Women's Hockey Ireland squadFive matches in seven days (starting Sunday) against the United States in San Francisco, three of them full internationals, will give the Irish senior panellists their final chance to clinch a place in the squad for March's Olympic Qualifier in New Zealand, which will be named by coach Riet Kuper in less than three weeks.
Kuper is taking 20 players to Stanford University, but must reduce that panel by two for the qualifier. Barring injury, goalkeepers Angela Platt and Nikki King are assured of inclusion, which leaves 18 players battling for 16 outfield places. The number of contenders could rise to 19 if UCD's Linda O'Neill recovers from injury in time, but her lack of match practice this season could rule her out of contention.
While Kuper has a core of vastly experienced players in the panel - Jenny Burke, Lynsey McVicker, Linda Caulfield and Jill Orbinson have over 400 caps between them - she also includes five uncapped players (Nicky McCaughran, Deirdre Casey, Orla Ryan, Pamela Orr and Kristin Farrell) and three more (Nikki Symmons, Suzanne Beaney and Elaine Bromell) with just 10 caps combined.
That level of inexperience makes the team's draw in Auckland, described by Kuper as the hardest of her six-year reign as coach (they play Ukraine, New Zealand, Germany and Britain in their pool), all the more daunting. So with the qualifier just over two months away, the newcomers will have to adapt swiftly to international hockey.
After the US trip they travel to Argentina, where they hope to play Holland and world champions Argentina, as well as the Argentinian under-21 team and a local club side, before moving on to Madrid for three games against Spain.
With four players in the international panel, including their player-coach and Irish captain McVicker, Ballymoney are the club hit hardest by Irish call-ups - they have even had to use a 14-year-old goalkeeper, Emma Leighton, as a replacement for Platt in some of their recent games - and have fallen to fifth in the Ulster league. Leaders Pegasus, on the other hand, will be without just one player, Katharine Maybin, for the remainder of the season, following the withdrawals from the international scene of Arlene Boyles, Karen Humphreys, Claire McMahon and Pamela Magill.
Magill, though, was the only one of the Pegasus quartet available to Graham Quincey for Ulster selection for next month's senior interprovincial tournament in Belfast. Quincey has named seven newcomers in his squad, including four of last season's Irish under-21 panel: Jan Magowan, Jessica Lynch, Nadine Graham and Susie Martin.
The meeting of Hermes and Old Alexandra provides the highlight of the resumption of the club season this weekend - victory for Alexandra would move them a point ahead of the leaders - while Railway Union play hosts to second-placed Loreto at the Teresian school in Donnybrook while their Park Avenue pitch is relaid.
Corinthian can stay in touch with the top three by beating Three Rock at Grange Road, while Pembroke Wanderers desperately need to take three points from their game against Genesis to revive their hopes of qualifying for the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Trinity and UCD, meanwhile, meet at Santry.
IRISH SQUAD: A Platt, N McCaughran, B McKeever, L McVicker (capt) (all Ballymoney), J Burke, L Caulfield, F Connery (all Hermes), S Beaney, J McDonough (both Belfast Harlequins), O Ryan, N Symmons (both Loreto), E Bromell (Catholic Institute), D Casey (Church of Ireland), N King (Old Alexandra), K Maybin (Pegasus), J Orbinson (Portadown), P Orr (Randalstown), C O'Brien (UCD), E Cregan (Univ of Limerick), K Farrell (Waterford).
LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division One: Railway Union v Loreto, St Teresian, 4.0; Trinity v UCD, Santry, 1.0; Three Rock v Corinthian, Grange Road, 2.15; Genesis v Pembroke Wanderers, Belfield, 2.45; Hermes v Old Alexandra, Booterstown, 3.30. Division Two: Clontarf v Old Alexandra II, Glasnevin, 10.0; Glenanne v Hermes II, Tallaght, 12.15; Our Lady's v Muckross, Templeogue, 1.0; Diocesan v Pembroke Wanderers II, Rathgar, 2.30; Corinthian II v Loreto II, Whitechurch, 4.30.
MUNSTER DIVISION ONE CUP: Bandon v Catholic Institute, Bandon Grammar School, 1.30; Church of Ireland v Harlequins, Garryduff, 12.30; University of Limerick v UCC, Plassey, 12.30.
ULSTER LEAGUE: Senior One: Ards v Pegasus, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Randalstown v Ballyclare, Antrim Forum, 2.30; Ballymena v Victorians, Showgrounds, 2.30; Ballymoney v Coleraine, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Belfast Harlequins v Portadown, Deramore, 4.0.
