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Pembroke and Insta vye for a first women’s EYHL title

By Saturday evening, the women’s EY Hockey League will have a new champion with either Pembroke of Catholic Institute taking the laurels for the first time.

At different points in the season, Pembroke looked like they might have had it wrapped up at this stage but Insta gave them something to think about last Saturday with their 4-1 win at Rosbrien to send the title chase to a final day.

For Pembroke, they remain in the box seat with a two-point lead and a home date against ninth-placed Muckross. Last week, they had a half-dozen players unavailable with their backline completely rejigged in the absence of Leah McGuire, Isy Delamer, Amy-Kate Trevor and Hayley O’Donnell.

Last week was, incredibly, the first time Pembroke had conceded more than one goal in a game this term. With a more settled line-up, coach Gavin Groves will ease back into their rhythm once again to land the title for the first time.

For Insta, they are guaranteed their best ever finish in the EYHL simply by virtue of the fact this will be their first complete season in the top tier.

The influence of Olympians Róisín Upton and Naomi Carroll cannot be understated; they are both among the top three goalscorers in the league, offering threats from set pieces and play, respectively.

But focusing on that duo is just part of the story. The second goal in last Saturday’s 4-1 win over leaders Pembroke was a pitch-length, training ground move of smooth movement and team interplay.

Leah Clery’s tireless running up top, Laura Foley’s ability to ghost by players and the assurance of Christine O’Shea in defence are all pivotal.

If they win their lunchtime game at Belfast Harlequins (12.45pm, Deramore Park), Insta will have a – potentially temporary – one-point lead in the rankings.

Then, they will hope to be active Muckross supporters for an afternoon, wishing on the relegation-threatened side can deny Pembroke a victory (2.30pm, Serpentine Avenue).

They form exciting parts of a final day of the campaign with something on the line for nine of the ten teams due to the new playoff format. Muckross and Belfast Quins’ fate is also wrapped up in those ties with the Dubliners needing a win to have a chance to avoid the drop – by the time they hit the turf, they will know their equation and what is possible.

Pegasus are already assured of a playoff spot but they will be hoping to upgrade their guaranteed quarter-final spot to a semi; for this to happen, they need Insta to falter and then win over UCD.

The students, though, will know what they need in the last game of the season (starting at 2.50pm at Belfield) to get into the playoffs themselves.

Railway, seventh, can put fifth-placed Old Alex’s playoff hopes in jeopardy if they pick up a win at Milltown in a potential barnstormer. Loreto, meanwhile, will look to pin down a home quarter-final if they can lock down the points at home against Cork Harlequins.

Sunday, meanwhile, sees the women’s Irish Senior Cup semi-finals take place. Holders UCD are going for a fourth title in five editions of the competition but they need to be the first side this season to win at Rosbrien as they go to Catholic Institute – they did draw there on the opening day of the season, the one blemish to Insta’s home record.

Pembroke host Pegasus in a repeat of the 1975 final, the year the Dublin 4 side last won the title.

Saturday, March 26th
Women’s EYHL Division 1: Belfast Harlequins v Catholic Institute, Deramore Park, 12.30pm; Cork Harlequins v Loreto, Farmers’ Cross, 12.45pm; Old Alex v Railway Union, Milltown, 1.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Muckross, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Pegasus, Belfield, 2.50pm

Sunday, March 27th
Women’s Irish Senior Cup, semi-finals: Catholic Institute v UCD, Rosbrien, 1pm; Pembroke v Pegasus, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm

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Salerno, Holy Child and Methody lead way after day one

Hosts Salerno hold a narrow edge after day one of the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships in Dangan, leading the group on goal difference after a tightly fought series of fixtures.

The Salthill side got off to a dream start when Sinead Burke scored just a couple of minutes into the tournament against Kilkenny College but the sides ultimately shared a 1-1 draw with Julie Greene equalising.

Salerno later backed that up with a 2-0 win against reigning champions Crescent College Comprehensive thanks to goals from Ciara Dunne and Ailbhe Folan.

It puts them on four points, the same tally as both Methodist College Belfast and newcomers Holy Child Killiney who drew 0-0 in their opening game. Both followed up with 1-0 wins, Methody defeating Crescent 1-0 courtesy of a Sasha Tindall goal while Killiney got their first win against Kilkenny on the same scoreline.

Day two opens up in Galway with Crescent against Kilkenny before a potentialy defining game between Salerno and Holy Child at 11am.

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships (all at Dangan, Galway)
Thursday results: Salerno 1 (S Burke) Kilkenny College 1 (J Greene); Methodist College Belfast 0 Holy Child Killiney 0; Crescent Comp 0 Salerno 2 (C Dunne, A Folan); Kilkenny College 0 Holy Child Killiney 1 (L Schwer); Crescent Comp 0 Methodist College 1 (S Tindall)

Friday fixtures: Crescent Comp v Kilkenny College, 9.30am; Salerno v Holy Child Killiney, 11am; Kilkenny College v Methodist College, 12.30pm; Holy Child Killiney v Crescent Comp, 2pm; Methodist College v Salerno, 3.30pm

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Galway awaits for the 2022 Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirl Championship

After two years hiatus, the Kate Russell All-Ireland Championship returns with the five regional champions battling it out in the 41st edition of the marquee competition at NUIG’s Dangan on Thursday and Friday. 

