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In the first of our group-by-group previews, we look at Pool A of the women&#8217;s EuroHockey Championship where world number one side the Netherlands are the side to beat.



Spain and Belgium reprise their 2021 bronze medal showdown in which the Belgians took the laurels while Italy will be looking to cause a shock along the way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pool A &nbsp;</h2>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Belgium</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>World ranking: 5th&nbsp;</li>



<li>EuroHockey Championship appearances: 12</li>



<li>Best finish: 2nd (2017)</li>
</ul>



Overview: Raoul Ehren’s rising squad are going for a third medal in four European attempts. It follows a strong run in the FIH Pro League when they ended in fourth place, winning half of their games and losing just four in 16 outings.&nbsp;



In goal, the national coach&#8217;s choice fell on Elena Sotgiu and Aisling D&#8217;Hooghe with Elodie Picard missing out. The “little youngsters” Vanessa Blockmans (defence), Camille Belis (midfielder), Emily White and Delphine Mariën (attack) saw their excellent performances in recent Pro League matches rewarded with selection for a first major tournament.&nbsp;



In addition, the Panthers also have Abigail Raye back after her injury suffered during the Belgian finals. Lien Hillewaert, Ambre Ballenghien and Picard (GK) are not included this time.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>#</td><td>Name</td><td>Caps</td><td>Goals</td><td>Club</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Justine Rasir</td><td>49</td><td>4</td><td>Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Delphine Marien</td><td>16</td><td>5</td><td>KHC Dragons</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Abi Raye</td><td>201 (BEL 46, CAN 155)</td><td>10 BEL / 10 CAN</td><td>HC Tilburg</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Charlotte Englebert</td><td>53</td><td>11</td><td>Den Bosch (NL)</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Judith Vandermeiren</td><td>216</td><td>6</td><td>Braxgata</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Emma Puvrez</td><td>181</td><td>11</td><td>HC Tilburg</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Emily White</td><td>14</td><td>7</td><td>Waterloo Ducks</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Louise Versavel</td><td>234</td><td>39</td><td>HC Tilburg</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Alix Gerniers</td><td>248</td><td>27</td><td>Gantoise</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Vanessa Blockmans</td><td>22</td><td>1</td><td>Waterloo Ducks</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Michelle Struijk</td><td>107</td><td>3</td><td>Gantoise</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Barbara Nelen</td><td>303</td><td>22</td><td>Gantoise</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Aisling D&#8217;Hooghe</td><td>214</td><td>0</td><td>Waterloo Ducks</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Stephanie Vanden Borre</td><td>166</td><td>43</td><td>Braxgata</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Elena Sotgiu</td><td>77</td><td>0</td><td>Braxgata</td></tr><tr><td>31</td><td>Lucie Breyne</td><td>44</td><td>2</td><td>Waterloo Ducks</td></tr><tr><td>36</td><td>Hélène Brasseur</td><td>45</td><td>0</td><td>Gantoise</td></tr><tr><td>40</td><td>Camille Belis</td><td>12</td><td>0</td><td>Braxgata</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Team Manager</td><td>Muriel Peche</td></tr><tr><td>Stand-In Manager</td><td>Hannes Agache</td></tr><tr><td>Head Coach</td><td>Raoul Ehren</td></tr><tr><td>Assistant Coach</td><td>Tim White</td></tr><tr><td>Medical Doctor</td><td>Katja van Oostveldt</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Valentine Smidt</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Ellen Jacobs</td></tr><tr><td>Physical Trainer</td><td>Glenn Faveyts</td></tr><tr><td>Video Technician</td><td>Michael Cosma</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Official press release: <a href="https://hockey.be/fr/red-panthers-melange-de-jeunesse-et-dexperience-dans-la-selection-pour-le-championnat-deurope-2023/">https://hockey.be/fr/red-panthers-melange-de-jeunesse-et-dexperience-dans-la-selection-pour-le-championnat-deurope-2023/</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;Italy</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>World ranking: 17th&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>



<li>EuroHockey Championship appearances: 10</li>



<li>Best finish: 7th (2007, 2013)</li>
</ul>



Overview: Italy qualified for a second successive appearance in the top tier following their victory in Vilnius last summer, getting the best of Lithuania and Ukraine. Since then, they grabbed a fifth place finish in the FIH Nations Cup in December, going unbeaten throughout – they drew group matches against higher ranked Korea, Ireland and Spain before beating South Africa 2-0 and Korea in a shoot-out.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="451" height="317" src="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2027" srcset="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-4.png 451w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-4-300x211.png 300w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-4-1x1.png 1w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-4-200x141.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Italy&#8217;s Lara Oviedo. Picture: Koen Suyk/World Sport Pics</figcaption></figure>



The side is well travelled with nine players based in Belgium, four in Spain and captain Sara Puglisi played with promoted Dutch side Oranje Rood. There is also a trio of ex-Argentina internationals: the vastly experienced Lara Oviedo along with Ivanna Pessina and Camila Machin.&nbsp;



