Waltham Forest 2's in a very hard game.

The vet's play St Ives away.

Big game for the 3's this weekend..come on lets get that promotion.

23rd March 2004

GB Women get first win and keep in hunt for Athens

GB beat Ukraine 1-0 earlier today with a goal from Anna Bennet. It was not a vintage display from the GB side but the win coupled with Germany and Ireland drawing sees GB back in with a chance of automatic qualification. GB play Ireland tomorrow and a 3-0 win here plus Germany Losing to New Zealand would see GB finish in 2d place in their pool and grab a place in Athens.

22nd March 2004

Girls U18's get home draw in plate semi final

The U18's girls face Blackburn Northern at home for a place in the final of the plate competition.

The date is not likely to be the 17th April though as the 1st team Ladies have a National League game that day.

Watch this space for time and venue.

22nd March 2004

Ladies 1's suffer another heavy defeat as 2's secure Premier status

The 1's yet again were found wanting as they crashed 7-2 to a rampant Hightown side. Only 2 goals by Jo Ellis gave the score line some respectability for the Suffolk team. Inconsistent Goal keeping contributed to the heavy defeat but Ipswich know that they need to get their act together in their last 2 games.

The 2's got the win they wanted as they beat 2nd placed side Canterbury 2's on sat 2-0. the 3 points sees them well out of the relegation zone and fighting for 6th place. A great effort form a side that sat bottom of the table at the Christmas break. On Sunday they lost 3-2 to reading 1a's in the semi final of the 2nd team cup. A disappointing end to the cup run as Ipswich know that the game was there for  the taking.

The 3's travelled to Boston and lost 3-2 in very difficult conditions.

The 4's got a 4-1 win over  Mildenhall to see them back on the winning track.

Disappointment for the 1's again but congratulations to the 2's for securing Premier hockey again for 2004-2005.  With the last game for 2's, 3's and 4's next week let's aim to end it on a real high.

22nd March 2004

Men's 1's run out 5 goal winners as top 3 men's sides win

Ipswich 1's won 5-1 against Bishop Stortford and virtually secured Premiership hockey for next season. Only a heavy loss for Ipswich or massive win for Peterborough will see Ipswich relegated.

The 2's also secured Premier B hockey with a 3-2 win over Norwich City.

The  3's could not get another huge win but were happy enough with a 1-0 victory over Old Southendian 2's to keep them in with a chance of promotion.

The 4's lost 4-1 to Upminster 2's but still are 1 point away form relegation. 2 games to go and it could not be any tighter.

The 5's lost 3-2 to  Rochford casuals and now sit bottom of the table. 

The vet's awaiting result

Good wins for the top 3, with 1 weekend to go some teams left it late. The 3's and 4's still can change their fate.

19th March 2004

GB draw 2-2 as Ipswich star King shine

From World Class Hockey Ltd site

 "very disappointing draw left GB regretting not putting the game beyond doubt when they had plenty of opportunities in the first half. GB went into half time with a 2-0 lead having played some very attractive and effective hockey.
The home crowd was shocked into silence in the 8th minute after Mel Clewlow converted a penalty corner with a straight strike. If this was not bad enough for the home crowd worse was to follow 2 minutes later when Helen Grant converted a field goal. Leisa King robbed a defender of the ball and drove into the circle finding the unmarked Grant. Grant took the ball wide of the keeper and drove it home. Great Britain continued to push forward but was unable to convert a number of chances that came their way. Lucilla Wright had two good opportunities with strikes from the top of the circle but she was unable to beat Helen Clarke in the NZ goal......

The second half saw New Zealand come out with nothing to lose and Great Britain dropped the work rate that had made them so effective in the first half. As quickly as the crowd were silenced in the first half they sprung to life again when on 53 minutes Niniwa Roberts drove the ball home from a penalty corner. This shook GB and within 2 minutes New Zealand found themselves on level terms from another penalty corner when captain Suzie Muirhead bundled the ball over the line.With New Zealand now in search of a win Great Britain stepped up a gear and although territorially were in control they were unable to put the Kiwi goal under any real pressure.

NZ themselves may feel disappointed that they did not take all three points being awarded a penalty corner in the last minute of the game. It took a brave save from Leisa King off a lifted ball to save a goal..

Well done Leisa!

18th March 2004

End of season Awards Dinner

Friday 23rd April @ Fynn Valley Golf Course.

3 Course Menu (incl Glass wine), Disco, awards, late bar

£25

Tickets on sale from Captains from Sat 20th March 

Limited availability so buy early

18th March 2004

Ellis to play in England B Team on 21st March

Jo Ellis has been selected for the England B Team to play France on Sun 21st and Monday 22nd March @ Canterbury Hockey Club.

Ellis in action at Champions Trophy

The Sunday games starts at 17.00 and tickets are £3 for adults.

