Women’s Pool B features a series of rematches from the 2021 edition with England losing to Germany before beating both Scotland and Ireland. As such, it makes for plenty of revenge missions in what promises to be a tight group which gets under way to much fanfare on Friday evening at the SparkassenPark. Here’s a look at each of the teams:
Women’s Pool B
England
- World ranking: 6th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 16
- Best finish: Winners (1991, 2015)
Overview: England will be looking to bounce back from 2021. when they missed out on the semi-finals for the first time in European history, eventually ending up in fifth place.
It is their first Europeans since the retirement of Maddie Hinch but there is still plenty of connections to their 2015 championship winning side. Laura Roper (née Unsworth), Lily Owsley, Sabbie Heesh and Holly Pearne-Webb combine for over 800 caps but they were hit by the loss of Giselle Ansley to injury in the days before the event.
In terms of results, they had a tricky lead-in tournament at the Four Nations Invitational tournament in Spain with losses to the home team and India in their first games in England mode since 2022. Back then, though, they were Commonwealth Games champions and if they find that form, they will be contenders.
Women’s Head Coach, David Ralph, said: “We’re all excited to get started at the EuroHockey Championships. We’ve had some good early seasons tests which I believe has been good preparation for the level of competition we’ll face in Germany.
“We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience in the team who is full of talent but there’s no denying this is the biggest competition of the year, and we will focus on executing our plans and going one match at a time.”
| Name | Caps | Goals | Club | |
| 3 | Amy Tennant | 30 (ENG 13, GBR 17) | 0 | Reading |
| 4 | Laura Roper | 330 (ENG 180, GBR 150) | 8 ENG / 4 GBR | East Grinstead |
| 7 | Hannah Martin | 128 (ENG 67, GBR 61) | 23 ENG / 14 GBR | Surbiton |
| 11 | Holly Hunt | 32 (ENG 30, GBR 2) | 4 | Hampstead & Westminster |
| 13 | Elena Rayer | 101 (ENG 66, GBR 35) | 9 ENG / 5 GBR | East Grinstead |
| 14 | Tessa Howard | 71 (ENG 31, GBR 40) | 13 ENG / 4 GBR | East Grinstead |
| 16 | Isabelle Petter | 86 (ENG 40, GBR 46) | 4 ENG / 4 GBR | Surbiton |
| 12 | Olivia Hamilton | 10 | 0 | Surbiton |
| 20 | Hollie Pearne-Webb | 247 (ENG 135, GBR 112) | 8 ENG / 4 GBR | Wimbledon |
| 21 | Fiona Crackles | 67 (ENG 37, GBR 30) | 1 ENG / 1 GBR | Wimbledon |
| 22 | Elizabeth Neal | 47 (ENG 16, GBR 31) | 0 | Loughborough Students |
| 23 | Sophie Hamilton | 50 (ENG 30, GBR 20) | 4 ENG / 2 GBR | Surbiton |
| 25 | Sabbie Heesh | 43 (ENG 16, GBR 27) | 0 | Surbiton |
| 26 | Lily Owsley | 214 (ENG 116, GBR 98) | 24 ENG / 21 GBR | Hampstead & Westminster |
| 28 | Flora Peel | 40 (ENG 25, GBR 15) | 1 | Wimbledon |
| 31 | Grace Balsdon | 130 (ENG 71, GBR 59) | 19 ENG / 9 GBR | Hampstead & Westminster |
| 41 | Lily Walker | 36 (ENG 25, GBR 11) | 0 | University of Birmingham |
| 42 | Alexandra Malzer | 25 (ENG 15, GBR 10) | 0 | East Grinstead |
| Team Manager | Samantha Beveridge |
| Head Coach | David Ralph |
| Assistant Coach | Jody Paul |
| Assistant Coach | Mark Hickman |
| Assistant Coach | Katie Glynn |
| Physiotherapist | Emma Spong |
| Physiotherapist | Celia Young |
| Physical Trainer | Thomas Batchelor |
| Psychologist | Bex Levett |
| Video Technician | Amber Luzar |
| Video Technician | Danny Crowther |
Official press release: https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/media/news/england-hockey-announce-mens-and-womens-squad-for-eurohockey-championships
Germany
- World ranking: 4th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 16
- Best finish: Winners (2013, 2017)
Overview: Speaking about his selection, German coach Valentin Altenburg says: “At the end of a very intensive and successful preparation, I’m very satisfied with the performance development of all players in the last few weeks.
“If it were up to me, I would like to make the adventure of the European Championship possible for all players. No matter where we have played as DANAS in the last few weeks, whether in Wiesbaden, Limburg or Rüsselsheim, it was always sold out. The spark jumped from the field to the spectators and from the spectators to the players. That makes an incredible amount of anticipation for a sold-out house at the European Championship in our living room. In every game of the EuroHockey Championships 2023 we will look for our chance.”
