EY CHAMPIONS TROPHY SEMI-FINALS
WOMEN’S EY CHAMPIONS TROPHY SEMI-FINAL
LORETO 7 UCD 1
In the 2017-18 season, UCD EY Hockey League winners, fell to Loreto who went on to win the Champions Trophy themselves. In 2022-23 UCD once again won the EYHL and lost to Loreto in the final of the Champions Trophy. In 2023-24 Loreto has just won the EYHL and come up against a UCD side that they have beaten three times already this season. Twice in the EYHL and once in the Final of the Leinster Women’s Jacqui Potter Cup. Two of those defeats were comprehensive but the most recent League game was decided by a single goal in favour of Loreto. Could the students turn the tide in this game? Or would the bookies’ favourites confirm that faith?
Loreto dominated the early exchanges in the first quarter, forcing numerous penalty corners. From one such set piece, they were awarded a penalty stroke in the 9th minute which Hannah McLoughlin forced over the line despite the best efforts of Erika Gallagher who almost kept it out. 1-0 to Loreto. UCD went on in the closing minutes of the first quarter to spend long periods inside the Loreto 23 metre line but without anything to show for their efforts. Both sides had periods inside their opponent’s circle in quarter two, but Loreto increased their lead in the 24th minute when Yasmin Pratt fired to the net after a penalty corner was not properly cleared by the UCD defense. Hannah McLoughlin got her second goal of the game converting a 27th minute penalty corner to make it 3-0 to Loreto. Rachel Kelly converted a penalty corner in the 31st minute to make it 4-0 at half-time and it was effectively over as a contest. Yasmin Pratt got her second goal of the game converting a 43rd minute Penalty corner to make it 5-0. Rachel Kelly got her second goal of the game in the 58th minute from another converted penalty corner to make it 6-0. A Mia Jennings penalty corner in the 60th minute made the score 7-0 to Loreto. UCD weren’t prepared to give up without a fight and after a brief period of sustained pressure got on the scoresheet when Mikayla Power converted a 63rd minute Penalty corner to make the final score Loreto 7 UCD 1.
LORETO:- Liz Murphy; Caitlin Sherin; Lisa Mulcahy; Caoimhe Perdue; Hannah Matthews; Mia Jennings (C); Hannah McLoughlin; Christina Hamill; Siofra O’Brien; Yasmin Pratt; Rachel Kelly SUBS USED:– Lorna Bateman (GK) [67 MINS]; Grace Donald [4 mins]; Sarah Torrans [5 mins]; Aisling Murray [5 mins]; Grace McLoughlin [6 mins]; Ella Pasley [8 mins]; Katie Dunne [9 mins]
UCD: Erika Gallagher; Katie Jane Marshall; Emma Paul (C); Caoimhe Byrne; Sarah McAuley; Katharine Egan; Leah O’Shea, Ali Griffin; Lauren Moore; Anna McCarthy; Mikayla Power. SUBS USED:– Lauren Johnston [5 mins]; Aine Naughton [7 mins]; Sydney Weir McErlean [15 mins]; Anna Costello [27 mins]; Sarah Fogarty [60 mins]
RAILWAY UNION 1 CATHOLIC INSTITUTE 0
Railway Union who narrowly missed out on the Champions Trophy play offs in 2023, got a bye into the semi-finals by virtue of their 2nd place finish in the League Table. Third placed Catholic Institute recently qualified for their third consecutive Irish Senior Cup final in a row. Winning the Senior Cup in 2022 and beaten finalists last year. Catholic Institute qualified for the semi-final of the Champions Trophy by defeating Old Alexandra in the quarter-final last weekend. It was clear from the off, that both clubs’ coaches had done their homework on their opponents because it only took a single goal to decide the game. Catholic Institute defended well for most of the game and denied Railway Union many scoring opportunities and conceded very few penalty corners. Railway Union in turn, when necessary, also defended well from Catholic Institute counter attacks. The goal when it came for Railway Union was scored one of two ex-Catholic Institute players on this year’s team. Aebfhinn Burke got a goal in the 12th minute scoring into an empty net as Catholic Institute goalkeeper Pamela Smithwick-Hearne was deceived by the flight of an aerial pass from Sarah Patton which sailed over her as she advanced from her line leaving Burke with the easiest task of tapping the ball into the goal. Neither side had a worthwhile effort on target for the rest of the first half. it was 1-0 at half-time. The third and fourth quarters followed a similar type of pattern to the earlier ones and the score stayed the same at the final whistle. Railway Union will face Loreto in the final on Sunday.
