Only a minute separated the mens 1sts from a place in the Irish Senior Cup final last Saturday morning but unfortunately it was not meant to be as Monkstown yet again produced an incredible comeback to steal the game. Having been 3-1 up at half time the lads looked comfortable but conceding corners when Monkstowns specialist Ewington was on the pitch proved to be the ultimate downfall. In the last minute of normal time he levels the game, and stepped up to score again in the first 2 minutes of extra time to seal Monkstowns place in the final, which they went on to win. It was the 2nd time in just over a week that the Town produced such a turn around and the sense of deja-vu was painful.

None the less it has been a great season for the 1sts and a big building block for going forward. They are still in contention for the Neville Cup, the next round of which will be played on Thursday night at 8pm at home.

Well done and farewell also to Colin Huet who played his last game in a Rovers shirt as he moves to London to join Anna. Hopefully we will see them both at club functions in the future!!

The 2s also suffered defeat at the hands of Monkstown in their final game of the season. They fell to a 7-5 loss in what has been described to me as a cracking game. The team finish the season in a respectable 4th position in Divison 4.

The 3rds will have to wait for promotion as their game v Pembroke was moved to the 2nd of April.

The 5ths report comes thanks to Bruce Johnson this week:
The mens 5th XI enjoyed a modest 2-1 win over YMCA at Grange Road early (11am) last Sunday morning. We had a full strength turnout, which reflects the enthusiasm of this team. YM only managed to field 10 men at the starting whistle, but the match remained scoreless at half time.

Three Rock scored first from a short corner 5 minutes after the restart, and again from open play 3 minutes later. YM scored from a short corner in the final quarter of the game.

The 5ths have another game on Tuesday evening and after that one more fixture to complete against Clontarf. The team has been populated by a great variety of club members this season, and we welcome all comers for next season.

All thanks to Doug Murray for captaining the side with his quiet authority.

As of Monday night all competitive hockey has been completed by the ladies side of the club.

The final weekend saw the 4ths painfully miss out on securing their place in Division 10 as they fell to a 3-3 draw with Loreto, having been 3-1 ahead. There was only a point between themselves and their nearest rivals.

Both the 2nds and 3rds saw out their campaigns with draw also, a 1-1 v Genesis and a 1-1 v Skerries respectively.

The ladies 1sts were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Hermes in the dying minutes of their game on Monday night with the result having no effect on their final standings.

The ladies 3rds and 4ths gathered together on Saturday night to say farewell to Maura from a coaching capacity anyway as she steps down from coaching the 3rds after many years. Siobhan made a speech thanking her for all her hard work and by all accounts it sounds like a great evening was had in the club.

The entire ladies section have had an extremely tough season and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of it this year. So many players showed tremendous club spirit by playing 2, sometimes 3, games a weekend for various teams. This effort has not gone unnoticed!

In relation to final positions here are the results:
1sts – 5th in Division 2
2nds – 1-th in Division 4
3rds – 9th in Division 7
4ths – 9th in Division 10

A huge thanks to Jody, Stephen, Maura and Nathan for their coaching and dedication throughout the season. Also thanks to Julie, Emma, Ali and Mandy for their work as captains, and to Emer and Erika for their roles as managers. Eimear, Emma and Siobhan also did great work as registrations, fixtures and results secretaries respectively.

Please contact ladies.captain@threerockrovershc.com to confirm whether you plan to return next year so that we can plan ahead! Hopefully we will see everyone back to competitive action in August with pre-season.

Until then, the captains challenge will take place on the 5th of April. Teams will be on Facebook or emailed over the next week.

This Saturday the mens 1sts have a chance to make an immediate comeback following Sundays defeat to Monkstown in the Mills Cup. This Saturday they take on the Rathdown side once again, in the first of the four Irish Senior Cup semi finals of the day. Tip off is 10.30am.

Should they win they face either Pembroke or Banbridge at 1.15pm on the Sunday. Winning the entire competition would see them as one of Irlenda European entries in the 2013/2014 season.

Despite the early start please come down to UCD for 10.30 on Saturday (and hopefully again on Sunday) to support the lads in what is a massive weekend. Its not every day that such big games come round and they would appreciate as much support as possible.

