WOMEN'S HOCKEY: If Loreto are to become the first club in 55 years to win three Irish Senior Cups in-a-row they're going have to do it the hard way after yesterday's draw for the quarter-finals gave them a trip away to Pegasus.
Coleraine, the only other Ulster side to win through to the last eight, will be away to Hermes, while Cork Harlequins play hosts to Old Alexandra and UCD play Corinthian at Belfield.
Saturday's third-round games featured 11 goals from recent Irish internationals, including four from sweeper Arlene Boyles (Pegasus) in a 10-0 drubbing of Bandon, a statistic that might be greeted somewhat ruefully by national coach Riet Kuper.
A 2-0 defeat by the United States in San Francisco on Saturday meant Ireland lost all five of their games to their hosts, three of them official internationals, conceding 14 goals (eight from short corners) and scoring two (only one from open play).
Jenny Burke (absent all week with a foot injury) was sorely missed but should be fit for the trip to Argentina, where Ireland will play Holland, Korea and Argentina next month - a series of matches that looks even more daunting than March's Olympic qualifier in New Zealand (where five of the other nine teams are ranked higher than the US).
So, while a largely young and inexperienced Irish side completes its programme of matches in Argentina, most of Ireland's top players - Boyles, Claire McMahon, Karen Humphreys, Pamela Magill, Tara Browne, Caitriona Carey, Caitriona O'Kelly, Cathy McKean, Rachael Kohler, Karen O'Brien and Trish Conway, to name but 11 - will be competing at club level in the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup.
Most of that group retired due to work commitments, some fell out with Kuper, but whatever the reason for their unavailability it is a player "drain" Irish hockey simply cannot afford. While the calibre of opposition Ireland will play in the build-up to New Zealand is impressive, the time demands placed on the players has resulted in most of the country's "finest" having to withdraw. Time, perhaps, for a rethink.
By the time Pegasus and Loreto meet in the cup quarter-finals on February 14th it is likely that they will only have one player each still in the Irish squad (Katharine Maybin and Nikki Symmons), which is surprising considering they are two of the top-three teams in the country (arguably, after Irish champions Hermes).
If proof were needed that Leinster is in the ascendancy at club level these days, Loreto provided it by beating Randalstown, second in the Ulster league, 2-0 on Saturday. Two first-half goals from Jessica Lynch and Cathy McKean settled the tie.
Meanwhile, a hat-trick from Boyles sent Pegasus on their way to that 10-0 win over Bandon.
Hermes had an equally comfortable victory over Genesis, with Kilkenny schoolgirls Lisa Jacob (two) and Elaine O'Neill amongst the goals in their 8-0 win. They next meet Coleraine, in a repeat of their 1999 semi-final (which Hermes won 7-0) after the Ulster side beat Ballymoney (3-1), who were weakened by the absence of Angela Platt, Nicky McCaughran, Bridget McKeever and their player-coach, Lynsey McVicker, all away on Irish duty.
UCD and Corinthian next meet in a repeat of last season's third-round tie, which the students won 4-2 after extra-time.
UCD had a superb 5-1 win over Belfast Harlequins on Saturday, with Jean McDonnell scoring a hat-trick, while a last-minute winner from Kathy Johnson completed Corinthian's comeback against Ards, who had taken an early lead.
After their 4-1 win over Railway Union, Old Alexandra will be hoping for a repeat of last season's club finals' result, when they beat Cork Harlequins 4-0, having been drawn against 2003's beaten cup finalists in this year's quarter-finals. Goals from Kohler and Marissa Ahern gave Harlequins a 2-0 win over Knock at Farmers' Cross.
IRISH SENIOR CUP - Third round: Old Alexandra 4 (O Bell, Z Dahl, E O'Reilly, A Bowers), Railway Union 1 (S Dooley); Randalstown 0, Loreto 2 (J Lynch, C McKean); Pegasus 10 (A Boyles 4, C McMahon 2, C Redpath 2, K McCollum, S Wilkinson), Bandon 0; Cork Harlequins 2 (R Kohler, M Ahern), Knock 0; Hermes 8 (C Carey 2, L Jacob 2, M Logue, D McDermott, A Mitchell, E O'Neill), Genesis 0; UCD 5 (J McDonnell 3, E Horan 1, K Fraser), Belfast Harlequins 1 (N Jess); Ballymoney 1 (A Harper), Coleraine 3 (A Gordon, C Bentley, K Magowan); Corinthian 2 (C McGowan pen, K Johnson), Ards 1 (J Magill).
INTERNATIONAL (at San Francisco): US 2 (K Barber, T Fuchs), Ireland 0.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One - Yesterday: Loreto 5 (C McKean 3, C O'Kelly, W Byrne), Three Rock 0. Division Two - Saturday: Old Alexandra II 3 (R Gibson, S O'Mahoney, L Johnston), Glenanne 2 (S Colton, P Fitzpatrick); Hermes II 5 (S Moore 3, G Hendy, S McCarthy), Muckross 2 (C O'Connor, J Kavanagh). Clontarf v Pembroke Wanderers, postponed (frozen pitch). Yesterday: Loreto II 3 (C Sharkey, S Hayes, G Dawson), Our Ladys 1 (E Robinson). Today: Old Alexandra II v Diocesan, Milltown, 8.30.
MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: UCC 3 (S Larkin, J O'Sullivan, A O'Mahoney), Catholic Institute 5 (K Daly 3, S A McAuliffe, A McCarthy).
