Qormi HC vs IFK Taby 3-1  Video clip  

Qormi HC vs Atasport 0-6    Video clip  

31/05/09  Qormi HC narrowly defeated in Challenge III Final

 

The Greens lost the Final of the Euro Hockey Challenge III 3-2 to Bulgarian side HC NSA.  Once again the Greens gave everything they had and played a wonderful match to cap an impressive display of determination and good Hockey.  In the end the Greens had to bow out however they did so with their heads held high.

 

The Bulgarians started the match strongly and pegged Qormi back in their half.  On the 5th minute, HC NSA won a short corner but they failed to cause any problems for the Qormi defense.  The Greens were still under a lot of pressure but they were defending very well.  3 minutes later a Bulgarian attacker entered the dee from the right but his rising hit narrowly missed the frame of goal.  2 minutes later the Greens had to defend another short corner.  This time the Bulgarian's flick was saved by Chircop.

 

HC NSA kept on winning a lot of short corners but their flicks were either saved or blocked by the defense.  On 28 minutes the Greens shocked the Bulgarians when they took the lead.  3 quick passes between Juan Sarcia and Philip Magri brought the latter one on one with the keeper.  A late clumsy tackle on Magri by a defender gave the umpire no choice but to give a penalty stroke.  Jonathan Aquilina stepped up to put the Greens 1 up.

 

After this the Bulgarians were stunned and the Greens had another chance with Philip Magri reverse hitting just wide.  At the end of the half, HC NSA won another 2 short corners but once again the Qormi defense came out on top.

 

The second half started pretty much the same as the first.  The Bulgarians kept on piling the pressure but their game did not look as convincing as the 1st half.  In spite of this, 3 minutes into the second half HC NSA equalised following a confused move in the Qormi dee.  Now the Bulgarians went out in search for their 2nd goal but the Greens were in control at the back and never let the opponents' attackers get a sniff of the ball.  On the 59th minute the Greens went 2-1 behind due to an umpiring blunder.  Following a shot at goal, Chircop saved the ball and it fell between the keeper's legs.  The ball was playable and a Bulgarian player took control of it.  In spite of this the umpire whistled for a penalty stroke in favour of HC NSA.  It was clear for all to see that the umpire made a mistake.  From the resultant stroke the Greens were trailing 2-1.

 

Barely a minute later and the Greens had a chance to equalise when Philip Magri's shot was blocked on the line by the keeper.  However Magri was not to be denied when he received the ball in the dee and beat the keeper to score his third goal of the tournament.  This part of the match kept everyone present on their toes as barely a minute passed when the Bulgarians scored what was to be the winner.  A bouncing ball managed to find his way to a Bulgarian player whose first time hit beat Chircop low down to his right.

 

After this setback, the Greens threw caution to the wind and went all out in search for an equaliser however there was very little time left.  This defeat was hard to take for the Greens seeing that they were so close to achieve an historic victory.  However considering the quality of their opponents and the character shown during the whole tournament a lot of positives can be taken from this experience.

 

Now that the tournament has come to a close, a major issue has erupted in the last few days regarding the eligibility of certain players forming part of the home team KPH Raca.  The Greek team HC Ymittos launched an appeal against the home team claiming they had around 7 players with them who played in the Czech league this year with other teams.  In the past, harsh measures were taken against teams who were found guilty of similar accusations and hefty sanctions could be taken.  If KPH Raca were to be found guilty, another team might gain promotion instead of them.

 

On a more positive note, Qormi HC would like to congratulate Luke Busuttil Leaver on his performances as an umpire in this tournament.  Luke has received a lot of praise from the umpire's manager and he was even chosen to officiate the final between KPH Raca and HC Ymittos.

 

30/05/09 Mission accomplished for Qormi HC

The Greens once again ensured participation in one of Sunday's two finals by beating Greek side HC Ymittos 1-0. Philip Magri was once again the Punisher for the Greek side as he scored an identical winner to the one he scored the previous year against another Greek team.

The Greens started this game needing a draw to ensure they progress to Sunday's finals whilst the Greeks were already sure of qualification. In spite of this, HC Ymittos went all out in search of victory.

The game started out with both teams studying each other and waiting for mistakes to happen. The Greens won a short corner after 13 minutes but they failed to trouble the keeper. On the 24th minute, Joseph Cuschieri received a yellow card and this sparked a strong reaction from the Greeks who took control of proceedings. After 30 minutes, the Greek centre forward received the ball in front of the Qormi goal but lost his footing. His slip enabled Chircop to kick the ball to safety. When parity was restored, the game resumed its normal pace with both teams fighting hard to win possession off of eachother. Goal mouth situations were few and far between.

The second half continued on the same pace. After 48 minutes the Greens won a short corner and from the resulting hit Daniel Micallef narrowly missed the post. On the 53 rd minute, Philip Magri scored the all important goal. It was a carbon copy of the goal Magri scored in last year's edition against Greek side Napaios Apollon. A strong hit from the right side by Andre Ghio entered the Greek dee and avoided a number of Greek defender to eventually stop at Magri's stick. The Greek keeper rushed to the ground which gave Magri time to pull the ball back and lift it into the gaping net.

From then on, the Greek side took the initiative and went all out attack to get an equliser. In spite of all their pressure and possesion, they rarely penetrated the Qormi rearguard. On the 58th minute, HC Ymittos won a short corner which was saved by Chircop. Two minutes later the Greeks nearly equalised following another short corner move but the low drag flick crept narrowly wide.

From then on, the Greens absorbed all the pressure and ran the clock down. With this result the Greens finished top of the Group with HC Ymittos in second place. Now the Greens will face Bulgarian side HC NSA at 1.00 p.m. in tomorrow's final. The other final will see home team KPH Raca face HC Ymittos.
 

29/05/09  Qormi HC prepare for final group match

 

The Greens have been very busy on their day off.  After having an early breakfast, the players and officials of Qormi HC made their way to the Hockey pitch for a training session.  After an hour's rest, the Greens once again made their way to the pitch to watch tomorrow's opponents, the Greek side HC Ymittos.  The Greek side won their match and ensured qualification in Sunday's finals.  Tomorrow, the Greens must avoid a defeat of more than 1 goal to ensure a place in Sunday's playoffs.  In the evening, team coach Raymond Micallef and Ramon Chircop attended the tournaments' official dinner where they had the opportunity to meet with the organisers and members from the other teams.

 

28/05/09  Qormi HC take a precious point from their first match

 

In the first match of the Euro Hockey Challenge III held in Bratislava, the Greens held Elektrovojvodina Subotika 1-1.  This result came as a surprise to the Serbs which was very evident in their behaviour.  Philip Magri scored the all important goal which tied the game.

 

The Greens started the game very nervously and were pegged back by their opponents in the initial stages.  From a short corner move, the Serb team forged ahead.  The first shot at goal was saved by Chircop whose clearance fell into the hands of a striker who duly slotted the ball into the net.  From then on, the Greens took complete control of the match and were passing the ball around the Serb team with ease.  The Serb players became very nervous as they could not keep up with the Green's passing game.  Midway through the 1st half, Philip Magri equalised after he deflected a thunderous hit by Daniel Micallef.  The remaining minutes of the first half saw the Greens dominate proceedings without creating too many scoring opportunities.

 

In the second half, Elektrovojvodina Subotica made some changes and this had an immediate impact on the match.  The game became more balanced with scoring opportunities being created at both ends.  In the end the game finished 1-1 which is a good result for the Greens considering they had just arrived in Bratislava a couple of hours prior to the start of the match.

 

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26/05/09 Qormi HC to take part in Euro Hockey Challenge III

On Thursday 28th May, the Greens will fly off to Bratislava again to take part in the Euro Hockey Challenge III. The Greens are placed in Pool B and will face Greek side HC Ymittos and the Serb team Elektrovojvodina Subotica.

On Thursday, just a couple of hours after settling down in their hotel, the Greens will play their first match against the Serbs. On Friday no games are scheduled for our team who resume their commitments on Saturday with the last group game against the Greeks. The finals will take place on Sunday.

The contingent is made up of 14 players, the coach and 2 team managers.

Ramon Chircop
Owen Piscopo
Andre Ghio
Ryan Brincat
Juan Sarcia
Rudolph Camilleri
Joseph Cuschieri
Daniel Micallef
Jonathan Aquilina
Steve Tanti
John Williams
Philip Magri
Julian Zahra
Justin Bonello

Coach: Raymond Micallef
Team Managers: Joe Grech and Raymond Sarcia

Umpire Luke Busuttil Leaver will accompany the Greens during their trip.

For daily updates check our website on www.qormihc.tk

05/05/09  Qormi HC fail to win title decider

Qormi failed to win the National league as they lost the decider for the league title against title holders Rabat, while the 14s managed to win the Under 14 league for the 3^rd year running. 

Micallef made a few changes for the Greens as Cuschieri moved in central midfield while Borg played on the right side. Upfront instead of Borg, Zahra was selected for the 1^st team line up.  Rabat began very well and Qormi failed to control their opponents. It took a few minutes for Rabat to become dangerous and Vella failed to connect in front of Chircop�s open net. From another attack on Qormi�s left side Antonelli crossed for the awaiting Rabat strikers.  The first shot was stopped by the chest of a Rabat player, who then continued playing and fired towards goal where the ball deflected with another Rabat striker�s foot and into the net. To everyone�s surprise the goal was allowed to stand and the Qormi squad was down by a goal. However the Qormi squad failed to react after the goal and 5 minutes later another Rabat attack managed to go round Chircop but the shot at goal hit Ghio on the line resulting into a penalty stroke. From the resultant stroke Chircop made a fabulous save and kept the Qormi team in contention.

This save gave Qormi the belief to start playing. With Ghio moving in front of the defense and both midfielders, Aquilina and Tanti moving further forward the Qormi squad was far more dangerous. Qormi�s danger came from the short corners where first Tanti passed to Magri, who saw his shot saved by the keeper and on then Dimech passed towards Magri who failed to connect.  A few minutes later from another attack Borg fired a hit from the top of the dee but it went over the goalpost. Qormi kept on attacking till the end of the half but failed to equalise.

In the 2^nd half, surprisingly, Qormi stepped back. Although having more possession Qormi failed to create any goal scoring opportunitites. On the other hand the experienced Rabat team controlled the Qormi team and tried to catch the Greens on the counter attack.  This game brought to an end the league season with Qormi once again just failing to put their hands on the title.  The Greens will now have an opportunity to restore some pride as they face Rabat again next Sunday in the Knock-Out.  Ray Micallef will be without suspended Daniel Micallef and skipper Tanti (injury).

Starting line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, D.Micallef; J.Borg, J.Cuschieri, G.Dimech, S.Tanti, J.Aquilina; J.Zahra, P.Magri

Used Subs: J.Williams, K.Calleja, J.Sarcia 

With the Squad: R.Brincat, J.Bonello 

On Saturday the Under 14�s managed to retain the championship for the 3^rdyear running. Qormi also managed to score an impressive 106 goals in the 9 games of the competition. In fact the 14s needed a point from the encounter against White Hart but managed to win the one sided encounter 20-2.

