Hook Hockey

Hermes – Women’s Division One

Last Season: Winners, Division One; IHL and ISC finalists, Jacqui Potter Cup quarter-finals

Coach: Mary Logue

Players In: Mary Goode (Suttonians), Caitriona McGilp (UCD), Miriam Crowley (UCC)
Players Out: Anna O’Flanagan (UCD), Sarah Greene (UCD), Deirdre Duke (UCD), Emma Russell (Old Alex), Nicky King (retired)

Summary: A summer of turnover, there are a couple of like-for-like swaps for Mary Logue at Hermes. Significantly, Mary Goode has been enlisted to provide goalkeeper cover for Emma Gray when she is CPP-tied, taking over the role Nicky King was co-opted into last season.

Miriam Crowley can be seen as a direct replacement for Anna O’Flanagan in terms of international experience, the UCC player taking a year out from her degree to centralise. Caitriona McGilp returns to her teenage club, too, offering plenty of bite to the midfield exchanges and her age fits in with a profile which Mary Logue is pleased with, plenty of the side between 23 and 26 and with lots of high level final know-how in the tank.

No doubt, the movement outwards of five of their younger stars will have an impact. Emma Russell’s late season goals were a real feature in winning back the Leinster title while Sarah Greene, Anna O’Flanagan and Deirdre Duke would start in any division one side.

To smooth the transition, Fiona Connery is back for the start of the season in harness with sister Sinead while Aine will also be around from time to time between international training. Jenny Burke is likewise able to lend serious quality.

Preseason has been slightly by the wait for the completion of what will be their home pitch in St Andrew’s, the lines only being drawn in the past week, while six CPP players – Audrey O’Flynn, Gray, Aine Connery, Crowley, Lisa Jacob and Sinead McCarthy – could take its toll though they managed the best of the Leinster sides a year ago to negotiate the situation.

Early season fixtures
First Leinster league games: Sept 17 vs Loreto (a); Sept 24 vs Pembroke (a); Oct 1 vs Corinthian (h)
Irish Hockey League: Oct 15 vs Old Alex (a); Nov 5 vs Armagh (h)
Irish Senior Cup: bye to round two

Twitter: @HermesHC