Old Alex snuff out UCC’s IHL hopes

Old Alex snaffled the last spot in next season’s Irish Hockey League as high-quality goals from Shirley McCay, Aisling Naughton and Sofie Macleod gave them a flattering 3-0 win over UCC at Garryduff on Saturday. McCay gave Alex the lead when she reversed past Sarah Wrixon from the top of the circle, and while College forced five corners, they couldn’t make any count. The Dubliners punished them after the break when recent Irish call-up Aisling Naughton fired home on her backhand before Australian Sofie Macleod completed the win.

Meanwhile, Conor O’Kelly, outgoing president Munster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association (MBIHA), has warned the province cannot afford to neglect the running of the game after it took two meetings to elect new management. The branch’s AGM resumed in Mitchelstown yesterday having been suspended a fortnight ago due to the lack of nominees for management committee positions. The majority of the positions were filled at the second time of asking yesterday, with Waterford-based Sally Kavanagh ratified as president, with Bev Gray (vice president), John Dennis (chairman),  Lucinda Shrubb (treasurer) and Mary Walsh (youths) staying on in their respective roles. Mike Sutton takes over the schools remit while Andrew Gray has been elected PRO. The long search for a coach to the Munster U18 boys team ended with the appointment of experienced Cork Harlequins man John Hobbs, but the U16 boys’ role is still vacant. Meanwhile, Amy Roberts and Ian Hosford were named as Munster’s best players of 2012/13 at the  Munster Hockey Awards in Cork Harlequins on Friday night. Hosford performed heroics between the sticks for a weakened Bandon outfit this season while Roberts was a goal machine in Cork C of I’s revival as she captained them to fourth place. Naomi Carroll’s (Catholic Institute) ascension to the Irish  international setup earned her the young player of the year gong with Ireland U18 hitman Simon Wolfe (Cork C of I) taking the men’s award. UCC MHC were named club of the year as they claimed the  intervarsities, three cups and one league title as none of their four teams finished lower than third in their respective divisions. Coach of the year went to Stephen Dale for masterminding Cork Harlequins’ gripping women’s Division 1 title march, while team of the year went to the treble-winning Cork C of I men’s firsts. Munster Hockey Awards 2013 Coach of the Year: Stephen Dale (Cork Harlequins) Volunteer of the Year: Alice Browne Senior Female Player of the Year: Amy Roberts (Cork C of I) Senior Male Player of the Year: Ian Hosford (Bandon) Young Female Player of the Year: Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute) Young Male Player of the Year: Simon Wolfe (Cork C of I) Development Umpire of the Year: David Wolfe Umpire of the Year: Liz Clifford Club of the Year: UCC MHC Developing Club of the Year: Clonakilty Team of the Year: Cork C of I men’s firsts Boys School of the Year: Ashton Girls School of the Year: Crescent Special Merit Awards: Nancy O’Driscoll (Cork Wanderers); Denis Pritchard (Ireland).