18th March 2004

Ladies 1's face new leaders in last home game

The 1's will want to stem the tide of heavy defeats this weekend with a result against new League leaders Hightown. This will prove to be a difficult game for the Suffolk side but as the reverse fixture result of 3-3 proves they are more than capable of getting a result.

The 2's despite getting a good win over Dereham still need at least a point against 2nd placed Canterbury 2's. They will be missing Kirsten Spencer and Hannah Golding. Then on Sunday they play the 2nd team Cup semi-final against Reading 1a's in a game they dearly want to win. Spencer and Golding are both available for that game.

The 3's face a long journey to Bourne but will want to make it worthwhile by claiming a win.

The 4's unlucky to lose last week will be hoping for a win against Mildenhall.

A hard game for the 1's but a result would be something special. The 2's have 2 very important games that could define their season, it could be a very good weekend.

18th March 2004

Men's 1's need the points with 2 games to go.

Ipswich 1's need to bounce back against fellow relegation strugglers Bishop Stortford. Ipswich won 5-2 in the reverse fixture and need to find that vein of form again.

The 2's are still not safe and face a tough game against 4th placed Norwich city. A narrow 2-1 loss last time round should see a close game.

The  3's high on their 17-0 victory know that they cannot relax as they face Old Southendian 2's, whom they beat 4-0 in the reverse fixture.

The 4's are still fighting hard and face the team just above them in the league Upminster 2's. Losing 3-1 in the last fixture the 4's seem a much improved side and will be hoping for the points.

The 5's keep on battling and face Rochford casuals in a bottom of the table clash. It is all about pride for both these sides. 

The vet's play Colchester again and face another tough test.

With only 2 games to go things are getting tight at both ends of the table, so some vital wins needed on saturday.

15th March 2004

U18 Girls beat Chelmsford to make semi-finals

The  U18 girls dispatched Essex rivals Chelmsford 2-0 to make the semi-finals of the National Plate competition. Goals from Hannah Golding and Vanessa Roberts. The next round is 17th April.

11th March 2004

Ladies 1's hit for 6 but 2's get vital win

The 1's were outplayed by Canterbury in the 2nd half as 5 goals flew past them. With a close 1st half Ipswich looked in with a chance of grabbing some points but it was not to be and Canterbury took their chances to end another miserable weekend for Ipswich.

The 2's got a hard fought 2-1 victory over Dereham that sees them keep out of relegation issues. With 2 hard games to go Ipswich know they still mathematically need another win to remain safe.

The 3's got the win they wanted over Cambridge City 2's, winning 4-3 in a close and exciting game. A much improved performance after a 6-1 loss in the reverse fixture.

The 4's were unlucky to lose 3-2 to Bury 3's. Conceding the 3rd goal in the dying minutes.

Another bad weekend for the 1's but the 2's and 3's lift the gloom with great wins.

11th March 2004

Men's 1's gunned down by 2nd placed Bedford.

Ipswich 1's lost 6-2 to a skilful Bedford side and know that their position in this league for next year is still not secure. With 2 games remaining Ipswich need to turn in 2 good performances.

The 2's  could not do the double over Long Sutton and lost 7-2, to put them back in relegation danger.

The  3's bounced back form last weeks loss with an amazing 17-0 win over Havering 2's. Probably a league record, especially at this level it sees Ipswich back on track for promotion.

The 4's built on last weeks win with a great 1-1 draw with Witham 2's. Another vital point in tier battle to avid the drop.

The 5's despite knowing they are relegated keep battling hard and this week face 4th placed Maldon and Badow. 

The vet's played Colchester and snatched a 4-3 win in the last minute.

2 disappointing results for the 1's and 2's but the 3's are the story of the weekend winning 17-0!!

11th March 2004

GB Men qualify For Olympics

A 2-1 victory over Belgium sees GB qualify for the 2004 Olympic games in Athens. They really did it the hard way but well done to all of the team you really earned your place.

11th March 2004

U18 Girls face Chelmsford in Plate Quarter final

The  U18 girls travel to Essex to take on local rivals Chelmsford for a place in the semi-finals. Ipswich know they face a tough task but the U18 team can boast several 1's players and as such know they can cause an upset.

The game starts at 12.00 noon at Chelmer Park.

11th March 2004

Ladies 1's face tough game as 2's need a win

The 1's travel to Kent to take on 4th placed side Canterbury. having lost 3-1 to them earlier on in the season Ipswich are keen to make amends this time round. Jo Ellis is the only injury doubt but is travelling with the team.

The 2's know that they need a win to keep them out of any relegation issues in the next 2 games. Dereham will fight all the way tot he end though and this will prove to be a hard game.

The 3's will want to bounce back against Cambridge City 2's but know that they face a tough game losing 6-1 in the reverse fixture.

