They might have had mixed seasons on the EY Hockey League front so far, but the depth of young talent coming through at UCD and Loreto was in evidence this week when David Passmore named his squad for next month's Junior World Cup in South Africa, the two clubs contributing 13 players between them to his 20-strong panel.
Senior Irish international and Olympian Sarah McAuley is among seven UCD players to make the cut, the others being goalkeeper Ellie McLoughlin, KJ Marshall, Emma Paul, Amy Elliott, Sophia Cole and Rachel Kelly.
Six Loreto players, meanwhile, have made the squad – Christina Hamill, Lisa Mulcahy, Caitlin Sherin, Yasmin Pratt, Aoife Taaffe and Siofra O'Brien.
The seven remaining members of the panel are Old Alexandra goalkeeper Holly Micklem, Ulster Elks' Charlotte Beggs, UCC's Caoimhe Perdue, Catholic Institute's Anna Horan, two English-based players, Loughborough's Ellen Reid and Beeston's Nadia Benallal, as well as Harvard University's Siofra Murdoch.
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Ireland start their campaign on December 5th against Zimbabwe, before meeting top seeds the Netherlands and then Korea. They need a top two finish in their pool to advance to the quarter-finals.
Plenty of the squad will be in Hockey League action on Saturday, with UCD away to Pegasus and Loreto hosting bottom club Cork Harlequins.
Leaders Pembroke Wanderers will be on the hunt for their fifth successive win when they take on second-from-bottom Muckross at Grange Road, while Catholic Institute will expect to bounce back from last week's defeat by Pembroke when they host struggling Belfast Harlequins at Rosbrien.
Old Alexandra, level with Pegasus in second, face a tricky looking visit to Park Avenue where they play Railway Union, three points behind in fourth.
HOCKEY LEAGUE - Division One: Catholic Institute v Belfast Harlequins, Rosbrien, 3.0pm Loreto v Cork Harlequins, Beaufort, 1.15pm; Muckross v Pembroke Wanderers, Grange Road, 1.0pm; Pegasus v UCD, Newforge Country Club, 2.30pm; Railway Union v Old Alexandra, Park Avenue, 1.30pm.