The Under 14 group that won the title were the following (goals scored during this game): Jeremy Farrugia, Kym Bianco (1) [Capt.], Luke Brincat (1), Charlo Sammut (4), Thomas DeGiovanni (6), Nathan Camilleri (4), Jeremy Cutajar (2), Luke Vella, Joshua Mallia (1), Ian Sargent (1)

After this game, the Qormi U12 played against Sliema in the last game of the Under 14 league. The 12s had their top scorer Micallef missing due to school activities, however they managed to give a very good display. Qormi 12s began on a good note and managed to go in front through Bonello. A few minutes later Mifsud managed to double the score but the rookie umpire cancelled the legitimate goal and gave a short corner instead. However after the very good start, Sliema came out and managed to turn the result around. With the final result of 2-5 (the other goal scored by Portelli), Qormi U12 brought their best result against a far older and more experienced team.

Players who were used during this season: Clyde Aquilina, Bernice Calleja (Capt.), Carmen Mifsud, Isaac Mansueto, Glen Bonello, Darren Portelli, Kyle Micallef, Carl Cordina, Ayrton Carlos Falzon, Gilmor Baldacchino.

With this title the Qormi club managed to win the Under 14 section for the 3^rd year running. This season the Under 16s have won the title for the 3^rd time in 4 seasons and the 9-a-side team won the Reserves league. In a forthnight the Qormi Under 12 competitions will be come to an end where the league is also being dominated by the Qormi squads.

26/04/09  Qormi HC force title decider

 

This weekend our club was involved in the Seniors National league only. The competition has reached its final stages with both our club and current league holders Rabat topping the table. This weekend both clubs were playing their last match it was important for Qormi to take maximum points from their encounter against Floriana on Sunday morning. After this encounter Rabat had to face White Hart.

For this game Ray Micallef had only Camilleri missing due to injury. Micallef made some tactical changes at the back and began with Williams on the right midfield position instead of Brincat. Qormi�s pace was slow to begin with and spent the first 10 minutes waiting for their opponents. On the other side Floriana set out to win this encounter and although it would not effect their league position, they still tried to get something from this game to restore some pride. In fact this was the 4th encounter between the sides and Qormi always emerged winners (3-0, 4-1 & 2-1).

In these 1st minutes Floriana were quite dangerous and forced a couple of short corners. From these short corners the Floriana attack was close to open the score. On the 1st occasion Chircop saved the shot and managed to clear. On the 2nd occasion after beating Chircop, Ghio intervened on the Floriana attacker. As the Qormi team began to come out from their defensive play the Floriana rearguard showed signs of weakness and the Qormi strikers Magri and Borg were a continiuos threat. However on the 20th minute Qormi lost Tanti due to a facial injury in the middle of the pitch. The skipper had no alternative but to leave the pitch. 4 minutes after that and from a freehit outside the Dee Micallef passed to Magri who deflected into the net. Qormi kept on attacking and from an action on the left side Jonathan Borg pushed into the Dee and again found Magri to double the score from a spectacular deflection.

From this moment on, Qormi kept on controlling their opponents who were of no threat till the end of the half.
In the 2nd half Floriana surprisingly stepped back. The Qormi team played its best hockey and shifted the game of play from one side to another. With Aquilina controlling the midfield together with Borg and Calleja the Qormi team was far superior to their opponents. However the Qormi attackers failed to close the encounter and Zahra missed several good chances. In the last minutes following a counter attack from Floriana, Abdilla deflected towards goal but found Chircop in his way to turn the ball for a long corner.

Qormi kept on controlling the game until the end of the match and again went out as winners against the Floriana squad for the 4th time this season.

Initial line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Williams, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti, J.Aquilina; J.Borg, P.Magri

Used subs: R.Brincat, K.Calleja, J.Zahra

Unused subs: J.Sarcia, J.Bonello

After this match Rabat beat White Hart 3-1. Therefore next weekend a decider for the league title has to be played. Qormi faced Rabat 5 times this season managing only a draw and losing the other 4 encounters (1-2, 0-2, 1-1, 1-2, 0-1). It was the only team this season who managed to stop the seniors being the only games that Qormi did not win. However if our Seniors want to be the League champions they must beat Rabat in the decider match next Sunday. Qormi should also be recovering Camilleri from his recurring knee injury and Tanti from the facial injury encountered in Sunday�s match.

On Saturday the Under 14s will be playing their last match of the season. In this match the 14s need a point from their encounter against White Hart to retain the title. The Qormi team already met these opponents twice and in both matches went out as winners with impressive results (15-2 & 22-1). The Under 14s already scored an impressive 86 goals this season. Ghio should be having the full squad for this important match.
 

21/04/09 Qormi HC maintain title charge

On Sunday the senior squad made sure of maintaining their title charge till the last day of the season. With the title being contested between the Qormi club and the current title holders Rabat, everything is set for the last weekend of the league. At the moment both teams have the same amount of points and if after next weekend the situation doesn't change a decider will be needed to determine the league winners.

Qormi fielded an aggresive formation. After the long break Micallef opted for brincat on the right side of Midfield while played with the 2 experienced strikers Magri and Borg and Tanti just behind them.

The Qormi squad went on the attack, but the Sliema squad managed to get out of their defense several times and hit the Qormi rearguard on the counter attack. Qormi missed several chances. From short corner set pieces Tanti managed to find Magri and Dimech in a scoring opportunity but they found the Sliema keeper in one of his best moods. To make the situation worse Qormi had to do without Aquilina who was hit in the face and had to leave the pitch, being replaced by Calleja. However before half time following a counter attack the Qormi defense was caught on the wrong foot and Sliema managed to open the score.

With Qormi needing a win, the Qormi players went out for the 2nd half. At the Back youngster Sarcia gave a very solid performance and helped to move the ball around the back. On the 20th minute a coral action produced the equaliser for the Qormi team. Dimech began the move on the left side, he passed to Tanti who went through 2 Sliema players and passed to Calleja. Calleja gave a through pass to Borg who gathered the ball and fired into the net.

With this goal the Qormi team were back in contention. However the Sliema team reacted and applied pressure on the Qormi defense. However good defending managed to keep the Sliema team away from goal. Qormi missed several chances and had a legitimate goal not given following a Dimech shot.

3 minutes from time from a short corner, following a fumble in the Dee, Borg grabbed the ball ran into the Sliema Defense and fired home for the deserved lead. With this goal the Sliema team tried to attack but time was against them and they failed to give the Qormi defense any trouble.

Starting line up: R.Chircop; O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; A.Ghio; R.Brincat, D.Micallef, J.Aquilina, G.Dimech; S.Tanti (Capt.); J.Bborg, P.Magri

Used Subs: J.Sarcia, J.Williams, J.Zahra

Unused Subs: J.Bonello, R.Camilleri

On saturday the Qormi 14s played a game vs Sliema. The Qormi team needed a point in the last 2 matches to win the league title. However the Qormi team will have to wait for the next game as the youngdsters failed to take the points. The 14s were rather unlucky not to get anything from the game and had several appeals for penalty strokes denied. However the display was well below par and the youngsters should do better to keep the title at Qormi. After this game, the Qormi U12 played a league match vs White Hart U14 squad. The young players were superioir and trashed White Hart 7-0 (Goals Kyle Micallef 4, Ayrton Falzon, Darren Portelli, Bernice Calleja)

On Sunday afternoon the Under 15 played a friendly against Stwe School Under 15 squad. The Qormi players played a very well organized game and dominated the match with a final result of 8-2.

Next weekend the Seniors play against Floriana YS in the last match of the league. Qormi need to take full points to guanantee a place in the decider match vs Rabat. However after the match Rabat will be playing against White Hart and will need to match Qormi's result to force a decider. Qormi should be have a full squad for this match. Till now Qormi met Floriana YS 3 times during this season and always came out on top. However Floriana who are left stranded in 3rd place have no pressure and will surely try to give Qormi a good challenge and try to take something home for their team morale.

 

07/04/09  Qormi HC win 2 friendlies against British teams

 

In the last 2 weeks the Greens were involved in two international friendlies and managed to come out on top in both occasions.  In the first match the Greens managed to sneak a win against a very good team in Southampton University while they found things easier in the second one where they came out 3-1 winners against Checester Senior school.

 

In the first match the Greens were pegged back for long stretches of the game but to their credit they defended as a team and limited their opponents' scoring opportunities.  In the second half, following a swift counter attack, John Williams scored what was to be the only goal of the game.  The Greens held on for a very hard fought victory.  In the second friendly the Greens could impose their game on the opposition and took the lead through Philip Magri.  Checester equalised but Qormi HC kept on at their game and added another goal scored once again by Philip Magri.  In the second half the Greens secured the victory when Steve Tanti scored after beating the opponents' keeper with a low shot.

During the past week the Qormi  Under 14 team kept on consolidating top spot in their league by trashing White Hart 22-1. On the other hand the Qormi U12 team played against Sliema Under 14 squad and lost 7-1. Although 12s got defeated a very promising display was given by the youngsters.

On Saturday the Under 14s needed to win against White Hart to consolidate their lead at the top of the table. The Qormi players found it very easy to win this game and scored an impressive 22 goals in this game. The team was superior from the 1^st minutes and the opponents were never near the level of the Qormi 14s. In fact the Qormi squad was all the time being rotated and new players were involved for longer stretches of time. The goals were scored by Nathan Camilleri (7), Thomas DeGiovanni (5), Charlo Sammut (5), Luke Brincat (3) and Jeremy Cutajar (2).

In the other Under 14 league game the Qormi U12 lost against 2^nd placed Sliema. The 12s gave a good account of themselves even though they lost 7-1. New keeper Clyde Aquilina was instrumental during the game with good rushing out and saves on the line. Another player that gave a very positive display with her work rate and fighting spirit was Carmen Mifsud.

After this game the Under 14s need a point in the last 2 games of the league. One of which is against 2^nd placed Sliema and the other against White Hart.

On Monday morning the YHMA listed the players that are being called for the forthcoming National team games, both Under 16 and Under 18. From the 20 players selected for the Under 16, 11 are from the Qormi Club, namely Tyrone Vella, Kym Bianco, Bernice Calleja, Juan Sarcia, Axel Cauchi, Christian Sammut, Charlo Sammut, Thomas DeGiovanni, Zachary DeGiovanni, Luke Brincat and Nathan Camilleri. From the 20 players selected the Squad will be reduced to 16 for the match on Sunday.  While for the Under 18 Malta squad Qormi players selected are Tyrone Vella, Juan Sarcia, Christian Sammut, Axel Cauchi, Keith Calleja, Justin Bonello and Julian Zahra. The players will be having a preparation session next Saturday where the final list of players will be selected.

Next weekend the competitions will be stopped for the Easter break. However on the 14^th the Qormi 18 squad will be facing a UK Girls team that will be on the island.  Then the competitions will resume on Saturday with an important game for the Under 14s on and a crucial match for the Senior squad on Sunday morning.

10/03/09 Qormi HC win 9-a-side League

On Monday the Qormi 9-a-side squad lead by Steve Tanti managed to win the competition mathematically with 2 games still to be played. This is the 2^nd title that the club has managed to win this season after the Under 16's have won the league in their category. The 9-a-side managed to do so by winning all the matches till today, 7 so far.

The 9s, a squad full of promising players, had a very hard nut to crack on Monday evening. Their opponents Floriana YS surprisingly fielded their best squad of the season, with 1^st team captain Charles Micallef and several senior players also in the squad. However the Qormi coach had a very well planned tactic and kept the same system as in previous games. For this match Tanti had central defender Kym Bianco and right midfielder Christian Sammut missing due to sickness, while Ryan Agius had to leave before the end of the game due to work commitments.