It features three previous winners of the title with 2019 champs and holder Crescent Comprehensive; 2018 victors Kilkenny College and 2016’s Methodist College Belfast all tasting success in recent times. 

At the other end of the spectrum, Leinster’s Holy Child Killiney are a newcomer to this stage having won their provincial final for the first time after 75 years of hockey in the school while host school Salerno are looking to have the trophy in Connacht for the first time since 2009. 

The action gets underway on Thursday morning at 9am with five matches running through the day and five more on Friday with the winner decided on a round-robin group basis. 

Find out more about the sides here: 

Crescent Comprehensive (Munster champions) 

The reigning champions by virtue of their 2019 success, Crescent have enjoyed a super season to daye. They had a 100% record in the North Munster league and eagerly await the league semi-final in Limerick where they face Mount Mercy.  

This league form provided momentum to overcome Munster contenders Scoil Mhuire in the quarter final of the cup 5-2. In the semi-final, Crescent overcame a dogged Ursuline Thurles side 3-1 before needing a near faultless performance in the final to overcome Mount Mercy 2-0.  

Munster champions Crescent

Goals have been shared throughout the forward line between Amy Connolly, Seodhna Dervan and captain Holly Doupe with Sarah Fitzgerald, Aoibheann Collins and Jodie Keane leading the charge from both midfield and defence. 

Squad: 1. Trixie Pearce GK 2. Ingrid Cussen 3. Jodie Keane 4. Maria Campbell 5. Amy Connolly 6. Aoibheann Collins 7. Bronagh Byrne 8. Holly Doupe C 9. Jane Moore 10. Eimear Cowhey 11. Sarah Fitzgerald 13. Charlotte Horan 14. Seodhna Dervan 15. Ciara Brennan 16. Ali Clein 17. Hannah O’Byrne 20. Anna Campbell 22. Faye Luby GK (12. Róisín O’Brien – travelling reserve) 

Coach: Cathal Duggan, Assistant Coach: Gary Kirby, Manager: Miriam O’Callaghan. Other: Sean O’Callaghan 

 

Holy Child Killiney (Leinster champions) 

The school won their first ever Leinster Senior Cup title earlier this year, edging out Newbridge College in the final to make them the one newcomer this week to the top table in the Kate Russell Championship. The group has been incredibly committed and has a unique team spirit that been a significant factor in the team’s successes so far.  

This was backed up by winning the Claudia Tierney following a second-place finish in league group having lost out to eventual winners Wesley 1-0. Captain Alex Purcell has provided a constant threat in midfield while twins Sophie and Katie Meir play pivotal roles. The team has kept seven clean sheets in all competitions with Emma McCann, Millie Jerman and goalkeeper Cathy Green providing great stability at the back.  

Squad: 1 Cathy Green (Gk) 2 Katie Meir 3 Rachel Jackson 4 Jessica O’donovan 5 Emma Mccann 6 Alex Purcell (C) 7 Sophie Meir (Vc) 8 Jenny Baily 9 Sarah Mcfarland 10 Isabelle Napier 11 Lucy Schwer 12 Millie Jerman 13 Heather Miles 14 Aliya Davis 15 Olivia Napier 16 Sive Mcloughlin 17 Hannah Murphy 25 Hannah Gerlitz (Gk) 

Head coach: Simon Lowry; assistant coach: Jess McGrane; goalkeeping coach: David Fitzgerald 

Holy Child Killiney. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Salerno (Connacht champions) 

Salerno has a proud history of competing in the Kate Russell tournament as Connacht champions, representing Connacht this year having done so in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and would have done so in 2020.  

The Leaving Certs in our current senior squad were part of the Under-15 squad who competed in the inaugural June Smith All Irelands in Kilkenny in 2018, finishing third in that tournament. 

They swept to the Palmer Cup this year with a 5-0 final win over Colaiste Iognaid in the final in early March. Among their line-up are captain Leah Ruane, Ailis McDonnell, Grace Walsh, Anna Costello and Isabelle Howard who all represented Connacht in the Under-18 interprovincial tournament this season while Ailbhe Folan has scored in EYHL2 this term. 

Squad: 1. Grace Kavanagh (GK) 2. Ava McGauran 3. Ailbhe Folan (Vice Captain) 4. Joanne O’Flaherty 5. Anna Costello 6. Emma Dillon 7. Ailis McDonnell 8. Leah Ruane (Captain) 9. Sinead Burke 10.Ciara Dunne 11.Amy Keenan 12.Isabelle Howard 13.Sophie Beatty 14.Laoise Medley 15.Roisin Heaney 16.Grace Walsh 17.Lauren O’Flaherty 18.Ella Harte (GK)  

Reserves: • Aoife Summerville • Maeve Moran • Aoibhin Deasy • Anna Harty (injured)  

Coach: Gerry Heaney Assistant Coach/Team Manager: Katie Osborne 

 

Kilkenny College (South East champions) 

Kilkenny College are looking to win their third Kate Russell Championship having landed the trophy in 1994 and 2018. They qualified for the finals stage with a 2-1 victory over city rivals Loreto Kilkenny in the South East final. 

