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Carroll’s strike puts Ireland back in frame for World Cup qualification

Women’s EuroHockey Championships Pool A 

Ireland 1 (N Carroll) Scotland 0 

Naomi Carroll netted a 46th minute winner to put Ireland within one win of World Cup qualification as her single goal saw off Scotland on day two of the EuroHockey Championships in Amsterdam. 

She batted home her 25th international strike but a first goal since June 3rd 2018 – also against Scotland – before her ACL injury left her on the Green Army sidelines until this year. 

Carroll did not recall that previous strike but was suitably thrilled to be back in the mix on this stage and picking up all the points from a tricky battle in the seering heat. 

“I thought we started really well, created chances,” was the Cratloe woman’s assessment of the game.  

“As long as they held us at 0-0, it does get tougher. You try to stay patient and hope that it will come. But there’s times in the past when it didn’t come. We stayed calm, persevered and got those three points that we were after today.” 

The tie was a far cry from the opening group game against the world number ones the Netherlands, a tight physical contest between two closely matched sides. 

Indeed, there were echoes of 2017 when the two sides played out a 0-0 draw at the same stage of the same competition in the same stadium.  

And this one was looking to follow a similar pattern of Irish upper-hand but no killer touch until Carroll’s fateful intervention. 

And Nikki Evans said the side – with 10 players still in situ – learned enough from that day to see this one out. 

“We have experience among the team and a lot of that side from 2017 was there today. He just encouraged us to keep playing, keep playing, keep pushing. We did that and I am really proud of the girls for digging in deep.” 

She was celebrating her 200th cap, becoming just the sixth woman to do so after Nikki Symmons, Shirley McCay, Cliodhna Sargent, Chloe Watkins and Anna O’Flanagan. 

And she was grateful that restrictions had been lifted enough for her to be able to share the moment with her parents in the stands. 

“To get one cap for your country is a dream come true. To get 200 with some of my best friends, I am incredibly grateful for the memories and to have my parents here today was really special!  

“I was surprised to see them – I am not going to lie. I wasn’t sure of their whearabouts or what their plans were but I could spot them today from a mile away in the Monday morning crowd.  

“It is as much for my family and friends who have been there along the journey with me and I delighted to share it with them.” 

The first half saw the Green Army make the most telling inroads but the crucial touch was just out of reach on a number of occasions. 

Sarah Hawkshaw’s driving runs were a feature throughout while Carroll’s nimble feet were always a threat. Anna O’Flanagan was in the thick of things in the first minute from Carroll’s slip pass but Amy Gibson was out quickly to smother the chance.  

Evans was also denied an opening goal but she just could not get enough lift over Gibson when set through down the left.  

Scotland were sitting deep and playing a longer game, requiring Hannah Matthews to be on hand to pick off important late tackles. McKenzie Bell did almost prosper on the counter but for Duke covering back to block the chance. 

The second quarter followed a similar pattern with Hawkshaw racing down the right but her cross only got half a touch in front of goal; a Mullan cross took a Scottish stick and rolled wide. Ireland’s first penalty corner was won by Michelle Carey but no shot of note materialised. 

The third quarter brought the first corner chances, Lena Tice and Róisín Upton combining to clear Scotland’s first-up effort from Emily Dark before Ireland could not make full use of the three that came their way. 

From the fourth set piece – Hawkshaw again to the fore in its creation – the goal finally came as Carroll snapped up the chance at the second attempt. Róisín Upton’s drag was blocked by the first runner but her Catholic Institute club mate on hand to swipe home a vital goal from mid-circle. 

Evans came within millimetres of doubling the lead from a Watkins crash ball, meaning a tense finale. But the single goal was enough as Ireland withstood a late onslaught, including a corner with 36 seconds to go, to get over the line and three points on the board. 

The outcome means a win over Spain on Wednesday (11.30am Irish time, live on RTE2) should put Ireland through to the semi-finals for the first time and guarantee a World Cup ticket. 

“Coming into this, we kind of felt it was going to come down to the final pool game,” said midfielder Chloe Watkins.  

“The Spanish are the old enemy for us; they have been on a similar journey as ourselves over the years. They are an incredibly good team and it will be a really tough challenge.  

