WOMEN'S HOCKEY: WITH JUST five weeks to go to the Olympic Qualifier in Canada, coach Gene Muller named a 19-player panel yesterday for Ireland's three-match series against Britain at Belfield next week.
Certain of her place in the Qualifier squad is Limerick's Eimear Cregan, who has been chosen to succeed Linda Caulfield as Irish captain.
"Eimear was a natural choice for captaincy and has the support of the team and the management," Muller said of the 25-year-old. "She has played in excess of 100 Test games and is a force on and off the field."
Cregan will lead Ireland into their matches (March 28th, 29th and 30th) against a British squad already bound for Beijing.
Pembroke Wanderers, meanwhile, begin their European Cup Winners Trophy campaign in Ghent today against Welsh club Penarth, and will complete their pool fixtures against HC Moscow tomorrow and Slavia Praha on Sunday before moving in to Monday's cross-overs.
IRELAND SQUAD (v Britain):E Clarke (Randalstown, 42 caps), E Cregan (Cork Harlequins, 128), R Flinn (UCD, 37), L Jacob (UCD, 20), M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers, 40), L Healy (Loreto, 26), S McCay (Randalstown, 37), J McDonough (Belfast Harlequins, 100), C McKean (Loreto, 93), B McKeever (Ballymoney, 103), H Moffet (UCC, 6), L Moore (Pembroke Wanderers, 8), C O'Brien (Chelmsford, 141), J O'Halloran (UCC, 28), C Parkhill (Randalstown, 59), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins, 21), A Speers (Pegasus, 33), E Stewart (Armagh, 45), N Symmons (Loreto, 91).