As usual the Qormi team began a waiting game. The Qormi team lead by Camilleri at the back defended very well and although the Floriana squad attacked it never managed to have a shot towards Spiteri. With the Floriana team trying to attack, the Qormi midflield found space to go forward. From a team move, Keith Calleja passed to Bonello at the top of the dee. He went round 2 players and passed to Zahra who managed to beat the Floriana keeper. Just a few minutes later and Zahra again found himself in front of the keeper and flicked the ball towards the net to double the score. From now on the Qormi team took control of the pitch. Floriana never managed to give any trouble to the Qormi rearguard. In the few occasions they managed to get in the Qormi 25 yard area they found Brincat and Sarcia in top form and were always easily controlled.

In the 2^nd half Qormi kept on the same rhythm. With the introduction of Cauchi on the right, the Qormi squad was much more dangerous. One attack after the other, Cauchi was passing through the Floriana left side and supplying the forward players with inviting opportunities. However some selfish executions did not help to increase the score. Loosing several chances, the Qormi side gave the initiative to the Floriana squad. From their only short corner in the 2^nd half a Micallef hit found the goal. However the Qormi squad kept on playing very good hockey till the end of the game and never risked to losing the points.

Starting line up: A.Spiteri; R.Brincat (capt.), J.Sarcia, R.Camilleri; R.Agius, K.Calleja, J.Bonello, J.Williams; J.Zahra

Used players: A.Cauchi, Z.DeGiovanni

With the squad: E.Calleja

Next weekend the seniors will be back in action in a decisive match for the league title. Qormi in fact will be facing Rabat. At the moment Qormi are 2 points above Rabat and for the opponents only a win will keep them in the run for the title. Qormi will have their full squad to choose from after Tanti and Williams served their one match suspension. On Saturday the Under 14 competitions will see the Qormi derby between the Qormi 1^st team and Qormi U12. In the 1^st 2 encounters, although winning both, the Qormi 1^st team found a very hard nut to crack in the Under 12s. This should be another very entertaining game.

28/02/09 Qormi HC struggle to victory

 

During the past weekend all Qormi Hockey Club teams won their encounters. In 4 matches the Club managed to score 18 goals without suffering any. On Sunday the seniors kept the pace at the top of the table, while on Monday the 9-a-side moved close to winning the competition. On the other hand already crowned champions, Under 16s, kept on the run of impressive wins. The Under 14 squad played a friendly against Under 16 runners up Sliema and won the game.

 

On Sunday the seniors played against an improving White Hart team. The greens had skipper Steve Tanti and winger John Williams both missing due to a 1 match suspension. With both players being always present in the squad this season Ray Micallef had to do some changes to cover up for the missing players. In fact Tanti was replaced by 17 year old Keith Calleja in midfield. Williams who was in the 1^st team squad for the last 2 matches was replaced by Borg, with another 17 year old, Zahra beginning in the starting 11 to replace the latter.

 

Surprisingly Qormi began the match on the defending side and White Hart tried to press on the Qormi defence. For the 1^st 15 minutes the White Hart side was superior in midfield and Qormi couldn�t impose their rhythm on their opponents. However as time passed the Qormi team settled down and began to take control. From the right side, Calleja passed the ball to the penalty spot area, with Zahra failing to connect. In the 1^st short corner, Ghio passed to Piscopo who saw his shot brilliantly saved by the keeper. From another short Ghio saw his hit saved again by the White Hart keeper. Another occasion following a Dimech cross, Magri managed to go around the keeper but saw his shot cleared off the line. However White Hart managed to get out on the counter attack and a Tua shot found Chircop ready to clear the ball away.

 

In the 2^nd half Qormi went out more on the attacking. After 10 minutes Zahra shot on target but saw the keeper saving his shot. However the rebound was intercepted by Borg who with a reverse hit scored the all important goal. White Hart were stunned and Qormi took the opportunity to keep on attacking. From a short corner Micallef passed the ball to Magri who managed to shoot but saw the keeper doing another save.  In another short corner Borg went past 2 defenders, passed to Micallef who failed to connect.

 

However, as time passed the Qormi team was pressed back by the White Hart squad and the last 15 minutes were all for the White Hart squad. In fact Chircop had to make several saves to keep the opponents at bay. In the last minutes White Hart managed to get a considerable amount of short corners. Had it not been for very good defending together with some superb goalkeeping the Qormi team would not have managed to hold on to the points.

 

After this encounter Ray Micallef must look into the team to see why his team are suffering in the last minutes of the game. In both the last 2 encounters Qormi were put under huge pressure to hold on to their result.

 

Starting line up: R.Chircop (Capt.); A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Borg, D.Micallef, G.Dimech K.Calleja, J.Aquilina; P.Magri, J.Zahra

Used Subs: J.Bonello, R.Camilleri

With the team: J.Sarcia, R.Brincat, R.Agius

On Monday the 9-a-side squad played against Sliema. Still with a 100% record, Qormi needed a win to ensure that 1 more point from the remaining 3 games will give them the title. For this game Steve Tanti had his full squad and all the kids showed great concentration throughout the match.

As the game began Sliema stayed back and let the Qormi rearguard pass the ball around. After a few minutes Qormi began to push up more and in one of the 1^st chances, Calleja passed the ball to Sarcia at the top of the Dee who shot a hard hit that beat the Sliema keeper. A few minutes later the score was doubled. As Calleja went into the Dee a rising hit gave no chance to get saved. Qormi had several chances and the half time was closed with another 2 goals, this time from Camilleri (stroke) and Zahra. With the points home Tanti chose to give the younger players a good run out. In fact Bianco, DeGiovanni and Cauchi had a good opportunity to show their talent. With the final score 7-0 (other scorers Zahra, Cauchi, Sammut) it clearly shows the superiority of the Qormi kids.

Staring Line up: A.Spiteri; K.Bianco, R.Camilleri, R.Brincat; R.Agius, K.Calleja, J.Bonello, J.Sarcia; J.Zahra

Used subs: C.Sammut, J.Williams, A.Cauchi, Z.DeGiovanni, E.Calleja

On Saturday already champions, Under 16s, played a game against Floriana. This game was a one sided game with Qormi scoring 3 goals in the 1^st 5 minutes. A negative note was the unacceptable attitude of our opponents with dangerous tackling and foul language. Floriana in fact did not manage to finish up the game with their full squad as they had a player red carded. Had in not been for very tolerant umpiring the Floriana team probably would not have finished the game.

On the Qormi side Ghio had debutant keeper Clyde Aquilina making his debut in the last 5 minutes and managed to stop a good shot from the side, and also Nathan Camilleri who had an excellent game scoring twice and creating several chances. Final Score 9-0 (Scorers J.Sarcia 2, Z.DeGiovanni 2, N.Camilleri 2, Chr.Sammut, Cha.Sammut , A.Cauchi)

Starting Squad: T.Vella; K.Bianco, B.Calleja; A.Cauchi, Chr.Sammut, T.DeGiovanni, Z.DeGiovanni; J.Sarcia

Used Subs:  C.Aquilina, L.Vella, Cha.Sammut, L.Brincat, N.Camilleri, S.Grech

The under 14s played a friendly against Under 16 runners up Sliema. The Qormi young players had a very good challenge from their opponents. However although winning just 1-0 from a Nathan Camilleri goal, the Qormi youngsters could have closed the encounter much before. With Camilleri�s addition the Qormi team improved in midfield and in strength as he gave very good support to Thomas DeGiovanni and Luke Brincat in midfield.

Next monday the 9-a-side will play against Floriana. If the Qormi side manages to take a point it would mean that they will be crowned Champions two games before the end of season. While on Saturday the Under 14 1^st team will take over White Hart and Qormi U12 against 2^nd placed Sliema. For the seniors competition Qormi will be resting while 2^nd placed Rabat will play against 4^th  placed White Hart. Qormi stand top of the table with 15 points but with an extra game while Rabat have 11 points and Floriana 10.

23/02/09 Qormi HC win top of the table clash

This weekend the Qormi teams were involved in 3 top of the table encounters. The 3 teams managed to win the encounters resulting in the Under 16s being crowned league champions, while the Under 14s and the Seniors increased the lead at the top of the table.

On Sunday the senior team faced Floriana Young Stars in a top of the table encounter. With Floriana only one point behind the leaders it was expected to be a hard fought game.  Ray Micallef had his full squad to choose from and made some tactical changes in the formation from the game against Sliema, but kept the same starting line up.

Qormi began on with a good rhythm and had the majority of possession in the 1^st half. The Qormi defence managed to play the ball around quite easily, with the Floriana attack waiting in their half pitch. After 15 minutes, from a short corner Ghio stopped at the top of the dee and passed to Magri, who dribbled around the keeper and opened the score. After this goal the Qormi defence stepped some meters back but the midfield still kept control of the game. Floriana had a good chance from the left side of the Qormi defence but the shot was well stopped by Chircop. From a short corner a Floriana striker managed to pass the ball through Chircop but found Micallef to clear out the danger.  In the 2^nd half the rhythm was the same, with the Floriana team pushing up for the equalizer with the Qormi defense finding it much harder to turn the ball around. However the defence still managed to put the ball in midfield where the Qormi team was much superior. From an attack on the right side Calleja passed the ball to Aquilina who fired a hit from the top of the dee and scored the 2^nd goal. After this Qormi had several chances that could have closed the match. From a short corner, Ghio passed to Tanti who went through and flicked the ball. However the Floriana keeper managed to save. From another short corner the ball was passed to Piscopo who saw his deflection saved on the goal line. From a counter attack the Qormi defence was caught on the wrong foot and Abdilla managed to put the ball past the Qormi keeper. After this goal the Floriana team went on the attack with 4 attackers on the pitch. They managed to keep the Qormi team in its own 25 area. However the Qormi defence managed to defend well and Chircop was rarely tested. The last few minutes were a total assault on the Qormi area but good coral defending managed to get the deserved win. With this win the senior team is 3 points ahead of Floriana, while Rabat lay 3^rd, 4 points behind but with a game in hand.  

Starting line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Williams, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (Capt.), J.Aquilina; K.Calleja, P.Magri

Used subs: J.Borg, J.Zahra

With the team: R.Brincat, J.Sarcia, R.Camilleri

On Sunday before the seniors� game, the Under 16s played a decisive match against 2^nd placed Sliema. Having a lead of 5 points before the game and with 3 games remaining a draw against the 2^nd in the table would have meant that the league was mathematically won.

However the juniors went on the attack from the 1^st minutes of the game and showed that their superiority in this category gave the opponents no chance. The Qormi keeper Vella was rarely tested, however in the few times that he was tested he was ready and sharp in his interventions. The Qormi defence was formed from the girls� duo Bianco and Calleja. They kept the Sliema attackers away from the defending area and defended quite strongly. During this match Cauchi was the mind of the team with good distribution of the ball together with runs from the middle of the field that created havoc in the Sliema defence. In midfield Sarcia, Thomas DeGiovanni, Sammut and later in the game Brincat, managed to play better than the last encounters and created chances from both flanks and central areas. Up front Zachary DeGiovanni in the beginning of the match failed to score several easy chances however once he settled down he found it very easy to beat his opponents. With the final score, an impressive 7-0 (scorers: Z.DeGiovanni 3, T.DeGiovanni 2, K.Micallef, J.Sarcia) Qormi firmly deserved the title this season.  With 2 games remaining surely Ghio will not let his players take it easy. Good performances like today will be expected in the next games.

