Bray goalkeeper Mary Goode returns to a familiar-looking senior set-up after a few months on sabbatical, while UCC playmaker Julia O’Halloran, who is on a year-long break from top-level international hockey due to academic commitments, is included in the A squad.

UCD’s Roisin Flinn is also in that squad after returning from travelling, while there are a number of new faces, including Mel Ryan of Cork C of I, UCC’s Audrey O’Flynn and Hermes starlets Nicola Evans and Niamh Atcheler.

Muller said he was looking forward to comparing players competing for positions, and will finalise the make-up of both squads following the five-game test against the Canucks, who Ireland beat 2-0 and 2-1 in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Victoria in May.

Ireland A squads to play Canada at Belfield

Monday January 12 (2pm): N Atcheler, E Gray (GK), A O’Flanagan, N Evans, C Watkins (Hermes), A O’Flynn, J O’Halloran (UCC), L Colvin, Z Delany, N Small (Loreto), R Flinn (UCD), M Frazer (Ballymoney), M Harvey (Pegasus), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins) M Ryan (Cork C of I), H Stevenson (GK, Railway Union).

Tuesday January 13 (2pm): N Atcheler, E Gray (GK), A O’Flanagan, N Evans, C Watkins (Hermes), A O’Flynn, J O’Halloran (UCC), L Colvin, Z Delany (Loreto), L McInerney (UCD), R Mulligan (Armagh), M Ryan (Cork C of I), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), L Barr (Ballymoney), K Elkin (Randalstown), H Stevenson (GK, Railway Union)

Ireland senior squads to play Canada at Belfield Friday January 16 (2pm): E Clarke, S McCay (Ulster Elks), L Colvin, L Healy (GK), C McKean, N Symmons, N Small (Loreto), K Elkin (Randalstown), R Flinn, L Jacob (UCD), M Goode (GK, Bray), M Harvey (Pegasus), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins), H Moffett (UCC), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins)

Saturday January 17 (2.30pm): E Clarke, S McCay (Ulster Elks), L Colvin, L Healy (GK), C McKean, N Symmons (Loreto), L Barr, M Frazer, B McKeever (Ballymoney), M Harvey, A Speers (Pegasus), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins), M Goode (GK, Bray), L Jacob (UCD), R Mulligan (Armagh), C O’Brien (Chelsmford).

Sunday January 18 (2pm): E Clarke, S McCay (Ulster Elks), N Small, L Healy (GK), C McKean, N Symmons (Loreto), M Goode (GK, Bray), M Harvey, A Speers (Pegasus), R Flinn, L Jacob (UCD), C O’Brien (Chelmsford), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins), B McKeever (Ballymoney), H Moffett (UCC). Unavailable for selection: E Stewart, S Quinn (Armagh), E Cregan (Cork Harlequins)

The 21-year-old UCC hotshot, who has been overlooked by Muller since last December, struck twice and set up another for Katherine Elkin, as the girls in green overturned a 3-1 deficit at the Welsh Institute of Sport.

Connery, who has now hit five goals in five games for Ireland A, is among a number of players who put their hand up for selection in front of the watching Muller, who opted to rest his senior side for this trip.

Aine Connery, seen here in action for UCC, staked a claim for inclusion in the Irish senior side with a two-goal salvo against Wales. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

Among them is Michelle Harvey, who co-captained Ireland A with Connery to second in the Junior Celtic Cup in June and won her first cap in the senior event against France.

The Victorians starlet marked her debut with a drag-flicked goal that day, and she repeated the trick with four minutes remaining in Cardiff yesterday to hand Ireland’s second string a famous win, which understandably pleased Muller.

“It was a thrilling match, and we did well to win from 3-1 down,” he said. “We scored some very well-worked goals from open play, and the team were very excited by their performance.”

Having gone down 2-1 to their hosts on Saturday, Ireland were in bullish mood from the off, with Connery intercepting a Welsh pass to find Elkin, who cracked the ball home first time for a sixth-minute lead.

However, Wales were ahead inside eight minutes via carbon copy strikes from Dawn Mitchell and Beth Fisher, and Carys Hopkins punished a defensive lapse to put them 3-1 up just after the break.

However, Ireland A bizarrely turned the game on its head with three goals in four minutes. Connery struck twice in as many minutes, one a superb lob from a one-on-one, before Megan Frazer tapped in for a shock lead.

Sophie Robinson hauled the hosts level on 60 minutes, but Harvey stepped up to break Welsh hearts in the dying minutes.

Wales gained a modicum of revenge in the men’s game, with late short corner strikes from Huw Jones and Oliver Cooper salvaging a 2-2 draw.

