The strength of the Cork Harlequins and UCD teams that meet at Farmers Cross in the EY Hockey League on Saturday was underlined this week when 10 of the clubs’ players, five from each, were named by Graham Shaw in the Irish training panel that is preparing for January’s World League 2 in Malaysia.

Among those included were two players who made their debuts against Scotland last week, UCD goalkeeper Clodagh Cassin and Harlequins’ Roisin Upton, with Hermes-Monkstown’s Ellen Curran and Queens’ Jessica McMaster also making the cut after winning their first caps in Glasgow.

It’s a youthful panel with an average age of just 23, in all seven of the 26 making their debuts in 2016, Emma Russell, Rebecca Barry and Zoe Wilson the others. University of Louisville goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran and the goal machine that is Hermes-Monkstown’s Anna O’Flanagan return to the panel after missing the trip to Scotland.

Perfect start

For now, the players’ focus will be on club matters with Harlequins looking to bounce back after last week’s defeat away to Hermes ended their perfect start to the campaign. UCD leap-frogged the Munster side in to second place, so if they can return to winning ways they will regain that slot.

Hermes will fancy their chances of making it seven wins out of seven when they take on Ulster Elks, who have picked up just one victory so far, at Rathdown, while sixth meets fourth when Loreto host Railway Union at Beaufort. Ards, trailing Railway only on goal difference in fourth, will look to extend Pembroke Wanderers’ woes, the Dublin side yet to pick up a point, while Pegasus will hope to revive their faltering challenge when they take on second-from-bottom  Belfast Harlequins.

IRISH TRAINING PANEL: C Brown (Ards), R Barry, N Carroll, C Sargent, Y O'Byrne, R Upton (all Cork Harlequins), Z Wilson (Harvestehuder), C Watkins, E Curran, A O'Flanagan, N Evans (all Hermes-Monkstown), E Beatty (KHC Dragons), L Colvin, A Meeke, H Mathews (all Loreto), N Daly (Muckross), S Loughran (Munchner HC), J McMaster (Queens), G O'Flanagan (Railway Union), G Pinder, K Mullan, E Russell, C Cassin, E Tice (all UCD), S McCay (Ulster Elks), A McFerran (University of Louisville).

EY Hockey League Fixtures – Saturday: Loreto v Railway Union, Beaufort, 1.0; Ards v Pembroke Wanderers, Ards Park, 2.30; Cork Harlequins v UCD, Farmers Cross, 2.30; Hermes-Monkstown v Ulster Elks, Rathdown, 2.30; Belfast Harlequins v Pegasus, Deramore Park, 5.0.