Line up: T.Vella; K.Bianco, B.Calleja; A.Cauchi, C.Sammut, T.DeGiovanni, J.Sarcia; Z.DeGiovanni

Used subs: L.Brincat, D.Portelli, K.Micallef, Y.Dingli

On Saturday, the Under 14s were in action. The Qormi U12 began in the 1^st game against White Hart. Piscopo�s players showed great improvement and found no difficulty in beating their opponents White Hart. The12s dominated the game and won it 10-3 (Scorers: K.Micallef 4, A.Falzon 3, I.Mansueto 2, D.Portelli)

Players Used: S.Mifsud, B.Calleja, I.Mansueto, G.Bonello, A.Falzon, D.Portelli, C.Mifsud, K.Micallef

The Qormi Under 14 1^st team faced Sliema in a decisive match for the league title. With Sliema 2 points behind the leaders Qormi, only a win was acceptable for the blues. However Qormi had other plans for this game. Qormi went in front with Charlo Sammut and in the 1^st half were superior. Scoring another 2 goals from short corners the half time ended 3-1 for Qormi. However in the 2^nd half the game�s rhythm changed and Sliema improved. At one point with the result 5-5 the game could have gone both ways. However at the end, good play from DeGiovanni, Sammut and Brincat together with Camilleri upfront, ensred that the Qormi 14s managed to score another 3 goals to close the encounter.   

Players Used: J.Farrugia, K.Bianco, T.DeGiovanni, L.Brincat, Cha.Sammut, R.Said, J.Mallia, C.Cordina, J.Cutajar, N.Camilleri, I.Sargent

Next weekend the seniors will be facing White Hart in another important game for the greens. Qormi need to win this encounter to keep up the pace at the top of the table. Qormi will be missing Tanti and Williams due to suspension (both having a 1 match ban). Ray Micallef will need to replace these 2 players, however with the good level of juniors coming up and the strong bench that the team has, it should also be an opportunity for one of the prospective juniors to show what they can deliver. While on Saturday the Under 16 squad, with the title already won will face Floriana. After that the Under 14 team will have a friendly vs Sliema Under 16 squad.

16/02/09 Qormi HC keep momentum going

Without any junior competitions, the Qormi club was only involved in a Senior match on Sunday. With Qormi still top of the table the only positive result was a win against Sliema Hs.

The seniors managed in fact to get the points home in a 1-0 win. Although the result shows that it was a close encounter, the Qormi team was superior throughout the game. Missing from this game due to injury was Camilleri (ankle strain) while Ghio, D.Micallef and Borg managed to make it after lingering with injuries during the last 2 weeks. Ray Micallef made some changes from the last encounter having Williams back in the 1st team line up and Calleja upfront.

Qormi went out on the attack and took control throughout the 1st half. On the 1st short corner, the greens scored the only goal, as from a Tanti pass Magri placed in with empty net. The Qormi team kept on attacking but although they had several chances they found Sliema keeper in top form and stopped several shots at goal. Magri, Calleja and Zahra all had good chances to double the lead but failed to do so. However on a counter attack, with the Qormi defense undisturbed for almost the 1st 30 minutes Sliema were close to equalise the game had it not been for Dimech who cleared off the line.

In the 2nd half Qormi kept the same momentum going. Qormi attacking while Sliema trying to go out on the counter attack. The Qormi players failed to impress and their attacks kept on failing to bring the desired result and failing to close the game. While on the other side Sliema kept on trying their best to draw the game. In the last few minutes Sliema pushed more and pressured the Qormi defense. In fact good defending together with perfect goalkeeping kept the result in Qormi's favour and the Greens took both points home.

Staring line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Williams, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti, J.Aquilina; K.Calleja, P.Magri

Used Subs: R.Brincat, J.Borg, J.Bonello, J.Zahra

With the team; J.Sarcia

After this match Floriana also took the points in a highly contested match against White Hart. Now Qormi stand top of the table with 11 points. 2nd placed Floriana are just one point behind while Rabat stand 3rt 2 points adrift. All teams played 7 matches.

Next weekend the seniors will be involved in an important match against Floriana. For this match Micallef should recover the injured players and will have a full squad. These 2 teams met twice this season and in both encounters the Qormi team won with encouraging results (3-0 & 4-1). However these results will surely not affect the Floriana clan as they need to win this game to stay in contention for the league. On the other hand the Qormi team must win this game to take a 3 point lead on Floriana. A draw will only favour the Rabat squad that will see both their opponents loosing points.

 

10/02/09 Qormi HC maintain top spot

Even though during this weekend the Qormi teams were not in action in any official games, both the seniors and the Under 16s saw their direct opponents losing points.

The Under 14s were back in action and played another friendly, this time against the White Hart Under 16s. Our opponents fielded their full squad and judging by their attitude during and after the match they surely didn�t consider this match as a friendly. While our opponents played a tough game, the 14s gave another good display of teamwork. For this game Ghio introduced 2 debutants, keeper Farrugia and midfielder Sargent. During the game Bianco showed superiority on the pitch and was the leader of the Qormi squad. Final result 2-2 (Scorers Cha.Sammut & L.Brincat)

Starting Line up: T.Vella, I.Mansueto, B.Calleja; K.Bianco (capt.), T.DeGiovanni, J.Mallia, Cha.Sammut; L.Brincat
Used subs: J.Farrugia, J.Cutajar, D.Portelli, I.Sargent, C.Mifsud, K.Micallef

Before this game 2nd placed Sliema faced Floriana. In this match the Floriana team showed a lot of improvement and took a deserved draw. With this result, now Qormi stand top of the table with 12 points. 2nd are Sliema with 7 points and 3rd Floriana with 5. All teams played 6 games. Therefore in the next encounter on Sunday 22nd, Qormi Under 16s need a draw to win the Under 16s title.

On Sunday the direct encounter between the 2 teams that are challenging Qormi seniors for the title faced each other. In a rather boring match, the game finished in a 0-0 stalemate. After this match Qormi and Rabat are both leading the table with 9 points but Rabat have played a game more. Young Stars stand in 3rd place just a point behind having played the same number of games as Qormi.

Only the senior team will be playing next weekend. At 9am they will be facing Sliema in a match that must be won. Qormi faced Sliema 3 times this season and in all encounters Qormi finished up as winners (2-0, 1-0 and 5-0). However Sliema have just surprised Rabat and beat them 2-1. Therefore the seniors must stay focused for this game and make sure to bring both points home. After this match Floriana will play against White Hart. The Floriana team is also favourite to take the full points. These teams faced each other twice and in both encounters Floriana won the match (4-2, 6-2) in relatively high scoring games.

 

02/02/09 Qormi HC beaten for the first time in the League

After 6 positive results in a row, the Qormi senior team was beaten 1-2 by current title holders Rabat. In a well fought encounter, the Rabat team managed to take the full points and decrease the gap at the top of the table, with Qormi still current leaders. The hockey enthusiasts are having one of the most balanced competitions in the most important Hockey competition on the island.

Ray Micallef had a full squad to choose from and opted to field the same squad used in the last 3 league encounters. On the other hand Rabat had Brian Tanti missing due to suspension, but recovered Shawn Falzon, as he was doubtful after last week's injury.

The Rabat squad began on the attack while Qormi stayed too much back and had to defend the first 15 minutes of the game. The Qormi defense played much better then the last game and thanks to good defending kept Rabat away from the dee. However from the 2nd short corner for Rabat, they managed to  score. A pass from the top of the dee to the player on his left side, was touched by the Qormi rusher out but luckily for Rabat the ball went straight in front of another Rabat player who hit at goal. Qormi reacted immediately and after conceding this goal went out to get the equaliser. With the team Sweeper advancing more to a midfield role the Qormi midfield advanced to help the attacking parties. From a Ghio free hit just outside the dee Magri managed to pass it past the keeper but unluckily hit the post. From the 1st short corner, with the stop being missed, Ghio pushed towards Piscopo who failed to connect into goal. Few minutes later a dizzying dribble from Tanti passed through the Rabat defenders but from his pass the Qormi attackers failed to finish. Qormi kept on attacking and finally managed to get the score level. Magri picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and passed on the right to youngster Calleja. The striker saw the Rabat keeper outside his goal and fired in from a close angle.

In the second half Qormi kept on attacking, however failed capitalise. On the other hand Rabat played on the counter attack. A Borg attack on the right put Micallef in front of goal. With the keeper beaten Micallef mishit the ball and sent the ball wide. From a Tanti through ball Calleja came in front of Rabat keeper, he passed the ball to Borg on the right side, but Borg�s shot was stopped by a defender on the line. From one of the counter attacks Rabat managed to get a short corner that resulted to be a decisive one. After stopping the ball Rabat passed the ball in the dee and finished into goal. Qormi kept on attacking trying to get the draw. From another short corner, the Qormi stopper failed to stop the ball. Ghio grabbed the ball and passed through to the left post. Tanti tried to flick the ball but it went just wide. All the Qormi squad kept on attacking until the last minutes but failed to get the deserved equalizer.

After this game, Qormi still lie top with 9 points from 6 games. Rabat are 2nd with 8 point also from 6 games. While 3rd but from 5 games Young Stars have 7 points. Next weekend Rabat and Floriana YS will meet at 9am, while Qormi will be resting.

Staring Line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, J.Cuschieri, O.Piscopo; J.Borg. D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti, J.Aquilina; J.Zahra, P.Magri.

Subs used: K.Calleja, J.Williams

With the squad: R.Brincat, R.Camilleri, J.Bonello

While the seniors' momentum was stopped, in the junior sectors the usual positive results were achieved. On Saturday the Under 12 began their competitions and finished up the 1st round. The Qormi 1st team showed its superiority winning both games with high scores. On the other hand the debut of the Qormi Girls was a positive one. With B.Calleja being the leader of the ladies they managed to beat the Qormi U11 squad. While the Under11�s, almost all debutants made their best, and although improved from game to game they failed to get any positive results. An evident gap in level was shown between the Under 12s and the Under 11s.

The scores were the following

Qormi vs Qormi Girls 7-1 (K.Micallef 3, A.Falzon, I.Mansueto, G.Bonello, N.Casha (Q), M.Borg (QG))

Qormi vs Qormi U11s 11-2 (A.Falzon 6, K.Micallef 5 (Q), R.Said 2 (QU11))

Qormi Girls vs Qormi U11 6-3 (B.Calleja 4, M.Borg, A.Gellel (QG), R.Said 2, K.Bajada (QU11))

On Saturday afternoon the Under 16 had to be in action. The 1st squad had to play vs White Hart but the opponent failed to show up. Therefore the Qormi team was awarded a walk over (2-0). With this result Qormi stand 1st with 6 wins from 6. The under 16 should not fail to win this competition. After this walk over the Qormi Under 14s faced the Sliema Under 16s. This game should have been the hardest game for the 14s to face, considering also that Sliema are the main competitors for the title with Qormi. The 14s had  Thomas DeGiovanni missing  due to sickness. However the 14s gave another impressive display. With T.Vella in goal, B.Calleja and L.Vella in defence the Sliema attacks rarely managed to come through. While in midfield K.Bianco together with L.Brincat on the right and Cha.Sammut on the left took control of the middle of the pitch. 11 year old Portelli replaced DeGiovanni and in front Mifsud kept the pressure on the opponent's defence. In fact from a short corner Mifsud managed to tap in a Brincat push to score the important goal in a 1-0 win. Other players that came in as substitutes also impressed positively. Already playing with 3 eleven year olds, Mansueto playing in midfield together with Portelli and Micallef up front, Cutajar and Mallia also came in and kept the team controlling the game.