However, Mitch Darling’s transformation into an international-standard striker of repute continued apace, as he claimed a double to take his tally to five in his last four outings a green shirt.

Mitch Darling: Has hit five goals in his last four games for Ireland. Picture: Adrian Boehm

The Three Rock Rovers hitman slipped two defenders before firing a reverse to the roof of the net to give Ireland the lead in the 20th minute.

He doubled their advantage by deflecting home a short corner in the 57th minute, but Ireland lost skipper Graham Shaw and teen sensation David Ames to the sin-bin, and Wales duly capitalised to draw level.

Despite failing to record a win over the Welsh, who won 3-2 on Saturday, Irish manager Peter Jackon professed himself pleased with the progression of an experimental side.

“Overall, this was a positive weekend for this young squad. They proved themselves today when the odds where against them, and were unfortunate not to come away with a more positive result,” he said.

Men’s coach Dave Passmore has named an experimental squad for the games on September 6/7, with Cookstown’s David Ames and Keith Black likely to make their international debuts.

Passmore has recalled a number of players who have been in the international wilderness in recent years, including Glenanne’s Joe Brennan and Steven Redpath of Annadale.

Mercurial striker Peter Blakeney, who is back with Three Rock Rovers after a season with Freemantle in Australia, is also included in a squad captained by Glenanne’s Graham Shaw.

Blakeney has had a tremendous season down under, with his club exploits earning a call-up to the Western Australia Thundersticks side, whom he helped to the Australian Hockey League title.

Passmore, who has named just one goalkeeper, YM’s Iain Walker, in the panel, said the matches provided a chance for fringe players to impress ahead of the forthcoming season.

“This squad has been selected for development and assessment, giving a broader group of players the opportunity to impress before a panel is chosen for next year’s important season, which included the European Trophy and World Cup qualification tournament,” he said.

With the likes of Karl Burns, David Hobbs and John Jermyn rested for this series, there are no players from Munster clubs included. However, the southern province still has representation on the squad in the form of Cork-born players Jason Lynch and Conor Harte, now of Lisnagarvey and Pembroke Wanderers respectively.

UCC's Aine Connery (right) will be looking to get on the goal trail again for Ireland A in the double-header against Wales next month. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

Meanwhile, Guy Garrett’s Ireland A side will travel to Wales in place of their rested senior counterparts.

Garrett has included talented Leinster teenagers Chloe Watkins and Zara Delany, as well as Trinity’s Ciara Murphy and Katie Saunderson of Sheffield University.

However, he is without Armagh prodigies Amy Stewart and Stephanie Quinn, who are both still recovering from injuries picked up last season.

Garrett, who last season coached the Loreto first XI, stressed the importance of fixtures against a senior side in the development of his players.

“These competitions are very important for the development of our Ireland A players,” he said. “An opportunity to play a senior side is always welcome, and we have a strong squad to compete against Wales.”

UCC’s Aine Connery, who has inexplicably been ignored at senior level in 2008, is Munster’s sole representative, and she will be looking to add to her tally of three goals in as many games at the Junior Celtic Cup earlier this summer.

Ireland men’s squad to play Wales in Cardiff on September 6/7: I Walker (GK, YMCA); C Harte (Pembroke Wanderers), T Lewis (Pembroke Wanderers), K Black (Cookstown), J Brennan (Glenanne), J Jackson (Loughborough, vice-captain), G Shaw (Glenanne, capt), A McConnell (Three Rock Rovers), D Ames (Cookstown), S Redpath (Annadale), J Quigley (Annadale), G McCabe (Banbridge), A Sothern (Pembroke Wanderers), J Lynch (Lisnagarvey), M Watt (Grange), M Darling (Three Rock Rovers), P Blakeney (Three Rock Rovers).

Fixtures
Saturday September 6: Ireland vs Wales (4pm).
Sunday September 7: Ireland vs Wales (3pm).

Ireland A women’s squad to play Wales in Cardiff on September 6/7: A Connery (UCC), C Watkins (Hermes), C Murphy (Trinity), E Lucey (Railway Union), H Stevenson (Belfast Harlequins), K McConnell (Pegasus), K Elkin (Randalstown), L Colvin (Armagh), M Frazer (Ballymoney), M Harvey (Victorians), N Small (Loreto), R Mulligan (Armagh), R Dallas (Randalstown), V Green (Victorians), Z Delany (Loreto).

Fixtures
Saturday September 6: Ireland A vs Wales (2pm).
Sunday September 7: Ireland A vs Wales (1pm).