Lisnagarvey move back to the top of men’s EYHL

Men’s EY Hockey League – day 11 round-up

Lisnagarvey 4 (M Nelson, O Kidd, A Williamson, J Lynch) Annadale 1 (R Davidson)

Lisnagarvey returned to the head of the men’s EY Hockey League, leaving just one point covering the top three in what is shaping up to be an epic second half of the season.

For Lisnagarvey, it was a sterner test than the final score suggests though they did have the best of the early exchanges with Matthew Nelson pouncing on a rebound after a right-wing cross bounced up invitingly and he bounced in a shot to take the lead.

James Lorimer hit the post via a crucial touch from Sam Hamill in the Dale goal but the visitors have impressed this term and, after steadying the ship in a quiet Q2, they were back on terms via Robbie Davidson early in the second half.

It owed a huge amount to Tim Cross’s tenacity and skill, haring down the left baseline and chipping the ball beyond a few tackles before squaring with Davidson getting enough power to shoot home.

Ollie Kidd, however, restored the advantage from an outstanding pitch-length move, started off from a free out and worked through three passes down the right sideline with the forward sliding in to touch in.

Hamill made a cracking save from Ben Nelson to keep Dale in touch but they could not make use of their only corner while Andy Williamson nailed his corner drag. And when Dale did not take two opportunities to clear, Jonny Lynch completed a strong win.

Banbridge (D Finlay, S Farson) Three Rock Rovers (B Johnson 2)

In the late game, Banbridge led twice but were unable to shake off a Rovers side who were reduced to nine players on occasion but rallied with two fine Ben Johnson goals.

David Finlay slapped in a first minute goal for the hosts for a dream start but Rovers were back on terms via Johnson after an initial save from Luke Roleston.

A corner on the half-time whistle, though, ended with Sam Farson restoring the advantage. Q3 saw both sides endure multiple sin-binnings before the game was ultimately settled when Johnson got a diving touch to Jody Hosking’s powerful ball across goal.

Bann could not take advantage of a corner in the last few minutes, meaning they have been pegged back by Monkstown into a share of fourth spot, seven points off leaders Garvey.

YMCA 1 (S Ruttle) Glenanne 4 (S Boucher 2, S O’Donoghue, P Byrne)

Understrength Glenanne got over a potential banana-skin as they got the best of YMCA to move into a share of second place with four second half goals at Wesley College.

They were without Ian Marron, Rowland Rixon-Fuller, Jason Rogan and captain Brad Venter but two late goals gave the final score a bit of gloss after a close-run battle between the two Leinster rivals.

The Glens had the best of the first quarter with YM absorbing a lot of pressure with Sam Hyland and Jakim Bernsden on corner defence keeping out the pressure. YM were much better in Q2, forcing a string of corners of their own which David Lawless did well to keep out, leaving it scoreless at the interval.

The Glens, though, made their move in the third quarter with Shannon Boucher opening the scoring in the 38th minute and Shane O’Donoghue doubled up from the penalty spot.

A cracking piece of work from Scott Ruttle got YM back into the tie with 10 minutes to go but Glenanne made sure of the points when Boucher got his second with four minutes left. In the final minute, Paul Byrne – in a rare first team appearance – snagged the fourth.

UCD 1 (S Byrne) Corinthian 2 (P Caruth 2)

Corinthian picked up their first win since early October to move four points clear of the relegation places thanks to a double from Peter Caruth. He fired them into the lead in the first quarter from a penalty corner and put a bit of extra daylight between the sides in the third quarter.

Sam Byrne pulled one back for the students in the closing quarter but the reds held on for a precious victory.

Monkstown 4 (M Gibbons 2, G Sarratt, D Carson) Pembroke 1 (J Dale)

Monkstown started the new year with a strong win over Pembroke, coming back from an early concession to strengthen their playoff chances.

For Pembroke, it leaves them in the relegation places and needing to get something from their upcoming games, facing four sides in the top half in their next four games.

