UCC

UCC LHC is the most successful women's university hockey club in Munster, boasting five teams who play their hockey at one of Ireland's finest sports complexes, The Mardyke (see attached map)

With a high turnover of players both a blessing and a curse for university sides, College's fortunes at the top level in recent years have been predictably cyclical. Having endured a fallow period since the mid-1990s, the students have re-emerged as one of the dominant forces in Munster hockey in recent seasons, coinciding with the arrival of Irish assistant coach Denis Pritchard and Paidi Hartnett at the helm in 2006.

A glut of high-quality players have since arrived at the club, transforming them from relegation fodder to title challengers. They came desperately close to ending Cork Harlequins' 13-year domination of the Munster league last term - losing out in a title playoff after finishing level on points - and will be hoping to go one better this time around.

They made up for that disappointment by claiming a first Munster Senior Cup title in 14 years last term - also avenging a golden-goal defeat to Cork C of I in the previous year's final in the process - but they were denied a Chilean Cup intervarsity three-in-a-row last October by UCD, who defeated them 1-0 in the final before going on to win the Irish Senior Cup.

While College have lost one of their most influential players, Irish international Hollie Moffett, over the summer, they have recruited well with former Ireland U18 forward Olivia Roycroft and Munster U18 starlets Kate Murphy, Rosie Shanahan and Shellie Fives coming on board.

They will be hoping to make their mark in their first season in the IHL, having missed out on a place in the inaugural competition last season when UCD and Belfast Harlequins got the better of them in a wildcard playoff.

International Player

Julia O'Halloran (43 Ireland caps, midfield)
Audrey O'Flynn (8 Ireland A caps, defence/midfield)
Miriam Crowley (6 Ireland A caps, forward)
Olivia Roycroft (former Ireland U18, midfield/forward)
Fiona O'Connell (former Ireland U18, forward)
Ali O'Connor (former Ireland U16, defence)
Karen Olden (former Ireland U16, goalkeeper)
Sarah Gray (former Ireland U16, defender)
Eibhlín O'Donoghue (former Ireland U16, U18, midfielder)

The club plays in the college's traditional black and red colours, with the UCC sports emblem - the 'Jolly Roger' dominating the jersey. The origin of the distinctive skull and crossbones logo is a matter of debate, but is believed to have originally been adopted as an in-joke by medical students on various sports teams in the 1840s; many found it a useful way to intimidate the opposition, and the logo stuck. The skull even features in the words of the 'Ta Rax' (College Victory Cry): "...we'll make the old skull gasp or grin..."

Home Fixtures
06 Nov	UCC	vs	Belfast Harlequins	details
04 Dec	UCC	vs	Pegasus	details
19 Mar	UCC	vs	Catholic Institute	details

Away Fixtures
10 Oct	Hermes Hockey Club	vs	UCC	details