Vicky Ronaldsson is the side’s top goalscorer, working well in tandem with Julie Greene up front. Handcock sisters Amy and Zoe are crucial in midfield along with other South Leinster players including Ava Chamney (captain), Emma Simmons, Sarah Wiilson and Holly Hutchinson in the backs. 

Many of the side play with either the rapidly rising Kilkenny Hockey Club or Naas Hockey Club. 

Squad: 1 Sarah Valentine (Gk) 3 Zoe Handcock 4 Megan Sherwood 5 Sarah Wilson 6 Vicky Ronaldson 7 Holly Hutchinson Vc 8 Ava Chamney C 9 Jill Stephens 11 Lily Grace 12 Amy Handcock 13 Emily Brain 14 Julie Greene Vc 15 Lilly Cooke 16 Emma Simmons 17 Tara Obyrne 18 Molly Mcloughlin Gk 19 Erika Lowe 20 Lucy Pringle 

Coach: Ross Harding; assistant coach: Richard Willis; manager: Lesley Threlfall 

Kilkenny College

 

Methodist College Belfast (Ulster champions) 

Methodist College Belfast, affectionately known as Methody, is enjoying a big sporting year as they won their second girls Ulster Senior Cup title along with the boys senior rugby cup.  

A number of players have achieved representative honours at Ulster and Irish Level; Ella Armstrong, Anna Pim and Enya Darby (Ulster U18) and Erin Pim (Ulster U16) while the multi-talented Amy Hunter hit the world record books in 2021 at just 16 years old as cricket’s youngest international centurion. She scored the winning goal in the Ulster final from a corner variation in their 1-0 victory over Royal School Armagh. 

Their squad has also shown their incredible heart for hockey throughout the season as well as their heart for giving, contributing to various charity projects (such as Charlene’s Project) and supporting an initiative created by co-Captain Anna Pim (At the Heart of the Game).  

Squad: 1. Enya Darby (GK) 2. Amy Hunter 3. Sophie Moffett 4. Adriana Cutrona 5. Ella Armstrong (Co-Captain) 6. Sarah Johnston 7. Anna Pim (Co-Captain) 8. Katy Doherty 9. Jiwon Hong 10. Sasha Tindall 11.Ruby Tindall 12.Zara Bolan 13.Erin Pim 14.Jen Lamont 15.Holly Moffett 16.Emma Campton 17.Rebecca Glass (GK) 

Coach: Fiona McIlwaine; Assistant Coach: Lynne McCluggage; Team Manager: Sarah McGrath

Methodist College Belfast

 

 

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships 2022 (all at NUIG Sports Grounds Dangan) 

Thursday 24th March 

9.30am Salerno V Kilkenny College 

11am Methodist College Belfast V Holy Child Killiney  

12.30pm Crescent Comprehensive V Salerno  

2pm Holy Child Killiney V Kilkenny College  

3.30pm Crescent Comprehensive College V Methodist College Belfast  

Friday 25th March 

9.30am Crescent Comprehensive College V Kilkenny College  

11am Salerno V Holy Child Killiney  

12.30pm Kilkenny College V Methodist College Belfast  

2pm Holy Child Killiney V Crescent Comprehensive College  

3.30pm Methodist College Belfast V Salerno  

** Each match is 50 minutes in total (4 quarters of 12.5 mins with 2 mins break at quarters and 5 mins at half time) 

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Pembroke’s late equaliser against Corinthian keeps men’s EYHL relegation battle live

Men’s EYHL – day 16 round-up

Pembroke 2 (I Johnson, M Duggan) Corinthian 2 (M Neill, P Caruth)

Mark Duggan’s last minute equaliser gave Pembroke denied Corinthian a vital victory in the battle to avoid relegation as he struck a cracking reverse-stick shot to make it 2-2 at Serpentine Avenue.

It keeps Pembroke in ninth place but, vitally, they remain in touch with Corinthian, trailing the reds and safety by two points with two rounds of matches still to play.

Pembroke made most of the first half play but left huge holes at the back twice to be caught on the counter. In the early stages, former Pembroke man Simon Thornton did well to keep out Cian Murphy despite getting into a little tangle and he also got a solid boot to Philip Forster’s shot.

The reds, however, took the lead when Chad Futcher launched a big overhead from the edge of his own circle which Max Neill picked up on the opposing D. He rounded Ilko Dartsch down the right to slip the ball home from a tight angle.

It was 2-0 when Caruth was set free in acres of space inside his own half and he was able to find Brinsley Powell overlapping on the baseline. He looked to be impeded but a good advantage allowed the ball to be shovelled into Caruth’s path to finish off.

Pembroke closed out the half with two more chances as Isaac Johnson and a Sothern drag were both turned away by Thornton.