Federica Carta is the main goalscoring option while there is set to be debuts for Antonella Rinaldi and Chiara di Bella. They do have a late change to their line-up with goalkeeper Sofia Monserrat missing out through injury with Under-21 international Giulia Bianchini getting the call-up.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>#</td><td>Name</td><td>Caps</td><td>Goals</td><td>Club</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Giulia Bianchini (GK)</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Butterfly Roma ACC</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Teresa Dalla Vittoria</td><td>34</td><td>0</td><td>White Star (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Ailin Oviedo</td><td>18</td><td>1</td><td>Real Sociedad (ESP)</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Elettra Bormida</td><td>14</td><td>0</td><td>White Star (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Emilia Munitis</td><td>35</td><td>0</td><td>Real Sociedad (ESP)</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Dalila Mirabella</td><td>111</td><td>4</td><td>Polisportiva Valverde</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Antonella Rinaldi</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Atlètic Terrassa (ESP)</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Lucia Caruso (GK)</td><td>12</td><td>0</td><td>Sanse Complutense (ESP)</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Antonella Bruni</td><td>13</td><td>0</td><td>Royal Victory (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Federica Carta (c)</td><td>52</td><td>17</td><td>Real Sociedad (ESP)</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Candela Carosso</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>SG Amsicora</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Sara Puglisi (c)</td><td>35</td><td>0</td><td>Oranje Rood (NL)</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>Mercedes Pastor</td><td>13</td><td>1</td><td>Herakles (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Sofia Laurito</td><td>31</td><td>4</td><td>Waterloo Ducks (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>Lara Oviedo</td><td>60 (ARG 4, ITA 56)</td><td>19</td><td>Gantoise (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>28</td><td>Ivanna Pessina</td><td>53 (ARG 10, ITA 43)</td><td>4</td><td>KHC Leuven (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Camila Machin</td><td>12 (ARG 2, ITA 10)</td><td>3</td><td>Royal Victory (BEL)</td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>Chiara Di Bella</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>CUS Torino</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Team Manager</td><td>Ivonne Allers</td></tr><tr><td>Head Coach</td><td>Robert Justus</td></tr><tr><td>Assistant Coach</td><td>Andrés Mondo</td></tr><tr><td>Medical Doctor</td><td>Elisa Checchi</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Giovanni Monachesi</td></tr><tr><td>Physical Trainer</td><td>Sandro Bartolomei</td></tr><tr><td>Video Technician</td><td>Lucas vanden Bossche</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



&nbsp;Official press release: <a href="https://www.federhockey.it/home/fih/comunicati-stampa/comunicati-stampa-blog/12835-azzurre-le-convocate-per-il-championship-di-moenchengladbach-torneo-al-via-il-18-agosto.html">https://www.federhockey.it/home/fih/comunicati-stampa/comunicati-stampa-blog/12835-azzurre-le-convocate-per-il-championship-di-moenchengladbach-torneo-al-via-il-18-agosto.html</a>&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&nbsp;Netherlands &nbsp;</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>World ranking: 1st&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>



<li>EuroHockey Championship appearances: 16</li>



<li>Best finish: Winners – 11 times (1984, 1987, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2017,&nbsp; 2019, 2021)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



Overview: The Netherlands are going for a fourth successive title having gone unbeaten in the EuroHockey Championships since the 2015 final shoot-out against England. There remain a couple of links to that event with Laura Nunnink, Margot van Geffen, Maria Verschoor and Anne Veenendaal linking the generations.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="451" height="300" src="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2028" srcset="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-5.png 451w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-5-300x200.png 300w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-5-1x1.png 1w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-5-200x133.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">2021 champions The Netherlands. Pic: Koen Suyk/World Sport Pics</figcaption></figure>



It has something of a new look with experienced players from last year’s World Cup gold like Eva de Goede and Lidewij Welten not included while Sabine Plönissen stepped back from the panel in recent weeks. With Marloes Keetels and Laurien Leurink retiring, it means a bit of a shake-up to their line-up but they swept to Pro League glory this season with Yibbi Jansen scoring a goal a game.&nbsp;



Felice Albers is the current world player of the year and Frédérique Matla is another goal machine in a hugely exciting line-up.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>#</td><td>Name</td><td>Caps</td><td>Goals</td><td>Club</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Anne Veenendaal (GK)</td><td>103</td><td>0</td><td>AH&amp;BC Amsterdam</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Luna Fokke</td><td>14</td><td>2</td><td>SV Kampong</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Rosa Fernig</td><td>6</td><td>0</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Freeke Moes</td><td>41</td><td>10</td><td>AH&amp;BC Amsterdam</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Lisa Post</td><td>25</td><td>0</td><td>SCHC</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Xan de Waard</td><td>196</td><td>19</td><td>SCHC</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Yibbi Jansen</td><td>52</td><td>34</td><td>SCHC</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Renee van Laarhoven</td><td>45</td><td>3</td><td>SCHC</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Felice Albers</td><td>47</td><td>19</td><td>AH&amp;BC Amsterdam</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Maria Verschoor</td><td>184</td><td>28</td><td>AH&amp;BC Amsterdam</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Sanne Koolen</td><td>89</td><td>0</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Frédérique Matla</td><td>114</td><td>83</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Joosje Burg</td><td>22</td><td>13</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>Pien Sanders</td><td>101</td><td>4</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>Marijn Veen</td><td>36</td><td>16</td><td>AH&amp;BC Amsterdam</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Laura Nunnink</td><td>172</td><td>2</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Pien Dicke</td><td>27</td><td>10</td><td>SCHC</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Josine Koning (GK)</td><td>113</td><td>0</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Margot Van Geffen</td><td>252</td><td>17</td><td>Den Bosch</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Elzemiek Zandee</td><td>11</td><td>2</td><td>SCHC</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Team Manager</td><td>Wietske de Ruiter</td></tr><tr><td>Head Coach</td><td>Paul van Ass</td></tr><tr><td>Assistant Coach</td><td>Thomas Tichelman</td></tr><tr><td>Medical Doctor</td><td>Jolanda Heere</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Sacha van Lith</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Jan van &#8216;t Land</td></tr><tr><td>Video Technician</td><td>Shaffy Cohen</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Spain</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>World ranking: 7th&nbsp;</li>



