WOMEN'S HOCKEY: Riet Kuper has included two teenagers, Alex Speers of Pegasus and Katharine Elkin of Randalstown, in her 18-strong squad for next month's World Cup Qualifier in Rome, but the pair's Ulster team-mate Bridget McKeever, who is recovering from a facial injury sustained when she was hit by a drag flick in the game against Argentina 10 days ago, is a doubt for the tournament.
Loreto's Nikki Keegan has been put on standby to replace McKeever should the Ballymoney defender fail to recover in time, while Keegan's clubmate Louisa Healy has also been put on standby in case of any late injury scares to goalkeepers Angela Platt and Mary Goode.
Two more of the players to make their senior debuts since last summer's European Championships, Fiona Ferguson (Pegasus) and Zanya Dahl (Old Alexandra), have also made the squad.
Suzanne Beaney (Pegasus) has regained her place having missed out on selection in August.
While the retirements of Lynsey McVicker, Jenny Burke and Katherine Maybin after the Europeans resulted in a younger batch of players being given their chance, the squad for Rome has plenty of experience - half of the players have 50 caps or more - and Ciara O'Brien is likely to join captain Linda Caulfield and Jill Orbinson in the "100 club" during the tournament.
"The squad selection was very difficult," said Kuper. "We have some talented young players coming into the squad who have not experienced major world-ranking international tournaments before, but we have an excellent core of very experienced senior players who give the squad a good balance of youth and experience."
Ireland complete their build-up for the tournament with games against England and Italy in Manchester next week.
The Italians, along with New Zealand, Korea, the United States and Azerbaijan, are in Ireland's pool, where the top two - likely to be New Zealand and Korea if the seedings prove accurate - will automatically qualify for the World Cup in Madrid in September.
Ireland's more realistic target in the pool is to finish third or fourth, a placing that would put them through to the cross-overs, where they would compete for the fifth and final qualifying spot.
Church of Ireland's Karl Burns has been passed fit, after a lengthy lay-off with a hamstring tear, for the Ireland squad that leaves Dublin next week for the World Cup Qualifier in Changzhou, China.
IRISH SQUAD
Player Club Caps Age Birthplace
Bridget McKeever Ballymoney 54 23 Ballymoney
Angela Platt (GK) Ballymoney 66 27 Coleraine
Jenny McDonough Belfast Harlequins 65 24 Belfast
Mary Goode (GK) Cork Harlequins 9 26 Dublin
Catriona Carey Hermes 64 26 Kilkenny
Linda Caulfield (Capt) Hermes 124 27 Wexford
Fiona Connery Hermes 42 29 Kilkenny
Cathy McKean Loreto 50 27 Dublin
Nikki Symmons Loreto 39 23 Dublin
Zanya Dahl Old Alexandra 9 30 Dublin
Suzanne Beaney Pegasus 32 27 Belfast
Fiona Ferguson Pegasus 7 25 Ballymena
Jill Orbinson Pegasus 110 27 Banbridge
Alex Speers Pegasus 4 19 Banbridge
Eimear Cregan Push 81 24 Limerick
Ciara O'Brien Railway Union 95 26 Dublin
Katharine Elkin Randalstown 3 19 Omagh
Clare Parkhill Randalstown 23 25 Ballymena
