UCD up against it in cup opener

Women's HockeyThe Irish Senior Cup gets under way this weekend with 26 teams competing for a place in the second round when Ballymena, Three Rock and Church of Ireland will enter the competition.

Holders Pegasus; Hermes, last year's beaten finalists; Bandon; Coleraine; Cork Harlequins; Loreto; Old Alexandra and Randalstown are the eight seeded teams - they will enter the draw for January's third round.

Four of the first-round ties are all-Ulster affairs with Section Two leaders Lisnagarvey, playing their first season in senior hockey, at home to Section One's Victorians. Belfast Harlequins, who had a perfect start to their league campaign until losing their last two games to Pegasus and Ballymoney, are away to Ards, who they beat on the opening day of the season.

There are five Leinster v Ulster pairings, with Railway Union, Corinthians and Clontarf at home to Ballyclare, Omagh and Parkview respectively. Genesis, still reeling from a 10-0 league drubbing by Loreto midweek, must travel to Belfast to play Knock.

UCD, though, face the most daunting of tasks having been drawn away to Section One leaders Ballymoney, coached by Lesley Watkins, who are unbeaten this season, winning six of their seven games, including a defeat of champions Pegasus.

Ballymoney's squad includes four Irish internationals - captain Lynsey McVicker, goalkeeper Angela Platt, Bridget McKeever and Nicky McCaughern - as well as last season's Irish under-21 captain Susie Martin, recruited from Pegasus during the summer, who also made the Irish senior panel.

UCD will be without Christine Quinlan and Jilly Cotter, both injured, but coach Tom O'Donoghue remains hopeful of testing the Ulster side. "It's obviously a huge game for us, but no one will expect us to win so we can give it a right go," he said.

"If we can settle early then we are more than capable of taking them to the wire - and who knows what might happen then?"

Meanwhile, Fred McDarby has named his Leinster squad for the senior interprovincial tournament in Dublin later this month.

Nikki Symmons, Ciara O'Brien, Linda Caulfield and Jenny Burke return after missing out on last season's success in Belfast because of international duty, with Nikki Keegan, Catherine Murray and Clare Sullivan bringing to seven the number of changes from the last panel. Cathy McKean, whose six goals in three games helped Leinster regain the title from Munster in May, has been named as captain.

LEINSTER SQUAD (for senior interprovincial tournament, November 26-28th): M Goode (Pembroke Wanderers), L Healy, L O'Neill, N Symmons, C McKean (capt), N Keegan (all Loreto), C O'Brien (Railway Union), L Caulfield, J Burke (both Hermes), C Murray, C Sullivan (both UCD), S O'Connor, L Ryan, Z Dahl, A Bowers, T Conway (all Old Alexandra). Coach: Fred McDarby.

IRISH SENIOR CUP: First round - Civil Service v North Down, Stormont, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v NUIG, Serpentine Avenue, Ballsbridge, 1.30; Clontarf v Parkview, Mount Temple, 2.30; Waterford v Catholic Institute, Newtown, 12.30; Ballymoney v UCD, Joey Dunlop Centre, 2.30; Enniskillen v Portadown, Bawnacre Centre, 1.30; Railway Union v Ballyclare, Park Avenue, Sandymount, 3.0; Ards v Belfast Harlequins, Ards Leisure Centre, 2.30; Corinthian v Omagh, Whitechurch, 2.15; Galway v Ashton, Dangan, 2.0; UCC v Cookstown, Mardyke, 1.0; Lisnagarvey v Victorians, Brooke Centre, 2.30; Knock v Genesis, Queens, 2.30.

LEINSTER LEAGUE: Division Two: Tomorrow - Trinity v Hermes II, Santry, 12.30; Loreto III v Old Alexandra II, Beaufort, 12.30; Muckross v Skerries, Donnybrook, 1.0; Diocesan v Loreto II, Rathgar, 3.15. Sunday - Pembroke Wanderers II v Glenanne, Serpentine Avenue, 1.30.