Caruth cleared the bar from a tight angle in the second half before Pembroke started to piled on the pressure. A big block from Ben Murphy kept out a corner as the reds soaked up a huge amount of pressure in Q3 but the lead was cut in half in the fourth quarter when Ronan Flannery powered down the baseline and his cross was finished off first time by Johnson.

And Pembroke laid an even bigger siege to the Corinthian circle which was eventually breach with about 45 seconds left on the counter. It came again down the right wing with Alex Burns finding Duggan peeling away from goal where he unleashed a rocket of a strike to earn the point.

Monkstown 4 (G Sarratt 2, L Cole, M Gibbons) YMCA 1 (R Henderson)

Monkstown made it six wins in succession to move up to second place in the table as a pair of Guy Sarratt saw them pull away from YMCA at Rathdown in the third quarter.

Town had a corner within the first 20 seconds when Davy Carson was felled wife on the right; Lee Cole ripped the ball into the net for a lead they never relinquished. It was 2-0 in the fifth minute when Lee Cole’s long overhead found Jeremy Duncan who laid off to Geoff Cole on the outside. His cross was pin-point and Mark Gibbons was able to guide into the net.

YM were back in the contest in the 10th minute when Sam Hyland danced through a couple of tackles before reversing from the left baseline to Ross Henderson to touch in, 2-1.

From there, the Y had the vast majority of the play but could not take advantage with five corners drawing no score while Grant Glutz’s reverse was well saved by David Fitzgerald.

The goalkeeper also produced a wonderful block from Harry McCarthy’s deflection; Fionn Marriott’s direct running also created three glorious chances with Keith Kenning clearing off the line.

But things unravelled in the third quarter as Guy Sarratt scored from a penalty corner to make it 3-1. Sam Hyland took a 10-minute yellow for a physical foul on Duncan and the Ben O’Grady followed him off. Down to nine, Town took advantage with Sarratt scoring another corner goal. Jakim Bernsden made an outstanding save from Davy Carson to keep it at 4-1 as Monkstown closed out the result with relative ease despite their serious discomfort in the middle phases of the game.

Banbridge 1 (Peter Brown) Annadale 0

Peter Brown got the only goal of the game in the Ulster derby as Banbridge beat Annadale to stay in the hunt for an EY Champions Trophy semi-final ticket.

It came in the second quarter with Peter Brown doing all the work, tackling a defender on the 23-metre line where he whipped the ball onto his reverse and shot home.

Both sides endured a number of cards in the second half but, otherwise, it was a match very low on chances with no penalty corners for either side and precious few sights of goal.

For Bann, they are in fourth place and two points off second spot with two matches to go while Annadale are three points above the relegation zone but can attain safety if they get

UCD 0 Lisnagarvey 4 (M Nelson 2, D Nelson, O Kidd)

Lisnagarvey extended their lead in the men’s EY Hockey League to four points, as they eased to a 4-0 win over already relegated UCD. For Garvey, they led from the seventh minute when Matthew Nelson nailed a reverse-stick shot for the only goal of the first half.

He turned provider for Daniel just after the break who slipped him the ball which was duly dispatched to the roof of the goal. Matthew provided  wondrous third, driving into the circle and shooting low into the bottom corner before Kidd continued his excellent scoring form to complete the win.

Three Rock Rovers v Glenanne – postponed

High winds mean the watering system at Grange Road was unable to reach all parts of the water-based turf with areas deemed dangerous for play and thus the tie was postponed.

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Women’s EYHL title race goes down to final day as Insta beat Pembroke

Women’s EY Hockey League – day 17 round-up
Catholic Institute 4 (L Foley 2, R Upton, H Kelly) Pembroke 1 (G Pinder)
Catholic Institute ensured the women’s EYHL title chase will go down to the wire as the Limerick beat the league leaders with something to spare, cutting the gap to two points with one game to go.

It was their eighth successive home league win and completes an unbeaten home campaign, picking up 25 out of 27 points on offer. For Pembroke, they came into the tie needing a draw or better to win the title for the first time but they struggled without the services of Sinead Loughran, Emily Beatty, Isy Delamer, Amy-Kate Trevor, Hayley O’Donnell and Leah McGuire with their backline overhauled.

They fell behind in the eighth minute when Naomi Carroll slipped a lovely through ball to Laura Foley and her intended cross took a big deflection in off the shoe of a back-pedaling defender.

Hannah Kelly made it 2-0 following an exquisite move down the left wing with Leah Clery picking out the pass and the Kilkenny woman slammed home a backhand shot for 2-0.

Pembroke, though, fought back well before the end of the first half with Gillian Pinder and Orla Macken to the fore with Ellen Curran twisting and turning in midfield. From a series of penalty corners, Pinder flicked in from close range to cut the gap to 2-1.

And they carried that momentum into the early stages of the second half where they held a good volume of possession. Insta, though, always had a greater cohesion and were able to work the ball out of tight spots in neat style and they put daylight back between the sides from a penalty corner. Roisin Upton got the goal, picking up a rebound from a penalty corner from mid-circle.

Foley then crowned the win when she won the breaking ball from a long Upton pass forward and while she had options left and right, she took on the shot herself and picked out the bottom corner.