“Again, it will be very different today. They are very skillful and it will take a lot of hard work to break them down but I think if we just do our homework and focus, we’ve had good results against them in the past. But it will take a big effort no doubt.” 

 

Ireland: A McFerran, R Upton, N Evans, K Mullan, S McCay, L Tice, N Carroll, H McLoughlin, L Holden, S Hawkshaw, A O’Flanagan 

Subs: M Carey, M Frazer, C Watkins, N Daly, H Matthews, S Hawkshaw, D Duke, L Murphy 

Scotland: A Gibson, J Eadie, L Swanson, B Ward, A Costello, S Robertson, C Watson, S Jamieson, E Dark, K Holmes, R Condie 

Subs: L Campbell, M Bell, B Shields, R Collins, F Burnet, F Semple, N Cochrane 

Umpires: S Bockelmann (GER), I Makar (CRO) 

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HOCKEY IRELAND COVID-19 UPDATE – 04TH JUNE 2021

Hockey Ireland Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATE regarding Changes to COVID-19 Restrictions.

4th June 2021 

The Irish government have issued further updates to the Covid-19 guidelines for Returning to Sport.

The following applies from 07th June 2021: 

  • Outdoor matches may recommence.
  • A maximum of 100 may attend organised outdoor events. This includes players, match officials and spectators.
  • Individual indoor training and one to one (player and coach) training is permitted. Please see detailed guidelines below for indoor training.

The following applies from 05th July 2021 (subject to public health guidance): 

  • A maximum of 200 may attend organised outdoor events.
  • Indoor hockey can recommence in pods of up to 6.

Indoor Training Guidance 

The Sport Ireland Return to Sport Expert Group have issued detailed guidelines for the return of indoor training. These guidelines are expected to remain in place until at least July 05th 2021 when restrictions may be eased further.

Please note: The following guidelines apply to Republic of Ireland only. For Northern Ireland, please find further details here: Return To Sport | Sport NI

Individual training is defined as: ‘Individual, physically distanced, non-contact activity, completed in a pre-defined area, within a controlled environment and without the sharing of equipment.

The following applies to indoor training:

  1. Staggered start and finish times combined with appropriate entry, exit and traffic management protocols to limit the interaction of participants at any one time.
  2. Prebooking of activity is essential. This includes the health screening of all participants (including coaches & support personnel). All personnel on-site should be recorded.
  3. Reduction in the overall duration of the activity.
  4. Participants arrive ready to train and leave immediately (no changing room or shower use).
  5. Additional signage, hand sanitisation stations and deep cleaning implemented.
  6. No equipment sharing in any circumstances.
  7. Activity should take place in a predefined area which is visually marked out and directionally signed.
  8. The space required in this area should reflect the nature and intensity of the activity.
  9. There should be in excess of 2m social distancing between each of the predefined areas.
  10. The Cleaning & Ventilation of facilities should be conducted in accordance with the Government’s most recent Work Safely Protocol. Additional information can also be found in the appendixes of this documents.

One to one (coach and player training – in line with safeguarding requirements – may proceed as follows:

  1. Any demonstration of equipment or technique should ensure that a minimum of 2m social distancing is maintained.
  2. Individual equipment should not be shared.
  3. In the case of fixed equipment, cleaning of such equipment must be completed immediately after demonstration and before the individual participant uses it.
  4. There should be no hands-on adjustments or physical contact during training sessions.
  5. Coaches and trainers are asked to refer to the HSE guidance on wearing of face coverings, which is available here: When to wear a face covering – HSE.ie

Additional Points:

  1. For clubs who wish to undertake one to one or individual training indoors, the above guidelines should incorporate the guidance outlined in this document into their existing Covid 19 Return to Training Policies and Procedures.
  2. The guidelines assume an ongoing allowance of indoor activity as dictated by the Public Health Situation and whether sporting facilities are open.
  3. The training must be supervised by a branch-registered Club Covid-19 Compliance Officer.

Clubs undertaking indoor activity must:

  1. Implement thorough and regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. If disinfection of an area is required, it must be performed in addition to cleaning, never as a substitute for cleaning.
  2. Ensure contact/touch surfaces such as table tops, door handles and handrails are visibly clean at all times. Additionally, sports equipment should be cleaned before and after use.
  3. Provide coaches/ participants with essential cleaning materials to keep their own areas clean (for example wipes/disinfection products, paper towels and waste bins/bags).
  4. Records should be maintained for all cleaning.
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Red Bull gives wings to Irish hockey

Red Bull today announced its support for the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, also giving wings to top goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (25) as the latest Irish athlete to join the Red Bull family.

