The players on the Irish senior panel have their last chance to impress coach Riet Kuper at Belfield this weekend before she picks the squad that travels to Barcelona in January for a week's training camp and matches against Britain, Germany and Spain.
Former Pegasus player Laura Brown, now playing in England, may yet re-enter Kuper's plans after being invited to attend this weekend's sessions. Brown withdrew from the panel back in March, missing the European finals in Germany, because of a persistent back injury and work commitments in England.
The loss of Sarah Kelleher, who has taken a year off playing hockey, leaves a vacancy in centre midfield, a role Brown filled when she last played for Ireland in the 1998 European Qualifier in Helsinki. Kuper rated her as one of the team's successes at that tournament and would welcome the options her return to the fold would bring.
Meanwhile five of the clubs who have players on the Irish panel - UCD, Trinity, Hermes, Ards and Portadown - will be in action this weekend and, therefore, must do without the services of their internationals.
Hermes (who lose Tara Browne, Mary Logue, Jenny Burke, Caitriona Carey and Daphne Sixsmith) and Trinity (who must do without Linda Caulfield and Anya Bowers) should still be strong enough to overcome Muckross and Clontarf, respectively, in the second round of the Coca Cola Leinster Senior Cup, but the absence of midfielder Jenny Osborne from UCD's midfield could boost Senior B side Pembroke Wanderers II's hopes of an upset.
A win over Collegians tomorrow would see Portadown draw level on points with Pegasus at the top of Section One in Ulster, but with their top scorer Jill Orbinson on Irish duty in Dublin their chances of reducing the champions' goal difference advantage, which currently stands at 12, won't be increased. Similarly Ards must do without Helen Cathcart for their game against Victorians.
Our Lady's Terenure begin their defence of the Irish Junior Cup, which they won for the first time last season, when they play Waterford in Templeogue tomorrow, while perennial cup favourites Pegasus II have a home draw against Collegians II.