RAILWAY UNION:– Emma Buckley; Orla Patton; Niamh Shaw; Lisa McCarthy; Roisín Upton; Michelle Carey; Sarah Hawkshaw; Sarah Patton; Emma Smith(C); Niamh Carey; Katie Mullan SUBS USED:- Katie Fearon [6 mins]; Orla Fox [6 mins]; Lily Lloyd [6 mins]; Katie Dillon [6 mins]; Saoirse Griffin [7 mins]; Aebfhinn Burke [8 mins]
CATHOLIC INSTITUTE: Pamela Smithwick -Hearne; Emilie Ryan-Doyle; Anna Horan; Eimear Ryan; Jennifer Clein; Ciara Moloney; Michelle Barrett; Aoife Hickey; Roisin Begley; Leah Clery; Naomi Carroll SUBS USED:- Laura Foley [5 mins]; Seodhna Dervan [6 mins]; Sarah Fitzgerald [6 mins]; Aoibheann Collins [11 mins]
MEN’S EY CHAMPIONS TROPHY SEMI-FINAL
BANBRIDGE 0 YMCA 0 [BANBRIDGE WIN 2-0 IN SHOOT OUT]
In this game both coaches successfully snuffed out one another’s game plan. There were very few difficult saves for either Mark Ingram (YMCA) or Luke Roleston (Banbridge) to make in their respective goals and perhaps for YMCA playing in their first game at this level their inexperience may have led to their less than adventurous approach. On the metrics that most people use to assess a match YMCA had more possession in a first half without creating any worthwhile opportunities or indeed creating penalty corners. In the second half Banbridge appeared to be on the face of it the better team forcing 3 penalty corners to only 1 for YMCA. Very few of the spectators present who witnessed this match were too surprised that the game remained scoreless and went to a shootout. 0-0 at full time, so it went to a shootout.
First up for Banbridge was Charlie Rowe whose effort was saved by YMCA goalkeeper Mark Ingram. 0-0. First up for YMCA was Ross Henderson who missed, and it remained 0-0. Second up for Banbridge was Luke Witherow whose effort was saved by YMCA goalkeeper Mark Ingram. Score is still 0-0. Second up for YMCA was Ian Perrott whose effort was saved by Banbridge goalkeeper Luke Roleston. Score is still 0-0. Third up for Banbridge was Louis Rowe who scored 1-0 to Banbridge. Third up for YMCA was Ben O’Grady who was forced to hit his shot wide by Banbridge goalkeeper Luke Roleston. Still 1-0 for Banbridge. Fourth up for Banbridge was Owen Magee, who’s effort was saved by YMCA goalkeeper Mark Ingram. Still 1-0 for Banbridge. Fourth up for YMCA was Sam Hyland whose initial effort hit the post and then missed the rebound. Still 1-0 for Banbridge
If Banbridge scored their next one they went through to the final. Fifth up for Banbridge was Mark Cowan who scored. Banbridge go through to the final on a 2-0 shootout win.
BANBRIDGE:-Luke Roleston (GK); Luke Witherow; Alexander Tinney (C); Jake Rowe; Charlie Rowe; Philip Brown; Mark Cowan; Mattew McKee; Louis Rowe; Sam Farson; Owen Magee SUBS USED: Thomas Orr [6 mins]; Hugh McShane [7 mins]; Thomas Dobson [8 mins]; Joshua Moffett [8 mins]; Ben Walker [8 mins]; Mark Barlow [10 mins]
YMCA:- Mark Ingram (GK); Ethan McInerney; Adam Walker; Tevin Kok, Ndudzo Lambethe (C); Scott Ruttle; Harry McCarthy; Ben O’Grady; Ross Henderson; Sam Hyland; Matthew Campton; SUBS USED: – TomPower[ 9 mins]; Grant Glutz [9 mins]; Edward Collinns [11 mins]; Ian Perrott [11 mins]; Matthew Walker [11 mins]
LISNAGARVEY 6 MONKSTOWN 1
These two sides had played out a very closely fought League game in recent weeks, but this particular game was anything but close. And it all began so well for Monkstown. Sam Hohn gave the Dubliners the lead in 13th minute with a goal from open play. Lisnagarvey equalised through captain Andrew Williamson in the 26th minute. Matthew Nelson gave Garvey the lead with a goal from open play in the 30th minute again from open play. 2-1 Lisnagarvey. Jonathan Lynch increased their lead in the 32nd minute also from open play to make it 3-1 Lisnagarvey. Andrew Williamson got his second goal of the game to make it 4-1 in the 42nd minute and then two goals from Daniel Nelson, the first a converted penalty corner in the 52nd minute and another from open play in the 55th minute completed the 6-1 rout. Lisnagarvey advance to the final of the Champions Trophy against Banbridge. On Saturday May 4th they will also meet up in the Irish Senior Cup Final in Dublin and have also a date with destiny in the Kirk Cup before the end of May.
LISNAGARVEY:– James Milliken (GK); James Lorimar; Mark McNelis; Peter McKibbin; Andrew Williamson (C); Daniel Nelson; James Corry; Ryan Getty; Jonathan Lynch; Matthew Nelson SUBS USED:– Andrew Edgar [7 mins]; Jonathan Bell [8 mins]; Ben Nelson [9 mins]; Oliver Kidd [ 9 mins]
MONKSTOWN:– David Fitzgerald (GK); Sam Hohn; Nicholas Dee; Lee Cole; David Carson; Jeremy Duncan; Daniel O’Donoghue; Stephen Cole; Geoff Cole; Karl Lynch; Keith Kenning; SUBS USED:- Alex Murphy [ 5 mins]; David Vincent [5 mins]; Theodore Kohlmann [9 mins]; Jason Lynch [11 mins] ; William Knatchbull [14 mins]
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