Ireland was off to a winning start Friday as the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II-A got underway in Galway at the Kingfisher Centre.
Slovakia took on Croatia in the opening game. Lucija Nizek opened the scoring for Croatia from a penalty corner in the 6th minute to give them a 1-0 lead. She converted a second penalty corner in the 19th minute to make it 2-0. Iskra Bedenko made it 3-0 for Croatia. Dominika Chebenova got what proved to be a consolation goal for Slovakia in the 36th minute. Dora Jelcic scored a fourth goal in the 39th minute. It finished Slovakia 1 Croatia 4.
Portugal took on Lithuania in the second of the day's games and Dovile Juraite's opening goals for Lithuania saw them lead 2-0 after 12 minutes. Dovile Kukliene converted a penalty corner to put the Baltic republic 3-0 up on 17 minutes and Dovile Juraite's penalty corner on 21 minutes completed her hat-trick and left her team 4-0 ahead. Dovile Kukliene got her second of the game to leave Lithuania 5-0 ahead in the 25th minute and a converted penalty corner by Karolina Raulinaityte in the 37th minute proved the final score of the game. It finished Portugal 0 Lithuania 6.
IRELAND 7 SWEDEN 2
Hosts Ireland got their campaign underway against Sweden. Chloe Brown put the Irish one up in the 2nd minute. Mikayla Power scored twice in the opening half in the 3rd minute and 11th minute. Jenna McCarlie added a fourth in the 16th minute. Laura Graham added a fifth goal in the 22nd minute and Jenna McCarlie with her second of the game made it 6-0 in the 23rd minute. Sweden got on the scoresheet when Ylva Von Blanquet scored in the 27th minute to make it 6-1. Chloe Brown with a converted penalty corner got her second of the game to put Ireland 7-1 ahead in the 33rd minute. In the final minute Ylva Von Blanquet converted a penalty corner for Sweden, her second goal of the game, to make the final score Ireland 7 Sweden 2.
IRELAND: Emma Buckley (GK), Sarah Patton, Mikayla Power, Chloe Brown, Orla Patton (C), Milla Fulton
SUBS USED:- Orla Fox, Laura Graham, Jenna McCarlie, Ellen Robinson, Orla Macken
After the first round of matches Lithuania led the standings on goal difference from Ireland.
Slovakia took on Lithuania in both teams' second outing of the day in the next game. Sarlota Medvikova gave Slovakia a 1-0 lead when she scored in the 4th minute from open play.
Viktorija Bogdanova equalised for Lithuania in the 10th minute to make it 1-1 and her second of the game gave her team the lead for the first time in the game in the 18th minute to make it 2-1 to Lithuania. Dovile Kukliene added a goal from open play in the 28th minute to make it 3-1 Lithuania and Karolina Raulinaityte added another in the 29th minute to leave them 4-1 ahead on the half hour mark. She got her second goal of the game in the 39th minute to leave the final score Slovakia 1 Lithuania 5.
Sweden took on Portugal in the penultimate game of Day 1. Both sides having been on the receiving ends of heavy defeats in their opening games. Sweden got off to a good start when Nora Thien scored after 3 minutes. Paula Justus converted a penalty corner in the 18th minute to give the Swedes a 2-0 lead. Nora Thien got her second goal of the game in the 32nd minute to make it 3-0 to Sweden. Klara Moberg added a fourth in the 35th minute to leave the score 4-0 and Ylva Von Blanquet grabbed a fifth in the final minute to leave the final score Sweden 5 Portugal 0.
IRELAND 5 CROATIA 1
Ireland rounded off the day's action in Galway with their second game of the day against Croatia. Teenager Milla Fulton opened the scoring for Ireland in the 4th minute converting a penalty corner. Chloe Brown made it 2-0 from another converted penalty corner in the 7th minute. Ellen Robinson added a third goal in the 11th minute to leave Ireland leading 3-0. Croatia got on the scoresheet in the 19th minute when Lucija Nizek converted a penalty corner and it was Ireland 3 Croatia 1 at that stage. There was no scoring in the third quarter. Milla Fulton rectified that early into the final quarter with a goal from open play in the 33rd minute to make it Ireland 4 Croatia 1. Laura Graham added a further goal from open play in the 37th minute to make it Ireland 5 Croatia 1, and that was the final score.
IRELAND: Emma Buckley (GK), Sarah Patton, Mikayla Power, Chloe Brown, Orla Patton (C), Milla Fulton
SUBS USED: Orla Fox (6 mins), Laura Graham (4 mins), Jenna McCarlie (4 mins), Ellen Robinson (8 mins), Orla Macken (8 mins)
After two games Lithuania lead the pool on goal difference from Ireland, both sides having secured 6 league points from their two outings. The action on Saturday gets underway at 10.30 a.m. when Slovakia take on Sweden.
