HOCKEY: His debut season as a Leinster League coach hasn't even begun but already Dean Maguire has lost three of his key players until the middle of January. While the reason for their absence is a source of celebration at UCD, Maguire admits he greeted the trio's inclusion in Ireland's World Cup squad with "with tears of joy mixed with tears of sadness".
Maguire, though, is thrilled for Ciara O'Brien, Linda O'Neill and Catherine Murray and proud of their achievement in making UCD the club with the third highest representation in the squad, behind Pegasus and Hermes.
All three players are beneficiaries of UCD's sports scholarship scheme, as are several of their team-mates, including Hilda Maguire, Katherine Little, Emma Wood and the Cotter sisters, Lucy and Jilly. While O'Brien will conclude her UCD career this season, when she returns from Australia, Wicklow pair Murray and O'Neill are only a year into their spells at Belfield.
The trio flourished under the coaching of Ger Butler at UCD and his successor is hoping to maintain the team's progress, setting a target of a top-three finish.
UCD open their campaign on Saturday week against Genesis, whose coach, Siobhan Keogh, will doubtless be pleased to note the absence of O'Neill and Murray, not least because she coached the pair in primary school and, hence, is not unfamiliar with their talents.
Genesis began their season with a 2-2 draw against Corinthian last weekend and will expect to pick up three points against Glenanne tomorrow. Pembroke Wanderers, too, will hope to build on a promising start to the season - they beat Loreto in their opening game - when they take on Old Alexandra at Milltown tomorrow. Loreto play Railway Union at Park Avenue.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Old Alexandra v Pembroke Wanderers, Milltown, 1.15; Genesis v Glenanne, Rathdown, 3.30; Railway Union v Loreto, Sandymount, 4.0. Division Two: Hermes II v Genesis II, Belfield, 1.15; Old Alexandra II v Our Ladys, Milltown, 2.30; Corinthian II v Loreto II, Whitechurch, 3.0; Three Rock v Aer Lingus, Grange Road, 3.0; Pembroke Wanderers II v Clontarf, Ballsbridge, 3.30.
MUNSTER LEAGUE - Division One: Belvedere v Bandon, Ballincollig. 1.0.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Ards v Knock, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Ballymena v Portadown, Showgrounds, 2.30; Coleraine v Harlequins, UUC, 2.30; Ballymoney v Pegasus, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30.
