Late bloomer McDonnell gets big chance

Jean McDonnell has been handed the chance to prove her Irish international credentials after she was named in an 18-strong squad for next week’s FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin. The 28-year-old Railway Union hitwoman was a relative newcomer to international hockey despite her goalscoring exploits in Leinster, having received her first cap against Scotland just last July. But a maiden international hat-trick in a 6-0 win over an experimental Scottish side brought McDonnell’s tally to five in eight games in green, and appears to have swayed coach Gene Muller’s thinking.

Another to impress at last weekend’s Celtic Cup was Hermes’ Aine Connery, and she has also made the cut this time. Miriam Crowley and Hannah Bowe – sister of Irish rugby international star Tommy – are the two from the Celtic Cup 18 to miss out here,  with Nikki Symmons – who could pass the 150-cap landmark at this tournament – and Nicci Daly returning. Both were unavailable last weekend due to Loreto’s EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge II preparations. Ireland have been drawn in Pool B against world number 10 Spain, India (11th) and Azerbaijan (14th), with Scotland, Japan, South Africa and the USA making up the other pool at the competition, which will run from June 18-26 at Belfield. Meanwhile, Ireland U18 girls coach Richie Malone has finalised his squad for next month’s EuroHockey U18 Nations Championships in Utrecht, Holland. The most eyebrow-raising selection is that of Katie Froeling, an exciting Dutch forward with Craeyenhour HC in Utrecht whose mother hails from Carlow. Although unable to partake in this year’s interpros, Froeling committed to travelling to Ireland and fulfilling a criteria of attending every training session. She follows in the footsteps of Nicole Laarhoven, a Dutch defender with a Waterford mother who was part of last year’s Home Nations-winning Irish side. The squad is backboned by players who were Youth (U17) Olympians in Singapore last year, including Catholic Institute duo Róisín Upton – the current U18 Irish player of the year – and Rebecca Barry, as well as Cork C of I’s Amy Kate Trevor. Elsewhere, Ireland’s men begin their summer campaign tonight with the first of a three-game series against Wales at Belfield but they will do so without some of their big hitters. A dozen of the panel have returned from their time on the continent but Reading’s Chris Cargo and Club de Campo’s Ronan Gormley will be in the Hague as part of their respective clubs’ EuroHockey League bids. Den Bosch’s Alan Sothern, meanwhile, is ruled out due to a metatarsal injury sustained in camp this week. Finally, Irish officials will be spread far and wide this summer as the country provides umpires, judges, umpire’s managers and technical directors to tournaments around the continent. Olympic umpire Carol Metchette will once again have an extremely busy summer following the confirmation of her place on the roster for the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Monchengladbach in August.

This coming weekend, she will officiate at the conclusion of the women’s EuroHockey Club Championships finals in the Hague and will be involved in a pair of world level events – the Champion’s Challenge I in Dublin and the Pan-American Games in Mexico. Geoff Conn heads to the men’s equivalent of the Europeans as well as being Ireland’s Champion’s Challenge II representative in Lille while fellow senior umpire Kieran Bolger is off to the Pannonia Cup in Slovakia in July. IIRELAND v Wales, Senior Men’s Series, Belfield, UCD: Today, 8pm; Saturday, 4pm; Sunday, 2pm. IRELAND women’s squad for Champions Challenge I, Dublin, June 18-26: Emma Gray (GK, Hermes, 22 caps), Pamela Smithwick (GK, Old Alex, 3); Michelle Harvey (Pegasus, 49), Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins, 77), Emma Smyth (Railway Union, 35), Emma Clarke (Leicester, 103, vice-capt), Alex Speers (Railway Union, 87, capt), Shirley McCay (Old Alex, 103), Jean McDonnell (Railway Union, 8), Lisa Jacob (Hermes, 77), Julia O’Halloran (Railway Union, 57), Sinead McCarthy (Hermes, 15), Aine Connery (Hermes, 18), Nikki Symmons (Loreto, 145), Audrey O’Flynn (Hermes, 26), Chloe Watkins (UCD, 11), Lizzie Colvin (HGC, Holland, 45), Nicci Daly (Loreto, 13). IRELAND U18 GIRLS squad for EuroHockey U18 Championships, Utrecht, Holland, July: Aisling Naughton (Mount Anville/Old Alexandra), Amy Cooke (Ballyclare HS/Pegasus), Amy-Kate Trevor (Scoil Mhuire/Cork C of I), Dora Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Emily Beatty (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), Emma Russell (Holy Child Killiney/Hermes), Freddie Timmins (Yeats College/Galway), Jenna Holmes (GK, Carrickfergus Grammar/Ballymoney), Joanne Orr (Royal School Armagh/Armagh), Katie Froeling (Gymnasium Sorghvliet/Craeyenhout), Katie Mullan (Dalriada/Ballymoney), Kerri McDonald (Banbridge Academy/Armagh), Leah Ewart (Royal School Armagh/Armagh), Lisa McCarthy (Mount Anville/Railway Union), Lucy Camlin (GK, Ballyclare HS/Pegasus), Lucy McKee (Banbridge Academy/Armagh), Rebecca Barry (Laurel Hill Colaiste/Catholic Institute), Roisin Upton (Crescent Comprehensive/Catholic Institute). Non-travelling reserves: Erika Hinkson (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), Kate Lloyd (Loreto Dalkey/Railway Union), Katie Morris (Methodist College/Lisnagarvey), Natasha Cooke (GK, Colaitse Iognaid/Galway)