Why our best and brightest are now starring Stateside

Irish hockey has waved goodbye to some of its brightest female prospects in recent weeks, as the trickle of talent heading to America turns into a flood. With employment opportunities on Irish soil scarce for the foreseeable future, the country’s hockey players have been exploring opportunities within the sport. The majority of the Irish men’s squad currently play semi-professionally in the Dutch, German and Belgian leagues, while the women are now taking the chance to experience student life in the United States. Omagh’s Ireland international forward Megan Frazer was the first of the current crop to be lured on scholarship in 2009, winning consecutive all-American titles with the University of Maryland as well as being named as the country’s best student hockey player last year.

College recruiters have since awoken to the opportunity to give Irish girls used to playing a low-profile sport in their spare time the chance to experience the buzz, crowds and media attention that comes with collegiate sport in America, as well as putting hockey front and centre in their lives. The result is that 16 more starlets — the majority of whom have previously been involved with Ireland at U18 or U21 level — have opted to follow the American dream, 11 of whom are heading over as freshers this year. Limerick native and Southern Fried Hockey writer  Rebecca Barry, 19, now into her second year with Richmond Spiders in Virginia, said the side’s assistant coach — Bangor, Co Down native Ryan Elliott — made her “an offer I couldn’t refuse”. “I love my sport, I love to travel and I love meeting new people. It fitted perfectly,” she adds.  “Having completed a year here already, I believe I have learned an awful lot, be it about American culture, the intensity and professionalism that is involved in college sports, or the mindset they have in approaching different aspects of their lives.” With the return of Ireland to the international stage at U21 level after an eight-year hiatus, Barry returned home in time to compete for Munster at the U21 interpros and put her hand up for Irish selection. But Ireland aren’t back in European championships action at that grade until 2014, when most of the players departing will still be underage should they wish to return. Some may have been in contention for elevation to the senior squad, particularly with a new full-time coach to be appointed in the coming months, and Barry admits going out of sight and out of mind is a risky move.

“Yes, I do worry it may affect my international ambitions,” she says. “People can say what they want about working hard and improving while they’re not in the country. But, the bottom line is I’m not in Ireland for up to eight months of the year, meaning that I can’t be scouted. “Of course, someday I would love to represent my country at the highest level. It is the greatest honour that can be bestowed upon any hockey player. But I am enjoying my time here and working hard as a Richmond Spider. I’ll worry about all the other stuff when I get back home and play for Catholic Institute again!” Barry’s former Institute team-mate Róisín Upton is among the new batch, having linked up with the University of Connecticut before even receiving her Leaving Cert results from Crescent College Comprehensive last month. “I felt it an was opportunity that couldn’t be missed and one that may never come around again,” explains 18-year-old Upton. “I saw it as an adventure. I wanted to experience something that we couldn’t experience back home. UConn is known worldwide as a huge sporting college, and this really appealled to me. The facilities back home are of no comparison to the ones here either.” Having endured a nightmare year with a foot injury, Upton’s hopes of a breakthrough at international level are naturally at the back of her mind as she works her way back to full fitness. “My injury set me back considerably in terms of developing my game further but that happens in sport,” she said.

“My international ambitions are still the same but I need to re-grow my game here in the US before I can contemplate a return and raise my hand for selection. There’s no international pressure on me over here. “While an international call-up is the ultimate aim, I have to be patient and give myself every chance to put the last 11 months behind me.” Irish Hockey Association chief executive Angus Kirkland admits that having a significant batch of potential internationals halfway across the world isn’t an ideal scenario for Irish hockey. “Hockey scholarships in Ireland are few and far between… I don’t think you can blame the girls for taking these opportunities,” he said. “But it is a challenge for the coach in terms of monitoring players and ensuring we don’t lose talented players from our system who have benefited from it. They’re not all going to make the national team, but we obviously want to make sure that those who are good enough are available to us. “If I was an individual going over there, I would wonder if I would be keeping my hockey standard to what it is in Ireland. There’s a question mark there, but I wouldn’t know enough about the American college scene to know if that’s the case.” Irish players heading Stateside in 2012: Deirdre Duke (UCD to North Eastern University, Massachusetts); Róisín Upton (Catholic Institute to University of Connecticut); Kerri McDonald (Armagh to University of Richmond, Virginia); Amy Cooke (Pegasus to University of Richmond); Lisa McCarthy (Railway Union to North Western University, Illinois); Emma Russell (Old Alexandra to Syracuse University, New York); Aisling Naughton (Old Alexandra to University of Michigan); Orla Macken (Railway Union to Monmouth University, New Jersey); Natalie Barr (Lurgan to Liberty University, Virginia); Gillian Pinder (Hermes to Syracuse University); Hayley Sarratt (Hermes to College of Holy Cross, Boston). Already playing in USA: Megan Frazer (Maryland University); Rebecca Barry (University of Richmond); Sinead Loughran (North Carolina University); Liz McInerney (Syracuse University); Trish O’Dwyer (Monmouth University). *Many Irish girls have already made big impressions with their new sides in the opening weeks of the American season; see video interviews and highlights below.