The visitors did go in front in the first few minutes with a powerful drag-flick from Julian Dale as Pembroke got off to a good start. Town, though, soon began to create chances with Guy Sarratt hitting the post and Davy Carson and Mark Gibbons both had openings kept out by goalkeeper Ilko Dartsch.

The sky blues were level when Lee Cole – who was excellent in defence – powered into the centre, allowing the ball to pop invitingly for Gibbons to flick in. He got another moments later when Keith Kenning crossed from the right flank and the striker was in the right place to guide in from close range.

Pembroke did carry a threat through the second and third quarter with Dave Fitzgerald making big saves from Dale’s drag and twice from Isaac Johnson. But the game went out of sight when Sarratt dragged in the third and Carson got a deserved goal for a lively performance, latching onto a ball from Sam Hohn.

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Jerome Pels to step down as Hockey Ireland CEO

Jerome Pels has taken the decision to step down as Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Ireland to pursue a new job opportunity.

It follows five years in the role, joining the governing body in January 2017 with the sport enjoying significant growth and development both on and off the pitch.

During his tenure, Hockey Ireland enjoyed historic moments when the women’s senior team enjoyed success with World Cup silver. Olympic qualification was achieved in groundbreaking fashion with Donnybrook hosting 13,000 fans while the development of a new training base at Abbotstown, in conjunction with support from Sport Ireland, have significantly raised standards.

It has led to increased sponsorship and greater levels of supports for the game with the installation of a full-time coach education manager and more regional development officers as well as the return of a High Performance Director.

The introduction of a new membership system will also provide a more secure financial model for the sport to pursue its goals and support the game at club, school and international level.

“Whilst I am excited by the challenges that lie ahead at my new role as CEO for another NGB in England, it is with a heavy heart that I am leaving Hockey Ireland,” Pels said of his decision to stand down.

“I would like to thank my staff, the board and the Hockey Ireland community for the support over the last five years. It has been a privilege to have been part of the successes of Hockey Ireland and the significant growth in the sport. I also thank Sport Ireland and Sport NI for helping make the sport make meaningful progress in Ireland.

“I feel, having established a strong organisational structure at Hockey Ireland with a clear strategy agreed, the organisation is in a good shape and ready for a bright future.”

Paying tribute to Pels, Hockey Ireland chairman Trevor Watkins added: “During a period of significant change, opportunity and potential pitfalls, Jerome has been a calm and steady influence on Hockey Ireland and helped navigate the sport to a number of significant milestones.

“Hockey is undergoing a really exciting time and he has been at the helm during a time when the sport made big inroads into the Irish public conscience and we look forward to building on those solid foundations with ambition and optimism.”

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National Indoor champions to be crowned on Sunday

The National Indoor Trophy champions will be decided on Sunday evening with four men’s and four women’s clubs vying for glory at Gormanston Park

The series starts on Sunday morning with the men’s semi-finals between Three Rock Rovers against Cookstown at 9.45am with Banbridge up against Railway Union at 10.45am. The winners will advance to the final at 3.45pm with the third place playoff on at 2pm.

The women’s semis follow on court with Muckross up against Ards (11.45am) and Railway facing Galway (12.45pm) with the prize a 5pm final with the third place match at 2.45pm.

For the men’s competition, Three Rock and Banbridge qualified as the Leinster and Ulster champions, respectively, with their opponents reaching the final four as runners-up.

Rovers were 8-3 victors over Railway Union having won all their group phases and advanced to the Leinster final with an 8-2 success over Monkstown.

In the final, it was a tight affair in the first half with Railway keeping pace in the first half with the tie 3-3 before netting five goals in succession with a hat trick from Jody Hosking.

They also feature Irish international Ross Canning while with Club an der Alster outfielder Jonas Althusmann an influential guest star.

For Railway, Stephen O’Keeffe is the outstanding Irish goalkeeper in this format, starring in the series against Scotland after Christmas while they have a wealth of experience to call on from Kenny Carroll, Brendan Parsons and Rob Abbott.

