Members are hereby notified that the Annual General Meeting
of Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club will be held on
Wednesday 2nd April 2014 at 7.30pm in the Clubhouse.

AGENDA
1. Agree minutes of the last Meeting.
2. Honorary Secretary’s Report.
3. Honorary Treasurer’s Report and Annual Accounts.
4. Accounts of the Joint Executive Committee.
5. Report of the Honorary Auditor.
6. Report of the Chairman of the Council
7. Election of
a) Officers, Council and Committee
b) Honorary Secretary (Records)
c) Honorary Auditor
8. Motions.
9. Any other business.

Any matters to be raised at this meeting should be put in writing to the Honorary Secretary before March 26th 2014. These may be posted to the club or emailed to secretary@threerockrovershc.com

Barbara Snow
Honorary Secretary TRRHC

Motions:
1. The council and committee propose the use of a significant portion of the sinking fund (in excess of €45,000) to go towards the replacement of the front pitch, and the upgrading of the front pitch watering system, commencing May 2014.

2. The council and committee wish to bring to the notice of the members that, due to the refurbishment of the clubhouse to be commencing shortly, the obligation to lodge the annual required amount to the ‘Sinking Fund’ may not be fulfilled.

3. Subscriptions will remain as follows for the upcoming season, with the exception of the Junior Membership.

• Full Membership
If paid full or in part by 1st October 2014 – €375
If after 1st October 2014 – €420
• Student Membership
If paid in full or in part by 1st October 2014 – €210
If paid after 1st October 2014 – €210
• Junior Membership
€150 for the season u18-u14
€130 for season u8-u12
• Vets Membership
If paid full or in part by 1st October 2014 – €135 (women) €250 (men)
If after 1st October 2014 – €135 (women) €250 (men)
• Pavillion Membership
€50 for the season.

The Members of Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club are hereby notified that
THE PLAYERS’ GENERAL MEETING
will be held in the Clubhouse on Wednesday 2nd April 2014 commencing at 7.00pm.

AGENDA

1. Agree minutes of the last Players’ General Meeting.
2. Reports from team captains on the results of the season.
3. Appointment of team captains for the coming season.
4. Report on youth hockey.
5. Any other business.

Any matters to be raised at the meeting should be put in writing to the Honorary Secretary before March 26th 2014. These may be posted to the club or emailed to secretary@threerockrovershc.com

Barbara Snow
Honorary Secretary TRRHC

The ladies 2nds produced a stunning 3-2 win over Kilkenny on Sunday to book their place in their cup semi -final! This was a high win for the girls who have been working hard to turn their season around following a very tough first half.

The ladies 4ths also had a great win, beating Pembroke at home 4-1 despite only starting the gem with 7 players!!! They went 1-0 down quickly following the start until the troops arrived 10 minutes later, most having already played a match despite it only being 11am! They arrived in style to pick out some goals and seal a good win.

The 3rds were unlucky to fall 3-0 to Pembroke early Saturday morning, while there was heartbreak for the ladies 1s as they went 2-0 up v Genesis only to be beaten in the last few minutes from a string of penalty corner strikes. It leaves the girls 9th although a playoff is not yet certain as we await the result of a number of other factors.

This week the only game belongs to the ladies 4ths as they travel to Newbridge for a 10am game. Everyone else enjoy the long weekend and please come support both our boys and men in the St.Patricks Day finals!

On the mens side last week the mens 4s produced a 4-4 draw with Weston to remain 2nd in their division, Ryan Shirley, Willie Haughton and Arthur Johnson among the goalscorers. The 3s had a tough 3-2 win over Pembroke after trailing 2-0 initially. Peter Hinds and Jeff Sargent popped up with the goals in order to secure the win and a potential promotion spot!

The mens 1sts had a hard task in breaking down Instonians in their 2nd IHL game. The lads went 1-0 down initially before JB and Mitch combined well to bring the game level. The last quarter proved important as Westy saved a stroke before Luke Madeley picked out Joe Brennan to grab the winner in the last 3 minutes.

This week the mens 2s travel to Clontarf tonight at 8.30 in the semi-final of the Railway Cup.