The side is captained by Nike Lorenz who heads an experienced group alongside Anne Schröder, Cecile Pieper and Charlotte Stapenhorst who is two games short of her 150th cap. Viki Huse will earn her 100th cap on opening night when she takes the field. They come into the competition following a fifth place finish in the FIH Pro League and a couple of big wins this week against Chile in uncapped warm-up fixtures.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Noelle Rother (GK) | 20 | 0 | UHC Hamburg |
| 2 | Kira Horn | 68 | 2 | Der Club an der Alster |
| 3 | Amelie Wortmann | 96 | 4 | UHC Hamburg |
| 4 | Nike Lorenz (c) | 159 | 40 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 5 | Selin Oruz | 139 | 3 | Düsseldorfer HC |
| 8 | Anne Schröder | 190 | 20 | Der Club an der Alster |
| 10 | Lisa Nolte | 13 | 1 | Düsseldorfer HC |
| 11 | Lena Micheel | 85 | 8 | UHC Hamburg |
| 12 | Charlotte Stapenhorst | 148 | 46 | Zehlendorfer Wespen |
| 16 | Sonja Zimmermann | 77 | 12 | AH&BC Amsterdam (NL) |
| 17 | Pauline Heinz | 39 | 6 | Mannheimer HC |
| 20 | Julia Sonntag (GK) | 80 | 0 | Rot-Weiss Köln |
| 22 | Cecile Pieper | 167 | 20 | HGC (NL) |
| 25 | Viktoria Huse | 99 | 10 | Der Club an der Alster |
| 27 | Stine Kurz | 18 | 1 | Mannheimer HC |
| 28 | Jette Fleschütz | 41 | 7 | Großflottbeker THGC |
| 30 | Hanna Granitzki | 94 | 4 | Der Club an der Alster |
| 31 | Linnea Weidemann | 23 | 0 | Berliner HC |
| Team Manager | Fabian Schuler |
| Head Coach | Valentin Altenburg |
| Assistant Coach | Jimi Lewis |
| Assistant Coach | Cedric Wehmeier |
| Assistant Coach | Mirko Stenzel |
| Assistant Coach | Johannes Schmitz |
| Medical Doctor | Boris Mandryka |
| Physiotherapist | Lisa Rupp |
| Physiotherapist | Benjamin Kühn |
| Physical Trainer | Janosch Emonts |
| Video Technician | Michael Soff |
| Video Technician | Gero Leichenich |
Official press release: https://magazin.hockey.de/articles/em-kader-danas-1
Ireland
- World ranking: 13th
- EuroHockey Championship appearances: 15
- Best finish: 5th (1984, 2005, 2009, 2019)
Overview: Irish coach Sean Dancer said of his side they “have made fantastic improvements over the last 12 months on and off the field, and we have high ambitions, knowing the tough challenge of a very competitive European Championship.
“This year’s Europeans also doubles as the first step of the Olympic qualification process, adding extra pressure on all those involved. We will need to stay focused on ourselves and playing our attacking style of play.”
2018 World Goalkeeper of the Year nominee Ayeisha McFerran returns to the line-up having missed last December’s FIH Nations Cup where Liz Murphy shone in her absence.
“We are excited to have Ayeisha back with us, after extended time away for her heavy club season,” Dancer said. “Lizzy Murphy has taken this as an opportunity to play and develop her game further and we are now in a position of having two strong international keepers, leading into this tournament.”