Red Bull will give wings to the Irish Women’s Hockey Team as Official Energy Drink partner, supporting players and coaching staff in reaching their peak performance, providing Red Bull product and equipment during training as they prepare for the upcoming EuroHockey Championships.

The team will be able to access world class tools and facilities including sharing of knowledge and expertise from Red Bull’s global network of experts and it’s state of the art Athlete Performance centre in Austria.

The Green Army with their new set of wings. Picture: Billy Pollock

For Ayeisha, a star both at home and on the International hockey scene, she will join fellow goalkeepers, Maddie Hinch (Great Britain) and Anne Veenendaal (Netherlands) among other global sporting stars such as Neymar Jr, Max Vertsappen, Lindsey Vonn and Irish athletes Conor Shanahan, Thomas Barr, Greg Callaghan and Conor Maguire as part of the Red Bull family.

Ayeisha and Red Bull have developed a personalised helmet based on the iconic Red Bull rhombus design which she will now sport in all major tournaments.

Ayeisha made her senior debut for Ireland in 2014 and has since established herself as the national team’s first-choice goalkeeper with 100 caps to date. Regarded as a shoot-out specialist Ayeisha boasts an impressive career to date, nominated World Goalkeeper of the Year in 2018 and 2019, winning FIH Hockey World League tournaments in 2015 and 2017, the 2015 Euro Hockey Championship II and more recently, taking home a silver medal and honoured as Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup. Ayeisha has played her club hockey at Kampoong in the Netherlands since August 2019.

Ayeisha commented: “It is very surreal. Knowing how big the Red Bull brand is here in Ireland and across the globe, and how much they get involved and support their athletes, it is such a buzz to know that I’ll be a part of that story. I am always trying to up my game, and this is an opportunity to really take my career to the next level. I’m so stoked to become part of the Red Bull athlete line-up.”

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Irish Hockey League Review

A Working Group was established by the Board of Hockey Ireland to undertake a review of the EYHL.

The review was to encompass both EYHL 1 and EYHL 2.

The review group proceeded with the following remit:

“Undertake a review of the format of EY Hockey Leagues, incorporating input from stakeholders at all levels, with stakeholders having a meaningful mechanism to input into the process and that their input is listened to and considered by the review group.”

Irish Hockey League Review Group Recommendations

The above IHL Review Group Recommendation Document and the recommendations within have been adopted by the Hockey Ireland Board, and the following changes will apply:

2021/22

EYHL 1

  • EYHL 1 to remain as a full league competition of 10 teams
  • Promotion / Relegation between EYHL 1 & EYHL 2 to “2 up / 2 down” ( no 9th / 2nd place playoffs )
  • All EYHL 1 & 2 squads to be maximum of 16 players
  • Change from top 4 to top 6 to go through to EY1 Champions Trophy Finals  – 1st and 2nd placed teams progressing straight to Semi Finals with 3rd / 4th / 5th & 6th playing in Quarter Finals with winners progressing to  Semi Finals

EYHL 2

Women’s: The winners of each of the two 5 team sections to go through to progress to the Semi Finals with the 2nd and 3rd in place team in each section to play off in Quarter Finals and winners progressing to the Semi Finals

Men’s: No changes for 2021 / 22 season

 

2022 / 23

EYHL 2

  • Both EYHL 2 Competitions to be made up of 10 teams played in 2 groups of 5 – in parallel with Provincial leagues
  • Qualification for Promotion playoffs to be as Women’s for 2021 / 22
  • Existing Provincial qualifications for Women’s to remain in place
  • Men’s EYHL 2 to consist of 3 teams from Leinster / Munster & Ulster with 10th place determined by a play off between Leinster / Ulster teams – Play offs to be completed at the end of the season so that qualified teams for the following season are confirmed

 

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Hall of Fame member Nora Smith passes away

Hockey Ireland Hall of Fame member Nora Smith has passed away this week peacefully at the Beacon Hospital.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of her exceptional international career which spanned from 1961 to 1967 and encompassed 20 caps.