Its a busy week for the mens 1sts as they face Cookstown at home at 3pm on Saturday before hoping to nab another piece of silverware on Monday as they play in the Mills Cup final at 4pm.

Monday is a big day for the club as the u16 boys are also in the cup final, playing for the Benny Atkinson Cup at 12pm.

Be sure to come and support both our teams!

This Sunday the senior girls welcome the next batch of u16s who will be making the transition from junior to senior next year.
The girls sides have organsied food and mini matches for everyone from 1 to 3pm on Sunday. A lot of work has gone into organizing the day with food, music and prizes all on hand.
We want to help make the step from junior to senior less daunting and build on the work in the last year or so with Aoife, Sadie, Meabh, Elanor, Katie and Chloe to name but a few who have successfully joined the senior ranks.

Watch out
Could all members please be vigilant with leaving belongings in cars currently. Our club manager Martin came across a man last week breaking into his car. When questioned he claimed to be a member of staff acting as security. The man was apprehended but this is unlikely to be a once off occurance. Please take note of any suspicious individuals you may see and please be sure to keep your belongings on your person at all times.

At this months committee meeting we finalized a number of social occasions to make note of over the next few weeks as the season draws to a close…

Supporters Lunch
A second supporters lunch will be held at 1.30pm on Saturday the 15th of March prior to the IHL game versus Cookstown. A 2 course lunch will be provided by Rachel with all who wish to attend very welcome. Should you want to book a place please email Ali at alisonfkeogh@gmail.com before Wednesday the 12th of March.

U14 trip to Lisnagarvey
Some matches and a bus to Garvey are being organized for the u14 girls and boys on the week of the 22nd of March to coincide with the mens 1sts IHL game in Hillsborough that day. Coaches will be in touch over the next week or so for this

Captains Challenge
A provisional date for the captains challenge has been set for Friday April 11th with more details to follow

U16 trip
Hoodies are being ordered and deposits are coming in for the u16 trip to Barcelona on April 24th. To help fund this trip the 16s will be collecting money at the St.Patricks Day finals. The boys will hoping to be playing in their own final that day so please be on hand to support both them and the mens firsts later in the day in the Mills Cup final.

Numbers are coming in thick and fast for the club dinner!!

The date is the 29th of March in the Stillorgan Park Hotel. The dress code is formal and dinner will be served at 8pm. A band will play for the evening followed by a DJ to finish so plenty of entertainment for all!

Some emails will have gone out asking for an indication of your plans to attend. Please respond so we can ensure you get a ticket . We will endeavor to seat you wherever and with whoever you wish once we know.

If you haven’t confirmed whether you are attending please contact Ali at alisonfkeogh@gmail.com as soon as you can. Only 3 weeks left!

Another busy weekend ahead as the leagues begin to wind down this season.

Tonight the ladies 1sts play Pembroke 2s at 8.30 at home. Pembroke will claim the div 2 title should they win, having only lost 1 game so far this season. Our own girls were unlucky last Saturday as they came undone by a Trinity side bolstered with some of their usual first eleven players. Meabh Holden put the girls ahead in the first half with a cracking shot from a short corner. A large number of Trinity corners in the second half proved to be too much to handle though as the final score was a 2-1 loss. Some pictures of the game have now been uploaded to the site.
They have another league game on Saturday with a 4pm game at home to Genesis.

The ladies 2s were unfortunately officially relegated last Saturday despite their 0-0 draw with Pembroke. The girls soaked up a massive 30 corners without letting the opposition score but unfortunately results from the start of the season caught up with them. They’ve fought hard since before Christmas and have gained a number of points, showing a great ‘never say die’ attitude. This week they face another double weekend with Navan away on Saturday and Kilkenny at home on Sunday at 3pm in the Cup.

The 3s were unlucky on Saturday as they lead the game 1-0 all the way to the final 10 minutes before a late pair of goals led to a 2-1 loss. They have an early 9.30 start against Pembroke on Saturday while our 4s face also play Pembroke, but at home at 11m.

