Ireland Qualify for World Cup with Shootout Win
Ireland secured their place in the Hockey World Cup finals by defeating Japan in a shootout during the third/fourth place play-off at the qualification tournament held in Santiago.
The match ended scoreless in regular time, leading to a shootout where Sarah Hawkshaw, Hannah McLoughlin, and Jessica McMaster successfully converted their attempts. Goalkeeper Elizabeth Murphy made three crucial saves, enabling Ireland to win the shootout 3-1.
Shootouts have become a hallmark for Ireland in major qualifying tournaments. Although they missed out on the Rio and Paris Olympics, Ireland qualified for the Tokyo Games through a shootout victory and now have added qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium this August.
During the first half, Ireland dominated possession and territorial advantage but were unable to convert opportunities into goals. Niamh Carey nearly assisted Emily Kealy for a tap-in, Jessica McMaster's shot was saved, and Charlotte Beggs struck the outside of the post.
The Irish high-press strategy forced Japan into turnovers, but several scrambles inside the circle did not result in goals. Japan applied brief pressure in the second quarter, earning four penalty corners in quick succession, but failed to capitalize.
In the third quarter, Ireland continued to face frustration as Kealy missed another attempt, and a deflection off the Japanese goalkeeper led to the ball hitting Michelle Carey and going over the crossbar.
With two minutes remaining, Ireland appeared to have scored when Katie Mullen poked the ball into the net from close range during a scramble. However, after an umpire’s referral, the goal was disallowed as the ball was judged to have hit the back stick of Mia Jennings.
The match proceeded to penalties where Ireland maintained composure to secure their advancement in dramatic fashion.
Ireland Men Win Gold After Defeating France
In the tournament final, Ireland’s men completed a successful week by overcoming France 2-1, with two goals from Gregory Williams. Both teams had already qualified for the World Cup, making this match a contest for ranking points and ninth place in the world.
The game was intensely competitive despite its ranking implications. France took the lead early in the second quarter with a well-executed penalty corner goal by Noe Jouin.
Ireland responded before half-time when Williams scored from a corner, beating French goalkeeper Corentin Saunier. Shortly after the break, Williams scored again with an even more powerful shot, leaving Saunier unable to stop it.
Throughout the tournament, Ireland scored 21 goals in five victories, but their defensive efforts have been fundamental to their success. This defensive resilience was evident in the final quarter, where goalkeeper Jamie Carr made three exceptional saves to deny France. Additionally, Ireland’s penalty corner defense successfully repelled three attempts in the last 90 seconds.
“It was amazing to qualify for the World Cup this week, that put to bed some demons,” explained Carr.
“While this game may not have counted for much on paper, obviously playing a nation like France it was always going to be a difficult game in a rivalry like this one so it was nice to go out and make a bit of a statement.
They pushed us right to the very end but we knuckled down and defended really hard. [We're] really happy with the win and it’s a great way to end the week in Chile.”
The team will now focus on the FIH Hockey Nations Cup this summer before competing in the World Cup in August.