<li>EuroHockey Championship appearances: 16</li>



<li>Best finish: 2nd (1995, 2003)</li>
</ul>



Overview: Spain enter the competition looking to win a medal for the fourth time in the Europeans following a pair of silvers and a third place in 2019 in Antwerp. It is a squad transitioning with a number of big guns not involved for this tournament like Gigi Oliva, Carlota Petchamé and Lola Riera.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="451" height="335" src="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-2029" srcset="https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-6.png 451w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-6-300x223.png 300w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-6-1x1.png 1w, https://admin.eurohockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-6-200x149.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 451px) 100vw, 451px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Spanish captain Maria Lopez. Pic: World Sport Pics</figcaption></figure>



It has brought in a number of new faces into the mix but there is still plenty of experience. Captain Maria Lopez is in her sixth European campaign while goalkeeper Maria Ruiz is back involved having given birth to her first child last year. There twins in the panel with Club de Campo sisters Sara (after a spell with SV Kampong) and Laura Barrios.



Lucia Jimenez – whose father was a 3,000m European champion in 1996 &#8211; was named the MVP in the German Bundesliga for champions Mannheimer HC.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>#</td><td>Name</td><td>Caps</td><td>Goals</td><td>Club</td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Maria Ruiz (GK)</td><td>171</td><td>0</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Laura Barrios</td><td>39</td><td>4</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Sara Barrios</td><td>27</td><td>3</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Júlia Strappato</td><td>26</td><td>0</td><td>Junior FC</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Lucia Jimenez</td><td>164</td><td>12</td><td>Mannheimer HC (GER)</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Maria Lopez (c)</td><td>234</td><td>22</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Belén Iglesias</td><td>90</td><td>4</td><td>Großflottbeker THGC (GER)</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Marta Segu</td><td>100</td><td>20</td><td>Real Club de Polo</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Maialen Garcia</td><td>123</td><td>8</td><td>Club Egara</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Candela Mejias</td><td>60</td><td>1</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>Clara Ycart</td><td>81</td><td>2</td><td>Düsseldorfer HC (GER)</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Xantal Gine</td><td>188</td><td>12</td><td>Real Club de Polo</td></tr><tr><td>21</td><td>Beatriz Perez</td><td>246</td><td>27</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>22</td><td>Laia Vidosa</td><td>22</td><td>1</td><td>Junior FC</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>Alejandra Torres-Quevedo</td><td>78</td><td>1</td><td>Club de Campo</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>Clara Perez (GK)</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>Atlètic Terrassa</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Patricia Alvarez</td><td>24</td><td>2</td><td>Real Club de Polo</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Team Manager</td><td>Raul Gomez</td></tr><tr><td>Stand-In Manager</td><td>Alberto Ruiz</td></tr><tr><td>Head Coach</td><td>Adrian Lock</td></tr><tr><td>Assistant Coach</td><td>Carlos Garcia Cuenca</td></tr><tr><td>Assistant Coach</td><td>Eduardo Aguilar</td></tr><tr><td>Medical Doctor</td><td>Rafael Gonzalez</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Mariona Ramos</td></tr><tr><td>Physiotherapist</td><td>Berta Moreno</td></tr><tr><td>Physical Trainer</td><td>Lorena Gutierrez</td></tr><tr><td>Video Technician</td><td>Andrew Wilson</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Official press release: <a href="https://www.rfeh.es/convocatoria-de-la-absoluta-femenina-para-el-eurohockey-2023/">https://www.rfeh.es/convocatoria-de-la-absoluta-femenina-para-el-eurohockey-2023/</a>&nbsp;

EHC 2023 – Netherlands the side to beat in Women’s Pool A

As the EuroHockey Championship brings together so many of the world’s best players, the same is true for the officials with an all-star line-up of officials assembled for the event in Mönchengladbach from August 18 to 27.



All told in senior outdoor international fixtures, the umpires have stood in 1,717 matches, 55 previous European top tier tournaments, 23 World Cups and 12 Olympic Games.



Laurine Delforge (BEL), Ben Goentgen (GER) and Michelle Meister (GER) are all set for their sixth Euros while Sarah Wilson has officiated in the women’s final for the past four editions.



To further illustrate the calibre, Dutchman Coen van Bunge whistled at the men’s Olympic Games final in Tokyo while Delforge and Wilson were on the women’s final, a role the former also did in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Jakub Mejzlík (CZE) umpired the men’s World Cup final earlier this year.



