Ireland's under 21s warm up in Prague
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| Ireland |
August 2, 2003
The Belfast Telegraph
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IRELAND'S U21 women's hockey squad arrived safely in Prague last night ahead of their European championship bid in the Czech capital.
With temperatures in the low 70s, conditions are ideal for their promotion bid after last year's competition fell victim to flooding.
To achieve their aim Ireland must finish in the top two in the lovely Czech capital but that won't be easy.
Due to senior call-ups, national coach Stephen Jackson and his assistant Graham Quincey are without several first-choice players but, undaunted, they'll be doing their best to clinch the objective.
"It's the players we do have we'll be concentrating on, not those we don't." said Quincey today.
Due to other reasons beyond their control, the Ulster coaching duo are justifiably reticent about making any rash predictions.
"Last year it was the floods and the year before that it was foot-and-mouth disease so this is, in essence, a very inexperienced squad," Quincey added.
"However, we had a reasonably good Celtic Cup campaign and the experience the girls gained was invaluable."
Ireland start their campaign on Monday when they face Russia whom they beat 3-0 before last year's abortive bid.
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