Irish sides bid for European glory

Three Irish sides go into European action this weekend knowing their results could have a major bearing on the country’s representation on the continental stage in future seasons. Three Rock Rovers compete on the biggest club stage in Europe as they look to continue confounding expectations in the EuroHockey League in Hamburg. Rovers caused a sensation in eliminating Spain’s Atletic Terassa in the group stages in November, and they will renew a rivalry with their other opponents back then, KHC Leuven from Belgium, in the last 16 (4pm Irish time). Should they pull off another shock result, they meet either England’s Reading or Spanish side Real Polo on Monday. Turloch O’Siocháin’s side are the lowest-ranked outfit left in the tournament, but they prepared in the best possible fashion by producing one of their most complete performances of a patchy season in downing Cork C of I 5-2 last weekend.

“We go out there with an expectation that we are capable of progressing. That’s a great feeling to have, so we’re definitely excited,” O’Siocháin told The Hook. “It’s given us an opportunity to measure ourselves so we can see how far we have progressed since the last time we played Leuven so that’s an opportunity we’re going to take. “We’ll take the game as it comes and look at ourselves honestly afterwards and assess how much we’ve moved on – which I know we have.” Rovers will be missing their most decorated European campaigner, Phelie Maguire, as he is currently volunteering as a human rights observer in Palestine. Nonetheless, a win will all but secure a second berth for Irish teams in the EHL. Should that come to pass, those two positions, as revealed today by the Irish Hockey Association, would go to the IHL and ISC winners. If Pembroke were to win both competitions, the IHL runner-up will take the second EHL place. Pembroke can have a say in getting that coveted second spot themselves this weekend, as Europe’s second-biggest club competition, the EuroHockey Club Trophy, comes to Serpentine Avenue. They will be hoping to replicate Glenanne’s heroics in winning this competition in Paris last year, and are bang in form after their spectacular 5-1 demolition of Annadale last weekend. That result prompted ‘Dale coach Andy Smyth to eulogise them as “one of the best club sides we’ve ever played against”. The competition, which involves the 2008 national cup winners of eight European nations, gets underway this afternoon with the host side facing Belarus cup winners SC Stroitel Brest in Pool B at 4pm. Dinamo Olimpik VSM from the Ukraine and Austria’s Akademischer HTC Wien are also in their pool.

Elsewhere, Pegasus get their EuroHockey Cup Winners Trophy underway on Saturday afternoon in Lille, France knowing that an impressive showing here is all-important for Irish hockey. The EHL organisers will meet over the weekend with a potential view to introducing a ladies version of the successful men’s format. Pegasus are currently playing for promotion to the Cup level for Ireland in 2010 but, should the EHL decide to introduce the competition, Pegasus’ placing this weekend will go toward points which will determine how many places Ireland get in the new competition. The Belfast side, 3-1 winners over C of I in the IHL last weekend, face Belarussian outfit Victorya Smolevichi and Wales’ Penarth in the group stages, starting their campaign on Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Stephen Findlater for info. To watch Three Rock’s game and follow all the EHL action, click here and select the live streaming option. You can follow Pegasus’ fortunes by clicking here, and do likewise for Pembroke by clicking here for the club’s website and here for the EHF website.