Women's Hockey: Several of the players who had their first taste of senior international hockey in last weekend's games against Scotland in Edinburgh are back in club action tomorrow in the second round of the ESB Irish Senior Cup, the last round before the seeded clubs enter the draw.
Seven of the 16 competing teams are from Ulster and five of those have home advantage tomorrow, including Lisnagarvey, Omagh and Victorians, who play hosts to Leinster opponents UCD, Old Alexandra and Pembroke Wanderers.
Lurgan and Belfast Harlequins, meanwhile, are at home to Munster sides Bandon and Belvedere, but Armagh and Ards are on their travels. Ards are away to UCC, while Armagh's talented young side, who include Edinburgh debutante Rachel Mulligan, play Trinity in Santry. Australian Katrina Patterson is expected to make her debut for the Ulster side in the game.
Corinthian and Three Rock meet at Whitechurch in the round's only all-Leinster tie.
The league game of the weekend is the meeting of Loreto and Hermes at Beaufort, with both unbeaten as they approach the halfway point of the season.
In Ulster, Ballymoney must beat Pegasus if they are to have any hope of staying in the title race. They will be without Lynsey McVicker (unavailable) and Bridget McKeever (injured).
Ahead of January's trip to South Africa, where Ireland will play the hosts and Canada in six internationals, senior coach Gene Muller has named a 31-player panel for a training camp in Dublin on December 16th and 17th.
Several uncapped and under-21 players are included, but the panel may yet be extended after Sunday and Monday's open trials in Dublin. Muller will choose a squad of 22 (to be named on December 19th) for South Africa.
IRISH PANEL:R Mulligan, S Quinn, E Stewart (all Armagh), B McKeever (Ballymoney), H Stevenson (Belfast Harlequins), C Parkhill (Bowdon Hightown), K Daly (Catholic Institute), E Harte, C O'Brien (both Chelmsford), H Moffet (Church of Ireland), E Cregan, J O'Halloran, C Sargent (all Cork Harlequins), N Symmons (Eintracht Braunschweig), L Caulfield, F Connery (both Hermes), L Healy, N Keegan, C McKean (all Loreto), S Frey (Old Alexandra), F McIlwaine, J Orbinson, A Speers (all Pegasus), M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers), E Clarke, K Elkin (both Randalstown), A Connery, A O'Connor (both UCC), R Flinn, L Jacob (both UCD), A McKeon (Univ of Limerick).
WEEKEND FIXTURES
IRISH SENIOR CUP- Second round - Tomorrow: Lurgan v Bandon, Craigavon Leisure Centre, 12.30; Belfast Harlequins v Belvedere, Deramore, 1.0; UCC v Ards, Mardyke, 1.0; Trinity v Armagh, Santry, 2.30; Lisnagarvey v UCD, Hillsborough, 2.30; Omagh v Old Alexandra, Omagh, 2.30; Victorians v Pembroke Wanderers, Queen's, 2.30; Corinthian v Three Rock, Whitechurch, 3.0.
LEINSTER LEAGUE- Division One - Tomorrow: Loreto v Hermes, Beaufort, 1.30. Division Two - Tomorrow: Diocesan v Hermes II, Rathgar, 1.0; Genesis v Glenanne, Belfield, 2.30. Sunday: Loreto II v Pembroke Wanderers II, Beaufort, 3.15.
MUNSTER LEAGUE- Division One - Tomorrow: Catholic Institute v Univ of Limerick, Rosbrien, 2.0.