This young group will certainly be an important part of the Qormi future. Till today the Under 14s played against all the other nurseries' Under 16 teams and managed to beat them all. Apart from the result the 14s were always superior.

Next weekend will be a quiet one. Only the Under 14s will be playing in a friendly game against White Hart Under 16s. In the previous encounter The 14s won 4-0.

 

25/01/09 Qormi HC Update

During the past weekend Qormi managed to extend their lead in both the Seniors and 9-a-side leagues. Although not playing to their full potential they managed to grab two important wins against White Hart in both categories.

The weekend began on a very positive note when on saturday the Qormi Under 14 squad faced Young Stars Under 16 squad in a scheduled friendly. The 14s kept on impressing with their fast passing and good running off the ball. In fact the 14s took the lead after a few minutes from a Charlo Sammut flick and kept on controlling the possession of the game. Good defending from Luke Vella, Bernice Calleja and defensive midfielder Kym Bianco kept the Floriana squad away from the Dee. On the attacking side, good runs on the right flank from Luke Brincat and fast passing between the latter, Thomas DeGiovanni and Charlo Sammut left the Floriana side fighting for possession.

In the 2nd half the Floriana squad went out with a better game plan and managed to equalise. However after a couple of minutes two goals in succession, one from a Thomas DeGiovanni flick and another one from a personal Jeremy Cutajar run closed the encounter.

On Sunday the seniors took to the field to play against White Hart. Before the game Qormi were leading the standings by 1 point on Rabat and therefore it was of utmost importance to take the 2 points. Ray Micallef had his full squad to choose from and started with the same side that impressively beat Floriana 15 days ago. However the team failed to reach the same level of performance that was shown in the last match.

The rearguard passed through some bad patches and had to call keeper Chircop several times in action. However every time the Qormi team managed to pass the ball they were close to open the score. We had to wait until the 20th minute to see the Qormi squad open the score. From a free hit out side the dee Jonathan Borg shot towards goal and Aquilina deflected into the net. After the goal, the White Hart squad put the Qormi defense under pressure and were superior for the remaining minutes of the half.

In the 2nd half the Qormi squad improved its game and took control of the match. Qormi failed to double the score several times and hit the post from close range with Zahra. From another occasion a Zahra deflection was stopped irregularly on the line. Borg scored the resultant stroke scoring his 6th goal in 6 consecutive games. Few minutes later Tanti dribbled through the White Hart defense and rounded the keeper to seal the match 3 goals to nil.

In the other match on Sunday, Sliema surprisingly beat Rabat 2-1. With this result Qormi took a 3 point lead on the champions having played the same amount of games. Floriana stand 4 points behind, but with a game in hand.

Line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Borg, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (Capt.), J.Aquilina; J.Zahra, P.Magri

Used Subs: R.Brincat, J.Sarcia, K.Calleja, J.Williams, R.Camilleri

On Monday it was the turn of the 9-a-side squad to face White Hart. White Hart which are the title holders needed the points from this game as they lay 2 points behind Qormi.

The Qormi squad began on a positive note. They took control of the pitch and scored from a fumbled hit by Bonello that went over the keeper and into the net. However the Qormi youngsters failed to keep the rhythm and the White Hart squad took control. It took 2 good interventions from Qormi young keeper Spiteri to stop the opponents from equalising. From a counter attack, Williams ran through the White Hart defense and with the keeper running towards him, he passed the ball to Zahra who doubled the score in front of an open goal.

The Qormi youngsters however kept on playing under par and failed to be organized in their play. In the last action of the 1st half White Hart pulled one back. As the 2nd half started White Hart were superior. The Qormi squad failed to organise themselves and left a lot of space for their opponents. From a counter attack White Hart managed to equalise. A few minutes later White Hart were close to score and it was thanks to a good intervention from the keeper that they failed to take the lead.

The White Hart squad kept on attacking and from another defensive mistake White Hart went in front and took the lead deservedly. The Qormi squad reacted positively to the situation. Although still not at the desired level the youngsters began to pass the ball better and create chances. In fact from a collective move Bonello pushed from the top of the dee and past the goalkeeper to make it 3-3. Qormi created another good chance but Calleja chose to shoot rather then find a better placed teammate and the chance went begging. In the last minutes a Williams run from the left side saw him being fouled as he was going to shoot at goal. From the awarde stroke, experienced Camilleri scored the 4th and decisive goal of the match.

In spite of the victory and the 4 point lead at the top of the table, Tanti was far from happy with his team's display. It is clear that a better attitude is expected from his players in their next outing.

Line Up: A.Spiteri; R.Camilleri, K.Bianco; R,Brincat (Capt.), J.Sarcia, K.Calleja, J.Bonello, Chr.Sammut; J.Zahra

Used Subs: J.Williams, Z.DeGiovanni

With the team: E.Calleja

Next weekend the seniors will be involved in the top of the table clash with Rabat. For the title holders it is a must win situation and will surely give their utmost to get close to the leaders. This much awaited encounter will be the 4th this season. The Rabat squad won the 1st 2 (2-1 Super Cup final & 2-0 Challenge Cup Semi final) and drew the 1st round encounter (1-1). Qormi improved their play following these games and a well balanced game is expected.

On Saturday morning the Under 12 competitions will be played. Qormi will be including 3 different squads. Qormi U12 team, lead by Owen Piscopo is the favorite in this competition where all the squad has a vast experience in the Under 14s. The Qormi U11 will be facing their 1st competition and Cuschieri will be giving the inexperienced kids a 1st try in the competitions. From his squad only Said and Deguara have played competitive matches up till now. All the other players will be on their debut. While the Qormi 3rd team will be an all Girls squad. This team has been created to push forward the development of the game among the girls. The team will be managed by John Williams.

In the afternoon, the Under 14 competitions will resume. Qormi will have the important game against Sliema. A win in this encounter will put the Qormi squad in a good position to take the 3rd consecutive league. The Under 12s will face White Hart.

 

19/01/09 Qormi HC Update

With the National league break, the attention this weekend was on the 9-a-side (reserves) competition. Qormi with it�s young team, managed by Tanti, began the weekend leading the table and faced 3rd place Sliema.

The Qormi team set the rhythm of the game and had control of midfield. After 20 minutes Ryan Brincat hit the post with a well timed hit. This was the prelude for the opening goal, as from the 1st short corner Ryan Brincat hit in goal from the top of the dee.

In the 2nd half Qormi kept on attacking and Julian Zahra stole a ball from the Sliema defenders. His execution was stopped but from the rebound Justin Bonello made it 2-0. Qormi took total control of the game and Julian Zahra, John Williams and Christian Sammut scored 3 action goals in 10 minutes. However in the dying minutes of the game Sliema scored a consolation goal and the game finished 5-1 for the Qormi side.

With the other game between White Hart and Floriana YS finishing 3-2, Qormi stand top of the table with maximum points (8), while White Hart have 6 points. Sliema are 3rd with 2 points and Floriana are still looking for their 1st points.

Starting line up: A.Spiteri; K.Bianco, R.Brincat (Capt.), J.Sarcia; J.Williams, K.Calleja, J.Bonello, C.Sammut; J.Zahra

Used subs.: R.Camilleri, A.Cauchi, R.Agius, Z.DeGiovanni, E.Calleja

On Saturday the under 14s were in action in the Qormi derby. The 14s had 2 debutants in the squad with Joshua Mallia and Roland Said but had Ian Sargent missing due to injury. On the other hand the 12s had a debutant keeper, 10 year old Shamison Mifsud who gave a very good impression of his potential. Keeper Massimo Versace Bugeja and Nicholas Casha were both missing through injury.

The 12s began the game on a high and went in front. However, from then on the 14s took control and it was a one way game, with the final score showing the 14s superiority (12-2). The 14s showed much better teamwork and were more accurate in their gameplay. On the other hand the 12s managed to play good patches of hockey but made a lot of simple mistakes that resulted in opportunities for the under 14 squad. Still the 12s impressed positively with their commitment and in spite of losing kept on creating chances till the end of the match. Scorers for Qormi were Thomas DeGiovanni (3), Roland Said (3), Charlo Sammut (2), Luke Brincat (2), Jeremy Cutajar and Kym Bianco. For the Qormi U12, Kyle Micallef & Ayrton Falzon.

With this result and the Sliema's win over White Hart (11-0), Qormi are still top of the league with maximuml points while Sliema are 2nd , 2 points behind. Qormi U12s have 2 points while White Hart stand last in the table without any points.

Next weekend the Seniors will be back in action. They will be facing White Hart in a match that the greens must win to remain top of the table. Qormi faced White Hart in the 1st Round and won 3-0. Keith Calleja should be back for the greens therefore Ray Micallef should have all the players available for this match.

The Under 16 competition will be played on Saturday. With our team resting, the Qormi U14 team will be playing a friendly match against Young Stars U16 squad. From this game Ghio will be looking to give more experience to the young ones to improve their game on the outdoor pitch. After the impressive result in the 1st friendly vs White Hart (4-0) surely another positive display is expected.

On Monday Steve Tanti�s 9-a-side squad will be facing White Hart in a decisive match for the league. This will be the last chance for the White Hart squad to keep up with the leaders. White Hart, the current holders of the competition have a squad full of senior players and will be a match where our young players need to use all their ability as individuals and as a team to come out on top.

 

12/01/09 Qormi HC Update

After being joint leaders with Floriana, the battle for top spot was up for grabs between the two table toppers. With both teams coming from a good run, surely every hockey enthusiast waited eagerly for this tie. Qormi had Keith Calleja missing from the line up due to sickness, but had the full initial line up of last week's 5-0 trashing of Sliema. Floriana had Slovak midfielder Margolien missing (abroad) and had C.Micallef back in the squad . Until this day both teams had met in the Challenge Cup 3rd place playoff with the Qormi side winning 3-0. However the score of that game was taken into little consideration by both teams.

However the Greens couldn�t have wished for a better start. Qormi went straight on the attack and from the 1st action a Borg hit at goal was stopped by a foot on the goal line. From the resultant stroke, Borg scored his 5th goal in 5 consecutive games just after 30 seconds of play! Floriana tried to react but a solid defending from the Qormi players kept the Floriana players away from goal. On the stroke of half time Chircop had to make a good intervention from a cross but the Qormi defence cleared the rebound ball.

The second half began with another bang from Qormi. Floriana opened the 2nd half with a pass back. Young striker Zahra rushed on Attard and managed to steal the ball. He kept on going in the Dee and hit the ball over Floriana Keeper Abdilla who was coming out to rush Zahra. With this goal Qormi increased their lead and controlled the game better. After 15 minutes a free hit from outside the Dee from Ghio, found Magri that pushed in for 3-0. With the result looking to be already set up Floriana surged forward with more players. 10 minutes from time, from their 4th short corner a flick from Mark Camilleri put Floriana back in the match. However just 2 minutes after the Floriana goal, Qormi sealed the game. A run from Borg on the right, passed on to Williams who flicked the ball over the onrushing Abdilla. The ball was stopped by the Floriana defence on the line. Magri took the rebound from one of the defenders and scored his personal brace and the 4th for Qormi. With the result 4-1 and few minutes remaining the game was already wrapped up for the greens.