Pop down before your own game in Three Rock gear for what will be a great game!

IHL finals
We were delighted to be informed as of Tuesday night that Three Rock Rovers has been selected as the host for this years IHL finals! The club was shortlisted two weeks ago, and after a selection process became the successful candidate the other day. Speaking to the IHA club captain Rob Johnson said,’On behalf of Three Rock Rovers Working Committee, we’re delighted that our club have been selected to host the IHL Finals on the May Bank Holiday. We’re looking forwarded to finalising our plans for the weekend and providing a wonderful environment for the hockey community and people new to the game to enjoy a great weekend of activity with us in Rathfarnham’

The finals are one of the main events in the Irish hockey calendar and we are delighted to be chosen. They will be held on May 4th and 5th. More details will follow. Following the success of last weeks LHA finals when 700 people came through the gates, we would love to finish off the season by showcasing the club once again. If anyone would like to volunteer for 1-2 hours over the weekend, we would be very grateful. Contact Ali Keogh if you are willing and able to help out.

Congratulations
Huge congratulations are in order for club member Claire Barry and husband Steve on the birth of their baby boy Nathan this week.

Fixtures
The ladies sides will finish off their season this week. The 2nds play away to Genesis at 2.30pm, the 3rds are home to Skerries on the front pitch at 11, while the 4ths play lore to at home on the front pitch at 12.30. The 4ths need to win to maintain their position in division 10. Best of luck girls!!!
The 1sts need to wait until Monday to play their final game away to Hermes.

On the mens side the 5ths won out 4-1 winners over Trinity on Tuesday night. Theres plenty of back matches at the moment, so the 3rds will play North Kildare away in the cup on Wednesday at 8.15pm. On Saturday all matches have been set to allow people attend the senior cup semi final. The 2s take on Monkstown at home at 4pm. The 3rds face Pembroke away at 2.30pm with a win securing promotion in whats been a fantastic season for them! The 5ths face a double weekend meanwhile as they play Clontarf away at 2pm on Saturday and YM at home at 5pm on Sunday.

Junior boys
The u14 boys 2 weeks ago had a training session where they were coached by the mens 1sts. Following this they went on to secure a good win against Monkstown the following day. Well done boys!

Social
Unfortunately due to lack of numbers the fundraiser on the 21st of march has had to be cancelled.

The ladies side are saying farewell to Mauras reign as coach and celebrating the end of the season on Saturday night in the club from 6pm.

Over 700 people made their way through Three Rock last Sunday as we hosted the LHAs festival of hockey.

First up in the u16s Monkstown saw off first time finalists 8-0 in snowy conditions. Mount Anville won the Junior plate, while Corinthians u16s beat Alex 2-1 in a tight game.

The Jacqui Potter Cup saw Railway defeat Loreto 3-1.

Despite the weather the crowd was steady throughout the day with the biggest numbers seen for the mens final at 4pm when our lads faced Monkstown. The report from Stephen Findlater can be seen below. Even though they took a 3-1 lead the guys lost 4-3 in the final minutes. Photos from Adrian Bohem are at the following link. For those who missed the game, goal highlights are also available.

http://irishhockeyphotographers.zenfolio.com/p473605446

Steven Roberts was DJ on the night and a sizable crowd remained in the club for the rest of the evening to enjoy the festivities. Some pictures of the grounds can be seen here.

https://www.threerockrovershc.com/photos/lha-cup-finals-17th-march-2013-361111.html

Many thanks to all who helped out on the day and came to support the team. We hope to see you all in UCD on Saturday for the Irish Senior Cup semi final!

Report from Stephen Findlater from the Mills Cup final (www.hookhockey.com)

Comeback kid Andy Ewington was the unlikely hero as the New Zealander capped a stunning Monkstown comeback to land a second Leinster senior Mills Cup title in three years, seeing off Three Rock Rovers 4-3 at Grange Road.

They came back from a 3-1 deficit with Ewington firing home twice including the clincher four minutes from time with a ripping drag-flick.

He had form in this regard, scoring twice in the 2011 final win over Glenanne but has scarcely played for the first team in the past season due to external commitments.
But Graham Shaw called on his services in the wake of a spate of late injuries as he needed a set-piece expert to take the place of Richard Sykes who was absent along with senior internationals Davy Carson and Kyle Good. The latter, a former Rovers man, fell foul of appendicitis on the eve of the game.

