Coach Sean Dancer has announced his squad for the FIH Women's Hockey Nations Cup just under a week ahead of the inaugural edition of the tournament.
The competition will take place in Valencia from Dec. 11th to Dec. 17th, and will determine eligibility to compete in the FIH Pro League.
Despite the absence of some star players, Dancer has said the team is approaching the tournament with confidence.
"Ayeisha McFerran and Deirdre Duke are notable exemptions from the team lists; both have been strong performers for us this year and need this time to focus on work priorities.
"We look forward to having them back with us again early next year. This provides an opportunity for our squad to grow, with Lizzy Murphy already having strong performances in practice games and the first half of her club season in Germany. I am excited to see her step up to this challenge ahead,” he said.
“The last few months have been an important development period for us as a group,” said Dancer.
“The Nations Cup presents a high-level tournament for us to use as a checkpoint on our progress. Results are important for us, and we will be focusing on managing games and doing the simple things well to give ourselves the best chance of being successful,” he added.
The squad is as follows: Holly Micklem, Elizabeth Murphy, Róisín Upton (VC), Elena Tice, Kathryn Mullan (C), Sarah Hawkshaw, Naomi Carroll, Hannah McLoughlin, Sarah McAuley, Michelle Carey, Charlotte Beggs, Siofra O’Brien, Ellen Curran, Christina Hamill, Sarah Torrans, Caoimhe Perdue, Zara Malseed, Niamh Carey.