Insta now face eighth-placed Belfast Harlequins away while Pembroke go to Muckross on the last day of the season to determine the title.

Belfast Harlequins 1 (N Lyttle) Railway Union 4 (E Smyth 2, A Long, Z Delany)
Railway Union kept up their pursuit of an EY Champions Trophy quarter-final spot as three second half goals at Deramore Park saw them win 4-1 on a sunny springtime day.

Railway took a fourth minute lead when Sarah Hawkshaw peeled left around the edge of the D from a long corner move and picked out a perfect line to Emma Smyth to bat in her first of the day.

Quins recovered from their slow start to test Riona Norton down low almost immediately off the back of a Katie Larmour run while Emma Uprichard was also crowded out. They were back on terms when Jenna Watt’s surge down the right earned a corner which Natalie Lyttle powered home for 1-1.

It remained that way through the second quarter with Railway having the edge in play, winning a couple of corners while Zara Delany had a reverse cleared away off the line.

Quins looked dangerous on the counter in Q3 with Suzanne Taylor making an excellent block off Lily Lloyd while Rachel Johnston produced a knee-grazing sliding block to save brilliantly.

Railway retook the lead through Smyth on her reverse after a couple of strong tackles in the D opened up the chance and she found space well to chip in.

Although Quins battled hard to find the equaliser, Railway found some rhythm in their passing and moving and the key third goal was a beauty, Hawkshaw feeding Orla Patton’s whose first time touch against the grain invited Ailish Long to strike first time in the 57th minute for 3-1.

With five minutes to go, Delany added the fourth, a corner move back to the injector. Railway remain in seventh place going into their final game against Old Alex where a win would see them secure a quarter-final spot.

For Harlequins, they stay two points above the relegation line but need a win next week against Catholic Institute to be sure of staying above Muckross.

Muckross 0 Loreto 2 (C Hamill, H Matthews)
Loreto all-but assured themselves a place in the EY Champions Trophy quarter-finals with a hard-won three points at Grange Road against Muckross with Christina Hamill and Hannah Matthews getting the goals in the second half.

The first half was one of few chances with both defences holding up well. Yasmin Pratt twisted and turned before testing Aoife Glennon while two Loreto corners were snuffed out, Jane O’Brien charging down the second one which almost led to a big chance at the far end.

Christina Hamill celebrates her goal for Loreto. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Twice, Loreto had to clear their lines in front of Lizzie Murphy while Siofra O’Brien’s reverse went inches wide to close out the half.

The goal, though, did not take long to arrive after the big break as a corner move initially broke down but the fell to the right where Hamill was on hand to crack home from the right of the D.

The second also came from a corner, a scrappy affair as the injection was a little off course but, after a few bites of the cherry, Matthews slammed in the chance.

Muckross replied with a corner chance which Julia Balcerzak fired at goal but Murphy did well to palm away. That was as close as they came to getting one back as Loreto defended their 23-metre zone well for the remainder of the contest to secure a precious three points.

UCD 2 (S McAuley, K Egan) Old Alex 0
UCD beat Old Alex for the second time in three days, backing up their Jacqui Potter Cup final success with an important league win which keeps them in the top six and an EY Champions Trophy berth.

UCD raced out of the blocks with Holly Micklem forced to make three big stops, the first from point-blank range from Katherine Egan on the volley, next from Michelle Carey and then from Egan again on the reverse.

Next she blocked Rachel Kelly sliding out after Carey’s driving run. Alex’s best chances came from a pair of corners but Ellie McLoughlin did well to block both. It was UCD who were largely on top, camping in Alex territory for much of the second quarter but to no avail on the scoreboard.

The deadlock was broken in the third quarter when Sarah McAuley – one of a string of players returning from international duty – picked out the unguarded bottom right of the backboard from her side’s third set piece.

Alex – who were without Deirdre Duke and Nikki Evans – came on strong in the closing quarter with Jess McGirr a powerful presence; she drew a low block from McLoughlin while there were a number of other scrambles that were repelled.

UCD’s clincher, however, came with six minutes to go when Egan claimed a touch on a long ball into the middle by Katie-Jane Marshall. It was initially given as a free out but a consultation saw the goal awarded.

Pegasus 11 (A Speers 4, N McIvor 3, L McKee 2, L Paul, E Armstrong) Cork Harlequins 0
Pegasus ran up a facile 11-0 win over already relegated Cork Harlequins to stay very much in the hunt for an automatic EY Champions Trophy semi-final spot.

The game was as good as done by the fifth minute with Alex Speers netting the first two of her four goals on the day either side of a Niamh McIvor effort.

Speers had her hat trick by the 10th minute and it was up to 7-0 by half-time of a hugely one-sided affair as McIvor also landed a treble. That win keeps them two points off second placed Catholic Institute as they look to try and secure a bypass through the first round of the playoffs for the big prize.

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Pembroke and Corinthian’s battle royale in men’s EYHL relegation tussle

Pembroke and Corinthian face a battle royale as both look to get some breathing room the men’s EYHL relegation contest as the regular season enters its last three rounds.

The Serpentine Avenue side have home advantage which they will hope to use to overhaul the two-point gap to the reds as they aim to repeat their 4-3 success from November.

