Ulster gunning for fourth in a row

WOMEN'S HOCKEY INTERPROVINCIAL SERIES AND UNDER-21 SQUADULSTER TRAVEL to Cork this weekend in search of their fourth senior interprovincial title in a row, opening the defence of their crown against Leinster at Garryduff this afternoon. Ballymoney provide the core of the defending champions' squad, with Lauren Barr, Bridget Cleland, Megan Frazer, Susie Martin and Nikki Parke all included by coach Stephen Watt.

Nikki Symmons captains a Leinster squad much changed from last season, coach Rudi Wortmann drawing from just five clubs, with 11 of the players coming from Loreto and Railway Union.

Bray contribute two players to the squad – current and former internationals Mary Goode and Linda O’Neill, respectively – while Mary Logue’s UCD have three representatives, Lisa Jacob, Holly Jenkinson and Róisín Flinn.

Hosts Munster, who last won the title in 2003, have called up Church of Ireland’s Michaela Mihailou, the former Australia A and youth international, while Connacht have five home-based players in their panel – two each from Galway and Greenfields and one from NUIG – the rest drawn from Leinster clubs.

Guy Garrett, meanwhile, has named his Ireland A squad for three games against the German under-21s in Russelheimer later this month. Railway Union, whose players have so far been overlooked by senior coach Gene Muller, despite the club enjoying a hugely successful season, have two players in the panel, Leinster’s Emma Smyth and Ulster goalkeeper Helen Stevenson.

IRELAND A SQUAD(for March 23rd-25th games against Germany Under-21): A O'Flanagan, N Evans (Hermes), H Stevenson, E Smyth (Railway Union), L Barr, M Frazer (Ballymoney), A O'Flynn, M Crowley (UCC), L Colvin, Z Delany (Loreto), D Gorman (Greenfields), G Watters (Randalstown), K Steenson (Armagh), L McInerney (UCD), M Ryan (C of Ireland), M Harvey (Pegasus), V Green (Loreto)

SENIOR INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT(at Garryduff): Today: Leinster v Ulster, 4.30; Munster v Connacht, 6.15. Tomorrow: Leinster v Connacht. noon; Munster v Ulster, 4.0. Sunday: Connacht v Ulster, 10.0; Munster v Leinster, 2.0.

CONNACHT:C Heskin, G Melvin (Galway), D Kieran, A McCormack (Glenanne), H Marlyn, M Healy (Greenfields), A Harte (Hermes), L Healy, C Grealy (Loreto), A Smyth (NUIG), L McCoy (Old Alexandra), L Moore (Pembroke Wanderers), S Walsh, S McDonald (Railway Union), I Gorman (Trinity), R Carrigan (UCD).

LEINSTER:M Goode, L O'Neill (Bray), E Gray, A O'Flanagan (Hermes), N Symmons, A Campion, N Keegan, R Keegan, C McKean, N Small (Loreto), K Dillon, C Joyce, I Joyce, J McDonnell, E Smyth (Railway Union), R Flinn, L Jacob, H Jenkinson (UCD).

MUNSTER:C Ronan, K Daly (Catholic Institute), M Ryan, M Mihailou, J Kenefick, D Casey, S Connery (Church of Ireland), A O'Neill, R MacSharry, C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), K Hales (Pembroke Wanderers), O Crowley, A O'Flynn, A Connery, J O'Halloran, M Crowley, H Moffett (UCC), J O'Loughlin (Univ of Limerick).

ULSTER:R Mulligan, E Stewart (Armagh), L Barr, B Cleland, M Fraser, S Martin, N Parke (Ballymoney), D Topley (Lisnagarvey), L Colvin (Loreto), S Moffett, M Harvey (Pegasus), H Stevenson (Railway Union), K Elkin, G Watters (Randalstown), E Clarke, S McKay (Ulster Elks).