Qormi now stand 1st in the league as sole leaders with 7 points out of a possible 8. 2nd placed Rabat won the game on Sunday (5-0) against White hart and stand a point behind with 6 while Floriana are 3rd with 5 points. Both White Hart and Sliema have point each.

Line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Borg, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (Capt.), J.Aquilina; J.Zahra, P.Magri

Used Subs: J.Bonello, J.Williams

On the Bench: R.Brincat, J.Sarcia, R.Camilleri,

On Saturday the Under 16s were in action again. This time against last season's champions Sliema. With Qormi already having a 4 point lead, Sliema needed to take the points from this game to have any hope of retaining the title. After last week's display, Ghio made some changes with Cauchi and T. DeGiovanni in midfield.
 

Sliema had their hopes shattered as the Qormi youngsters went out on the attack and scored immediately from Zachary DeGiovanni. Qormi kept on attacking and in just the 1st 7 minutes the result was already 4-0!!! (2 short corners from Juan Sarcia and one from Thomas DeGiovanni). Qormi kept on attacking and made several changes during the game.

In the 2nd half Qormi kept on the same rhythm and scored another one from a Thomas DeGiovanni hit from the top of the Dee. After this game Qormi are in 1st place with maximum points from 5 games (10 points), while Sliema and Floriana both have 4 points. Now with one game remaining for the end of the 2nd round against White Hart (1st round 10-0), Qormi should not fail to win this category.

Next week both Senior and Under 16s will take a week break. Instead on Saturday in the Under 14 category the Qormi derby will take place. In the 1st round the Qormi Under 14s won 7-4 against the Under 12s. During the 1st round Piscopo�s group showed a high level of skill and tactical discipline. Surely the 12s will be a hard nut to crack for the Under 14 group. On Sunday the 9-a-side (reserves) games will take place. Tanti�s group are at the moment 1st with 6 points and will be facing another young Sliema team. In the 1st round it finished 2-1 for Qormi. Keith Calleja should be returning for the Greens.

 

07/01/09 Qormi HC Update

The past weekend was a very positive one for Qormi HC winning all their games and topping all the tables in the respective categories.

On Sunday the senior squad faced Sliema Hs. After their positive run in the Challenge cup final rounds and a close defeat in their last league outing vs Floriana YS (3-4), a good challenge was expected. However the Qormi squad showed their superiority and finished up trashing their opponents 5-0. The Greens had a shaky start and made some mistakes at the back that could have cost the team dearly. However as the team settled the Sliema squad rarely managed to get in the Greens' 25 yard area. The 1st goal was a result of a short corner set piece where a push towards goal was deflected by someone (Owen Piscopo) from close range. A few minutes later Aquilina went through the Sliema defense and before shooting on goal he was fouled by a Sliema defender. From the resultant stroke Borg doubled the score and scored his 4th personal goal in 4 successive games. Qormi had other good chances that could have resulted in a larger lead before half time but failed to capitalise.

In the 2nd half Qormi went straight away on the attack and after a few minutes Keith Calleja passed the ball to Magri who went around the keeper and finished clinically into the net. On the 10th minute Aquilina passed the ball in the Dee to Micallef who managed to find a way through a group of defenders and slotted the ball behind the keeper to make it 4-0. At this point, Ray Micallef introduced some junior players in the middle of the field but still kept on dominating. 15 minutes from time a cross from the left by Dimech found Williams coming in on the run and deflected to make the final score 5-0.

With the other encounter of the weekend finishing 6-2 in favor of Floriana YS, Qormi stand top of the table together with the Floriana club at 5pts. Rabat follow a point behind, while White Hart and Sliema have a point each.

Squad: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Borg, D.Micallef, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (Capt.), J.Aquilina; J.Zahra, P.Magri

Used Subs: R.Brincat, R.Camilleri, J.Bonello, K.Calleja, J.Williams

On Saturday, the under 16s were in action too. After winning all the games of the 1st round, and also dominating the Emma Housley Challenge, the Qormi squad were favorites to win the encounter against Floriana YS. In fact the Under 16s took all 3 points with a 3-0 win but failed to impress. Although the Qormi team dominated the encounter the under 16 coach, Ghio, was far from happy due to lack of vision during their play and failing to impose their style of play. However 2 goals in the 1st half by the DeGiovanni brothers together with another one in the 2nd half by Sarcia gave the result to the Qormi 16s.

In the 2nd game on Saturday, the Qormi U14 squad faced the White Hart U16 team in a friendly. These encounters that the 14s are having with older opposition show the great strides that our nursery has made in the past years. The White Hart U16s were no match to our U14s and the game was dominated by the Qormi kids as the 4-0 scoreline suggests. During this game the 14s gave a good display of passing and an impressive ability in creating goal scoring opportunities. The Qormi Under 16s should try to emulate the performance given by this U14 side. The goals for the Qormi U14s were scored by Thomas DeGiovanni (2), Carmen Mifsud and Yanica Dingli.

 

On Monday the Qormi reserves played their 3rd encounter and last game of the 1st round vs Floriana YS. Qormi won this game (4-1) finishing winning all the games in the process. The Reserves, mainly junior players, took control of the pitch and the Floriana team rarely put any pressure on the Qormi rearguard. The team was very well disciplined tactically and the work Tanti is doing is there for all to see. In this encounter the Greens played their best hockey of the season. Qormi opened the score with Zahra scoring after few minutes and when the Floriana squad tried to pressure the Qormi defense a mistake in the Floriana rearguard found Zahra ready to steal the ball and double the result. Before half time a well built maneouver was finalized by Bonello to make it 3-0 at half time.

In the 2nd half Qormi kept on attacking and were it not for the large amount of chances missed by the Qormi forward line the score could have been much bigger. 15 minutes into the 2nd half Emerson Calleja managed to go round the keeper and finish into the net. In the dying minutes of the game the Floriana team managed to get 1 goal back from a short corner set piece.

Squad: A.Spiteri; J.Sarcia, R.Camilleri; R.Brincat, J.Williams, K.Calleja, J.Bonello, C.Sammut; J.Zahra

Used Subs: K.Bianco, Z.DeGiovanni, R.Agius, E.Calleja

Next weekend the Qormi senior squad will face Floriana YS in the direct encounter to determine the league leaders. With both teams being on top and Rabat one point behind, this match is surely the game of the week. The Under 16s will face Sliema Hotsticks in an important match. Sliema need to take the points if they want to retain the title. Qormi already have a 4 point lead at the top of the table and won the 1st round game 3-0. However Ghio will surely expect a much improved display from the last outing.
 

28/12/08    Qormi HC retain the Emma Housley Challenge

On Saturday morning the Club pitches in Qormi welcomed all the under 16 teams of the island for the 3rd Edition of the Emma Housley Challenge Under 16 category. This Challenge, in memory of the late Emma, has been organised by the Qormi Hockey Nursery together with the Housley Family for the 3rd year running.

The impressive Qormi team cosisted of Tyrone Vella, Kym Bianco, Juan Sarcia, Jeremy Cutajar, Axel Cauchi, Zachary DeGiovanni, Thomas DeGiovanni, Yanica Dingli and debutant Simeone Grech. Missing due to illness were Christian Sammut and Sylvaine Borg.

The Qormi Under 14 team had K.Bianco, J.Cutajar & T.DeGiovanni missing due to call up with the 16s. However with a mix of Under 14 and Under 12s players, coach Owen Piscopo still put together a good team with these young players. The team consisted of Jeremy Farrugia, Bernice Calleja, Isaac Mansueto, Luke Vella, Darren Portelli, Luke Brincat, Charlo Sammut, Carmen Mifsud and Kyle Micallef.

For the 3rd year running the final result was the same. The Qormi Under 16 team totally dominated the tournament scoring a total of 17 goals without suffering any.The best challenge came from the Qormi U14 team and from runners up Floriana YS.

In fact Qormi won its 3 games before the break with a 2-0 win against Qormi U14, 8-0 against White Hart and 4-0 vs Sliema. While Floriana beat Sliema 2-0 and had to fight hard for a 2-1 win against Qormi U14. After the break both teams met up in the most important game of the tournament. Although the Floriana team gave a good display the Qormi squad finished 3-0 winners. With this result the Qormi team won the tournament. On the other hand the Qormi U14 team lost its 1st 2 games, against Qormi (0-2) and Floriana (1-2), but went on beating White Hart 1-0. After the break a 2-2 draw against Sliema gave the 3rd place to the Under 14 team.

After the tournament a presentation of both Emma Housley Challenges organized this year (under 14 and Under 16) took place. While in the Under 16 Qormi won the 1st place and Floriana YS the runners up, in the Under 14 category played back in september, Qormi Won the 1st place while Sliema came runners up.

Emma Housley Challenge Roll of honour

Under 14

2006 1st Qormi, 2nd Hotsticks DT
2007 1st Qormi, 2nd Qormi U12
2008 1st Qormi, 2nd Sliema Hs

Under 16

2006 1st Qormi, 2nd Sliema Hs
2007 1st Qormi, 2nd San Anton WH
2008 1st Qormi, 2nd Floriana YS

The 2009 Emma Housley Challenge for Under 14 and Under 16 teams is scheduled for the 2nd week of February.

 

22/12/08 Qormi HC update

With the junior competitions postponed, the main attractions for Maltese hockey enthusiastists were surely the senior games on Sunday morning. The match of the day was between Qormi and reigning champions Rabat.

Qormi had almost a full squad and had Jonathan Borg back in the initial line up after missing more then 2 months due to injury. Returning for the Greens were also Jonathan Aquilina (still not fully match fit due to a groin injury sustained abroad) and Keith Calleja who was back from injury. Youngster Justin BonelloStill was unavailable, but should be back in contention for the next game against Sliema HS.

The game began with Rabat taking the control of midfield. The Greens defended well but found it hard to go forward, with Rabat keeping control. In fact Rabat managed to open the score from a highly disputed umpiring desicion when a penalty stroke was awarded. From the stroke Rabat player Azzopardi opened the score.

After the goal Qormi came out of defense and started to play their game. The Greens created some good chances and from a run by skipper Tanti, it was Jonathan Borg who finished the move with a goal. This was his 3rd goal in as many games. Qormi kept on attacking and Tanti passed to Zahra who from a tight angle narrowly missed the goal. Few minutes later from a foul outside the Rabat Dee, Ghio hit towards Magri who found his shot hitting Rabat's keeper's helmet.

In the 2nd half Qormi kept up the good momentum and almost went in front when a reverse hit from Dimech unfortunately hit Magri's feet on the way towards goal. Rabat kept trying attacking on the counter attack and although they had an impressive number of short corners, they failed to turn any of them into goals. At the end the game finished all square earning a deserved point for both sides.

Qormi Line up: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; J.Aquilina, R.Camilleri, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (capt.), D.Micallef; J.Borg, J.Zahra
Used subs: R.Brincat, P.Magri, J.Williams, K.Calleja
Sub not used: J.Sarcia

In the 2nd game of the week Floriana narrowly beat Sliema in a 4-3 thriller. With these Results Rabat top the league table with 4 points from 3 games, while Qormi and Floriana place 2nd with 3 points from 2 games. The senior competitions will continue on the 4th of January with the Greens facing Sliema HS. Both teams met twice in the Challenge cup and in both occasions the Greens came out on top (2-0 & 1-0).

