The men’s qualifier will be held in Calais, France and both qualifiers are new on the international hockey calendar.

The European Hockey Federation confirmed the breakdown of events on Thursday morning with both events running between August 21st and 27th, 2022.

The 12th ranked Irish women will be the top seed for a Dublin-based event that also features Poland (27th), the Czech Republic (24th), Turkey (33rd) and Finland (unranked).

The Irish women won the last qualifier they took part in, earning themselves the right to play in the 2022 FIH World Cup.

The 14th ranked men are placed in Qualifier B alongside host side France – 13th in the world – as well as Ukraine (28th), Turkey (44th), Lithuania (62nd) and Slovenia (71st).

Previously, the level of European championship competition countries took part in was on a promotion and relegation basis.

This new format sees four men’s and four women’s qualifier tournaments with one ticket to the top tier championships in 2023 on offer from each event – each qualifier tournament will be held in a different location.

The second and third-placed finishers in each tournament will play in the 2023 EuroHockey Trophy; fourth and fifth-placed sides go to the third tier while the remaining teams will go into the fourth tier.

2022 EuroHockey Championship qualifiers (all August 2022)
Men
Qualifier A (Ourense, Spain): Spain, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia
Qualifier B (Calais, France): France, IRELAND, Ukraine, Turkey, Slovenia
Qualifier C (Vienna, Austria): Austria, Russia, Belarus, Croatia, Denmark, Hungary
Qualifier D (TBC, Scotland): Scotland, Wales, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Finland

Women
Qualifier A (Durham, England): England, Wales, Russia, Croatia, Slovakia
Qualifier B (Dublin, Ireland): IRELAND, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Finland
Qualifier C (TBC): Belarus, Italy, Ukraine, Lithuania, Gibraltar
Qualifier D (Dunkirk, France): France, Scotland, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia

The post Dublin to host Women’s 2022 EuroHockey Championship qualifier appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Holden ends her career with Ireland after 206 caps across a 13-year career that saw her win a silver medal at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup and play at the Olympics earlier this year.

The midfielder went straight into the national side after graduating from Portadown College at a hail-stoning Garryduff in Cork at June 2008’s Celtic Cup, finishing her career off in the searing Tokyo heat this summer.

“I always felt the Olympics was going to be my last dance,” she said to Hockey Ireland.

“I had gone back and forth in my head for a long time but I think it is the right time for me to step away.

“We were so intense as a team for so long and we would spend weeks together on tour. I’m just sad that I don’t get to see my friends every day now.

“I feel that I have finished my career on a high and having spent the time thinking about this decision, I’ve had an opportunity to reminisce about so many good memories over the years with current and past players and I’ve made life-long friends.

“I’ve been very lucky to travel around the world and share such unique experiences with a great group of people.”

The 31-year-old was part of an Ireland side that finally opened the door to the top level that they had been knocking on for so long.

Two Olympic qualifying campaigns saw them fall short on both occasions before reaching Tokyo – a loss to Belgium in the qualifier 2 final in 2012 and missing out on qualification for Rio via the Women’s FIH Hockey World League semifinals.

However, the team broke into the mainstream after a stunning 2018 World Cup campaign in London saw them finish second after coming in as the second-lowest seed.

Holden and the ladies continued on from this and beat Canada on penalties in Donnybrook to secure a first-ever Olympic spot, where they ultimately disappointed.

“It took me a couple weeks to process; it’s very hard to realise what you’re going through at the time. There’s a reason why it is the most competitive tournament in the hockey calendar or in any sport in the world; it is just unbelievably tough.

“You have to get everything right at the right time and try not to be overwhelmed by the experience of just being at the Olympics, surrounded by so many incredible athletes. I have a newfound respect for any athlete that is able to get on the podium because it is just so, so tough.

“It was a lifelong dream for me and I will never forget walking down that street in the Olympic village with all the flags and up to the Olympic rings.

