Hook Hockey

Crawford names high quality Junior side

Leinster head coach Keith Crawford, assisted by Chris Tyrell, have named their final squad of 18 for the upcoming Junior Interprovincials in May.

The pair enjoyed a successful season with the Trinity IIs team whom they guided to the semi-final of the Irish Junior Cup as well as earning promotion from division four.

After completing trials in the last number of weeks, which had up to 70 players attending, they narrowed down the panel which is made up of any first team player from Division 2 down and any second team player in divisions 2 to 4.

From that process, a selection emerged with players from 13 different clubs with Railway Union’s Karen Clarke (pictured) donning the captain’s armband – a division two and IJC champion this season.

She will be backed up vice-captain Claire Hearnden, Trinity’s former first team skipper, who plied her trade in division seven with Monkstown en route to a league and cup double, along with Sarah Lovett.

For Crawford and Tyrell’s own team, goalkeeper Anna Egan and livewire Olwen Smith – the team’s recently named Player of the Year – get a call-up.

Swords’ Breda Orohoe is another to enjoy a successful season, helping her club to the division ¾ final in their first year since promotion to that level while Powderly sisters Aimee and Tara have been flying through the divisions with YMCA.

Genesis’ starlet Lauren Kingston – a Senior School’s Cup winner with St Andrew’s in 2009 – will don the royal blue, too, as will IT Tallaght sports scholar Aoife Dalton from Glenanne.

The rest of the panel is made up of players from Pembroke, Clontarf, Loreto, Old Alex and North Kildare in an impressive line-up.

The tournament will take place on May 14 and 15 with Leinster spying their first win since 2006 and ninth in total since 1972.

Leinster panel: Karen Clarke (capt, Railway Union), Fiona O’Donovan (Pembroke Wanderers), Amy Anslow (Clontarf), Clare Hearnden (vice-captain, Monkstown), Roisin Ryan (Loreto), Sarah Lovett (Monkstown), Elaine Hall (Pembroke), Sarah Butler (Corinthian), Aimee Powderly (YMCA), Kate Hurley (Pembroke), Olwen Smith (Trinity), Joanne O’Reilly (North Kildare), Aoife Dalton (Glenanne), Breda Orhoe (Swords), Tara Powderly (YMCA), Lauren Kingston (Genesis), Babs Luke (Old Alex), Anna Egan (Trinity)