In a cagey opening, they started off brightly with Andrew Ward nicking the ball away from Ali Haughton inside the circle and firing home the first goal.

Rovers, though, have an experienced look this term and, with Michael Maguire to the fore, played their way into the lead, winning a number of penalty corners.

Peter Blakeney scored from the first before Peter McConnell finished off the third on the half-time hooter from a finely worked move after an initially off course push out.

And the Rathfarnham side looked well set when Johnny McCormack’s crisp cross was controlled by Mitch Darling and rolled into Blakeney’s path to record his second of the day.

Monkstown responded quickly, Ewington bringing it back to 3-2 with 26 minutes left as Rovers corner routine broke down horribly at the far end.

Stephen Cole scored a beauty to level matters, twisting both ways before unleashing a reverse-stick rocket, making for a cracking finish as the game opened up markedly.

Dave Fitzgerald’s double save from Blakeney was a big moment while Rovers were initially awarded a stroke when Jody Hosking’s shot hit Ewington’s body in front of goal. An umpire’s consultation downgraded the decision to a penalty corner that was fluffed.

Monkstown’s set-piece had no such kinks and they got their chance at the death when Gareth Watkins brilliantly took down a Stephen West clearance and won the vital corner.

Ewington bulldozed it through the corner defence with little time for a Rovers riposte. They will get their chance for revenge in five day’s time though in the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals.

Patricks Day sees TRR once again hosting the Leinster Cup finals. In what the LHA are billing as a festival of hockey we play host to 5 games as the u16s and senior cups are contested.

Always a great day in the club, this year sees added significance as our own mens 1sts play for the Mills Cup at 4pm. They take on Monkstown just under a week before they face each other again in the Irish Senior Cup semi final. Its been a number of years since we have had a team at finals day so please come up and support the lads in the start of a pivotal week in their season.

Rachel will be on site all day and is running an evening deal of a pint and pasta for €10. Numbers for this are limited so we will be selling tickets for the dinner during the day. The bar will be open all day and we will have a DJ from 8pm til close. Its a perfect excuse to use some of the bar tokens that people have been given.

The schedule for matches is:
u16 boys final – Weston v Pembroke/Monkstwon at 10am
u16 girls plate – Our Ladys v Mount Anville at 11am (back pitch)
u16 girls cup – Corinthians v Alex at 12pm
Jacqui Potter senior women – Loreto v Railway at 2pm
Mills Cup senior men – Monkstown v TRR at 4pm.

Come up and support and wear your Three Rock gear!

Ladies
Commiserations to the ladies 3rds who battled so hard but were unfortunately relegated on Saturday. They had gone into the game v Pembroke (who are aiming for promotion), with a strong squad and on the back of a few good recent results. The team gave it their all with Mandy Bools pulling off some great saves to keep the score at 0-0 at half time. Indeed the best chance of the half fell to Three Rock but the ball bounced awkwardly over Becky Dawsons stick to deny her a far post goal. Unfortunately as their closest rivals had unexpectedly won the previous week, nothing short of a win would suffice and the final score sealed their fate. The girls, and Maura have worked so hard throughout the season. The effort to keep them up in recent weeks has been a club one, so thanks to all those that helped and played so many extra games.

In other results the 2nds and 4ths also lost. The 2nds had a strong defense but were unable to capatalise on chances up front and fell to a 4-1 loss to Nass. The 4ths game saw the return of some of the vets Orla Coyle and Orla McKeown to league action but unfortunately the Genesis side proved too strong as they won 5-1.They have a chance to survive in their division should they win their last game, making it a tense end to the season!

The 1sts game scheduled for Monday has been postponed due to a frozen pitch. They play Alex on Wednesday at 8pm in a game brought forward from the 23rd of March. Once played, all ladies sides will just have the one game left for this season.

Mens
The mens 3rds beat North Kildare 4-3 in a tight game in division 5. YMCA sit ahead of them in the table but our 3rds have 2 games in hand and are 4 points behind. Top of the table is a likely result if they keep up their fantastic form!