In Ulster, Banbridge took their regional crown last Sunday, winning three out of their four games in a three-team group and drawing the other against runners-up Cookstown in their final game.

The Bann line-up features outdoor international Jonny McKee who may have picked up a few tips during his time in Germany with Luke Roleston donning the pads, Sam Farson, Luke Witherow and Andrew Tinney helping power their success last weekend.

Cookstown were second in Ulster and bring with them two newly capped Irish internationals to their line-up, Jack Haycock and Mark Crooks, who will be looking to bring that know-how to bear. Their guest stars are Daniel Nelson and David Rae.

In the women’s competition, Galway were the first side to qualify for the finals weekend when they prevailed in the Tighe Cup in Connacht, winning the final five-team tournament.

Crucially, they prevailed in the final against Greenfields with Fiona Kelly’s hat trick underpinning a 5-3 success, allowing captain Elaine Carey to lift the cup. They are now looking to win the national title for the second time in their history having succeeded in 2008.

Their opponents at the reigning champions Railway who won in 2019 and 2020 and have backed that up with a Leinster victory last weekend with a dramatic 6-5 win over Muckross.

Hannah de Burgh Whyte was the game-breaker, scoring a corner in the last two minutes, crowning a big closing salvo after Muckross had led 5-4. Holly Jenkinson captains the side with fellow indoor internationals Sarah and Orla Patton and Lily Lloyd giving them plenty of options.

Muckross have internationals of their own with Irish stars Sophie Barnwell and Becky McMullen joined by Julia Balcerzak who played for Poland against Ireland in January. 

Ards – national champions from 2012 to 2018 – won the Ulster title from a three-team competition. On the opening day, they ran up 15 goals in wins over Queen’s and Coleraine and followed up last weekend with a 4-4 draw against Queen’s before getting the best of Coleraine 7-2 in the repeat fixtures.

Andrea Desneaux weighed in with eight goals with Frankie Brown nabbing seven across that series.

The semi-finals and finals will be streamed live on the Hockey Ireland Youtube channel.

 

National Indoor Trophy – Sunday 6th February 2022 (all at Gormanston Park)

Men’s semi-finals: Three Rock Rovers v Cookstown, 9.45am; Banbridge v Railway Union, 10.45am

3rd place playoff: 2pm

Final: 3.45pm

 

Women’s semi-finals: Muckross v Ards, 11.45am; Railway Union v Galway, 12.45pm

3rd place playoff: 2.45pm

Final: 5pm

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Adam Grainger steps down as Hockey Ireland Performance Director

Adam Grainger has stepped down as Hockey Ireland’s High Performance Director to pursue a new work opportunity with Kitman Labs.

It follows a successful period since joining Hockey Ireland in 2017 with both the Irish men’s and women’s senior international sides contesting World Cups with the latter winning silver in London 2018 before going on to qualify and compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Adam has made defining and lasting contributions to our high-performance programme and can be very proud of all the achievements during his time with us,” said Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels.

“We wish him the very best and thank him for all the support and his service to the sport of Hockey in Ireland.”

For Adam’s part, he said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hockey Ireland and I am extremely proud of the work that Hockey Ireland, the wider hockey community, Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland have undertaken together.

“I believe hockey is in a strong place in Ireland and it is my hope that Hockey Ireland can now build upon the successes we have all created during both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic cycles.

“I would like to specifically recognise the passion, time and effort given to me by the Hockey Ireland Board, the Hockey Ireland High Performance Committee and the wider Hockey Ireland staff.

“Similarly, thanks to Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland high performance units for their ongoing support.

“Lastly, I want to acknowledge the support being provided by coaches and volunteers in clubs and leagues across the country, particularly at the junior age grade level.

“I am looking thoroughly looking forward to starting my role with the fast growing and ambitious performance science company Kitman Labs and will, of course, be keeping an eye on Hockey Ireland results in years ahead.”