An outstanding centre-half and passer of the ball, the Muckross player was a member of the touring team to the USA in 1963 and Germany in 1967.

She went on to become the Irish women’s first ever coach from 1973 to 1976 and she subsequently became Genesis’s first coach, helping them reach the Irish Senior Cup final in 1981 just five years after their inception.

Funeral information is available via RIP.ie: https://rip.ie/death-notice/nora-smith-bray-wicklow/459479

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Ireland junior teams to take part in GB&I Nations Hockey Development Series

Ireland’s rising stars are set to take part in the GB&I Nations Hockey Development Series which will run throughout July.

It offers an exciting, high level competition for developing male and female athletes who missed out on European Junior Age Grade competition in both 2020 and 2021.

It comes in the wake of Ireland’s decision – along with Scotland, England and Wales – to withdraw from the 2021 EuroHockey Under-18 Championships due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new tournament will be designated a “development series” which will allow teams to involve a wider panel of players, therefore offering an excellent development opportunity for competing nations teams while also providing meaningful matches.

The competition will run over three weekends of double headers, starting on July 10 and 11. For Ireland, this means the boys and girls teams will each play Wales on Saturday, July 10 and Sunday, July 11 (match location to be confirmed).

Ireland head to Lilleshall for games against England on Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17 before returning home for ties against Scotland on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25.

Should the format prove successful, it is hoped it can be replicated in the future.

Speaking about the new initiative, Hockey Ireland Performance Director Adam Grainger said: “International Junior Age Grade player development is of paramount importance for Hockey Ireland as we transition between Olympic cycles, and the decision to withdraw from the EuroHockey Under-18 Championships has therefore not been easy.

“Working with our close hockey neighbours, Hockey Ireland has secured a beneficial development opportunity for our players that will help to restart their individual international hockey pathways.

“This development series, combined with ongoing programme activity for the U23 girls and the soon to be communicated U21 boys programme, will create windows of opportunity for players to showcase their potential.”

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Hockey Ireland Covid-19 Update – 06th May 2021

Hockey Ireland Coronavirus (COVID-19) UPDATE regarding Changes to COVID-19 Restrictions.

06 May 2021

The following changes have been made to the Hockey Ireland Covid-19 guidelines given the latest announcement on Covid-19 restrictions made by the Irish (ROI) Government.

Please see the following link for more information: gov.ie – Level 5 (www.gov.ie)

Updated Guidelines:

Please note: These guidelines are applicable from 10th May 2021.

  1. Outdoor training for adults in pods of 15 (including a coach) may resume. This includes contact training.
  2. Contact training for underage players may also resume in pods of 15 (including a coach).

From 07th June 2021:

  1. Outdoor (non-elite and club) matches and competitions may recommence.
  2. These should be played behind closed doors, with only essential personnel in attendance.

Please be advised that the ‘Return to Training’ guidelines continue to apply.

For Northern Ireland (NI), there following guidelines continue to apply:

From 23rd April:

The following relates to non-elite level outdoor sport:

  1. Outdoor sport organised by a club, individual or individuals affiliated will be extended to include squad training.
  2. Competitive outdoor sport can be organised by a club, individual or individuals affiliated, with numbers (including participants, officials, management and essential support personnel) not exceeding 100 and no spectators permitted.

The ‘Return to Training’ guidelines should continue to apply.

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The SoftCo Bucket Challenge

  • The Challenge

    Using the hockey stick, the ball must be passed by all players in the air without it hitting the ground, with the last player passing the ball into the bucket (see age categories below for details on the number of players). Your Challenge must be recorded & timed. The winner is the team who complete the challenge in the quickest time. There can only be 1 entry per team, but a club or school can have multiple entries from different teams within the same age category.

  • Challenge Entry Dates

    Challenge is open to entries between April 30 to May 31

  • How to Enter

    Each recorded Video Entry must be posted on twitter or Instagram by an authorised teacher or coach with the hashtag #softcobucketchallenge and tag @softcogroup on Twitter and @softco_life on Instagram. The winners in each group (see age categories below) will be the team who complete the challenge in the quickest time.

