Irish clubs await news of EHL inclusion

HOCKEY: Ireland is waiting to hear if Monkstown and Banbridge have done enough to win back the country’s EuroHockey League place after both claimed overall wins in European competition last weekend.

National champions Monkstown claimed the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy with a 2-0 win over Ukraine’s HC OKS-SHVSM in the final in Cagliari. Peter Caruth broke the deadlock before Davy Carson deflected home an insurance goal late on.

Like Monkstown, Banbridge won all four of their games at the EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge I in Rakovnik in the Czech Republic, earning promotion to the Trophy for next season.

Having eked out maximum ranking points, both clubs are set to be the direct beneficiaries of their own success having qualified as Ireland’s European representatives again for 2014/15.

The EHL has yet to release the rankings for next season’s competition but Monkstown will be hopeful they will get a crack at European hockey’s big-time after Ireland missed out last term following a dramatic rankings slump.

Loreto completed a superb weekend for Irish hockey as they finished third in the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in Leicester, winning a shootout in the bronze medal playoff against Spain’s CH SPV Complutense after a 1-1 draw.