On the mens side the 1sts proved there were no hangover from the previous weeks win as they beat Cork Harlequins 11-0 in the first round of the IHL. They will face a tougher tie this week as they travel up to Instonians for a 2.40pm start.

The mens 2s were unfortunately beaten by Monkstown 3-4 in the quarter final of the Irish Junior Cup. The guys found themselves 3-0 down in the second half before a dramatic comeback was started until Monkstown ran out eventual 3-4 winners. They have no game this weekend but play Clontarf away in the next round of the Railway Cup on Tuesday at 8.15

The mens 3s and 4s both had big wins of 7-1 and 6-3 respectively last weekend. The 4s match report from the day can be seen here:

The 5ths meanwhile completed their league campaign with a 5-0 loss to Avoca. Huge thanks to Jack McCann for all his hard work with the team this year!

This week the 3rd play Pembroke away at 3.30 while the 4ths will host Weston at home at 11am.

Here Come the Girls!
Following on from last weeks very positive player meeting it has been decided to host a Here Come The Girls Day in HQ on the 9th of March. Those in the senior club recognise the importance of welcoming all of our u16s who will be making the transition from juniors to seniors next year. In order to ease that move we are inviting all our u16s up to the club for hockey lunch and laughs with our senior ladies members.

Club Dinner
Notes should now be going out about the club dinner and whether you plan on attending or not. Please let us know so we can confirm numbers with the hotel.
Should you have any seating preferences please let Ali know at alisonfkeogh@gmail.com
The entertainment is now also booked! We have the Amigos band playing from 10pm, with a DJ for the last part of the night so plenty for all attending!
Tickets are €55, with €50 for students
Guests, friends and partners are more than welcome so please feel free to invite them.
Tickets are available from Stephen Findlater, Siobhan Madeley, Grace O’Malley and Ali Keogh.

Irish Senior Cup
The newly homed Irish Senior Cup will be out on display this weekend for anyone coming to support the games on Saturday. Please feel free to bring along any children who may want a photo with it!

IHL forum
A number of Three Rock representatives have been attending the forums in relation to the proposal to introduce a full IHL league in the upcoming seasons. Wednesday night saw the Leinster forum hosted by the IHA. Overall feedback for the proposal was very positive with the majority feeling that a change needs to occur to progress the sport. Concerns were raised in relation to the possibility of player migration, the need to increase media following of the event, the requirement to lessen the over playing of our players and also in relation to the proposed method of relegation and promotion to the league.
The IHL working group are now planning on gathering the information and feedback they have received from these forums and will present a final document for the Board to make a decision later this year.

Huge congratulations to the men’s first team on winning the Irish Senior Cup on Sunday. Every one of you gave us a great weekend of hockey and made us very proud. The 4-0 win over Monkstown was not as nerve-wracking as the match against Pembroke. It’s amazing how five minutes can feel like 40 years from the side-lines. Well done!

Ailis Kennedy
Club President

The President and members of the Leinster Branch have also been in contact with the club to pass on their congratulations from Sundays win!

It was a long time coming but victory is unlikely to have felt sweeter this weekend as the 40 year wait for an Irish Senior Cup title finally came to an end.

The lads pulled out two incredible performances this weekend to win a spot in next years European competitions.

In a repeat of lads years semis the guys made sure of their final spot this time with an emphatic 4-0 win over rivals Monkstown. Returning to the club for some well earned food by Rachel that evening, they prepared for Pembroke the next day. In a tight game full of drama they were tied in dead-lock at 2-2 with Pembroke even after extra time, sending the game to strokes. Joe, Huub, Blakers, Gaz all put theirs away, while Westy made a crucial save for Pembrokes 3rd stroke to set up Pete McConnell as the match winner.

Many thanks to everyone in the club for the support this weekend and in the weeks leading to this. The seasons not over by a long way so please continue to show your support until the very end!