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Banbridge’s Havelock Park the host venue for EY Champions Trophy

Banbridge’s Havelock Park has been confirmed as the venue for the EY Champions Trophy, the marquee club event of the 2021/22 Hockey Ireland club season.  

The event will take place on Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24, 2022, bringing together the top four men’s and women’s club sides from around the island to crown the national champions. 

The club and the venue has played host to a string of memorable events, including the most recent edition of the EY Champions Trophy in 2019 as well as the FIH World Series Finals in the same year. Havelock Park was also the venue for the first – and only to date – visit of the Euro Hockey League to Ireland in 2016.

Frank O’Keeffe, Managing Partner, EY Ireland said: “This has been an incredibly exciting league so far and all the more precious given the challenges presented by ongoing pandemic.

“We are very much looking forward to the event and seeing which of the league’s high performing teams will ultimately come together to vie for the EYHL Champions Trophy. I’m delighted EY’s sponsorship of the league continues and this event will certainly be an excellent opportunity to celebrate the fantastic talent, teamwork and leadership displayed throughout the league.”

The host club’s president Mark Evans added: “Banbridge are delighted to once again have to opportunity to host the EY Champions Trophy weekend at Havelock Park,”

“Following the enforced cancellation of the event these past two seasons due to Covid-19, we are looking forward to showcasing the best of club hockey in Ireland over the weekend of April 23 and 24, 2022. 

“As a club we pride ourselves in our hosting capabilities and will work closely with Hockey Ireland to ensure that the standards we have set are matched and hopefully surpassed this time round.” 

Welcoming the agreement, Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels added: “We are delighted to confirm Banbridge as the host club for the 2021/22 EY Champions Trophy. 

“With their army of enthusiastic volunteers, the club and the town will once again provide a perfect showcase for our players and our sport along with a top fan experience.”  

The line-up of competitors for the EY Champions Trophy will be confirmed following the conclusion of the regular season of the EY Hockey League (EYHL) and the subsequent quarter-finals which are scheduled to take place on April 9, 2022. 

Next Saturday sees Corinthian meet Annadale in a back-match from before Christmas. The EY Hockey League returns in full for the new year on February 5th with a full schedule of matches on the agenda.

** To keep up to date with the EYHL, go to: https://hockey.ie/competitions-2/eyhl/

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Hockey Ireland – Covid-19 Guidelines Update 21st January 2022

On Friday January 21st, 2022, the Irish Government made an announcement in relation to Public Health Measures. Sport Ireland have issued further guidelines for sport. 

Please note that these guidelines apply to the Republic of Ireland only.  

 The full announcement can be accessed here: gov.ie – Government announces that most of the public health measures currently in place can be removed (www.gov.ie) 

 Key items in relation to sport & physical activity are as follows: 

  • Formal requirements for physical distancing (2m) removed.
  • 8pm closing time for sporting events removed. 
  • Capacity restrictions for outdoor sporting events removed. 
  • Capacity restrictions for indoor sporting events removed. 
  • Seated only spectators at indoor sporting events removed.
  • Use of pods for indoor sporting activities removed.
  • Use of a COVID pass to access indoor events removed. 

The requirement for a Covid-19 Compliance Officer (CCO) to be present at underage activity has also been removed.  

 As the Irish Government have reiterated the need for ongoing close monitoring of the virus, hockey branches, clubs and schools should continue to risk assess individual activities and events. This includes the continued implementation of good hygiene practices, along with recommending symptomatic individuals do not participate in or attend sporting activities. 

Please note that mask wearing requirements and close contact protocols should be followed according to government advice. For more information: www.gov.ie 

If you require any further information, please contact Hockey Ireland – info@hockey.ie  

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Abbott “immensely proud” of Irish women’s efforts at Euro indoors

Irish women’s indoor coach Rob Abbott said he was “immensely proud” of his side’s efforts at the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II in Spain in their first appearance in a tournament of this level for 30 years.