They will be guided by a team of umpire managers packed with top class know-how while the tournament’s technical delegates are Chris Brewer (WAL) and Magda Nazaret (POL) who will ensure each facet runs to order.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TOURNAMENT OFFICIALS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td>Nationality</td><td>Role</td></tr><tr><td>Chris Brewer</td><td>WAL</td><td>Technical Delegate</td></tr><tr><td>Magda Nazaret</td><td>POL</td><td>Technical Delegate</td></tr><tr><td>Udo Rolle</td><td>GER</td><td>Medical Officer</td></tr><tr><td>Marijke Fleuren</td><td>NED</td><td>EHF Representative</td></tr><tr><td>Alison Keogh</td><td>IRL</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Ben Goentgen</td><td>GER</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Céline Martin-Schmets</td><td>BEL</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Coen Van Bunge</td><td>NED</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Dan Barstow</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Gema Calderon</td><td>ESP</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Hannah Harrison</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Ivona Makar</td><td>CRO</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Jakub Mejzlik</td><td>CZE</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Jonas Van&#8217;t Hek</td><td>NED</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Laurine Delforge</td><td>BEL</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Lisette Baljon</td><td>NED</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Martin Madden</td><td>SCO</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Dutrieux</td><td>BEL</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Michael Gholami-Eilmer</td><td>AUT</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Michelle Meister</td><td>GER</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Rachel Williams</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Sarah Wilson</td><td>SCO</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Sean Edwards</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Vincenzo Antonio Ilgrande</td><td>ITA</td><td>Umpire</td></tr><tr><td>Hamish Jamson</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Rob ten Cate</td><td>NED</td><td>Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Louise Knipe</td><td>ENG</td><td>Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Fanneke Alkemade</td><td>NED</td><td>Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Gregory Maya-Perez</td><td>FRA</td><td>Assistant Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Gabriele Schmitz</td><td>GER</td><td>Assistant Umpires Manager</td></tr><tr><td>Ulrike Schmidt</td><td>GER</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Michiel Christiaanse</td><td>NED</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Jan Lehejcek</td><td>CZE</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Lorna Eadie</td><td>SCO</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Richard Chere</td><td>ENG</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Erica Porter</td><td>IRL</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Sonja Schwede</td><td>GER</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Daniel Gass</td><td>GER</td><td>Judge</td></tr><tr><td>Martin Monaghan</td><td>SCO</td><td>Technical Officer</td></tr><tr><td>Jolanta Liskauskiene</td><td>LTU</td><td>Technical Officer</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

All-star officials to blow the whistle at EHC 2023

EHC 2023 – Rematches galore in Women’s Pool B

France won the women’s EuroHockey Championship II in Prague as two early goals saw them defeat the Czech Republic hosts, completing a great week’s work.



The Czechs, though, were able to celebrate a ticket to the Olympic qualifiers along with fourth place finishers Ukraine, coming in just behind bronze medal winners Wales.



In the final, the French got off to a dream start when Alice Lesgourgues scored a corner drag-flick and that was back up by a clever deflection move from Tessa-Margot Schubert in the seventh minute for 2-0.



The French dominated those early phases and went close to a third with a strong reverse-stick shot before the Czechs settled.&nbsp;



They were unable to make full use of three corners before the end of the first quarter and another batch in the closing quarter when Kamila Kopecká was on the charge.



Lucie Ehrmann also made some brilliant stops to keep a clean sheet for the French and add to a hugely positive summer for their female teams. This was their best result in Europe for 18 years.



Indeed, player of the tournament Philippine Delemazure traversed both their Under-18 side’s retention of top division status in Crefeld last month and then shone in this tournament.



She was one of the award winners along with Czech goalkeeper Barbora Ćecháková while Ukraine’s Karyna Leonova top scored with five strikes.



Ukraine, though, were denied a medal by Wales who produced a great comeback in normal time and then won a shoot-out to finish on the podium.



Veronika Movchan and Yevheniia Moroz built a 2-0 half-time lead but that was wiped out in the third quarter via Elisabeth Bingham and Isabelle Howell for 2-2.



Then Ella Jackson kept out all three Ukranian shoot-outs while Phoebe Richards, Isobel Webb and Millie Holme all scored for a 3-0 success. It was their best performance since 2009 while it was Ukraine’s highest placing in Europe since 2007.



In Pool C, Poland defeated seventh placed Lithuania 3-0 to claim fifth spot; Austria were too strong for eighth finishers Slovakia and so took sixth place.

France continue excellent summer with women’s Championship II gold

Men&#8217;s EuroHockey Championship II (Dublin, Ireland)



Pool C



Czech 7 Türkiye 1



Czech finished the event in Dublin with a dominant display to secure the top place in Pool C. Lukas Plochy was in flying form, with a goal in every quarter to help his team to the easy win.



Goalscorers Czech-&nbsp; TOMEŠ Denis, PLOCHÝ Lukas (4), UHLÍŘ Adam (2) Türkiye- EKINCI Müslüm







Switzerland 4 Portugal 6



It was goals aplenty in this second Pool C game, with Portugal converting more of their chances to seal the victory.



Goalscorers Switzerland-HUG Yannick, STOMPS Boris (2), HENGARTNER Lukas Portugal-FRANCO David (2), CASTRO Rodrigo (2), CARAMALHO Afonso, FOURIE Aidan







3/4th playoff



Italy 1 Scotland 4



Italy got the better start to this bronze medal game, with Davide Arosio giving his team the narrow lead going into half time. Scotland found their feet after the break to see the game out comfortably.