“The first night when we played against South Africa, it was hard that there weren’t any fans there but at the same time, it was just so emotional for us to say that we have finally arrived after so many years of hard work.

“There is frustration that we didn’t progress further but I definitely believe that there’s a hunger and desire in the team to push as far as they can go. It’s a really exciting stage for the green army and I can’t wait to see the girls put their stamp on the upcoming tournaments.

“I think we’re in safe hands. So yeah, I’m just really sad it’s over for me and I don’t get to do it again.”

Holden has also thanked those close to her for their support throughout her international career with Ireland.

“I could not have played hockey as long as I have without the support of my family, friends and my husband, Matt. I can never thank him enough for all the sacrifices he has had to make for me.

“Now that I’ve retired, we’ve never spent this much time together but I’m excited for the next chapter in our lives, whatever that will be!”

The post Ireland star Lizzie Holden confirms retirement from international hockey appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Junior Green Army will make their first appearance in the competition as a result – they had initially finished just outside the qualification places at the 2019 EuroHockey Junior Championships in Valencia, ending seventh when six European spots were on offer.

However, the withdrawal of Australia and New Zealand meant two spots were vacant and Hockey Ireland were granted one after successfully making their case.

Head coach David Passmore says that the invitation offers a huge opportunity for the current crop of U21s.

“We are delighted to take up this place at December’s Junior World Cup,” Passmore said. “Taking part in a global competition of this stature is massive for Ireland and will offer an amazing environment for our young athletes to grow and develop.

“Over the past few years, we have seen the importance of nurturing this age group for the senior team with several players already advancing from the Junior Green Army to play in the Olympic Games.”

Hockey Ireland High Performance Director Adam Grainger said that the organisation contacted the FIH when the opportunity arose to make sure they were being considered for a spot.

Grainger said: “We see the Junior World Cup as a vital tournament and getting six games in such a setting, against high-quality opposition, is exactly what we need as we pursue becoming a fixture among the world’s elite nations.”

While the tournament is under three months away, Ireland do have an extensive training base to work from.

In preparation for the tournament, coach Passmore has named a 25-player panel with the final squad anticipated to be named in late October.

Most of the U21 squad have been training with Sean Dancer’s seniors ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in October.

During the summer, the Junior Green Army followed an extensive high-performance programme, featuring series wins over the Wales senior squad and a GB elite development programme outfit.

They were also highly competitive at a Six Nations tournament in Spain and it gives Passmore confidence they can impress in South Africa in December.

“This summer, the Junior Green Army has worked exceptionally hard in an extensive schedule of fixtures,” Passmore noted. “We feel this puts us in a good position to make an impact at the World Cup and we cannot wait to see what we can do on this stage.”

Group and fixture details will be confirmed in due course.

Ireland U21 Junior World Cup Panel

Gemma Ferguson (GK, Ulster Elks / UUJ)

Ellie McLoughlin (GK, UCD / UCD)

Holly Micklem (GK, Old Alex / UCD)

Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks / UUJ)

Nadia Benallal (Beeston, England / Nottingham Trent)

Caoimhe Byrne (UCD / UCD)

Sophia Cole (UCD / UCD)

Amy Elliott (UCD / UCD)

Christina Hamill (Loreto / TU Dublin)

Anna Horan (Catholic Institute / Mary Immaculate College)

Hannah Kelly (Trinity)

Katie Jane Marshall (UCD / UCD)

Sarah MacAuley (UCD / UCD)

Niamh McIvor (Pegasus / Queens)

Lisa Mulcahy (Loreto / UCD)

Siofra Murdoch (Harvard University, USA)

Aisling Murray (Loreto / Trinity College)

Laura Noble (Trinity / Trinity College)

Siofra O’Brien (Loreto / TU Dublin)

Emma Paul (UCD / UCD)

Caoimhe Perdue (Capt, UCC / UCC)

Yasmin Pratt (Loreto / IT Carlow)

Ellen Reid (Loughborough Students / Loughborough University)

Muireann Scanlon (Catholic Institute / UCC)

Caitlin Sherin (Capt, Loreto  / DCU)

The post Ireland U21s Invited To Women’s Junior FIH World Cup In December appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The result leaves Ireland with two more chances to ensure a spot in the top four of the pool and subsequent progression to the tournament’s quarter-finals.

