Muller calls on experience for SA trip

HOCKEY: GENE MULLER has recalled several of his most experienced players, including Nikki Symmons, Emma Clarke and goalkeeper Louisa Healy, for the Irish squad's 12-day trip to South Africa later this month, where they will continue their preparations for March's Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgium.

Also returning to the fold is Megan Frazer, formerly of Ballymoney but now a student at the University of Maryland, where she was voted top college hockey player in America last year .

The South African visit will include a warm weather training camp and a tri-nations tournament with the hosts and Belgium in Johannesburg, the Belgians being one of Ireland’s opponents in the Olympic qualifier.

“This tour gives us an opportunity to build on the progress we made on our tour to Argentina in December,” said Muller. “Both South Africa and Belgium are in the final stages of preparing for an Olympic qualification tournament, so these games will be very competitive. We will use these games for match preparation and for player trials before settling on our Olympic qualifying team.”

Also in the squad’s schedule is a two-day training camp late next month at the Olympic qualifying venue in Beerschot, where they will vie with the hosts, Russia, France, Mexico and Spain for one spot in London 2012.

IRISH SQUAD: L Jacob, S McCarthy, A Connery, M Crowley, A O'Flynn, E Gray (all Hermes), L Colvin, N Daly, L Healy, N Symmons (all Loreto), E Smyth, A Speers (capt), N Evans (Railway Union), S McCay, Pamela Smithwick (Old Alexandra), M Frazer (Univ of Maryland), M Harvey (Pegasus), C Sargent (Cork Harlequins), C Watkins (UCD), E Clarke (St Albans).