Goalscorers Italy- AROSIO Davide Scotland- MORAN Fraser, GOLDEN Jamie (2), LOCHRIN Andrew







Final



Ukraine 2 Ireland 5



Reaching the final meant an Olympic Qualifier spot was already secure for both teams, though there was no drop in intensity from either team in this match.



Ireland got the better start through Shane O Donoghue, but Paziuk and Boiko made it 2-1 to see out the first quarter. Four in quick succession from Ireland (including 2 in 2 minutes from Captain Seán Murray) sealed the win for the Irish.



Goalscorers Ukraine- PAZIUK Viacheslav, BOIKO Oleksandr Ireland- O&#8217;DONOGHUE Shane, MURRAY Sean (2), WALKER Benjamin, COLE Lee







Final Standing:



1. Ireland



2. Ukraine



3. Scotland



4. Italy



5. Czech Republic



6. Switzerland



7. Portugal



8. Türkiye







Top Scorer: Lee Cole (IRL) Best Goalkeeper: David Harte (IRL) Best Player: Sean Murray (IRL)



Men&#8217;s EuroHockey Championship III (Skierniewice, Poland)



Malta 8 Serbia 0



A high-scoring game to start the day in Skierniewice as Malta aimed to finish above Lithuania in the standings. It was sufficient in the end, as Lithuania’s scoreless result against Poland meant Malta place above them on goal difference.



Goalscorers Malta-DEGIOVANNI Tom (3), CALLEJA Keith, AGIUS Christ, DEGIOVANNI Zak, BAJADA Luke, ZAHRA Julian



Croatia 6 Gibraltar 1



A high-intensity game as this was essentially to decide second place (unless there was a surprise loss for Poland later in the day). Gibraltar got the better start but couldn’t hold out against a stronger Croatian side.



Goalscorers Gibraltar- HERNANDEZ Julian Croatia- KRLEŽA Josip (2), FUJS Gregor, GRGUREV Ivan, ĆAĆIĆ Marko, ZLATAR Fran



Poland 4 Lithuania 0



A great finish from Poland to see out the event and secure top spot. Lithuania will be pleased at their strong showing against the tournament’s dominant side- indeed this was the closest scoreline an opponent of Poland managed.



Goalscorers Poland- RUTKOWSKI Wojciech, MAŁECKI Dominik, PAWLAK Robert, &nbsp;BEMBENEK Eryk







Final standing:



1. Poland



2. Croatia



3. Gibraltar



4. Malta



5. Lithuania



6. Serbia



Top scorer: Eryk Bembenek (POL) Best Goalkeeper: Joseph Borg (GIB) Best Player: Mateusz Nowakowski (POL)







Women&#8217;s EuroHockey Championship III (Zagreb, Croatia)



Croatia 1 Gibraltar 2



A fantastic result in Zagreb for Gibraltar- a bronze medal and their first-ever win. First-half goals from Reighann Olivero and Tara Bossano-Annes put them in front and Gibraltar held on to get the medal.



Goalscorers Croatia- ČEPO Lucija Gibraltar- OLIVERO Reighann, BOSSANO-ANNES Tara



Türkiye 3 Switzerland 1



The final in Zagreb was close-fought, with Türkiye in front through tournament topscorer Fatma Songül GÜLTEKIN Fatma Songül. The leaders pulled away in the final minutes, with two more to see it out. Sarah ZEPF pulled one back in the final minutes for the Swiss, but it could only be a consolation.



Goalscorers Türkiye- GÜLTEKIN Fatma Songül (2), ÇINAR Perihan Switzerland- ZEPF Sarah



Final Standing:



1. Türkiye



2. Switzerland



3. Gibraltar



4. Croatia



Top scorer: GÜLTEKIN Fatma Songül (TUR)

Gold for Ireland, Türkiye and Poland at the EHC II and III

Men’s EuroHockey Championship II (Dublin, Ireland)



Pool A



Portugal 1 Türkiye 2



A close game to open the day here in Dublin. Portugal led by one going into half time, but Türkiye pulled two back in a five-minute period to claim the win.



Goalscorers Portugal- FOURIE Aidan Türkiye- ELAGÖZ Müslüm, EKINCI Müslüm



&nbsp;Czech 2 Switzerland 2



This draw means both teams moved above Türkiye in Pool C, with Switzerland on top of the group.



Goalscorers Czech- PLOCHÝ Lukas (2) Switzerland – STOMPS Boris,HUG Yannick



&nbsp;Semi-Final 1



Italy 3 Ukraine 3 (SO Italy 3 Ukraine 4)



Ukraine secured their place in the Olympic Qualifiers with this win over Italy. It was a lively game- Italy taking the lead early but Ukraine responding two minutes later. Through a field goal in the second quarter Ukraine led going into the break. Two goals from Davide Arosio looked to have given the win to Italy, but they could only enjoy it for a minute before Maksym Onofriiuk sent the game to shoutout.



Goalscorers Italy- MONDO Manuel, AROSIO Davide (2) Ukraine- PAZIUK Viacheslav, KOSHELENKO Andrii, ONOFRIIUK Maksym



Goalscorers Shootout Italy- KEENAN Thomas, BROCCO Claudio, AMOROSINI Mattia Ukraine- ONOFRIIUK Maksym, SHEVCHUK Vitalii, KOVALENKO Bohdan, KOSHELENKO Andrii



&nbsp;Semi-Final 2



Ireland 4 Scotland 1



Hosts Ireland secured their place in both the final and the Olympic Qualifiers with this comprehensive win over Scotland.



