The Irish under-18 boys and girls depart on Monday for a Four-Nations tournament runs next week in Cardiff, Wales to run from July 29 to – August 1.
On the boys side, John Hobbs heads up the management team – in place of Arul Anthoni who is currently on leave with his family in his native Malaysia – which also includes Banbridge pair Mark and Suzanne Evans who will take on the goalkeeping coaching and video analysis roles respectively along with Peter Jackson and Edward Gash as part of an experienced coaching staff.
The squad has taken part in two three-day training camps since the end of the school exam period, taking in the Celtic Cup in Cork in early July and a three-day session in Dublin last weekend playing a Leinster selection.
Speaking about the squad, John Hobbs has been impressed by what he has seen, saying: “There is a great attitude amongst the group to work hard and demand that little bit more from each other during training sessions and that will stand to us during the Four-Nation’s tournament in Cardiff.
“We have prepared more tactically for this tournament, and whilst we would have liked more opportunities to train together during the summer unfortunately exams and other demands sometimes dictate otherwise.
“This tournament provides us with our first real opportunity for competitive hockey this summer, as we have previously played in tests against England and Belgium during the season in UCD, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the players react in this competitive environment.
“A tournament also allows us more feedback time with the group in relation to video analysis and individual action plans for the players that will help them in their quest for selection for the following season’s European Youth Nations Championships and/or progression to the Ireland A training panel.”
IHA Young player of the Year, Stuart Loughrey has been named as the team’s captain and Stuart Smith as vice-captain for the tournament as well as a number of the All-Ireland School’s winning Cookstown side.
Boys Squad:
Phillip Brown (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), David Carson (Corinthian/St Andrews), Stephen Cole (Monkstown/St Andrews), James Corry (Raphoe/Royal & Prior) Mark Crooks (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Scott Forbes (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), Kyle Good (Three Rock Rovers/Wesley College), Dan Hobbs (Cork Harequins/Ashton), Stephen Hunter (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), Stuart Loughrey (Pembroke Wanderers/St Andrews), Peter MacDonnell (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), Ryan McCrea (Mossley), Josh Purcell (Dublin YMCA/High School), Stephen Sloan (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Stuart Smyth (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Cian Speers (Monkstown/St. Andrews), Alastair Thom (GK) (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Stephen West (GK) (Three Rock Rovers/St Andrews)
Girls Squad:
Lisa Costley (Lurgan College/Lurgan Ladies), Emilie Molloy (Jesuits/Galway), Naomi Carroll (St Pats Comprehensive/Catholic Inst), Hannah Clarke (Belfast Royal Acad/Peagsus), Katie Codyre (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Brenda Flannery (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Orla Fox (Mount Sackville/Pembroke), Dora Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Irene Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Jenny Kyle (Belfast Royal Acad/Pegasus), Kirstie Lammey (Carrickfergus Grammar/Greenisland Ladies), Jessica McMickan (The Bower), Ali Meeke (High School/Corinthian), Tara Melvin (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), Ruth Millar (Grosvenor Grammar/Belfast H'Quins), Olivia Roycroft (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Claire Warnock (Royal School, Armagh/Armagh), Jenna Watt (Victoria College/Belfast H'Quins)
Playing Schedule:
Tuesday, July 29, Girls: Ireland v England (10am), Boys: Scotland v Ireland (12pm)
Wednesday, July 30, Boys: Ireland v England (12pm), Girls: Wales v Ireland (2pm)
Thursday, July 31 Girls: Ireland v Scotland (10am), Boys: Ireland v Wales (4pm)
Friday, August 1: Playoff Games
Phillip Brown (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), David Carson (Corinthian/St Andrews), Stephen Cole (Monkstown/St Andrews), James Corry (Raphoe/Royal & Prior) Mark Crooks (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Scott Forbes (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), Kyle Good (Three Rock Rovers/Wesley College), Dan Hobbs (Cork Harequins/Ashton), Stephen Hunter (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), Stuart Loughrey (Pembroke Wanderers/St Andrews), Peter MacDonnell (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), Ryan McCrea (Mossley), Josh Purcell (Dublin YMCA/High School), Stephen Sloan (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Stuart Smyth (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Cian Speers (Monkstown/St. Andrews), Alastair Thom (GK) (Cookstown/Cookstown High), Stephen West (GK) (Three Rock Rovers/St Andrews)
Girls Squad:
Lisa Costley (Lurgan College/Lurgan Ladies), Emilie Molloy (Jesuits/Galway), Naomi Carroll (St Pats Comprehensive/Catholic Inst), Hannah Clarke (Belfast Royal Acad/Peagsus), Katie Codyre (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Brenda Flannery (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Orla Fox (Mount Sackville/Pembroke), Dora Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Irene Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Jenny Kyle (Belfast Royal Acad/Pegasus), Kirstie Lammey (Carrickfergus Grammar/Greenisland Ladies), Jessica McMickan (The Bower), Ali Meeke (High School/Corinthian), Tara Melvin (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), Ruth Millar (Grosvenor Grammar/Belfast H'Quins), Olivia Roycroft (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Claire Warnock (Royal School, Armagh/Armagh), Jenna Watt (Victoria College/Belfast H'Quins)
Playing Schedule:
Tuesday, July 29, Girls: Ireland v England (10am), Boys: Scotland v Ireland (12pm)
Wednesday, July 30, Boys: Ireland v England (12pm), Girls: Wales v Ireland (2pm)
Thursday, July 31 Girls: Ireland v Scotland (10am), Boys: Ireland v Wales (4pm)
Friday, August 1: Playoff Games
6 comments:
who is missing from the 18s mens squad from previous matchs??
From the squad named back in December there has been a couple of changes:
Mark Crooks (Cookstown/Cookstown High) has come into the squad for this tournament.
From the initial training panel, Brian Doherty (Corinthian), Eoin MacArthur (Railway Union), Andrew Ward (Monkstown), Harry Fleming (Bandon GS), Patrick Shanahan (Bandon GS), Clinton Sweetman (Bandon GS), Richard Magowan (Banbridge), Peter Purcell (Annadale) and William Robinson (Instonians) are no longer involved.
Great to see one of our good young coaches getting his chance this summer......getting a bit disillussioned with these guys coming across and walking into jobs. I am not going to turn this into a slagging match but there seems to be a preference for taking things at face value with persons from abroad....without really investigating what coaching they have done previous.I know its not really a necessity but coaches should have at least been investigated a bit further regarding where and what they have coached prior to arriving here. At least as it currently stands with John taking over at U18, at under age level we now have coaches in both the mens and the womens who have worked their way throught the Irish system and understand the culutral aspects of how hockey works in this country. I am in no way advocating only Irish coaches in irish jobs but there has been appointments recently based on very little evidence and track record in other countries. It would be very interesting to ask some of those unavailable for U18s this summer what their real reasons where for not staying on.......and would they have been different if John had been in charge from the beginning
Doherty Shanahan, Robinson, Sweetman are all experienced and there must be a reason why they are not in the squad!
might of being to do with the exams!!
Didnt realise exams were still on in mid to end of July? Do you know this for a fact or is it speculation?Cant speak for all of them mentioned but exams didnt come into the equation when I heard the reasons for at least 4 of those players
I think it is quit stupid the way the under 16s and 18s play the same teams every year. England then Belgium then scotland, and after that they go on and play europians or a celtic cup, i think this needs to be changed.
its getting a little boring.
Post a Comment