Ultimately, they fell to five defeats out of five to end the competition in last place but, with a tournament restructure for 2024, Abbott says there will be plenty of take from this series when they compete at the same level in two years time.

“Immensely proud of how the girls played,” Abbott said after the tournament. “I certainly can’t fault the commitment, heart or morale. The camaraderie on and off the pitch has been great fun. Big learning curve; we have to improve in areas but overall I deem this a success. They represented Irish indoor hockey pretty well.”

After defeats to Poland and Belgium on Friday, Ireland started well on Saturday against world number seven side Switzerland, leading early on through Orla Patton and they went in level at half-time.

But a penalty stroke decision early in the second half proved a momentum shifter as Sofie Stomps put the Swiss in front and despite a Lily Lloyd goal, it ended with a 5-2 final outcome.

Against Scotland, Ireland were level twice in the first half with Orla Macken scoring her first international goals but Fiona Semple’s 18th minute effort proved the winner.

That made it 3-2 before half-time and despite an end-to-end second half, no further goals accrued.

The tournament concluded with Ireland facing the hosts Spain who needed a win to land the title and promotion to Europe’s top tier.

The coaching team of Ross Willis, Gareth Myburgh, Amy Phelan, Rob Abbott and Aaron Passmore

But they knew they were in a game early on as Ireland defended well before landing a couple of corners and created a couple of other chances. They were left to rue not taking one of those as the game turned in the 100 seconds before half-time with Spain going 1-0 up through the legendary Rocio Ybarra before Maider Altuna added another in quick succession.

It ended 4-0 to the delight of the noisy home support who celebrated their title but Abbott was pleased with how his side showed up against more resourced and experienced opponents.

“The atmosphere in the arena was superb. Loads of youngsters, bells, hooters going off. Being the last game of the tournament, every other player and staff was there and, being the underdog, they were all cheering us on which was great.

“The noise at the end was out of this world and I told the girls ‘half of that applause is for you’ because of how well we played. Spain knew they were in a game there.

“Disappointed not to get a result as I felt we deserved one or two, especially against the Swiss and Scotland. It might sound a little crazy for the Swiss game when we lost by three but it was the best we played with the ball, the most chances we created. The stroke was a big momentum swing.

“We are going back to this level in two years time. We need to be more flexible and adaptable when we have the ball, certainly more clinical and improve the way we look to score goals. Off the ball, we were quite comfortable at this level; we found a few styles of play that suited us and didn’t concede many field goals other than in the Belgium game.

“We need to improve some technical skills but we are a new indoor nation. There’s a bit of indoor naivety and experience in managing games.

“One thing we were superb at was, before today, we hadn’t conceded when we were down a player. Our structure and organisation in understanding the game off the ball has been pretty impressive for the time we had together.

“Experiencing it as a coach, it is demanding – I am absolutely shattered. My voice is nearly going with all the noise in the hall and that Spanish game was electric. You don’t sleep much because you are constantly working. I have had a blast; I’ve learnt a lot myself from the staff with me who were all superb and the girls have been a joy to work with.”

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, O Fox, O Patton, O Macken, M Regan, H Jenkinson, M Power, H Kelly, L Lloyd, A Benson

EuroHockey Indoor Championships II

Friday results: Ireland 1 (H Kelly) Poland 4  (P Slawinska 2, A Katerla, S Tatarczuk); Ireland 1 (O Patton) Belgium 9 (J Peeters 3, M Ronquetti 2, C vander Gracht, M Vouche, D Gose, C Closset)

Saturday, January 22: Ireland v2 (O Fox, L Lloyd) Switzerland 5 (S Stomps 3, N Pohler, C Heselhaus); Ireland 2 (O Macken 2) Scotland 3 (E Dark, S Hinds, F Semple)

Sunday, January 23: Spain 4 ((R Ybarra, M Altuna, A Civera, L Bruguera) Ireland 0

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Women’s indoor side endure tough opening day in Spain

Women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championships – day one round-up

Ireland endured a tough opening day at the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Championships II in Ourense, falling to both Poland and Belgium in the six-team round-robin group.