The game was close and scoreless going into halftime, but two in the third and two in the final quarter sealed it. Alan Forsyth got Scotland on the scoreboard two minutes to the end.



Goalscorers Ireland – DUNCAN Jeremy, JOHNSON Ben, COLE Lee (2) Scotland- FORSYTH Alan







Men’s EuroHockey Championship III (Skierniewice, Poland)



Lithuania 8 Serbia 2



A lively game and a comfortable win for Lithuania. Serbia will be pleased with their performance though, and scored their first goals of the event here.



Goalscorers Lithuania -BALBATUNOVAS Ignas (2), SINKEVIČIUS Povilas (2), ALEKNAVIČIUS Laimonas, POCEVICIUS Mantvydas, RIDLAUSKAS Arnas, STANKEVIČ Rafal Serbia- LOSONCI Adam, MARJANUŠIĆ Darko



&nbsp;Malta 2 Croatia 5



Malta defended well for the first quarter, maintaining the same spread and keeping their opponents out. However Croatia proved too strong, and a flurry of goals in the third quarter secured the win.



Goalscorers Malta – CHIRCOP Karl, CALLEJA Keith Croatia – KRAJINOVIĆ David, ĆAĆIĆ Marko, FUJS Gregor, SLUGA Noa, MESARIĆ Luka



&nbsp;Gibraltar 0 Poland 6



A big home crowd saw Poland secure a comfortable win in the last game of the day. Gibraltar had some moments to score in the first half, but failed to convert. Poland were much more clinical, upping the energy after the first quarter and taking their chances.



Goalscorers Poland – RUTKOWSKI Wojciech (4), BEMBENEK Eryk, MAŁECKI Dominik







Women’s EuroHockey Championship III (Zagreb, Croatia)



After Match Day 3 here in Zagreb, Türkiye and Switzerland top the Pool and will meet in tomorrow’s final.



Türkiye 6 Gibraltar 0



A hattrick from Fatma Songül Gültekin helped Türkiye to a comfortable win against Gibraltar.



Goalscorers Türkiye- GÜLTEKIN Fatma Songül (3), TAŞKIRAN İlayda, KENDIR Zeliha, PAKSOY Gülcan



Croatia 0 Switzerland 0



Maintaining this draw secured Switzerland’s position above Croatia in the standings, sending them to the final.

Ukraine and Ireland secure Olympic Qualifier places, Serbia up their game in Skierniewice, Türkiye and Switzerland advance to final

The EuroHockey roadshow moves to Prague on Sunday for the women’s Championship II where eight teams will be looking for glory.



There are two Olympic qualifier tickets on offer for the best two placed sides other than France (already qualified as Paris 2024 hosts) and Wales who come under the Great Britain banner for Olympic consideration.



Pool A features the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine while Pool B has Austria, France, Lithuania and Wales with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.



** All games from the event in Prague will be live-streamed on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eurohockeytv.org/">www.eurohockeytv.org</a>



Women’s EuroHockey Championship II (Prague, Czech Republic)



Pool A



Czech Republic (WR: 23)



Hosts Czech Republic come into the competition as the highest ranked side on the world list but know how tough the tournament is having finished in sixth place in Prague in 2021.



It is something of a new era for the side with Tereza Mejzlíková, Jindriška Neusser and Veronika Nováková retiring from the national team after long stints. It is a side with plenty of rising talent with Kamila Kopecká, Katerina Topinkova, Natalie Hajková and Lucie Ducková part of their excellent Under-21 indoor side that won Euro silver in January.



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Katerina Lacina, Adela Lehovcova and goalkeeper Barbora Ćecháková bring the experience. They qualified as second placed finishers in 2022’s qualifiers with wins over Poland and Türkiye.



Their preparations hit a stumbling block when their luggage was en route to Scotland for a series where they lost their one capped match of 2023 4-0.



Poland (WR: 27)



Fresh from their excellent silver medal at the Hockey5s, many of Norbert Nederlof’s charges have already had an excellent summer. Marlena Rybacha is one of the team’s leading lights having helped Tilburg enjoy a fine season in the Dutch Hoofdklasse while Amelia Katerla plays in the second Dutch tier with MOP.



There is also a quintet of German-based players while four of the panel comes from national champions KS Hokej Start Brzeziny. Maria Drozda steps up from the Under-18 side who she captained to the Championship II in Swansea a couple of weeks ago.



They finished in third place in both 2019 and 2021 before finishing in third place in their qualifier last summer in Dublin, losing to group rivals Czech Republic 1-0.&nbsp;



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Slovakia (WR: 63)



Slovakia come into the competition as the lowest ranked side at 63rd on the FIH list but are looking forward to their first shot at competing in Championship II.



Previously, their best outing was a third place in the third division which occurred at this same venue in 2005 while they were in sixth place in 2021 and fifth in 2019.



They qualified when they edged out Croatia to claim third place last summer in Durham. They will look to the likes of Dominika Chebenova and captain Natalia Fondrkova to lead their challenge.&nbsp;



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Ukraine (WR: 28)



Ukraine are back in Championship II after a four-year break having won Championship III in Lipovci two years ago. Before that, they gravitated between fifth and eighth in the second division between 2009 and 2019.&nbsp;



This year, though, they can build on an upbeat time within the hockey field and courts – in contrast to away from it – notably with a European bronze medal indoors in Hamburg last December and then again this summer in the Hockey5s in Walcz to qualify for the World Cup.