The side produced an impressive display against the Rio 2016 Bronze medalists but Germany were clinical in attack.

Sean Dancer’s Ireland was at a disadvantage from the beginning after Lisa Altenburg put the Germans in the lead.

The 31-year-old latched on to a smart lob pass and opened up a goalscoring chance for herself with a smart run.

That particular lob through to the right-wing was a common feature of Germany’s game plan throughout the match.

Sean Dancer’s women did not have a response for the Germans in the first quarter and finished the 15 minutes looking a level below their unbeaten opposition.

Ireland upped the ante in the second quarter and began to bring the game to the 2004 Olympic Champions.

A second penalty corner for the side almost birthed an equaliser with Hannah Matthews’ touch causing panic among the Germans.

However, it was the Germans who got the second goal of the game after a cross from Kira Horn found Cécile Pieper who scored with a lovely flick.

Chloe Watkins moved into a pocket of space which almost led to a first goal for the girls in green but the chance flattered to deceive.

Ireland goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran was great against the Germans and pulled off some strong saves throughout the match.

However, the German’s added a third via a penalty stroke when they had a woman advantage – Anna O’Flanagan received a 10-minute yellow moments before.

Altenburg made no mistake from the spot and put her side into a commanding lead.

Ireland fought their way back into the game, opening their scoring account for the game two minutes after Altenburg’s second.

Elena Tice saw her strike find the bottom corner of the German goal with Ireland third penalty corner.

The fourth quarter started as the third ended with Ireland visibly confident and pushing for a second goal to bring the tie back within reach.

Sarah Hawkshaw and Zara Malseed caused the German defence problems, with the latter forcing a penalty corner.

The side’s fourth penalty corner ended with a fifth being given and Hannah McLoughlin scored her first goal for Ireland with a lovely shot that went beyond German keeper Julia Sonntag.

Controversy marred the final minutes of the game with two questionable video-call referee decisions going in favour of the Olympic mainstays.

Franzisca Hauke put the tie beyond Ireland’s reach when she scored Germany’s fourth goal of the game, even though replays appeared to show Ayeisha McFerran was obstructed in the build-up.

Zara Malseed had put the ball in the German net to get what would have been her side’s third but the video-call referee deemed it to be back-stick and disallowed it.

Germany has advanced to the quarter-finals with their win against Ireland.

The Irish comeback was not to be but the two goals against the Germans could prove important if progression came down to goal difference.

Ireland faces India next on Friday, July 30th at 3:45 am, with a win guaranteeing the side a quarter-final spot.

The post Ireland Impress But Fail To Beat Germany in 3rd Olympic Game appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Kathryn Mullan made her two-hundredth appearance for Ireland but Sean Dancer’s side couldn’t get the win against their European rivals.

After winning their first-ever game at the Olympics against South Africa, the World Cup runners-up endured their first loss in their second-ever game after the Dutch pressure persevered in the fourth quarter.

The Netherlands midfield had a stranglehold on the Irish attack from minute one at Oi Stadium, snuffing out any potential counters and maintaining their dominance.

Felice Albers opened the scoring for the Dutch after a counter of their own exposed holes left in the Irish defence.

Hannah Matthews rushed up to end the counter early but her gamble did not pay off and Albers coolly slotted past goalkeeper Ayeisha McFarren.

The first Dutch goal was expected to open the floodgates but the heroics of McFarren and Elena Tice frustrated the World Champions.

