Friday, July 18: The IRL U18 Girls and Boys Hockey Teams soared to victory in the EuroHockey U18 Championship II Semi-Finals. Two late goals for the IRL U18 Girls saw them beat Czechia, while the U18 Boys overcame a strong Austria side to earn a 4-1 win. The victories see both sides progress to tomorrow’s finals, while also guaranteeing promotion to the 2027 EuroHockey U18 Championships.
The IRL U18 Girls booked their place in the EuroHockey U18 Championship II Final and secured promotion after holding their nerve to beat Czechia.
Ireland made a perfect start to the game, launching an attack almost straight from the off that ended in a penalty corner. After several rewards, captain Scarlett Taylor stepped up to send a sweet strike into the back of the net to give Ireland the lead.
After a scoreless second quarter, Czechia drew level just three minutes into the second half.
Ireland continued to ask the questions, producecing plenty of chances in the third quarter and early in the fourth but couldn’t find the net until Isla Allen took her chance from a penalty corner excellently to regain the lead. Evie Girvan sealed the win from Ireland a minute later from pen play, grabbing her seventh of the tournament. The win secured Ireland promotion to the EuroHockey U18 Championships in 2027, and a place in tomorrow’s final against hosts Scotland at 16:15 Irish Time.
Carrying their momentum through from their previous encounter with Wales, the IRL U18 Boys took control of the game from tip-off with an early set up penalty corners just inches away from finding the net. Ireland only had to wait until the 11th for Adam McKee to break the deadlock, with fellow forward John Cunningham doubling the lead from a penalty corner three minutes later to give Ireland a 2-goal advantage going into the end of the first quarter.
The dominance continued into quarter 2, with Ireland capitalising almost immediately on an Austrian yellow card to grab their third, Adam McKee finishing superbly to grab his sixth in the competition.
Further woe was piled on Austria when they were reduced to 10-players for the remainder of the match after they received a red card early in the second. Ireland again seized the opportunity of the extra player soon after, with Milo Thompson firing a shot into the back of the net to open his account for the tournament and complete the scoring for Ireland.
A late consolation goal from Austria in the final minute completed the scoring at 4-1. The win secured Ireland promotion to the EuroHockey U18 Championships in 2027, and a place in tomorrow’s final against Italy at 15:00 Irish Time.
In Houten, the IRL U18 Girls and Boys both recorded wins in their first of two crossover matches in the Rabo 8 Nations.
The IRL U16 Girls came out on top of a thrilling battle with Poland. Ireland’s Alannah Thornton, Lily May Kelleher and Lucy Megaw all got on the scoresheet to help the team achieve a 3-2 victory over their opposition.
The IRL U16 Boys put five past Poland in their crossover game, producing a slick performance across the board in their penultimate game of the competition. Goal scorers Josh Kelly, Josh Gill, Charlie Trotter, Jonah Nathan and Bobbi Robinson gave Ireland a commanding lead in the game, with the side defending superbly to maintain their clean sheet.
Both sides will face Scotland in their final Crossover match of the Rabo 8 Nations tomorrow, July 19, with the U16 Boys up first at 12:00 Irish Time, followed by the U16 Girls at 14:00 Irish Time.
Action from the game between Ireland under 18 boys and Scotland under 18 boys at Ulster University, Jordanstown 28th June 2025