For Corinthian, they have been boosted by the return of South African international Chad Futcher with his impact at penalty corners and long overheads from the back.

Their defence will be pivotal in trying to tame Julian Dale (15) and Alan Sothern (12) who have combined for 27 EYHL goals to sit second and third in the league’s goalscoring charts.

Both clubs have endured frustration in the past two rounds, conceding late to miss out on points in 3-2 defeats to Three Rock Rovers and are looking to arrest three-game losing streaks, suggesting the sides will be very much well-matched.

At the top, Lisnagarvey will be expected to maintain their lead when they travel to already relegated UCD but they did struggle initially against the students earlier in the campaign before cutting loose.

Ben Nelson has been missing up front for the past few games but James Lorimer is back in the mix and Garvey have still been in flying form in front of goal with 14 goals across their last three wins. Overall, they have had 14 different scorers in this campaign, the highest of any club to date.

Three Rock Rovers host Glenanne off the back of a St Patrick’s Day Mills Cup final success with Ben Johnson scoring a hat trick of corners in a 5-2 win over YMCA. The Glens have had a frustrating run of late, picking up just four points from the last 12 available to stymie their title hopes. Shane O’Donoghue’s 20 goals mark him out as the clear top-scorer.

Monkstown are the league’s in-form team with five wins in succession and have the best defensive record; they meet YM who are without Matthew Walker while his younger brother Adam missed the Mills final on Thursday, too, leading to some rearrangement at the back.

Banbridge’s Alexander Tinney and Annadale’s Adam McAllister lock horns. Picture: Billy Pollock

In Ulster, Banbridge host Annadale in the Ulster derby with the former unbeaten in 10 games but a couple of draws leaves them four points away from the top two. Dale moved four points clear of the relegation zone last week and if they can nick a result, it would go a long way to securing their continued EYHL status.

In EYHL2, it is hitting crunch time with the playoffs coming into view. The top two from each group will qualify for the playoff stages; with three groups, the top-two ranked pool winners will go straight through to the semi-finals while the third best pool winner and the three group runners-up go into the quarter-final phase.

The quarter-finals will be played on April 2 with the winners going to the EYHL2 finals weekend to be played at Corinthian Hockey Club on April 9 and 10.

The winner of the semi-finals will be promoted to the EYHL for 2022/23 with a final for overall winner to be played a day later.

In the competition itself, Railway Union ran up a 9-1 win over Rathgar in Group A on Tuesday night with Mark English adding another four goals to his remarkable total for the season.

It put them eight-points clear at the top of the table of the next two chasers – Instonians and Cork C of I – who meet on Saturday afternoon at Shaw’s Bridge, making it a crucial fixture in the playoff chase.

In Group B, Cork Harlequins will hope to bounce back after their tough loss, Covid-affected 6-1 loss to Clontarf a week ago. They welcome Kilkeel at Farmers’ Cross with whoever wins going top of the table; for Quins, it is their last chance to put their hat in the ring for a playoff spot while the Mourne men have this one and next week’s home date with Clontarf to come.

Group C had a shake-up last with Portrane’s win at Bandon putting the cat among the pigeons. However, the top two could be done and dusted formally this weekend with Cookstown hosting the Fingal side while Bandon go to Mossley; should Town or Bandon get a draw or more, they will be through in some shape or form.

Sunday sees the second last fixture of the men’s Under-21 round-robin phase with Ulster up against Leinster looking to overturn their 3-1 defeat when the sides met at Comber Road. For the blues, a win would guarantee they top their group.

Men’s weekend fixtures
Saturday 19th March 2022
EYHL Division 1: Banbridge v Annadale, Havelock Park, 2.45pm; Monkstown v YMCA, Rathdown, 2.15pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Corinthian, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; Three Rock Rovers v Glenanne, Grange Road, 1pm; UCD v Lisnagarvey, Belfield, 2.50pm

EYHL Division 2
Group A: Instonians v Cork C of I, Shaw’s Bridge, 1pm
Group B: Cork Harlequins v Kilkeel, Farmers’ Cross, 2.45pm
Group C: Cookstown v Portrane, Steelweld Park, 2.30pm; Mossley v Bandon, The Glade, 2.30pm

Sunday 20th March 2022
Under 21 Inter Provincials: Ulster v Leinster, Grange Road, 3pm

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Easter Camps 2022

Hockey Ireland is delighted to partner with ‘So Hockey’ on a series of Easter camps in Wicklow, Munster and Connacht.

 

Summer camps will be announced (including venues in Leinster) after Easter. 

BOOK NOW by clicking on images below…..

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Hockey Ireland Stands With Ukraine

Hockey Ireland is extremely shocked and deeply concerned by the invasion of #Ukraine and the escalation of violence and pro-war rhetoric.  

We join our voices to the calls for peace uttered all over the world and want to express our full support and solidarity with the people of Ukraine and with the Ukrainian Hockey Federation and all Ukrainian athletes. 

Conscious that words are not enough, we want to encourage our hockey community – in conjunction with the European Hockey Federation – to take action.   