The 4's after a great win last weekend face Bury 3's. With a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture Ipswich are more than capable of getting another win.

A very important game for the 2's as they look to secure top flight hockey for next season. A better weekend for most is hoped for.

11th March 2004

Men's 1's face 2nd placed team as 3's need another win.

Ipswich 1's know they need to bounce back and get 3 points to secure their place in the Premier A league for next season. However they face a tough task as they take on Bedford. Having lost 7-2 in the reverse fixture Ipswich know they need to be at their best to take any points.

The 2's need 1 more win as well to keep them safe and will battle hard against 2nd from bottom side Long Sutton. They beat Sutton 4-2 in the reverse fixture and will need to re-discover that form again on Saturday.

The  3's will need to bounce back after last weeks loss as they play mid table  Havering 2's. The reverse fixture saw Ipswich win 2-1 so this will be a close game that Ipswich know they cannot afford to lose if they want to keep chasing promotion.

The 4's out of the relegation zone fate last weeks walkover face mid table Witham 2's and know that if they can grab another 3 points here safety is within their grasp. Having only lost 2-1 to them in the reverse fixture a win is more than possible.

The 5's despite knowing they are relegated keep battling hard and this week face 4th placed Maldon and Badow. 

The vet's do not seem to have  a game!

Some really important games and with the season running out it is vital that teams start to pick up points.

8th March 2004

Ladies 1's and 2's beaten by rivals, only 4's lift the gloom

The 1's lost 6-1 to league leaders Chelmsford. After dominating the opening 10 minutes Ipswich will look to the departure of Jo Ellis, to a nasty hand injury, as a key in this game. Despite the score line Ipswich battled hard in this game and at times looked more accomplished on Chelmsford's new pitch than their Essex rivals. However the home side took their chances and at this level that is main difference between top and bottom.

The 2's slipped to a disappointing 5-2 loss to Harleston and know that they need at least a couple more wins to keep them out of the relegation zone.

The 3's faced Bourne and went down 4-0 to a strong team.

The 4's played Lowestoft 2's and got the best result of the weekend, winning 3-2. 

Apart from the 4's a very disappointing weekend for the rest of the teams. Next week sees more hard games but the teams must pick themselves up and go for the wins.

8th March 2004

Men's 1's downed by students as 3's slip up.

Ipswich 1's played  runaway leaders Cambridge Uni and lost 4-1. The students are now virtually assured of the title and promotion to National league. Ipswich on the other hand need another win or so to keep away from the dreaded relegation zone.

The 2's battled hard against t Old De Ferrians but lost 2-0. They too need a win to keep them safe.

The  3's so needed to beat Ramgarhia  but lost 1-0. A fantastic game of hockey though so things are not all bad.

The 4's benefited from the inability of Ford to out a side out and gratefully accepted the precious 3 points that could keep them safe.

The 5's lost to East London 4-1. Still a loss but a much better performance that the 11-0 loss earlier on in the season. 

The vet's were due to play Dereham but the Norfolk team called off.

Again another important weekend for teams that need the points.,

4th March 2004

Ladies 1's face tough derby test as 2's aim for Norfolk double

The 1's need to be at their best as they face league leaders Chelmsford. Knowing they are in for a tough game Ipswich must be willing to give 110% for the whole 70 minutes. 

The 2's after beating Dereham will be looking to get another 3 points off Norfolk side Harleston and get revenge for the earlier season loss.

The 3's face Bourne and will be looking to repeat their 2-1 win away from home.

The 4's face  Lowestoft 2's and will be looking for a good result.

A hard weekend for all teams but all are capable of getting  the results they want

4th March 2004

Men's 1's face leaders as 3's must keep winning

Ipswich 1's face runaway leaders Cambridge Uni. This will prove to be a hard match as the Uni are aware that a win would all but virtually seal the Championship. Ipswich still need a  couple more wins to keep them away form any relegation issue so will want 3 points here.

The 2's get back into action after a snow delay last week against Old De Ferrians.  They lost 2-1 in the last fixture so this should be a close game.

The  3's need to beat Ramgarhia and a repeat of their 5-1 win earlier on in the season would suit them just fine as they chase promotion.

The 4's need a win to keep them fighting to avoid the drop and face Ford who beat them 10-0 last time.

The 5's play east London and will not want a repeat of the 11-0 loss earlier on. 

The vet's play Dereham away in a tough game.

Again another important weekend for teams that need the points.,

2nd March 2004

GB Men in Olympic qualifier action

The GB Men's team start their Olympic qualification campaign today against Poland.

The game is live on eurosport, along with several other key match's so tune in and cheer the boys on.

They need a top 6 finish to be safe of making it to Greece in  the summer.

The official site can be viewed HERE