McFerran is one of the World Cup silver medalists from 2018 alongside captain Katie Mullan, Lena Tice, Deirdre Duke and Róisín Upton. Otherwise, there is a dozen of their Olympic travelling panel of 2021 while the only player who did not play in the World Cup last summer is Caitlin Sherin who made her debut against Chile last month.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | Ayeisha McFerran | 121 | 0 | Tilburg |
| 2 | Elizabeth Murphy | 21 | 0 | Loreto |
| 3 | Sarah McAuley | 24 | 0 | UCD |
| 5 | Michelle Carey | 25 | 2 | UCD |
| 6 | Roisin Upton | 104 | 24 | Catholic Institute |
| 7 | Niamh Carey | 13 | 5 | UCD |
| 8 | Sarah Hawkshaw | 61 | 3 | Railway Union |
| 9 | Kathryn Mullan | 221 | 42 | Railway Union |
| 10 | Hannah McLoughlin | 41 | 2 | UCD |
| 11 | Sarah Torrans | 47 | 1 | Loreto |
| 12 | Elena Neill | 137 | 13 | Old Alex |
| 13 | Naomi Carroll | 135 | 29 | Catholic Institute |
| 14 | Ellen Curran | 42 | 0 | Pembroke |
| 15 | Caoimhe Perdue | 14 | 0 | UCC |
| 16 | Charlotte Beggs | 14 | 0 | Ulster Elks |
| 17 | Christina Hamill | 15 | 0 | Loreto |
| 18 | Caitlin Sherin | 1 | 0 | Loreto |
| 21 | Katie McKee | 9 | 1 | Pegasus |
| 25 | Siofra O Brien | 7 | 0 | Loreto |
| 28 | Deirdre Duke | 163 | 24 | UCD |
| Team Manager | Christine O’Shea |
| Head Coach | Sean Dancer |
| Assistant Coach | Nigel Henderson |
| Assistant Coach | Facundo Quiroga |
| Assistant Coach | Sarah Kelleher |
| Physiotherapist | Bebhinn Flaherty |
| Physiotherapist | Ciara McCallion |
| Physical Trainer | Cliodhna O’Connor |
| Psychologist | Margaret McCarthy |
| Video Technician | Brian McClelland |
Official press release: https://hockey.ie/ireland-senior-women-squad-for-the-europeans-announced/
Scotland
World ranking: 18th
EuroHockey Championship appearances: 13
Best finish: 5th (1991)
Overview: Scotland qualified after winning the qualifiers in Dunkirk in 2022, with three wins from three to set up a 13th appearance on this stage.
Katie Robertson will captain the squad which will see eight players compete at the EuroHockey Championships for the first time. Sarah Robertson misses the tournament through injury, while Amy Gibson takes on the vice-captain role.
In the build-up, the Scots impressed in a series against England and recorded two wins over the Czech Republic in Edinburgh. It follows earlier prep games against Australia, Ireland, France and Wales.
Head Coach Chris Duncan said, “We have made enormous strides as a group in the last 18 months, both on and off the pitch, and our performances last summer were testament to the style of play and approach we want to be known for moving forward.
The work done since securing our place from the European Qualifier last August has allowed us to go into greater depth of detail on the technical elements of our game, and skillset to try and make further strides in our ability to perform consistently against top sides.
“Most important to us, is staying committed to our philosophy, and how we can cause problems for the excellent sides that we will play.
“This is very much a team selection that can compete here and now, but also a nod to the future. Eight players will experience the EuroHockey Championships for the first time, and with 11 players 25-years-old or younger, there is great longevity in this group. We are naturally disappointed to not be able to include our captain Sarah Robertson, who is recovering from injury; she will be an enormous loss
“We will be going out with optimism, knowing that we have nothing to lose, and will play with freedom as we try to further foster our attacking style.”
| Name | Caps | Goals | Club | |
| 1 | Jennifer Eadie | 85 (GBR 4, SCO 81) | 5 | Wimbledon (ENG) |
| 4 | Eve Pearson | 11 | 0 | University of Edinburgh |
| 5 | Laura Swanson | 21 | 1 | Der Club an der Alster (GER) |
| 6 | Sophie Hinds | 3 | 1 | University of Edinburgh |
| 8 | Amy Costello | 113 (GBR 43, SCO 70) | SCO 9 / GBR 1 | Surbiton (ENG) |
| 9 | Katie Robertson | 59 | 5 | University of Edinburgh |
| 11 | Katie Birch | 3 | 0 | Durham University (ENG) |
| 12 | Charlotte Watson | 100 (GBR 14, SCO 86) | SCO 13 / GBR 4 | Beeston (ENG) |
| 13 | Ruth Blaikie | 5 | 0 | AMVJ (NL) |
| 14 | Elizabeth Wilson | 15 | 0 | Watsonians |
| 15 | Heather McEwan | 11 | 3 | Royal Victory (BEL) |
| 17 | Sarah Jamieson | 78 | 5 | Watsonians |
| 18 | Millie Steiger | 32 | 1 | Clydesdale Western |
| 20 | Bronwyn Shields | 19 | 3 | Clydesdale Western |
| 21 | Jessica Ross | 18 | 0 | University of Edinburgh |
| 23 | Jessica Buchanan | 8 | 0 | Sevenoaks (ENG) |
| 27 | Fiona Burnet | 87 (GBR 3, SCO 84) | 17 | Wimbledon (ENG) |
| 29 | Amy Gibson | 129 (GBR 2, SCO 127) | 0 | Grove Menzieshill |
| Team Manager | Elsie Walker |
| Stand-In Manager | Kurt Rumley |
| Head Coach | Chris Duncan |
| Assistant Coach | Jimmy Culnane |
| Assistant Coach | Neil Menzies |
| Physiotherapist | Andrew Cunningham |
| Physical Trainer | Ailsa Maguire |
| Video Technician | Gareth Ikin |
Official press release: https://scottish-hockey.org.uk/scotland-womens-squad-selected-for-eurohockey-championships-2/
