Women’s Newtownards Cup 2017 – Game Day 1

The Women’s Newtownards Cup kicked off on Saturday 14th of October in UCD. Five women’s teams from across the country travelled to compete in the first three matches of the season. In the Women’s Newtownards Cup, all teams play each other once and the team with most points at the end wins.

UCD White Vs UCD Blue

The opening match saw both of UCD’s teams go head to head. UCD Women’s Captain, Emma Whelan, decided to change the style of their two teams. In previous years, UCD Blue was predominantly experienced players and UCD White was mainly new players. This year, the teams are evenly split which will bring more competition into the league, and certainly into the UCD club itself. This match was incredibly close throughout, with UCD White inching slightly ahead to get their first win on the board. This match saw the first rookie goals of the season with Dominique Rooney and Arlene Cowan both scoring their first goals! The final score was UCD White 9:8 UCD Blue.

UCD White’s point scorers were Caroline Wiley (5G), Nicola Kiely (2G), Mary Stuhlman (2A), Dominique Rooney (1G), Hannah Kochanowski (1G), and Kirsten Mullin (1A). Goalie Samantha Sapien saved 4 goals.

UCD Blue’s point scorers were Sonja Egan (5G), Arlene Cowan (2G), and Taylor Fisher (1G). Goalie Katie Russell saved 1 goal.

Galway/Cork Vs Queen’s University Belfast

The second match was between Queen’s University Belfast and Galway/Cork. Both teams have had strong recruitment so far with many new faces making their first appearances in the Newtownards Cup. The match finished up Galway/Cork 8:6 Belfast.

Galway/Cork’s point scorers were AJ Dotzauer (4G, 1A), Nadine Fadel (4G), and Mikhaila Fitzpatrick (1A). Goalie Amanda Sesker saved 13 goals.

Belfast’s point scorers were Kelly Hart (2G), Livy Carling (2G), Aleena Joy (1G), and Dee Swail (1G). Goalie Rebecca McLoughlin saved 5 goals.

UCD White Vs Dublin

The final cup match was between Dublin and UCD White. This was another very close game with both teams battling for the win. At half time, Dublin were ahead 10-7. However, UCD White came back fighting and managed to get their second win of the day. The match finished up UCD White 15:14 Dublin.

UCD White’s point scorers were Caroline Wiley (7G, 1A), Mary Stuhlman (4G, 1A), Nicola Kiely (3G, 1A), and Kirsten Mullin (1G). Goalie Samantha Sapien saved another 4 goals bringing her total for the day to 8 saves.

Dublin’s point scorers were Jules Patelli (5G, 1A), Evanna Murphy (3G, 1A), Aisling Casey (1G, 2A), Annie Page (1G, 2A), Kate Gaitley (2G), Noreen Cassidy (1G, 1A), Aedeen Mageean (1G), and Beata Juchniewicz (1A). Goalie Becky Moloney saved 2 goals.

At the end of the three cup matches, UCD White sits at the top of the league with 8 points, followed by Galway/Cork with 4 points. As all three games were so close, Belfast, Dublin and UCD Blue all have 1 point from the bonus point rule. Caroline Wiley (UCD White) currently leads the points table with 13 points (12G, 1A).

Once the competitive matches were finished, a friendly match was played to give new players an opportunity to play in a less pressured situation. It’s also a great way for players to meet people from other teams. The match is played at a slower pace with small breaks where experienced players can help to explain rules and provide general lacrosse advice.

A huge thank you to the following players who help throughout the day by umpiring, taking stats and tracking the time: Aisling Casey, Aleena Joy, Amanda Sesker, Amy Foster, Anne Page, Bryony Ford, Chae Yi Park, Dana Alexa, Ellen Booth, Emer Daly, Emma Whelan, Kate Gaitley, Katie Daynes, Laura Stokes, Madison Crowley, Mikhaila Fitzpatrick, Natalie Jones, Nicola Kiely, Nina Heitmann, Noreen Cassidy and Sonja Egan.

The next cup matches will be played on 11th of November in Galway. See the table below for full standings.

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