The 4ths lost out 2-1 to Railway away, while the 5ths had a narrow 1-0 win over North Kildare. While the 5ths have a Friday evening refix at 7pm at home, the 2nds-4ths have the bank holiday off before returning to action.

All of our junior girls section gathered together on Sunday for their annual Funday to mark the end of their season.

In the freezing weather the girls were mixed into teams and put through their paces with some races, with Halis team being the eventual winners on the day.

Once in the warmth of the clubhouse the annual awards were given out by all the coaches. The list of winners for player of the year is as follows:
u8 – Rebecca Latimer
u10 – Maria Bools & Caoimhe McNulty
u12 – Amy Davis & EimearO’Reilly
u14 – Karen Davis & Eva Walsh
u16 – Carol Dunne & Nessa Lee
u16 most improved player – Sophie Reid

Sadie Lorrigan and Aoife McNulty collected the u16 Cup.

Well done to all!!

The girls have all had a very successful season and we look forward to having them back in action in September.

The u16s that are moving to senior level will be included in the end of season captains challenge. They will be contacted during the summer with all info on moving up.

If anyone of the kids or parents wishes to be involved with the website next year please contact ladies.captain@threerockrovershc.com.

Thanks to all our coaches, parents, and of course to Wendy Lee for all the hard work throughout the year. We look forward to seeing you all next season!

Juniors
Last Sunday saw junior girls club finals being played in a variety of locations. Our own girls had mixed fortunes at the events but all played extremely well. The 16As lost their games against Hermes and Loreto. The 16Bs also lost in Corinthians but finished 3rd in their league! On the 14s side the As lost their 3/4 playoff so have finished their season in 4th position. The Bs meanwhile won their plate final! Well done to all involved. This week is their last week in hockey and a fun day is being held on Sunday morning.

The u16s boys fell 5-2 to a strong Monkstown side last Friday in the Atkinson Cup quarter final.

Mens
On the senior side the mens 1sts are into the Mills Cup final on St.Patricks day. They overcame YMCA 1-0 on Sunday with Jody Hosking scoring the winner. They take on Monkstown at 4pm on the 17th of March at home, just over a week before they meet again in the ISC semi final.
This is a big day for the lads and all support is welcome. There is 5 matches in total being played in Rovers during the day. The bar will be open and food will be served all day, followed by a DJ from 8pm. Its a good excuse to use some of those bar tokens! Full details will follow next week.

The lads also won their 1st round Neville Cup game in a tight battle with Fingal last Thursday evening. Jody again got two, and Colly got on the scoresheet for the second week in a row, to bring the final score to 3-2. They face Railway in the next round.

The 2nds beat Railway 3-2 last Saturday and are without a game this weekend. The 3rds are still unbeaten with a 3-3 draw with Rathgar. They travel to North Kildare at 3pm this week, and hope to retain their current top of the table position.

The 4ths game last week was postponed. They face Railway away at 15.45. The 5ths also travel to North Kildare for 12.30 start.

Ladies
The 1sts had an impressive 2-0 win over Trinity last Saturday but were unlucky to only draw with Bray 2-2 on Sunday morning. This result, combined with Genesis’ point against table toppers Pembroke means that a promotion playoff is now not a possibility. They do not have a game this weekend but will play Hermes in a refix at 7pm on Monday night.

The 2nds fell to Swords 3-1 last week, with the u16 girls once again shining! They have an early start away to Naas at 10.30 this week.

The 3rds face a win or die situation this Saturday as they play Pembroke at 11am away. They picked up a good point last week but their rivals also won, making this weekends game crucial for survival. The 4ths had an impressive 5-1 win over Guinness last week. They play at home at 11am against Genesis.

Fundraiser
Please do not forget about the fundraiser on March 21st. This is a really important event to help our hockey budget for next season. Contact Ali Keogh at 0863762075 for tickets (the number on the poster is incorrect).Tickets are €25 each with a large amount going directly into the club.

FROM: ERIC BRADSHAW

PRELIMINARY GOLF NOTICE

This year’s Golf outing will take place:-

At: Greystones Golf Club

On: Friday 7th June 2013 from 2pm on
and dinner afterwards.

Usual superb golf and dinner – great day out – all welcome.

Detailed Notice nearer the event.

Put the date in your diary now!