Latest news with #EuroHockeyChampionships
Belfast Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
‘It's the right time to step away': GB Olympic hockey hero confirms international retirement
The Ulsterman, who represented Great Britain at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, steps away from the game having won 141 caps, as well as winning 19 for Ireland. As well as being a two-time Olympian, Sloan also won bronze with GB at the EuroHockey Championships in 2017 and both the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. A co-captain of the national side since 2017 with Phil Roper and George Pinner, the curtain has now come down on a glittering career for Sloan but he admits that it is the right time for him to hang up the stick and move into a new role. "I have loved being part of the senior squad but it's the right time to step away. I was in the squad for ten years, which is quite a long stint, and in my last few years, I suffered a lot of injuries and, as the gears progressed, I started to get more and more into coaching,' he explained. 'I definitely want to thank my family. My parents got me into the sport and followed me across to England and I have been a huge help in my career and all of my family constantly travelling over from Northern Ireland to support me has made a huge difference. "Also, my first club was Cookstown Hockey Club and it was an amazing place to grow up and learn how to play the game and a lot of club members have continued to support me over the years, which I'm very grateful." Sloan will now move into a role as coach developer for England Hockey, aiming to bring the experience that helped him play in all 11 Olympic matches GB played in across his two Games and in four Pro League campaigns to the next generation.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Ireland call up uncapped talents for two-game trip to us
Hockey Ireland has announced the Senior Women's squad set to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a two-match series against the USA on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8. The upcoming series provides a valuable opportunity to face high-calibre international opposition as preparations intensify ahead of the EuroHockey Championships in August. The USA and Ireland are no strangers to each other, having last met during Ireland's impressive Silver Medal campaign at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Chile earlier this year. The squad features a number of players in line to potentially win their first senior international caps. Niamh Gowing (Railway Union) and Katie Larmour (Belfast Harlequins) have been rewarded for standout club seasons with call-ups to the senior squad. Also included is Amy Handcock, the highly rated 19-year-old UCD scholar who has continued to impress since starring for Ireland's U18 team last year. Another exciting inclusion is Jessica McMaster of Ulster Elks, who is named in a senior Ireland squad for the first time since 2017. The squad also boasts a core of experienced leaders. Captain Sarah Hawkshaw and Róisín Upton return to the fold, both with deep ties to US hockey from their college years at the University of Massachusetts and University of Connecticut respectively. They are joined by the likes of Elena Neill, Hannah McLoughlin, and several other Irish International stalwarts. Head Coach Gareth Grundie welcomed the opportunity the series presents: 'This is a great early opportunity to test ourselves against a strong USA side as we build toward the EuroHockey Championships in August. Playing top-level opposition away from home is exactly what we need at this stage of our preparations, and it's a valuable chance for both established players and new faces to challenge themselves in a competitive environment.' Both games will take place at 10:00 local time (15:00 Irish Time) at UNC Charlotte, the home of USA Field Hockey's international programme, and will be streamed live on Hockey Ireland TV. Ireland Women's Squad: Charlotte Beggs, Michelle Carey, Niamh Carey, Ellen Curran, Niamh Gowing, Christina Hamill, Amy Handcock, Sarah Hawkshaw (C), Emily Kealy, Katie Larmour, Katie McKee, Hannah McLoughlin, Jessica McMaster, Holly Micklem (GK), Lizzie Murphy (GK), Elena Neill, Siofra O'Brien, Caoimhe Perdue, Mikayla Power, Caitlin Sherin, Sarah Torrans, Róisín Upton.
RTÉ News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
New faces in Ireland squad to face USA next month
Three players are in line to make a debut for Ireland in a two-match series against USA next month. Niamh Gowing (Railway Union) and Katie Larmour (Belfast Harlequins) have been rewarded for standout club seasons with call-ups. Amy Handcock, the highly-rated 19-year-old UCD scholar, is also included after some impressive appearances at Under-19 level. Jessica McMaster of Ulster Elks is also named in a senior Ireland squad for the first time since 2017. The squad also boasts a core of experienced leaders. Captain Sarah Hawkshaw and Róisín Upton return to the fold, both with deep ties to US hockey from their college years at the University of Massachusetts and University of Connecticut respectively. They are joined by the likes of Elena Neill, Hannah McLoughlin, and several other stalwarts. The squad will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for a two-match series on 7 and 8 June Both games will take place at 3pm Irish time at UNC Charlotte, the home of USA Field Hockey's international programme. The matches will provide high-calibre international opposition as preparations intensify ahead of the EuroHockey Championships in August. The teams are no strangers to each other, having last met during Ireland's impressive silver medal campaign at the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Chile earlier this year. Head coach Gareth Grundie said: "This is a great early opportunity to test ourselves against a strong USA side as we build toward the EuroHockey Championships in August. "Playing top-level opposition away from home is exactly what we need at this stage of our preparations, and it's a valuable chance for both established players and new faces to challenge themselves in a competitive environment."
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ireland denied Nations Cup win in shootout loss to NZ
Ireland's women were beaten in a shootout by New Zealand in the final of the FIH Nations Cup in Chile. The game finished 1-1, with New Zealand winning the penalty run-ins 4-2. Gareth Grundie's side trailed to an early goal by Emelia Surridge but dominated possession for much of the game. Their pressure told when Katie Mullan scored a deserved equaliser with just under four minutes remaining. Mikayla Power and Sarah Hawkshaw scored in the shootout to level it at 2-2 after three attempts for each side but after the Kiwis edged ahead, Michelle Carey hit the outside of the post before Hannah Cotter beat Ireland keeper Ayeisha McFerran to win the tournament. The defeat is a setback for Ireland as it denied them a place in the FIH Pro League next season, which would have been perfect preparation for the 2026 World Cup. They will remain in the second tier of world hockey for another year and switch their focus to the EuroHockey Championships in August and qualifying for the World Cup. "It's disappointing to lose in the shoot-out," coach Grundie said after the final. "I think we played quite well throughout the game and we had a lot more chances that we weren't able to convert and it comes down to lottery of 1 v 1's, we came off second. 'We'll learn from it and move on to the next one. It was a really positive tournament. We'll take some time out and then work towards the Europeans later this summer and we have a World Cup to qualify for." For almost a decade the rollercoaster ride taken by the Ireland women's hockey team has been intertwined with shootouts. From missing out on 2016 and 2024 Olympic qualification to winning shootouts in the quarter and semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and making their first Olympics Games in Tokyo in 2021. So perhaps it shouldn't have come as any surprise that this final would end up the way it did. Ireland had produced some superb attacking hockey in winning their four games on route to the final, including a 1-0 win over New Zealand in the pool stages. However once Surridge's reverse stick shot beat an unsighted McFerran in the sixth minute, Ireland were chasing the game. Not that there was any panic. The hard work put in by Grundie in his first few months in charge of the squad was clear to see. Ireland began to build momentum and by the end of the third quarter had forced five penalty corners but converted none. In fact penalty corner routines were poor with only one of 25 scored in the five games, a statistic that Ireland will need to work on moving forward. In the final quarter, Ireland bombarded the New Zealanders. Power's shot went just wide and from a corner Hawkshaw was inches away. Once again on the big occasion it was Ireland's most experienced player who stepped up. Mullan twisted in the circle and fired the equaliser into the New Zealand net with 3:57 remaining in the game. Even then Ireland came close to winning it, New Zealand had nothing left, except the sanctuary of a shootout in which they'd had practice the day before by beating Chile in the semi-final. They held their nerve and it was just enough to end Irish dreams in the cruellest way possible, and not for the first time.
