Loss of Irish EHL place confirmed

Ireland has lost its place in world hockey’s premier men’s club competition as a worrying slide down the European rankings was confirmed yesterday. The EuroHockey League nation rankings show Ireland have slipped to 13th place, one outside the threshold to earn at least one place in the high-profile competition. Having been ranked sixth in 2011 — earning two EHL spots — Ireland fell to ninth the following year as very tough draws saw neither Cookstown nor Banbridge advance from the first round group stages. Cork Harlequins missed out on an EHL spot this season as a result, with Lisnagarvey flying the flag for Ireland and making the last 16. Quins instead headed into the second-tier competition — the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in Vienna — earlier this month, but they finished seventh (from eight)out of eight teams. One of their conquerors in the pool stages — Cardiff and UWIC — went on to finish second, with the subsequent ranking points boost seeing Wales effectively edging out Ireland for the final EHL berth as a result.

Irish Senior Cup and Irish Hockey League winners Monkstown are the side to lose out; they’ll be headed for the Trophy next year instead of the EHL, while Ireland’s second representatives, Banbridge, must wait to learn if they’ll join the Dubliners in that competition or drop to the third-tier Club Champions Challenge I. The complex EuroHockey ranking system sees weighted points allotted based on performances in the EHL and Trophy over the past three years, while points accrued by each country are divided by the number of teams they have involved. The Club Champions Challenge I does not carry ranking points. The upshot is that Ireland can earn more ranking points by having just one team in next year’s Trophy, provided Monkstown reach the latter stages, although having Banbridge involved too could be something of a safety net should the Dubliners underperform. Ireland’s slide down the rankings can be partially attributed to the weakening of club sides here as many Irish internationals continue to play on the continent. [pullquote]Irish Senior Cup and Irish Hockey League winners Monkstown are the side to lose out; they’ll be headed for the Trophy next year instead of the EHL, while Ireland’s second representatives, Banbridge, must wait to learn if they’ll join the Dubliners in that competition or drop to the third-tier Club Champions Challenge I.[/pullquote] One of those, Cork-born goalkeeper David Harte, helped his Kampong side qualify for next year’s EHL for the first time last weekend, dumping out this year’s winners Bloemendaal in the Dutch Hoofdklasse playoffs to earn the final qualifying spot in Hollandthe Netherlands. Another Irishman, one-time national top goalscorer Stephen Butler, lined out for Belgium’s KHC Dragons in the EHL decider against Bloemendaal a fortnight ago, losing 2-0. Meanwhile, Ally McNeill this week named her Ireland U16 girls squad for a triangular tournament with Scotland and Wales next month. Three Munster players have made the cut: Ashton’s Michelle Barry, Bandon’s Saoirse O’Leary and Kate Crotty of Ursulines Thurles, who represents Munster at interpro level but plays her club hockey with Corinthians in Dublin.

IRELAND U16 Girls squad for Triangular Tournament v Scotland and Wales (July 6/7): M Barry (Ashton), S Campbell (Old Alex/St Andrew’s), R Campbell (Randalstown/Ballymena Academy), K Crotty (Corinthian/Ursulines Thurles), K Edgar (Lurgan/Lurgan College), E Getty (Randalstown/Royal Belfast Academy), T Hastings (Rainey Endowed), R Henderson (Belfast Harlequins/Friends School), A Hurst (Lurgan/Lurgan College), S Kelly (Mount Anville), K Larmour (Belfast Harlequins/Methodist College), A Long (Corinthian/High School), E Noone (Greenfields/Salerno), S O’Leary (Bandon/Bandon Grammar), E Tice (St Gerard’s), Z Wilson (Lurgan/Ballyclare High), C Donald (GK, Randalstown/Cambridge House), M Van Der Walt (GK, Galway/Dominican College). Coach: Ally McNeill; Assistant coach: Kym Daly; Manager: Cathy Brock.