American idol Frazer in line for Irish return

Megan Frazer looks set to answer Ireland’s call once more after being named as America’s best university field hockey player. The Derry native, who helped the University of Maryland Terrapins to their second consecutive all-American (NCAA) title, was yesterday awarded the 2011-12 Honda Sports Award in field hockey, designating her as the top student-athlete in the country in that sport.

Frazer, a cousin of Manchester United football star Darron Gibson, was the youngest member of Ireland’s European championships squad in 2009 and starred at all levels for her school Foyle and Londonderry, club Ballymoney and Ulster, before moving stateside for college in 2009. She has been the most successful among a batch of successful Irish players in the USA that also numbers Limerick’s Rebecca Barry and former Ireland A starlet Liz McInerney. Being based in America has ruled her out of contention for a centralised Irish squad that has been training semi-professionally in Dublin. But in honouring Frazer’s individual award yesterday, the Maryland Terrapins stated she will “spend the 2012 spring semester training with the Irish senior national team for its Olympic qualifier in Belgium in the spring”. However, no official announcement regarding such a move has been made by Irish senior coach Gene Muller, currently in Argentina with his side for two Four Nations tournaments. Ireland have already posted an encouraging result in the first of those in Buenos Aires, the sight of Indian jerseys once again spurred them into playing some of their best hockey, as they defeated the world number 13 1-0 on Thursday. Playing the second of their matches following Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to South Africa, Gene Muller’s 14th-ranked side dominated against a side they’d also beaten at June’s Champions Challenge I in Dublin. Forcing seven penalty corners, Cork Harlequins’ Cliodhna Sargent rattled home a direct shot on the 43rd minute for the only goal of the game, while Emma Gray’s heroics kept India at bay in the final minutes after Lizzie Colvin’s second yellow card left Ireland a woman down. Nicci Daly starred in midfield and Sargent’s former Quins defensive partner Sinead McCarthy stood out at the back, giving Muller food for thought ahead of their final game against hosts Argentina on Saturday (8.30pm Irish time). Against the South Africans, Marscha Marescia’s first-half corner goal and a Celia Smith one from play, at the second time of asking, after the break did the damage.