Kilkenny Storm girls win bronze medal at Emerald Cup in Northern Ireland

The future for girls’ inline hockey is bright after the Kilkenny Storm tasted success in the Emerald Cup.

A young team from Kilkenny travelled to Bangor, Northern Ireland in the early hours of Saturday morning to compete in the Cup, an all-women’s inline hockey tournament that showcased some of the finest female talent from across Ireland and Great Britain.

With a 5am departure, the Kilkenny under-14 squad demonstrated their commitment from the outset. The tournament featured a strong line-up of national and club sides, including the Great Britain National Women’s Team, the GB under-14 team and the Irish under-19 Women’s squad, providing Storm with a valuable opportunity to compete at a high level.

Storm opened their campaign with a 3-2 win over Bangor Chiefs. Over the course of the weekend, the Kilkenny side played seven further matches. The team’s determination and resilience was rewarded as the Storm claimed the bronze medal after an intense and competitive tournament.

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There was further success for the club at senior level. Lilly McPhearson and Lia Butler, who represented both the Drama Lama team and the Irish under-19 Women’s team, played key roles in securing bronze medals and highlighting the depth of talent within the club across multiple age grades.

More plaudits came Kilkenny’s way as Fiona Sheridan (8), the youngest player of the tournament, delivered outstanding performances in goal and was honoured with the prestigious All Star Goalie Award.

The under-14 panel who represented Kilkenny Storm were Fiona Sheridan (G), Lora Kracknak (G), Aoife Sheridan, Annaleigh Ward, Michaela Hogan, Kerolina Trekkers, Jessica Gatkiewicz, Lily Esler and Ines Wolanin.

The team were expertly guided throughout the weekend by coaches Stiv McPhearson, Marcis Krumholcs and Roman Krchnak.

Girls who would like to give inline hockey a try can check out kilkennystorm.ie for further information.