Ireland Women’s Junior World Cup squad confirmed

David Passmore has named his travelling squad of 20 players to play for Ireland in their first-ever Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa from December 5 to 17, 2021.

Olympian Sarah McAuley has joined the side after establishing herself in the senior side this summer, debuting at June’s EuroHockey Championships and then helping the senior side qualify for the 2022 World Cup after Tokyo 2020.

The Ireland squad is largely drawn from the previous series’ selection with a couple of new faces coming into the fold since October.

The Junior Green Army’s late invite made for a short preparation phase but coach Passmore and the panel had previously had a packed summer programme, taking in series in Spain, Belfast and London.

Ireland will start their campaign on December 5 against Zimbabwe before meeting a top-ranked Netherlands side a day later.

The pool phase concludes with a tie against Korea and the top two of the four-team group after three games will progress to the quarter-finals.

Ulster Elks’ Charlotte Beggs was part of the senior setup that travelled to Pisa for their World Cup qualifier while fellow midfielder Amy Elliott was capped for Ireland in 2019.

Several other players in the squad have been involved with the Ireland setup in uncapped challenge matches and others have impressed for their clubs in the EY Hockey League.

Four non-travelling reserves, one in each position, have been named on top of the 20 players set to fly to South Africa.

Ireland Junior World Cup Squad

1. Ellie McLoughlin (GK)                 UCD / University College Dublin
2. Holly Micklem (GK)                     Old Alex / Trinity College
3. KJ Marshall (Def)                        UCD / University College Dublin
4. Caitlin Sherin (Def)                      Loreto / Dublin City University (Co-Captain)
5. Emma Paul (Def)                        UCD / University College Dublin
6. Sarah McAuley (Def)                  UCD / University College Dublin
7. Ellen Reid (Def)                           Loughborough Students, Eng / University of                                                                  Loughborough
8. Caoimhe Perdue (Def/Mid)         UCC / University College Cork (Co-Captain)
9. Anna Horan (Def/Mid).                Catholic Institute / Mary Immaculate College
10. Siofra Murdoch (Def/Mid)           Harvard, USA / Harvard University
11. Christina Hamill (Mid)                 Loreto / Technical University Dublin
12. Amy Elliott (Mid)                         UCD / University College Dublin
13. Lisa Mulcahy (Mid/Def)              Loreto / University College Dublin
14. Sophia Cole (Mid/Def)                UCD / University College Dublin
15. Charlotte Beggs (Mid)                Ulster Elks / University of Ulster Jordanstown
16. Siofra O’Brien (Fwd)                   Loreto / Technical University Dublin
17. Nadia Benallal (Fwd)                  Beeston, Eng / Nottingham Trent University
18. Rachel Kelly  (Fwd/ Mid)            UCD / University College Dublin
19. Yasmin Pratt (Fwd)                     Loreto / IT Carlow
20. Aoife Taaffe (Fwd)                      Loreto / University College Dublin

Non Travelling Reserves

Gemma Ferguson (GK)              Ulster Elks / University of Ulster Jordanstown

Hannah Kelly (Fwd)                    Catholic Institute / National University of Ireland, Galway

Eva Lavelle  (Mid)                       UCD / University College Dublin

Lucy Crowe (Def)                        Railway Union / University College Dublin

2021 Junior World Cup schedule (Potchefstroom, South Africa; all times local)

Pool A

Sunday, December 5: Ireland v Zimbabwe, 9 am

Monday, December 6: Ireland v Netherlands, 1 pm

Tuesday, December 8: Ireland v Korea, 11 am

Friday, December 11 to Thursday, December 16: playoff/classification matches