The first tie, though, was a heartening one against the world number six Poles. Hannah Kelly’s penalty corner goal had Ireland 1-0 up at half-time and it was level until four minutes from time courtesy of disciplined, deep defence.

But Poland stayed patient and eventually converted a couple of late corners to run out 4-1 winners. 

Game two against Belgium was a rougher outcome with a Joanne Peeters’ hat trick underpinning a 9-1 result. Orla Patton’s direct flick had Ireland in the tie at 2-1 going into the second quarter but six second half goals saw the Belgians turn on the style.

“Obviously, it was a tough day but there was lots to learn,” Patton said of this Ireland side’s first taste of this level of competition. 

“We were really pleased with our first game this morning, particularly against such a class opposition, going one up. 

“Disappointed with the afternoon game but there are positives to take into tomorrow. Our penalty corners are working well and there is a lot of hockey left to play. 

“We’ll be looking for good games tomorrow against Switzerland (9am, Irish time) and Scotland (3.15pm) and definitely feel like we can get results from both. Looking forward to it!” 

Scotland and Switzerland drew 3-3 to sit just above Ireland in the table after two games each with Belgium and Spain on six points with two wins.

 

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, O Fox, O Patton, O Macken, M Regan, H Jenkinson, M Power, H Kelly, L Lloyd, A Benson

EuroHockey Indoor Championships II

Friday results: Ireland 1 (H Kelly) Poland 4  (P Slawinska 2, A Katerla, S Tatarczuk); Ireland 1 (O Patton) Belgium 9 (J Peeters 3, M Ronquetti 2, C vander Gracht, M Vouche, D Gose, C Closset)

Saturday, January 22: Ireland v Switzerland, 10am; Ireland v Scotland, 4.15pm

Sunday, January 23: Spain v Ireland, 1pm

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Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022

Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical session taking place in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022 from 2.00pm – 4.00pm.

The aim of Fundamentals Module 2 is to ensure that the basic skills outlined in Module 1 can be put into practice, i.e. that participants know where to stand, know their areas of control, demonstrate appropriate signalling, and use their whistle correctly. Following completion of this Module participants should be comfortable with these basic umpiring tools and will be able to practice in un-appointed, league games. Specifically, it is envisaged that lower league games or u16 matches would be the target level of matches that people undertaking this Module should aim for.

There is no assessment associated with this module, instead participants will be provided with informal feedback on areas to improve on. Participants will chat with mentors on site who will suggest areas to work on around the topics of positioning, signalling, body language, whistle use, etc. Examples of necessary skills for this level:

  • Effective use of whistle including change in tone
  • Basic positioning
  • Makes decisions with appropriate signals
  • Starts to differentiate between basic stick clashes and fouls

Session will run from 2.00pm – 4.00pm with briefings by experienced umpire mentors going followed by umpire training in a match situation with observation time and followed up by group and individual feedback sessions.

Following completion of (i) the rules test, (ii) Module 1, and (iii) Module 2, participants will be able to register as ‘club umpires’ on the Hockey Ireland membership site. These three components represent the basics of the rules of hockey, the theory of umpiring and the practical components of umpiring respectively. To complete Fundamentals Module 2 participants must first have completed the Online Rules test and the online learning theoretical content of Module 1.

The umpire mentor for this session will be International Umpire Alison Keogh and spaces are limited to 8 for this course.

The cost of the course is €25 and is bookable through our events page at this link https://hockey.ie/event-page/ . Please note spaces will be assigned first come first served as there are only 5 spaces left on this course.

 

 

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Irish women take on Euro indoor second tier challenge in Spain

The Irish women’s indoor compete this weekend at their highest level since 1990 as they contest the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II in Ourense, Spain.

It promises to be a real baptism of fire for the fledgling panel who only returned to the international game in late 2019 after a long absence as they start their campaign on Friday against world number six side Poland before facing Belgium.

