Hook Hockey

Shaw makes 11 changes to Leinster women

With the introduction of the CPP this season and the changed timing of this year’s interprovincial event, like the other teams this weekend, Victor Shaw has picked a much changed Leinster women’s panel from last year.

A couple were forced as Nicci Daly, Pam Smithwick and Jean McDonnell’s elevation to the Irish squad has seen them not involved this time.

Gene Muller has requested the resting of his central panel as Ireland prepare for a busy summer with the Champion’s Challenge coming in June and the Europeans in August.

As such they are three among eleven changes. Both goalkeeping berths are elevations from last year’s U-21 selection with Grace O’Flanagan and Jessie Elliott moving up in place of Smithwick and Siobhan Burke.

O’Flanagan is one of seven Railway players, a measure of the club’s depth of squad shown by the inclusion of two of their Irish Junior Cup winners, Sinead Dooley and Zara Delany.

Orla Fox is another to move up from the U-21s as does Hermes’ Sarah Greene and Loreto’s Ali Meeke while Maebh Horan competed last season in a South East U-21 jersey.

Hermes’ Christine Quinlan is a returnee while UCD pair Rachel Burke and Orlagh O’Shea get first calls for the province’s senior side.

Ulster very much look the side to beat, winners four of the past five seasons and carrying a weight of international experience which their opponents will find hard to match.

Jimmy O’Connor Memorial Cup IHL player of the year Suzanne Beaney leads the northern line while a couple of her Pegasus’ club mates are on a high after a bumper season.

Pamela Glass is still one of the neatest defenders about, Stephanie Quinn ran the midfield in both recent IHL and ISC finals while Sharon Moffett won IHL keeper of the tournament.

Add in Emma Stewart’s 80-odd caps, allied to a IHA club player of the year nomination, and the rising talents of Vanessa Surgeoner and Scarlett Holdsworth – all marshalled by skipper Susie Martin from recently crowned Ulster champions Ballymoney – and they enter the tournament in the box-seat.

Munster rely heavily on provincial club champions, Catholic Institute, with Eimear Cregan’s international retirement opening the door for her involvement.

A couple of wild geese are called in, Old Alex’s Kate Collins-Smyth and Hermes’ pair Sinead Connery and Eimear Horan joined by Sudbury-based Jen O’Loughlin.

Connacht are captained by UCD fresher Brenda Flannery and have a very youthful look – a number of their players drawn from the recently successful Colaiste Iognaid school’s teams.

Indeed, Lynsey Trainor, Michelle and Elaine Carey are all current students while recent alumni Katie Codyre, Tara Melvin and Orla Callanan also get a call.

Leinster: Grace O’Flanagan (GK, Railway Union), Jessie Elliott (GK, Trinity), Eimear Dolan (Railway Union), Holly Jenkinson (Railway Union), Orla Fox (Railway Union), Maebh Horan (Trinity), Audrey McCormack (Co- Capt, Glenanne), Kate Dillon (Co-Capt, Railway Union), Sinead Dooley (Railway Union), Ali Meeke (Loreto), Nikki Keegan (Loreto), Rachel Burke (UCD), Carol Magowan (Corinthian), Orlagh O’Shea (UCD), Megan Tennant-Humphreys (UCD), Sarah Greene (Hermes), Zara Delany (Railway Union), Christine Quinlan (Hermes)
Coach: Victor Shaw
Manager: Ali Geoffroy
Asst Coach: Joe Brennan/Graham Shaw

Ulster: Sharon Moffett (GK, Pegasus), Emma Teggarty (GK, Randalstown), Emma Stewart (Armagh), Scarlett Holdsworth (Armagh), Suzanne Beaney (Pegasus), Jessica Lynch (Ballymoney), Stephanie Quinn (Pegasus), Alice Garrad (Ulster Elks), Kerry McComish (Hermes), Vanessa Surgeonor (Pegasus), Charlene Hull (Lurgan), Rachel King (Ulster Elks), Hannah McMillan (Queens), Jayne Clarke (Ulster Elks), Janice Vaughan (Ards), Pamela Glass (Pegasus), Claire Buchanan (Queen’s), Susie Martin (capt, Ballymoney)
Coach: Stephen Watt
Manager: Karen Caldwell
Asst Coach: Suzanne Evans
GK Coach: Alison McNeil
Physio: Emma Lynch

Munster: Ciara Ronan (GK, Catholic Inst), Vanessa Sargent (GK, Cork Harlequins), Elaine Bromell (capt, Catholic Institute), Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute), Kate Collins-Smyth (Old Alex), Sinead Connery (Hermes), Eimear Cregan (Catholic Institute), Kym Daly (Catholic Institute), Eimear Horan (Hermes), Johanna Hyland (Cork Harlequins), Rachel McSharry (Cork Harlequins), Yvonne O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), Jennifer O’Loughlin (Sudbury), Ali O’Regan (UCC), Christine O’Shea (Catholic Institute), Olivia Roycroft (UCC)
Coach: Ger O’Carroll
Manager: Meg Burke
Asst Coach: Sarah Scott
GK Coach: Orla McCarthy
Physio: Jane Fleming

Connacht: Sinead Collins (GK, Greenfields), Emilie Molloy (GK, Galway), Orla Callanan (NUIG), Elaine Carey (Galway), Michelle Carey (Galway), Katie Codyre (Hermes), Maeve Faherty (Galway), Louise Fahy (Galway), Brenda Flannery (capt, UCD), Clodagh Grealy (Loreto), Claire Heskin (Galway), Jess McMickan (UCD), Tara Melvin (Galway), Jane O’Higgins (NUIG), Aoife Smyth (NUIG), Lynsey Trainor (Galway)
Coach: Bryan Madden
Manager: Tony Kennedy
Asst Coach: Brian Downes
GK Coach: Tara Browne
Physio: Elaine Raftery

Senior Interprovincial schedule (all at Serpentine Avenue)
Friday – Men: Munster v Leinster (8pm); Women: Leinster v Connacht (4pm); Munster v Ulster (6pm);
Saturday -Men: Munster v Ulster (5pm); Women: Connacht v Ulster (1pm); Munster v Leinster (3pm).
Sunday – Men: Leinster v Ulster, 4pm; Women: Connacht v Munster (12pm); Munster v Ulster (2pm)

** For more information on the Leinster men’s panel, click here and the Junior Interpros here. The Hook is on holiday this weekend and so will not be in a position to post updates on the tournament until Monday. If you have information from the tournament regarding results or match reports, please email stevie_findlats@yahoo.com. Comments will not be posted for the duration of the weekend.