Ireland were the better side at the beginning of the second quarter after Dutch midfielder Laurien Leurink was shown a green card for a foul on Shirley McKay.

Their woman advantage did not last long as Hannah Matthews received the same punishment after bringing an end to a Dutch counter illegally.

The Irish grew tired in the final quarter and the reigning world champions took advantage of this.

Malou Pheninckx pounced on a fortunate ricochet from a penalty to slot a second and kill the tie.

Leurink made amends for her earlier discrepancy when she added the Netherlands’ third of the game before Frederique Matla got the goal she had deserved all game to put some gloss on the scoreline.

Ireland will face Germany in their next game in Pool A of the tournament at 4:15 am on Wednesday, July 28th.

The post Ireland Ship 3 In 4th Quarter As Netherlands Win 4-0 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The side will play their first-ever Olympic match on Saturday when they face South Africa in their pool stage opener.

Sean Dancer’s side is looking to take this tournament one game at a time rather than worry about the bigger picture.

“At the moment, it’s just taking one game at a time. This is all really new to us, we’ve never been to an Olympics and we are one of the few teams [in the tournament] who have never been to an Olympics before,” said Matthews.

The Olympic call-up will be a special memory for the 30-year-old defender but it is also a weird one.

Matthews explains the uncommon label she has put on the experience by noting that the aftermath was different to what a call-up would have meant before the pandemic.

It felt bittersweet as there were players who trained with them that missed out on a spot and there was no possibility of a big celebration, with it only kicking in for Matthews on kit day.

“It was really emotional. I’m obviously so delighted, it’s a dream come true but it was really hard to believe that it was actually happening.”

The teacher has been allowed to commit herself fully to the national hockey preparations for the tournament after going on a career break.

The career break was more to do with contractual obligations, according to Matthews, but she feels she has benefitted from it and added that the school she works at has been really supportive.

Their preparations have included an underwhelming EuroHockey Nations Championship campaign in the Netherlands.

The side was knocked out of the group stage on goals scored and suffered an embarrassing 5-1 loss to England, finishing sixth and missing out on an FIH 2022 World Cup qualification spot.

“I think we were definitely disappointed – more so in our performances. We just felt like we didn’t really represent how well we’ve been playing and how well we’ve been training.”

However, Matthews did note that it was the best Olympic preparation they could have asked for as they played against top sides throughout their time in the tournament.

The defender cited the improved performance against the Netherlands, compared to their World Cup final loss, and hopes that the side will keep improving.

They come into the Olympics ranked ninth in the world and Matthews feels that part of that is down to their close-knit group, both on and off the pitch.

Many of the players were part of the 2018 FIH World Cup campaign, including Deirdre Duke, and have grown close to each other over the years.

“It’s a massive thing for our squad. It’s always going to be a benefit when you’re in such close quarters for that long.”

However, their families will not be able to travel to cheer the girls on at the Olympics in Tokyo.

The Loreto captain lamented that some families may miss players’ last games if they retire.

But, the Dubliner does not believe that the lack of crowds will affect the Irish side as they have played in empty stadiums before.

 “The support we had against Canada [in the Olympic play-off] and in the World Cup was incredible, I’ve never experienced anything like it. But, we also have experience of playing to absolutely no one and empty stands unfortunately so I guess we’ll draw on that…It’s something we’re used to so I dont think it’ll affect us that much.”

She takes comfort in knowing that everyone is in the same boat.

Dancer’s Ireland go into this tournament with others wary of what they are capable of after current New Zealand boss Graham Shaw led them to a World Cup silver medal in a tournament where they were outsiders.

Matthew and co. also have nothing to compare the experience of playing at the Olympics too but the defender has confidence they can do well, noting that anything can happen in tournament hockey.

“You have to believe in yourself or it’s no use to anyone.”

The post Hannah Matthews Ready For First Olympic Venture appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The 29-year-old described her feelings when she was selected, using words such as elation, excitement, and relief to paint the picture.