Also in the mix are Switzerland (seven in the world), Scotland and Spain who beat Ireland to third tier gold in early 2020.

As such, Ireland are self-professed “underdogs” in this six-team competition but coach Rob Abbott is thrilled about the prospect of facing such illustrious opposition.

“It’s exciting times,” he said on Tuesday evening. “It will be a huge challenge and we are playing some very established indoor nations. We are still developing, only back on the court for a couple of years.

“We start off against Poland, world ranking number six so we will give it a go but we are underdogs.”

In preparation, Ireland did get in a highly competitive three-game series against Scotland just before the turn of the year, winning one, drawing one and losing one of those fixtures.

In total, seven of that side made their international debuts with Emma Buckley, Mikayla Power and Lily Lloyd all keeping their spot of the newcomers from those games in Antrim.

Captain Orla Fox, sisters Orla and Sarah Patton, Amy Benson and Sophie Barnwell all retain their sport while there are four players coming into the fold.

Millie Regan joins Buckley on goalkeepeing duties while Holly Jenkinson, Hannah Kelly and Orla Macken are all coming in to make their indoor debuts.

For Jenkinson, it will be her third different international cap having represented Ireland already in netball and tag rugby.

“Haha, I am trying to get as many international caps while I still can,” she says of the unique record and she says her previous experience will help her out when she hits the board.

“The whole setup of any international tournament – the travel, the training, the circumstances you are under, the competition, the pressure; all that is replicated in high performance sport and how you react is the same throughout. With netball and tag rugby, I can’t say it is the same skillset but it is still high performance which is similar!”

“I can’t say playing indoor for Ireland is something I dreamed about because I didn’t know if it is something that could or would exist until a few years ago.

“But since we have put a squad together and started to enter competitions, it was definitely a goal of mine. It’s different to outdoor and can be tough on the body, very fast paced so I wasn’t sure if I could make it but I have been aiming for it for some time and that’s why I am so excited.”

On the debit side from the Antrim games, Chloe Brown – top scorer in the series against Scotland – will be a big loss as she is unable to travel due to work commitments. Becky Maye, Katie Kimber, Becky McMullen and Laura Graham also miss out this time.

“The Europeans will be a very different challenge,” Abbott added. “Dave [Passmore] and the team in 2020 in Bratislava were exceptional, finishing runners-up in the C Division, bringing a medal home and, more importantly, promotion.

“Going up to the B division, it’s a different kettle of fish. First game, Poland ranked 6th, the Swiss have a world ranking of seven; the Belgians were preparing for the World Cup in February and then you have Scotland who we played the other week.

“It will be a great challenge and we will see if we can learn from every game. As long as the team improves and we come back with more knowledge, we can further improve the game of indoor here.

** All games will be streamed via: https://www.eurohockeytv.org/en-int/page/home-ehf-hockey

Ireland indoor panel for Euro Hockey Indoor Championship II; Ourense, Spain (club/caps)
Emma Buckley (Pembroke, 3)
Millie Regan (Old Georgian’s, 10)
Sarah Patton (Railway Union, 9)
Sophie Barnwell (Muckross, 13)
Holly Jenkinson (Railway Union, 0)
Orla Macken (Pembroke/North Kildare, 0)
Mikayla Power (Old Alex, 3)
Orla Fox (Railway Union, 15)
Orla Patton (Railway Union, 15)
Hannah Kelly (Catholic Institute, 0)
Lily Lloyd (Railway Union, 3)
Amy Benson (Ards, 14)

Euro Hockey Indoor Championship II (Ourense, Spain)
Friday, January 21: Ireland v Poland, 12.30pm; Ireland v Belgium, 5.30pm
Saturday, January 22: Ireland v Switzerland, 10am; Ireland v Scotland, 4.15pm
Sunday, January 23: Spain v Ireland, 1pm

Head Coach: Rob Abbott
Assistant Coach: Ross Willis
Manager: Gareth Myburgh
Physio: Amy Phelan
Video technician and analyst: Aaron Passmore

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