Findos reports for both the semi and the final are here now. We will have more coverage later in the week. Adrian Bohems photos are now on this site in the photos section while inpho photography and sports files can be seen here:

http://inpho.ie/assignment/Irish-Senior-Cup-Men-s-Final-Pembroke-Wanderers-vs-Three-Rock-Rovers-Hockey-Club/nQGK6MR1xNl-RqYnAw-dCw..a?ts=mdwVg9MYruesvFscVepULA..a

http://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1402252/

If you want to relive the winning moments AerTv have the game online all the way up to the presentation and afters! http://sportslive.aertv.ie/video/?bctid=3248914769001

TRR 4 – 0 Monkstown
Three Rock produced one of the performances of the season to date to comprehensively outdo Monkstown, getting one of their major monkeys off their back as they showed a defensive rigidity to go with their razor-sharp attacking game

They scored four superb team goals to go with a first clean sheet since the turn of the year – and just third all season – to make this semi against the reigning champions done and dusted with plenty of time to go. Town had started well, winning a couple of corners that Stephen West did well parry away for long corners, one particularly good double stop from Andy Ewington and Gareth Watkins.

Town briefly thought they were ahead from a deflected crash ball that West stepped over but the touch appeared to be well outside the circle despite vehement protestations that delayed the gameBut after that initially shaky start, Rovers bossed the tie. They went ahead on the half hour from a direct move from a 16-yard free out which Joe Brennn played into midfield to Mick Maguire who in turn went straight to Mitch Darling whose backhand pass laid up Fred Morris to slap through David Fitzgerald.

Huub de With was a dominant force in midfield and he was pivotal to a lovely second goal, walked in by Mitch Darling after a sweet interchange with Peter Blakeney. He also took the long corner that created number three, ghosting across the top of the 25 before stopping the ball for Jody Hosking who whipped home a reverse from the top.

Jonny Bruton then created the fourth in the 50th minute when Maguire flipped a ball down the right wing. The Cork man battled in between two defenders and picked out Maguire who had followed up 50 metres. He smartly laid off for Darling for another open goal finish.

Bruton was laterally sin-binned but Monkstown were unable to profit and they went over 34 minutes without getting a shot off and while they did rally in the closing stages, they did not create too many clear chances. It reversed last year’s semi-final between the same teams and saw Rovers reach their first final since the 1990s.

Three Rock Rovers: S West, G Ringwood, J Brennan, A Haughton, P McConnell, H de With, J Hosking, M Maguire, M Darling, J Bruton, P Blakeney
Subs: H Morris, F Morris, A White D Walsh, A Bothwell

Monkstown: D Fitzgerald, L Cole, I Horsfield, N Dee, D Carson, G Watkins, R Sykes, A Ewington, A Ward, G Shaw, K Good
Subs: A Ward, G O’Halloran, R Watkins, K Kenning, J Henry

Umpires: K Cholewa, W McCully

TRR 2 – 2 Pembroke Wanderers
TRR win 5-4 on penalty strokes

Three Rock Rovers ended a 40-year wait for the men’s Irish Senior Cup final in nerve-shredding fashion at Belfield as Peter McConnell kept his cool to fire home the crucial penalty stroke.

It was redemption of sorts for the left back who was sin-binned for the closing ten minutes of normal time for a foul on Ronan Flannery and while his side initially dealt with the corner that ensued, Tim Hill grabbed an equaliser during his absence that ultimately sent the tie to extra time. But he was calmest man in the National Hockey Stadium when it came down to the final penalty, picking his spot low past Mark Ingram to complete a perfect set of five strokes allied to one diving Stephen West to see Three Rock end their long wait for this title.
Indeed, McConnell – as a fifth year student in Wesley College – was one of three survivors in the Three Rock side from their last appearance in the final 15 years ago of world hockey’s oldest club competition along with Alan Bothwell and Garry Ringwood, the latter also netting in the stroke competition.

It sparked wild celebrations, not least from the large number of members of the 1974 team, after a cagey, engaging encounter after normal time had finished 2-2.

The game did not have as much swagger as Saturday’s semi-finals. Pembroke adopted a compact press that negated Three Rock’s speed through midfield and attack, limiting Huub de With and Johnny Bruton’s avenues of attack though there was space down the channels for Peter Blakeney, Jody Hosking and Ali Haughton to open up their legs.

