Hook Hockey

Glens return to Barca; Pembroke go Dutch

Pembroke Wanderers and Glenanne found out their EHL fate tonight with the former visiting Oranje Zwart’s Eindhoven base while the Glens travel to Barcelona for the second year of information.

Glenanne’s return trip is once again filled with sharks, swapping the surrounds of Polo for Terrassa for this year’s jaunt on October 29 to 31.

Graham Shaw’s side will have revenge on their minds against Poland’s Grunwald Poznan who overcame a listless Glens 6-1 last year, a side drained of energy after a huge effort against UHC Hamburg.

And they face German opposition once more, this time in the form of debutants Mannheimer HC – the new club of German superstar Matthias Witthaus.

Jamie Dwyer, though, was due to join Mannheimer but late Euro registration meant he missed the deadline and will now no longer not link up.

Pembroke, as one of eight first seeds, picked up a mixed bag for their third EHL campaign. They will play the tournament’s second lowest ranked side Kolos Sekvoia from Ukraine but they come with a good record against Irish sides, beating Glenanne 4-2 back in 2008.

HGC – beaten finalists in 2008 when John Jermyn and Iain Lewers were in their ranks – will be the group’s second seeds and are a side packed with top international talent.

The Hague-based club have seen English players Barry Middleton and Ashley Jackson move back to their homeland but have brought in the likes of Australia’s Brent Dancer, Argentina’s Rodrigo and Lucas Vila while coach Jorge Dabanch Silva moves to Holland from Barcelona.

Playing on October 15 to 17, Pembroke might have preferred the later of the two dates to give their new look side more time to bed in.

Of the other Irish involved, Ronan Gormley can meet up with old club mates in Eindhoven when Club de Campo play Rot-Weiss Koln and Racing Club de Bruxelles.

Dragons – with their quartet of Irish players – play reigning champions UHC but will target Izmaylovo Moscow.

David Ames’ Beeston – who visit Dublin next week to face Pembroke and Glenanne – face hosts Atletic Terrassa and France’s CA Montrouge while Chris Cargo at Reading have Belarus’ Stroitel Brest and 2009 winners Bloemendaal.

Finally, Ian Horsfield’s second EHL outing with Kelburne is a really tough one. They play Polo de Barcelona and East Grinstead, now with Ashley Jackson in tow.

The Scots, though, have the small mercy – along with the English sides – of an extra two weeks to work together after several of their players compete at the Commonwealth Games.

October 15-17 (Eindhoven, Netherlands):
Group F: Pembroke, HGC (Ned), Olympia Kolos Sekvoia (Ukr)
Group B: Rot-Weiss Koln (Ger), Club de Campo Madrid (Esp), RC Bruxelles (Bel)
Group E: KHC Dragons (Bel), UHC Hamburg (Ger), Izmaylovo Moscow (Rus)
Group H: Dinamo Kazan (Rus), Oranje Zwart (Ned), KS Pomorzanin Torun (Pol)

October 29-31 (Terrassa, Spain):
Group G: WKS Grunwald Poznan (Pol), Mannheimer HC (Ger), Glenanne
Group A: Bloemendaal (Ned), Reading (Eng), SC Stroitel Brest (Blr)
Group C: Atletic Terrassa (Esp), Beeston (Eng), CA Montrouge (Fra)
Group D: East Grinstead (Eng), RC Polo de Barcelona (Esp), Kelburne (Sco)