They qualified courtesy of a strong 3-0 win over Lithuania a year ago with Karyna Leonova, Oksana Ponomarenko and the vastly experienced Yevheniia Moroz scoring. They pushed top-tier bound Italy to the limit in the final of their qualifiers, falling 1-0.



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Pool B



Austria (WR: 31)



Austria will hope to push toward the semi-final spots again having done so in 2019 when they ended in fourth place, coming in between a run of three seventh placed finishes in 2015, 2017 and 2021.



It is a largely homebased side with several players from WAC while Katharina Bauer (Harvestehuder THC) and Fiona Felber (Mannheimer HC) play in the German leagues. There are 11 players in the panel that reached the indoor World Cup final earlier this year while Katharina Proksch captained Austria’s Under-18s two weeks ago in Krefeld in their debut in the top division.



The competition will be Corinna Zerbs last one as head coach as she will move on to work with the German federation in August.&nbsp;



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France (WR: 26)



With a place at the Paris Olympics assured, the French side can use this competition to help develop their credentials which appear to be on the rise.



France shone last week with two wins over top tier Scotland during which Yohanna Lhopital, Marie Simon and Delfina Gaspari all made their 50th international appearances. Philippine Delemazure stepped up from her starring role with the Under-18s to score twice in a 4-2 victory.&nbsp;



Prior to that, they were also highly competitive against Japan. The side has a breadth of experience with players in the Dutch, German, Belgian and Spanish leagues in their panel. They were second two years ago in Prague and will hope to be in the mix for gold again.



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Lithuania (WR: 58)



Lithuania come into the competition in search of their first win on the international stage for the first time since 2019 following a couple of tricky years. Their third place finish in Vilnius last year in the qualifiers, though, was enough to get a place in Championship II.



The side is led by captain Donata Grigiene and they face a number of rematches from the 2021 competition where they met Austria and the Czech Republic, both of whom are group stage rivals this time around.



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Wales (WR: 24)



Wales are facing into the competition off the back of a Tri-Nations Series in Uruguay and will certainly be looking to build upon those performances in Prague. Sarah Jones and Izzie Howell have recently been appointed Vice-Captains of the squad, supporting Captain Beth Bingham.



Bethan Thomas is selected in her first major senior tournament since receiving her 1st cap in June in Uruguay. Izzie Howell – who plays in Germany with Zehlendorfer Wespen – and Izzy Webb are both in line to receive their 50th cap for Wales during the Euros. The squad consists of 12 members who competed at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.



Head Coach Kevin Johnson said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing this team perform in Prague at the Euros. The selected group has a decent balance to it in a number of different ways and is capable of producing moments of high quality so we need to make sure we get off to a positive start and then remain consistent with our approach and execution in our bid for success.”



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Prague the next stop on EuroHockey Championship roadshow for women’s second tier

Ireland became the first side to advance to the semi-finals in the men’s Championship II in Dublin with a second big win while Gibraltar, Croatia and Poland all have perfect records in Skierniewice.



In Zagreb, Gibraltar created history when they played their first women’s international match; they were undone by Switzerland whose 4-0 win was matched by Türkiye’s win over hosts Croatia.



Men’s EuroHockey Championship II (Dublin, Ireland)



Pool A



Czech Republic 4 Portugal 3



Lukas Plóchy scored a 58th minute winner to ignite the Czech Republic’s chances of reaching the semi-finals, winning a cracker against Portugal.



Rodrigo Castro had Portugal in front in Q1 before the towering Ondrej Hes equalised in the second quarter. The Czechs took the lead for the first time in the second half through Jakub Klaban amid a helter-skelter phase.



Vasco Ribeiro equalised at 2-2 but Plóchy made it 3-2 within a couple of minutes. Tiago Ventosa levelled for a third time with the game’s fourth goal in an 11-minute spell but Plóchy eventually settled it.



Ukraine 0 Ireland 7



Ireland confirmed their semi-final spot as their set piece power earned them a second comfortable win of the week. Penalty corner strikes from Shane O’Donoghue and Lee Cole made it 2-0 at half-time and the same pair scored in Q3, the former from a corner, the latter from a stroke, for a 4-0 advantage.



They added three more in the last four minutes to strengthen their place at the top of the table, Ben Walker, Conor Empey and another Cole stroke making it seven.&nbsp;They are now three points clear of the Czechs and Ukraine who meet on Wednesday.



Men’s EuroHockey Championship III (Skierniewice, Poland)



Gibraltar 7 Lithuania 2



Gibraltar became the first side to make it six points from the first two days of the competition as they had too much in the tank for Lithuania. Julian Lopez scored from a stroke in the second minute; Lithuania levelled from a corner deflection goal via Algirdas Jackevicius but Gibraltar never looked back once they hit the front again before the end of the first quarter from Julian Hernandez’s close range goal.



A lovely Ethan Balban first-time goal stretched the lead to 3-1 and Joseph Caetano slapped in a fourth in the third quarter. Craig Bossano-Anes got the fifth after a flowing team move. Arnas Ridlauskas got one back but one more from Hernandez and Caetano closed out the win.