Next Saturday all the attention will be on The Qormi Hockey pitch as the annual Under 16 Emma Housley Challenge will take place. For this Tournament 5 teams will be taking part, namely 2 clubs from Qormi (Qormi and Qormi U14), Sliema, Floriana and White Hart. Up till now Qormi has always won the Emma Housley Challenge tournaments, both Under 14 and Under 16. However a good challenge is expected from all teams participating.

 

15/12/08 Qormi HC update

The Qormi senior team began the weekend with a friendly against the foreign side of Oakham College, from England. A Depleted Qormi side faced a group of teenagers that played fast and very technical hockey. Although the English team was superior, the Qormi squad defended very well throughout the game and a last grasp short corner gave the win to Oakham College for a final result of 0-1.

On Sunday the 1st team began its league games with an encounter against White Hart. The senior team continued on the improvement shown in the last games. For this game the team had the return of Jonathan Borg from injury while Jonathan Aquilina (abroad), Justin Bonello (unavailable) and Keith Calleja (injured) were all missing.

The Qormi team passed the ball confidently at the back and was rarely put under pressure. The midfield controlled the game and the 2 full backs created many actions from the wings which the White Hart defense found very difficult to cope with.

However the Qormi squad was very weak in the short corner set pieces and failed to materialise any of the 9 occasions that they had. The final score of 3-0 clearly shows the difference between the two sides.

Scorers: Gareth Dimech, Julian Zahra & Jonathan Borg.

Squad: R.Chircop; A.Ghio, O.Piscopo, J.Cuschieri; R.Brincat, R.Camilleri, G.Dimech, S.Tanti (Capt.), D.Micallef;J.Williams, J.Zahra

Used Subs: A.Spiteri, J.Sarcia, C.Sammut, P.Magri, J.Borg.

On Saturday the Under 16 team was also in action against White Hart. In the 3rd game of the season the Under 16 team found no difficulty in beating their opponents to an impressive 10-0 final result. The 16s dominated the game from the start and changed sides with the result already 6-0. In the 2nd half the Qormi team fielded the younger players and still managed to score another 4 goals.

Scorers: T.DeGiovanni 2, Z.DeGiovanni 2, J.Sarcia 2, Y.Dingli, C.Sammut, K.Micallef, K.Bianco.

On Monday for the 3rd time in the weekend the Qormi club faced White Hart, this time in the reserves league. Considering White Hart are the reigning champions and much more experienced, they were surely the favourites for this game. A very impressive display in the 1st half from the Qormi young squad gave them a deserved 2-0 lead until half time. This lead could have easily been larger if the youngsters did not fail to capitalize on the open chances that they created. However in the 2nd half the performance of the Qormi squad plummeted and failed to impress. In the last few minutes White Hart got a goal back and were close to equalise. However a final result of 2-1 (scorers Ryan Brincat & Keith Calleja) gave the well deserved points to the Qormi Reserves and sent them top of the table.

Squad: A.Spiteri; J.Sarcia, R.Brincat; R.Camilleri, J.Williams, J.Bonello, C.Sammut; E.Calleja, J.Zahra.

Used Subs: K.Bianco, R.Agius, K.Calleja, Z.DeGiovanni

Next weekend on Saturday the Under 12 team will make its debut during the pre-season festival. On Sunday the 1st team will be facing reigning champions Rabat in a difficult match. Qormi should have a full squad to choose from with Jonathan Aquilina back on the island, Justin Bonello available and Keith Calleja back from injury.

Qormi already faced Rabat twice this year and lost both encounters, the Super Cup final (1-2) and the Challenge Cup Semi final (0-2). However the Qormi squad improved in the last outings and will surely make its best
to take both points and lead the standings

 

08/12/08    Qormi HC update

 

In a friendly match played on Monday 8th December, a young Qormi HC side defeated the senior team on penalties after the game ended 1-1 during normal time.  Keith Calleja opened the score for the seniors but Emerson Calleja equalised for the youth team.  The game was decided on penalties with the deciding penalty being scored by Yanica Dingli.

 

Qormi Under 14s finish 1st round on top. A well organized, dominant team trashed the newcomers White Hart side to a 15-2 scoreline. As the result clearly shows the Qormi team dominated the game from the 1st minutes. The Qormi team had to make no particular efforts and kept on scoring. Qormi scorers were Charlo Sammut (6), Thomas DeGiovanni (4), Luke Brincat (2), Ian Sargent, Jeremy Cutajar and Kym Bianco.

 

The Qormi U12 played against a better rated Sliema team. However the Qormi youngsters gave another very positive display. The Under12s shocked the Sliema side and went in front with a short corner from Isaac Mansueto. However as time passed Sliema took the upperhand and turned the result before halftime. In the 2nd half the Under12s kept on defending well and hit Sliema several times on the counter attack. Final result 4-6, scorers Isaac Mansueto (2) and Kyle Micallef (2)

Next saturday the Under 16 league will also come to the end of the 1st round. Qormi will face White Hart. With a win in this game the Qormi team will maintain the lead of the section. Floriana YS will play against Sliema, the team that looses this match will be out of the running for the league title since both teams lost their matches against Qormi.

This week our Senior squads will be back in action. On friday a friendly game against Oakham College (Eng) will be played in the evening, while on Sunday the Qormi senior team will face White Hart to kick off our 1st game of the league.

 

03/12/08    Qormi Junior teams top the standings after 2 games

 

The under 14s began the title defence against the Qormi Under 12s team that is also taking part in this competition. The under 12s gave a good run for the points and even went in front. However after settling down the Qormi 1st team levelled and took the lead. The game finished 7-4 (Scorers T.DeGiovanni 4, L.Brincat, J.Cutajar & A.Deguara (Q), G.Bonello, K.Micallef, D.Portelli (QU12). As the result clearly shows the Under 12s gave a good account of themselves.

 

In the 2nd match of the day Qormi faced top challengers Sliema Hs. Even though Qormi were missing 4 players they managed to close the 1st half 6-1 in front. In the 2nd half the Qormi team kept control and the game ended 9-5 (Scorers: Cha.Sammut 4, T.DeGiovanni 2, L.Brincat 2, I.Sargent).  The Qormi U12 played against new entrants White Hart. The Under 12s were dominant throughout the game and it was thanks to the White Hart keeper that the result was not greater. The Under 12s won the game 7-1 (Scorers: K.Micallef 4, B.Calleja 2, D.Portelli)

 

Next Weekend Andre Ghio should have a full squad after recovering L.Vella, R.Said & C.Mifsud (missed both matches) and also A.Deguara (missed last match) so Qormi will play against 4th placed White Hart.

 

While Owen Piscopo, Qormi U12s coach, will have a difficult task in facing Sliema Hs. Both teams already faced each other in the pre season festival and it finished up with a win for each side. However Slieam Hs' team begins the game as favourites.

 

In the Under 16s, the Qormi team began their title challenge against Floriana YS. The hard tackling team of Floriana could do nothing against the well disciplined and much more technical Qormi squad. The game finished up 7-1 (J.Sarcia 3, Z.DeGiovanni, T.DeGiovanni, Chr.Sammut, L.Brincat). Another good thing to note was the involvement of 3 debutants in this category, Under 12 players Kyle Micallef and Bernice Calleja and Under 14 Luke Vella.

 

In the 2nd game Qormi faced title holders Sliema Hs. Qormi were again superior through all the game. However an unmotivated Qormi team won the game 3-0 (Scorers: J.Sarcia 2, K.Micallef). Although the Qormi team showed it's superiority, Qormi's coach Ghio was far from happy with the team's commitment during this game.

 

In a forthnight, Qormi will be facing White Hart in the last game of the 1st round. A better performance will be expected after the Sliema game.

 

Other activities during the month of December are: on the 20th the Under 12 teams coached by Piscopo and Cuschieri respectively will take part in the Pre season festival. While on the 27th Qormi Hockey club will be organising the 3rd Emma Housley Challenge Under16s at the Qormi Pitches. This will be the 3rd edition and to date this Challenge has always been won by the Qormi club.

 

16/11/08    Qormi HC lose at the semi final stage for the 2nd year running

 

Qormi HC lost their semi final against Rabat by 2 goals to nil.  The Greens never reached top gear in this game and though Rabat themselves were not playing particularly great Hockey the Greens still failed to cause Rabat any great problems.  Now Qormi HC will face Floriana YS in the 3rd and 4th place playoff on Sunday.

 

02/11/08    Qormi HC book their place in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup

 

The Greens defeated Sliema HS for the 2nd time in one week to set up a meeting with Rabat Depiro in the semi finals of the Challenge Cup.  There was only one goal in the game but Qormi's play should have ensured a more comfortable result in the end.

 

01/11/08    Qormi HC Under 16 take part in international tournament

 

The Qormi Under 16 kids began to play against English West Kirby Under 18s and managed to get a last ditch goal from Cauchi to grab a 1-0 win. In the 2nd game Qormi faced the other maltese side in the competition, Sliema Hs. During this one sided game, Qormi won 3-0, goals from Sarcia, Zack DeGiovanni and Christian Sammut. In the 3rd game Qormi faced English side of Queens Under 16s. Qormi found no difficulty to beat their opponents and finished with the score of 5-0 (scorers, Kyle Micallef, Sylvaine Borg, Carmen Mifsud, Thomas DeGiovanni, Luke Brincat).

 

With the team already in the final, the Qormi squad faced their last group game against West Kirby Under 16s with an Under 14 side. Still the superiority was evident and the game finished with a 5-0 win for the Qormi kids. Scorers Kyle Micallef 2,Thomas DeGiovanni, Luke Bincat, Carmen Mifsud.

 

Qormi then met in the final West Kirby Under 18s. Although Qormi dominated the game, they found a hard nut to crack in their opponent keeper. However in the last minute of the 1st half a breakthrough from Zack DeGiovanni opened the scoreline. In the 2nd half Qormi controlled the game and managed to score a short corner from Sylvaine Borg.

 

The Qormi team managed to win the tournament without suffering a goal. The players that won the tournament where; Tyrone Vella; Sylvaine Borg, Bernice Calleja, Kym Bianco, Luke Vella, Charlo Sammut, Jeremy Cutajar; Christian Sammut, Juan Sarcia, Zachary DeGiovanni, Axel Cauchi, Darren Portelli, Luke Brincat; Yanica Dingli, Carmen Mifsud, Kyle MIcallef, Thomas DeGiovanni. The team was coached by Andre Ghio and assisted by Owen Piscopo.

 

Next Saturday the Under 16s will be playing their 1st game of the season against Floriana YS squad. While on Sunday the 14s will be taking part in the Pre-season festival at Kordin.

 

29/10/08    Qormi HC Juniors play 2 friendlies against foreign opposition

 

On Sunday afternoon Qormi Under 16 played a friendly game against an English girls' under 16 team, Weald of Kent Grammar School.

