For Trinity’s female athletes, Michaelmas term brings more than essay deadlines and exam stress. Seasoned players re-tie well-worn shoes while younger team members learn the ropes, all hoping to have achieved some level of success, however they define it, by the time Christmas rolls around. But college has started back with a jolt and having used the time off to, hopefully, rest and recoup from a busy autumn, Trinity’s female players are now looking ahead at an action-packed term.
Michaelmas term was a resounding success for Trinity Women’s Soccer, entering the second term undefeated in the newly formed Colleges and Universities Football League (CUFL) Division 1 and intervarsity qualifying play. According to Captain Frannie Smith, they have scored a total of 37 goals over the course of four games against UCD B, Maynooth B, IT Tallaght and Sligo IT.
In February, Trinity Women’s Soccer will be taking on either Cork IT or UCC in College Park for a spot in the Women’s Division One semi-final. The same month, the Trinity team will face off against DCU in a final intervarsity qualifying match, a game Smith calls “super exciting” as the Trinity women’s team have not competed at intervarsities in several years.
Dublin University Ladies Hockey Club (DULHC) lies joint second in Leinster Division 1, having not lost a single match in the league thus far. The team reigned victorious in the division last year and co-captain Issy Delamer says that they are “really hoping to retain that”.
After a defeat by the Leinster Division 1 Old Alexandra team in 2018, DULHC was dropped from the EY Hockey League (EYHL) and forced to return to provisional hockey. Co-captain Delamer, who leads the team alongside Erika Markey, is determined to remain in the top three of Division 2 this season to ensure the players are in EYHL 2 next year. Corinthians currently charge ahead while Trinity and Monkstown jointly trail, lying five points ahead of Glenanne. DULHC therefore looks set to be in EYHL 2 next year, provided that another Leinster team isn’t relegated down from EYHL.
“At the moment we’re satisfied with our position in the league”
Delamer cites the team’s primary aim as gaining promotion to EYHL via EYHL 2. In order to reach the promotion playoffs at the end of the season, the team needs to finish in the top two of their pool, which they are currently second in.
“It’s been a very positive first half of the season”
Surveying DULHC’s Michaelmas EYHL 2 term matches, Delamer says the team was disappointed with the 0-2 loss to provincial rivals Corinitians but were “very pleased” with their other performances, particularly the 3-4 away victory over NUIG. “With the exception of a few results, it’s been a very positive first half of the season,” she summarises.
February brings matches against Naas, Rathgar, Clontarf, North Kildare and Gleanne, while DULHC will have the opportunity to face off against Corintians again in March, as well as North Kildare and Monkstown.
Trinity Women’s Basketball triumphed over old rivals DCU last Monday, narrowly edging out a 73-69 victory. The team overpowered the DCU team at the varsity final last year but were less successful against the side in the league the last two years, so the win is significant. Captain Aisling O’Driscoll enthusiastically hails the outcome as a “really positive result for us”.
The game was only their second match of the season, the first being a 75-67 victory against TU Dublin. Hilary term is, as O’Driscoll puts it, “the business end of the season”, with upcoming matches against Maynooth, DIT, LyIT and UUJ in March and April.
With around half their matches left, Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) Women had a mixed first term and currently sit fifth in Leinster Division 2, having moved up from Division 3 after making it to the final last year. The team returned victories against Rathdrum and Mullingar RFC but had some difficulty with Clondalkin, Barnhall and Balbriggan. Captain Genevieve Ruesch told Trinity News: “We struggled a bit at the end of the last semester just with everything getting so busy but I’m really optimistic about the upcoming half of the season. We have so much talent on the team so it’s good to have the opportunities to show that.”
DUFC Women face off against Rathdrum in an away match this Sunday, no doubt hoping to replicate last term’s 17-12 victory against the side. In February, they will confront Port Dara Falcons and Barnhall in Santry, while March brings a second encounter with Port Dara Falcons and Balbriggan. The Colours Match against UCD also comes in March, from which the opposing side emerged triumphant last year.
The captains all appeared optimistic about the term ahead, helped by the skill of their teams. Ruesch said: “There’s a good sense of comradery when you’re playing. You genuinely really want to do well for the other girls on the team, which is something I really like about team sport in general.”
“There’s a good sense of comradery when you’re playing”
The four women appear to have taken the responsibilities of their leadership positions into their stride. “It has been a real privilege being captain of this team,” Smith commented, “because there is such an amazing bond between all of us and that really shows both on and off the field”, a sentiment shared by the other three captains.