She said that it was an unusual moment, an achievement she had chased for her whole career was finally her achievement.

“It was all a bit surreal – it was one of those moments that you’ve waited for your whole career…there was a lot of emotion in my house,” said Duke.

However, she sees it as a bittersweet situation when she thinks of those who missed out.

The Dusseldorf forward initially missed out on selection for the 2021 EuroHockey Championships last month but was called up after injuries affected the squad.

Duke noted that she can understand what those who missed out on Olympic selection are feeling because of this, stating that if it were not for the injuries within the squad, she may not be going to the Olympics.

“It’s been the toughest thing over the last number of weeks – it’s definitely a bittersweet situation…I’ve experienced both sides of the coin in recent weeks…sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”

I feel extremely privileged to be selected for the Tokyo Olympics

An honor to represent the entire Green Army, those who paved the way, close friends who just missed out & those coming behind us. In the Spirit of Jack Charlton-We’ll give it a lash in Tokyo!#Tokyo2020 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/waDQaomSsv

— Nicci Daly (@NicciDaly22) June 28, 2021

Ireland fell short of the semi-finals at the Euros with a draw against Spain being the killer blow in the pool stages.

A 5-1 loss to England where “the wheels fell off” after taking the lead denied the ladies a fifth-placed finish and a spot at next year’s FIH Hockey World Cup.

Nevertheless, Duke believes there are positives to take from the ultimately disappointing campaign.

“I think we can take a lot of confidence from the hockey we played at the Euros going forward.”

Lessons can be learned from the defeat also as England’s purple patch in the second quarter was what took the game out of Ireland’s hands.

Every team will have purple patches and Duke feels that Ireland needs to keep their focus and weather the storms.

Additionally, the former UCD captain believes anything is possible in tournament hockey, as proven by Ireland 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup campaign which saw them finish runners-up as the second-lowest-ranked side at the competition.

“We’ve taken a huge amount of confidence from that tournament…..anything can happen in a one-off game.”

Yet, Duke noted that their run to the final included numerous close games and that their two knockout wins were via penalties, adding that the squad are “under no illusion.”

A new coach, new backroom staff and new players have come into the national setup since then, but the core of the World Cup squad remains.

11 of the 16 players going to the Olympics have silver medals from the 2018 World Cup run and the squad are a tight-knit group as a result.

Irish ladies hockey team progress to the World Cup final after a 3-2 penalty shootout victory over Spain. #HWC2018 https://t.co/cb5NEjRIXg pic.twitter.com/toyBwJRMZD

— BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) August 4, 2018

The players kept themselves entertained throughout the World Cup in 2018 with all kinds of antics and there is great morale and a great spirit in the Olympic squad, according to Duke.

“We’re all buzzing to get there and get going.”

An extra year with Dancer and his staff before the Olympics has helped the team get to grips with what they ask of them and the side head to the games with a better understanding of what Dancer and co. want then they would have last year.

The preparation for the tournament has ramped up in recent weeks after a rest period following the team’s exit from the Euros.

To prepare for the conditions in Japan, Duke and the team have been doing a lot of work in heat chambers.

They were in a 45C sauna on Monday morning for 40 minutes and are doing what they can to acclimatise themselves to the Japanese humidity from their camp in Jordanstown, Belfast.

However, Duke thinks the conditions will still force the squad into a period of adjustment.

“There’s no comparison to playing at 12 o’clock in the day with 90% humidity.”

The team will head to Iwate on the northeast coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu where they will set up camp 10 days before the tournament kicks off on July 24^th.

Regardless of previous experiences, Duke admitted that the side does not know what to expect from the Olympics games.

“We’re the first women’s team to go so we really don’t know what to expect…we have no real expectations of what it should be like or what it is going to be like. We’re going to try and take it all in…at the end of the day, it’s just another hockey tournament so hopefully we won’t let the emotion, or the occasion get to us.”

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