 

The game was one sided and Qormi's coach took the opportunity to give experience to the up and coming juniors from the Under 12s, namely Darren Portelli, Carmen MIfsud, Bernice Calleja and Kyle Micallef. The final result of 15-1(Scorers Yanica Dingli 4, Kyle Micallef 3, Carmen Mifsud 2, Darren Portelli 2, Thomas DeGiovanni, Sylvaine Borg, Zachary DeGiovann and Luke Brincat) shows the difference in level and the new comers left a very positive impact on the team.

 

The Qormi team was the following: Tyrone Vella, Sylvaine Borg, Kym Bianco, Christian Sammut, Charlo Sammut, Juan Sarcia (Capt.), Zachary DeGiovanni, Axel Cauchi, Luke Brincat, Yanica Dingli, Thomas DeGiovanni, Bernice Calleja, Darren Portelli, Carmen Mifsud & Kyle Micallef.

 

On Wednesday at 19:00, Qormi Under 18s played a friendly against a strong English side called Vulkans. In this game Qormi kids found a talented, well organized squad. The opponents were superior in the 1st half and the Qormi team failed to keep up with the pace of the opponents and suffered 3 goals.  After this the team reacted well. Some good patches of teamwork managed to put pressure on the opponents. Thanks to a well drilled action by Calleja, Zahra pulled one back before the half. In the 2nd half the Qormi team changed tactically and improved its team play. The team was superior in the 2nd half and pressured the Vulkans. After good teamwork between Christian Sammut, Calleja and Zahra, Thomas DeGiovanni managed to reduce the deficit to 1 goal.  It was now 2-3. In the last few minutes the Vulkans put up the pressure and keeper Vella had to do 2 important saves. However the opponents managed to get another goal to make the final result  4-2 in favour of the English side.

 

Qormi Players: Aaron Spiteri, Tyrone Vella; Sylvaine Borg, Juan Sarcia, Kym Bianco, Christian Sammut, Gernice Calleja, Charlo Sammut; Zachary DeGiovanni, Keith Calleja (Capt.), Axel Cauchi, Luke Brincat; Thomas DeGiovanni, Yanica Dingli, Julian Zahra.

 

On Saturday Qormi Under 16 team will be competing in an international tournament that will be taking place at Kordin. Sliema Hs will be the other Maltese team taking part in the tournament together with another 2 English squads.

 

25/10/08    Qormi HC win Under 16 Festival

On Sunday 25th October, the Under 16 Hockey festival was held in Kordin for the Clubs who are taking part in this year's competitions.  The Qormi team dominated the event and won all 3 games in convincing style.

 

In the first game Qormi played against Floriana YS and ran out 3-0 winners.  The scorers were Thomas DeGiovanni who scored twice and Jeremy Cutajar.  The second game produced an identical result this time against White Hart with goals coming from Chistian Sammut (2) and Charlo Sammut.  In the last game the junior team showed their superiority when they beat reigning champions Sliema Hotsticks 6-0.  The goals came from Axel Cauchi, Christian Sammut, Thomas DeGiovanni, Zachary DeGiovanni, Luke Brincat and Jeremy Cutajar.

 

Another positive note was that the Qormi defence did not let the opponents register one shot on target in all the 3 games.  The Qormi players for this tournament were Tyrone Vella; Kym Bianco, Sylvaine Borg, Bernice Calleja; Juan Sarcia (Capt.), Axel Cauchi, Zachary DeGiovanni, Christian Sammut, Charlo Sammut, Jeremy Cutajar, Luke Brincat; Thomas DeGiovanni, Yanica Dingli u Kyle Micallef.

19/10/08    Qormi HC beat Sliema Hotsticks to put one foot in the semi-finals

Qormi HC defeated Sliema HS 2-0 with both goals coming in the second half.  The first goal was scored by Philip Magri who was quick to pounce on a rebound.  The second, came from a short corner move when Jonathan Borg's fumbled hit found its way into the net.  Now the Greens take a 2 goal advantage when they play their home match in two weeks' time.

12/10/08    Qormi HC lose Super Cup to Rabat

Qormi HC lost the Super Cup final against Rabat Depiro by 2 goals to 1.  The Greens had a lot of possession but unfortunately were unable to capitalise in front of goal.  Rabat took the lead in the first half following a short corner move and doubled their lead in the second half.  10 minutes from time, Daniel Micallef reduced the deficit following a strong hit from a short corner move.  In the final minutes, the Greens threw caution to the wind and went all out to find a goal but were unable to equalize.  Match Report

08/10/08    Qormi HC register convincing win in final pre-season friendly

Yesterday the Greens played their last pre-season friendly against White Hart and ran out 3-0 winners.  The performance was convincing from start to finish as the opponents did not manage to register 1 shot on target in the whole match.  All the goals came in the first half.  Daniel Micallef opened the score from a short corner move.  Philip Magri doubled when he deflected Andre Ghio's free hit past the keeper and Julian Zahra scored the 3rd goal and his 3rd personal goal in 3 pre-season friendlies before the half time whistle.  Now the Greens will prepare to face Rabat in this year's season opener, the Super Cup Final.

06/10/08    Paul Brincat is recovering in hospital

On Monday, Team President Paul Brincat was admitted to hospital where he will undergo surgery.  Everyone concerned with the Club wishes him a speedy recovery.

06/10/08    Qormi HC to play last friendly against White Hart

White Hart will be the last opponents the Greens will face before they take to the field to face Rabat in the Super Cup final on Sunday.  The game will be held on Tuesday at 7.30 p.m. during the time usually used for practice.

05/10/08    Qormi HC field two teams in an exhibition match

It was a wonderful thing to watch as Qormi HC fielded two 11-a-side teams that played a friendly match against eachother.  On one side there was the senior team and on the other the 9-a-side team that takes part in the HAM Reserves League.  This team was mostly made up of under 16's.  The match ended 4-1 in favour of the seniors however the youths gave a very good account of themselves.  In fact they took the lead through Julian Zahra after a well worked move that put the latter through on goal.  A minute before the half the seniors drew level and had the chance to take the lead but missed a penalty.  In the second half the tired legs of the Reserves team could not keep up with seniors and they conceded 3 more goals.  It was a very positive performance from both teams and one that everyone involved really enjoyed playing in.

02/10/08    www.qormihc.tk is 8 years old

The Qormi Hockey Club official website is 8 years old.  From its very humble beginnings in October 2000 where it was made up of a handful of pages, it has now blossomed into a site of more than 120 pages.  With hits generating from all over the world it is one of the most popular Hockey sites in Malta.  During the Euro Hockey Challenge 3 that was held last May, the site was being updated daily and members from all the other teams were relying on this site for updated results and information about the tournament.

28/09/08    Qormi HC register first win of the season

The Greens walked on the pitch for the first time this season in a friendly against Sliema HS.  Qormi ran out 3-1 winners.  The game was a tight affair with the score being 2-1 at one point.  However a third goal from Keith Calleja killed the match.  The other goals came from Jonathan Borg who scored from the spot and Julian Zahra.

26/09/08    Qormi HC to play first friendly on Sunday

On Sunday 28th September, the Greens will play their first game of the season when they host Sliema Hotsticks in a friendly at 9.00 a.m.  With the pre-season preparation now over, the Greens turn their attention to the Hockey pitch where they will start preparing to defend the Super Cup title they won last year.

24/09/08    Qormi HC to play Super Cup final on the 12th of October

The Super Cup final between Rabat Depiro and Qormi HC will be played on Sunday 12th October.  It is the curtain raiser for the new 2008/2009 season.  The draw for this season's Challenge Cup has also been held and the Greens have been drawn with Sliema Hotsticks.  The tie will be a two legged affair with the winner advancing directly to the semi finals.  The loser will play a playoff with the third placed team from the other group which is made up of Rabat Depiro, Floriana YS and White Hart.

21/09/08    Qormi HC retain Emma Housley Challenge

Qormi has retained the Emma Housley Challenge Under 14 for the 3rd consecutive year.  The Under 14 section of the Challenge tournament has always been won by the Qormi club. The Under 14 team dominated the tournament beating Qormi's Under 12s 4-1 & 2-0 and Sliema Hs 4-1.

Qormi scorers 1st round: C.Sammut 2, L.Brincat, T.DeGiovanni, C.Mifsud.  Click here for more

20/09/08    Qormi HC drawn in Pool A for Euro Hockey Challenge III

The Greens have been drawn in Pool A along with local rivals Rabat HC, HC Ymittos of Greece and Elektrovojvodina Subotica of Serbia.  The venue for this tournament has not been decided yet.  The EHF is expected to decide the venue of this tournament in the coming days.  The tournament will last 4 days starting on the 29th of May and finishing on the 1st of June.

01/09/08    Qormi HC to organise the 3rd Emma Housley Challenge

On Saturday 20th September, the Qormi HC Nursery will organise the 3rd edition of the Emma Housley tournament.  There will be Under 14 and Under 16 teams taking part in the tournament.  All the local Hockey clubs have been invited to take part.  The tournament will start at 9 a.m.

21/08/08    Qormi HC raring to go

This week the team has started preparations for the coming season.  A 6 week training programme is being undertaken by the team in a bid to achieve an optimal physical condition for the start of the new season.

20/08/08    Players in and out

Christian Sammut, Juan Sarcia, Axel Cauchi and Sylvaine Borg have made the step up from the youth teams to the senior team.  Everyone at Qormi HC would like to wish them all the very best for their future playing careers.

Qormi HC would like to thank Darrell Housley for the long years of service given to our Club.  Housley has decided to join another club to further his playing career.

Qormi HC would also like to wish all the best to former Team President Dr. Ian Crockford who will make a career move away from our shores.  Everyone at the Club would like to thank him for the years of service given both as a player and as an official.

07/08/08    Qormi HC announce the new committee for the coming season

The Qormi HC team committee for the coming season has been set up after a players' meeting was held to decide the final seat on the committee.

Team President             Paul Brincat

Secretary                      Joseph Cuschieri

Treasurer                      Steve Tanti

Team representative      Ramon Chircop

Nursery representative  Andre' Ghio

Members                      Joseph Grech

                                    Owen Piscopo

12/07/08    End of season celebration

On Saturday 12th July, Qormi HC celebrated the end of the 2007/2008 season by holding a BBQ at the Manwel Dimech Sports Complex.  All the players from all the various teams were invited to attend this event.  Around 150 people were present and the night was a great success.  At the end of the evening, the Club awards for past season were given to the respective players.

Qormi Hockey Nursery
Category	Most Promising Player	Most Improved Player	Most Dedicated Player
Beginners	Luke Bajada	Sheldon Seychell	Jeremy Bugeja
Under 9	Andre Deguara	Maria Grixti Soler	Keith Bajada
Under 10	Marylin Borg	Owen Borg	Luke Abela
Under 11	Darren Portelli	Nicholas Casha	Kyle Micallef & Isaac Mansueto
Under 12	Thomas DeGiovanni	Luke Brincat	Jeremy Cutajar
Under 14	Tyrone Vella	Luke Vella	Charlo Sammut
Under 16	Axel Cauchi	Christian Sammut	Zachary DeGiovanni
Girls	Kym Bianco	Bernice Calleja	Carmen Mifsud & Anastasia Micallef
Nursery Award	Juan Sarcia
Qormi Hockey Club
Category	Most Promising Player	Most Improved Player	Most Dedicated Player
Reserves	Keith Calleja	Sylvaine Borg	Rudolph Camilleri
Category	Best Player	Club Award	Most Dedicated Member
Seniors	Jonathan Aquilina	Philip Magri	Steve Tanti