Want to see how the GreenArmy handled the challenge? Go to: https://twitter.com/SoftCoGroup/status/1388099470550839301 

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Sport Ireland announce €40 million investment in sports sector

Sport Ireland today announced an investment of €40 million to National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs), High Performance athlete support and to the network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) for 2021.

Today’s announcement follows a year in which the sector has been significantly impacted by Covid-19 restrictions in place since March 2020. The funding of €13.8 million for NGBs is maintained from 2020. This funding, in addition to the recently allocated Covid-19 Grant Scheme, will provide stability and certainty to organisations throughout 2021. In line with previous years, a portion of the Core funding budget (‘Special Projects & Programmes’) will be ring fenced to assist with strategically important NGB related events and projects.

High Performance Programme funding will also be maintained for 2021 at €8,500,000. 2021 is anticipated to be an expensive year for high performance programmes as there remains a high level of uncertainty around competition and training camp plans due to Covid-19.  Sport Ireland will provide further support in 2021 to address the immediate and confirmed costs to high performance programmes in respect of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The investment in high performance sport is bolstered by funding of €2.68 million through the International Carding Scheme. The primary purpose of this funding is to support Irish athletes in reaching finals and achieving medals at European, World, Olympic and Paralympic level. The level of funding on this scheme has increased from €2.4 million in 2020. The International Carding Scheme has been amended to account for the challenges faced by athletes and NGBs as a result of Covid-19.

Budget 2021 saw a significant increase in funding for sport and physical activity, reflecting the commitment of Government and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to support the sector in to 2021. The hard work and agility of the sports sector to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic has been acknowledged by Sport Ireland and the Government, and today’s funding announcement further strengthens the commitment to the sector.

Funding of €9.5 million has been approved for the network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships, representing an increase of 15% on 2020 funding. This increase in investment provides an opportunity for Sport Ireland to support a locally led safe return to sport and to further build the capacity of LSPs, increasing their reach and impact across Ireland.

Hockey Ireland continue to be extremely grateful for this investment and commitment to the sport, as echoed by Hockey Ireland CEO, Jerome Pels, “We are very grateful to Sport Ireland for their continued investment in, and support for, hockey. It has been a challenging year at all levels of our sport and the continued investment by Sport Ireland will help us across the organisation, as we edge towards returning to the pitch in coming weeks, and as our Men and Women prepare for their summer encounters on the international stage.”

For full details of the Sport Ireland funding announcement, click here.

 

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Active School Week 2021 #ASW21

#ASW21 is fast approaching

Working Together
#ASW21 encourages schools and homes to work together to help more children and young people gain more active minutes every day

Active Schools Week website

National #ASW21 takes place 26-30 April, but if those dates don’t suit your school, you are free to choose a different week, later in the term.

IMPORTANT: All #ASW21 activities must comply with COVID-safety guidelines

Three Different Ways…
Active Every Day challenges schools to find three different ways to energise the school day, every day.

Parents/guardians are asked to encourage young people to find two other ways to be active, after school, for 7 days. Even better if the whole family joins in!

#ASW21 Challenges
As part of this challenge, schools are asked to send out #ASW21 Challenges. These physical activity challenges could be set by a member of staff, a sports organisation, a local/ national role model, or even by one of Ireland’s Tokyo 2021 Olympians.

Whatever the challenge, the main thing is, it’s FUN!

 

Hockey Skills Challenge
Challenge your students to get active and develop their sporting abilities with the Hockey Skills Challenge. Take on a skills circuit with an opportunity for everyone to earn a Certificate of Hockey Skill. This skills circuit is easy to run and easy to set up with resources available to support you every step of the way. The Hockey Skills Challenge is fun, rewarding and free!

We now also have great videos to help you and your players make the most of the challenge! Remember to show your skill on our social media channels by using the #HockeySkillsChallenge and tagging @IrishHockey.

You will need to set up a free account on our new e-learning zone to access the resources and videos. You can then find the challenge under the clubs / schools sections.

To access the resource and check out the video’s for each skill, click here. All the videos are saved on the Hockey Ireland YouTube channel

Or check out our Hooked on Fun (session plans for ages 6-9), Hooked on Games (session plans for ages 12+), small sided games cards (Fun 4’s, Super 6’s and Extreme 8’s) and our colouring book for a little break between all the active sessions. All of these are available through the schools area of our new e-learning zone. To access this zone click here

 

 

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