Serbia 0 Croatia 7



Croatia are up to two wins from two thanks to their seven goal win over neighbours Serbia. Teenager Noa Sluga set the ball rolling before Josip Krleža took over with four goals in four minutes in the second quarter including a delicious behind-the-back tap and a reverse-stick rocket.



Gregor Fujs added two more in the second half to continue their confident start to the tournament.



Poland 6 Malta 0



Poland made it two big wins from two as they got the best of Malta. Eryk Bembenek emphatically hit the top of the net in the 15th minute and they were 2-0 up from a Jacek Kurowski corner before half-time.



Mateusz Nowakowski weaved a gap down the left baseline for the third in the second half and they finished with a flourish with Bembenek adding two more either side of a Robert Pawlak goal.



Croatia and Poland put their 100% records to the test on Wednesday on day three of the competition while Gibraltar meet Serbia and Lithuania face Malta.



Women’s EuroHockey Championship III (Zagreb, Croatia)



Switzerland 4 Gibraltar 0



Switzerland showed their know-how to get the win on what was an historic day for Gibraltar, playing in their first ever women’s international fixture. They were under pressure from the start but defended well until Nathanja Verburg broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when she followed up an initial block.



And the Swiss picked up the pieces again in the first 45 seconds of the second half from a loose clearance, Sarah Zepf cashing in. Sofie Stomps got the third from a swift right-wing attack and Nadine Pfister completed the win.



Türkiye 4 Croatia 0



Türkiye began their competition in upbeat mood with a 4-0 win over hosts Croatia to share top spot after day one in Zagreb. Corner injector Tugçe Sahiner started it off in the third minute before a run of three goals in four minutes before the end of the third quarter settled matters.



A driving run from Perihan Çinar set up Zeliha Kendir for a great goal to start that run. Fatma Songül Gültekin roofed the next on the dive and, from the next attack, Çinar was on the end of a smooth move.



The Turks meet Switzerland on day two in a battle to see who will take top spot at this early stage of the competition and put themselves in pole position for a top-two spot.

Gibraltar make international debut in Zagreb as Ireland shine in Dublin and three sides are 100% in Poland

Zagreb is set to host European competition for the second time in as many weeks with four teams battling it out for the EuroHockey Championship III title.



It will have a piece of history attached with Gibraltar playing in a women’s Euros for the first time, going up against the hosts, Switzerland and Türkiye. They will play an initial round-robin group before the top two go into the final and the bottom two contest the bronze match.



Below is a look at the teams in action.



** All games will be broadcast on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eurohockeytv.org/">www.eurohockeytv.org</a>



EuroHockey Championship III Women



Croatia (WR: 45)



Croatia come into the competition off the back of two wins over Hungary with goals spread between Dora Jelcic, Lucija Nizek, Martina Petretić, Ana Čolić and Lucija Čepo.



Čepo was in outstanding form for HAHK Mladost in club action, top scoring with eight goals in Porto in the Club Challenge III.



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16-year-old goalkeeper Tea Andrčić was one of the stars of the Under-21 EuroHockey Indoor Championship in January and she is growing in experience and shares the pad-duties with Nicole Stėpić.&nbsp;



Their wider of panel of 20 players had eight teenagers in it, a number of whom were in action last week in the Under-18 championships.&nbsp;



A top three finish would mark their best ever finish in EuroHockey Championship action having finished fourth at this level in 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021.



Gibraltar (no ranking)



Gibraltar will make history when they hit the turf on Tuesday to take on Switzerland as they play in their first ever women’s fixtures in the EuroHockey Championships with every player making their debut for the country.



It is a side with a youthful profile with 15-year-old Ella Byrne the youngest of three teenagers in their line-up and 15 players 25 or younger. Alison Jessen captains the side.



The side is coached by Christian Zammit who also coached Europa in the Club Challenge III in June and he has Eva Silva, Ashley Garcia, Cara Macleod, Lorena Garcia, Emma and Louise Flower, Alexandra Casciaro and Nadya Riley from that side to call on for this competition.



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Switzerland (WR: 44)



While the Swiss side have not played a senior outdoor international in 2023, it has still been a busy year on the international circuit for many of their players with a strong portion of their Hockey5s panel who finished fourth two weeks ago back again.



The likes of new Kampong signing Sofie Stomps (moving from UHC Hamburg), Carina Zimmerman, Sarah Zepf and Ursina Fazis are included in their long list from that event in Walcz. Under-21 rising stars like Paulina Appel, Charlene Heselhaus and Nele Pöhler.



Switzerland have been in the top three of this competition for the past three editions, taking silver in both 2017 and 2021, beating Croatia 4-0 and Türkiye 2-1 in the latter run.&nbsp;



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 Türkiye (WR: 36)



Türkiye are the highest ranked side and, perhaps, the most experienced of the line-ups in Zagreb and keen to emulate their gold medal from the last time they visited Croatia in 2017 for a Championship III tournament.



Perihan Çinar captains the side, as she does in both indoors and Hockey5s as well. She was the top scorer in the latter format in Walcz a fortnight ago with 22 goals in six games. Along with defender Sinem Yalçin, the strong running Fatma Songül Gültekin, they have a number of strong performers keen to make their mark.



They got the best of Croatia in three previous meetings on this stage but did fall to the Swiss two years ago in Lipovci.&nbsp;



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Tag: Women's Hockey