The following Irish organisations are responding to humanitarian needs in Ukraine today: 

The Irish Emergency Alliance   

The Irish Emergency Alliance is made up of of ActionAid, Christian Aid, Plan International, Self Help Africa, Tearfund, Trócaire and World Vision.  

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fled their country and the horror of war, most via Poland. Many of them will soon try to travel to the various European countries that are willing to welcome them. 

If you are ready to offer temporary shelter to refugees, you can register via the following link: 

You can also choose to make a financial donation through a recognised NGO you trust such as:

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EYHL’s big decisions coming into focus on all fronts

A bumper 12 EY Hockey League top tier games and four vital EYHL2 fixtures makes for another exciting weekend as the formal prizes come ever closer into view.

After six rounds of hot potato, Lisnagarvey will hope to be the first side since November to hold onto the leadership of the men’s EY Hockey League.

Their win last Saturday over Three Rock Rovers provided a significant statement of intent and the expectation, on paper, is they would back it up against ninth placed Pembroke at home.

But the Dublin 4 side have already beaten third placed Glenanne in 2022 while Alan Sothern has come back after injury to score six times in two games.

It is their travails at the far end that has left them vulnerable, conceding on average almost four a game. Garvey were shy the services of international star Ben Nelson last week but his older brothers Matthew and Daniel bring further firepower while Ollie Kidd is maturing at serious pace.

Three Rock host Corinthian in the Marlay derby with the former dropping back off first last week after some rejigging of their forward line-up.

Corinthian have had a bit of a mixed bag of late as coach Brinsley Powell settles into the role full-time having arrived in Ireland in January. They drew with a remarkable late salvo against Garvey before losing 6-1 at home to Monkstown

Glenanne, level with Three Rock, have a real test when they go to Banbridge who – like Monkstown – are making a strong charge for the top spots.

The Glens are another who have suffered with players away while Bann host this one off the back of eight games unbeaten while Louis Rowe looking like a prodigious talent in their forward line. The last loss, though, was against Glenanne in October.

At the bottom, there is a mathematical equation that could see UCD relegated by Saturday evening if everything conspires against them. Their only point to date came against YMCA and they will need to outdo that performance on Saturday at Wesley to keep hopes of a miraculous comeback alive.

For the Y, though, another victory would all but assure them safety, leaving Corinthian, Pembroke and Annadale in the scrap to avoid relegation.

Monkstown are up against Annadale – the Ulster side produced an incredible comeback in their first meeting this season having trailed 3-0 to tie 3-3. Town have started 2022 well, winning three in a row, scoring 14 times in the process.

On the women’s side, it is a massive weekend with seven EYHL fixtures potentially set to have a big impact on the destination of the league title and the playoff places.

In some ways, Railway Union could be the swing-vote. They face the two main challengers, Pembroke on Saturday and then second placed Catholic Institute on Sunday.

For the Park Avenue outfit, it has been a hectic recent schedule with European indoors followed by a large tranche of their players being involved in the indoor series between Ireland and South Africa.

Pembroke re-established a four-point lead last Sunday with a narrow 2-1 success at Cork Harlequins, breaking a run of two successive draws that had seen their lead cut back briefly to the minimum.

Insta have been on a stunning run, scoring 27 times in five successive wins but this weekend is probably their biggest test. Saturday sees them welcome Pegasus – fourth place after back-to-back defeats – before that Railway tie in Dublin at 5pm on Sunday evening.

Third place Old Alex have a busy weekend, too, starting off against Muckross on Saturday before going north to Pegasus on Sunday. The MIlltown club have lost just once in their last nine games to stay very much in the frame in case of slips from the sides above them.

There remains a serious battle between Loreto (fifth), Railway (sixth) and UCD (seventh) to secure the quarter-final playoff places. For Loreto, they are up against Belfast Harlequins while UCD host Cork Harlequins needing results to stay in contention for a top six finish.

In EYHL2 Group 2, Monkstown became the first side mathematically guaranteed a playoff place last week when they ran up an 8-1 win at Garryduff against Cork C of I with Anna O’Flanagan scoring a hat trick.

Should they win at home against NUIG, the likelihood is they will add the automatic semi-final berth in the playoffs with a couple of games still to play.

Ards’ Zara Malseed lines up a shot against Corinthian. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Lurgan against C of I looks to be the key game in the playoff chase as third place faces fourth, the former leading the latter by two points.

In Group 1, Ards are on the brink of formalising some sort of a promotion playoff spot thanks to their 3-1 win over Corinthian last Saturday with Amy Benson netting twice and Ellen Robinson getting in on the act.

That gives them a five-point lead in Group 1 over the reds and they will be going all out now to top the table and go straight into the semi-final spots. They face third placed UCC who want to put some more distance between themselves and Trinity.

Corinthian will be hoping Ards slip in their closing games to open the door but they need to win their remaining ties, starting with away to Galway this weekend.

Elsewhere, the Irish Hockey Trophy sees Ashton make the long trip to Raphoe in their refixed semi-final.