Pembroke started the brighter in a lively opening stanza with Flannery and Mick O’Connor’s interchanged drawing the first corner. West stood tall to palm away Alan Sothern’s flick while he also denied the same man’s stinging reverse.

The momentum was slowed as the half wore on, not lease by a trio of Pembroke green cards for Mark Loughrey, Patrick Shanahan and Mick O’Connor. Rovers could not avail of a brief two-man advantage and half-time came with no goals.

That stat changed seven minutes into the second period when Karl Lynch won his side’s second corner and while the move did not go to plan, Harte latched on to a half-cleared ball and clipped home a crisp backhand shot.

It drew more urgency from Rovers and they played their best hockey in the minutes after the goal. Mitch Darling – an effervescent force up front – almost wormed one shot through Ingram’s pads from close range while the Pembroke net-minder pulled off a brilliant double save from Hosking and Darling soon after.
The equaliser took five minutes to arrive as de With barged his way through two light tackles and pumped the ball from right to left on an inviting 45 degree angle where Darling nipped in to deflect home. That pair combined to win Rovers’ only corner and while it was also fluffed, Peter Blakeney had the presence of mind to lift the ball past the number one runner and drag the ball into net in the 52nd minute.
Once ahead, Rovers attempted to go back into a keep-ball phase but they were caught out when a ball into midfield and Flannery burst forward, drawing that foul from McConnell. Once again, Sothern was denied by West, this time in incredible fashion from a follow-up shot, deflecting the ball onto the bar, tweaking his hamstring in the process.

Respite was short, however, as the ball was worked back around to Conor Harte who won a free just outside the 22. His long passes had been one of the features of the game and he used a disguised sweep to perfect effect to pick out the dive of Hill, a former Rover, to guide home for 2-2 on the hour.

Pembroke, though, may not regret pushing on during their man-advantage and no further chances accrued in the closing stages. Likewise, extra time was shy on drama at the end of a long weekend bar Harry Spain’s yellow card.

It meant strokes with six successfully converted before West denied Karl Lynch in round four and McConnell made amends in the most pressurised of situations.

Three Rock Rovers: S West, A Haughton, J Brennan, G Ringwood, P McConnell, J Hosking, H De With, M McGuire, M Darling, J Bruton, P Blakeney.
Subs: H Morris, F Morris, A White, D Walsh, A Bothwell

Pembroke: M Ingram, M Loughrey, C Harte, D Kane, H Spain, C Lynch, P Shanaghan, R Flannery, A Sothern, M O’Connor, C Hynes
Subs: D Harvey, S McKeever, C Wilson, T Hill, K Crawford

Umpires: R Johnston, G Caulwell

The ladies 1sts grabbed a huge 2-1 win over promotion pushers Muckross on Saturday! Maebh Holden and Aoife McNulty grabbed the two goals, both from counter attacks as the girls managed to soak up the pressure of a huge number of corners by only conceding one.
They face Trinity at home this weekend in a crucial game as the students have been picking off valuable points of late. They play on the front pitch at 11am.

The 3s and 4s had narrow single goal defeats to Glenanne and Avoca respectively. This week they face Our Ladies at home at 5pm and Muckross away at 2.30

The 2nds meanwhile have a double weekend with an early start away to Pembroke at 9.30 Saturday before making the trip to Tullamore away on Sunday.

On the mens side the 3s had a 2-2 draw with Ross Johnson and Stu-Rigby Jones scoring. This week they have Navan at 12pm at home.

The 4s had a mix up with the opposition and ourselves with each other waiting in their respective grounds on Sunday! That game will now have to be re-fixed, while they travel away to Naas for 12pm this week.

The mens 5ths had a tough 5-1 loss to Avoca. They face Clontarf away at 11am

Fresh from their big win at the weekend the lads face Cork Harlequins at 2.30pm in the 1st weekend of the IHL. Following from the girls game at 11am it should be a big day in the club so be sure to get up and catch a glimpse of the newly homed trophy!

Sunday sees the mens 2nds aiming to progress in their Irish Junior Cup as they face Monkstown at home at 3.30pm. Its a huge game for the lads so please come up to support.!!