Saturday 5th March 2022
Men
EYHL Division 1: Banbridge v Glenanne, Havelock Park, 2.45pm; Lisnagarvey v Pembroke, Comber Road, 2pm; Monkstown v Annadale, Rathdown, 4pm; Three Rock Rovers v Corinthian, Grange Road, 12.30pm; YMCA v UCD, Wesley College, 4.45pm

Women
EYHL Division 1: Belfast Harlequins v Loreto, Deramore Park, 2.30pm; Catholic Institute v Pegasus, Rosbrien, 1.30pm; Old Alexandra v Muckross, Milltown, 1.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Railway Union, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Cork Harlequins, Belfield, 1pm

EYHL Division 2 – Pool 1: Ards v UCC, Londonderry Park, 2.30pm; Galway v Corinthian, Dangan, 1pm
Pool 2: Lurgan v Cork C of I, Lurgan JHS, 1pm; Monkstown v NUIG, Rathdown, 2.10pm

Irish Hockey Trophy, semi-final: Raphoe v Ashton, Royal and Prior, 1pm

Sunday 6th March 2022
Women
EYHL Division 1: Pegasus v Old Alex, Malone Playing Fields, 1pm; Railway Union v Catholic Institute, Park Avenue, 5pm

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Dancer names training panel of 25 as World Cup schedule confirmed

Hockey Ireland senior women’s coach Sean Dancer has named a training panel of 25 players ahead of a busy 2022 which includes July’s World Cup and August’s EuroHockey Championship qualifiers.

This latest squad announcement was confirmed in the week the World Cup schedule and ticket details went on sale. Ireland will open their campaign against the world number one Dutch side in Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium on Saturday, July 2nd before facing Chile on Tuesday, July 5th and Germany on Wednesday, July 6th. Irish fans are encouraged to buy their tickets in the South Stand (High – Section F) to form a strong supporter’s block.

As for the Irish panel, it will feature 13 Olympians and 17 players who helped Ireland qualify for the World Cup last October in Pisa with Katie Mullan continuing her role as captain of the Green Army.

At the other end of the spectrum, uncapped players Holly Micklem, Caoimhe Perdue, Charlotte Beggs, Síofra O’Brien, Ellie McLoughlin, Katherine Egan and Katie-Jane Marshall all have their chance to shine in the coming months.

This selection follows a highly productive training camp in Antibes where Ireland won 3-0 and 4-0 against the French hosts in uncapped fixtures which gave coach Dancer plenty of food for thought.

Ireland’s women’s World Cup schedule

“Our recent trip to France provided an excellent opportunity to see how our wider squad performed,” he said of this latest selection. “Some stand-out performances from Charlotte, Caoimhe, Holly and Síofra has allowed them to gain inclusion into the national group for our next period of training and competition.

“This is a really exciting year ahead with lots of different challenges. The talent coming through is really strong and the program we have in place with the support of Sport Ireland and Sport NI, along with our sponsors SoftCo, Park Developments and Saba, puts us in a great place to flourish.”

The squad also includes Barr twins Bethany and Serena who are both on the recovery trail having both sustained ACL knee injuries in 2021. Their return to full involvement will be monitored over the coming months.

This selection round, unfortunately, has come too soon for Zoe Wilson who continues to work her way back from a knee injury. Chloe Watkins and Anna O’Flanagan are also unavailable for the summer’s activities.

From this panel of 25, a squad will next be selected for a series at Bisham Abbey against Great Britain which runs from Sunday, March 13 to Friday, March 18. A further camp will be held in the Netherlands from Sunday, March 27 to Friday, April 1.

Ireland’s World Cup opposition were confirmed last Thursday with the Green Army set to face the world number one side the Netherlands, Germany and Chile in Amsterdam.

Reflecting on that line-up, Dancer added: “Holland and Germany are two of the strongest teams in world hockey, what a great chance to test ourselves at a major event! Chile performed well at the recent Pan Am’s and deserved their place. They will have nothing to lose, and we will certainly not be taking them lightly.”

Ireland senior women’s panel for spring 2022 (club/caps)
Ayeisha McFerran (GK, SV Kampong, 113 )
Róisín Upton (Catholic Institute, 89)
Lena Tice (Old Alex, 122)
Katie Mullan (Captain, Ballymoney, 206)
Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union, 46)
Deirdre Duke (Old Alex, 154)
Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute, 121)
Elizabeth Murphy (GK, Loreto, 13)
Hannah McLoughlin (UCD, 26)
Sarah McAuley (UCD, 9)
Michelle Carey (UCD, 10)
Sarah Torrans (Loreto, 33)
Zara Malseed (Ards, 7)
Holly Micklem (GK, Old Alex, 0)
Caoimhe Perdue (UCC, 0)
Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks, 0)
Síofra O’Brien (Loreto, 0)
Ellie McLoughlin (GK, UCD, 0)
Erin Getty (Queen’s, 11)
Jane Kilpatrick (Belfast Harlequins, 1)
Katherine Egan (UCD, 0)
Beth Barr (Belfast Harlequins, 20)
Serena Barr (Belfast Harlequins, 10)
Katie-Jane Marshall (UCD, 0)
Niamh Carey (UCD, 3)

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