Hockey Women's World Cup 2022: Five uncapped players named in Ireland squad

Ireland have named five uncapped players in a new-look squad for this summer's Women's Hockey World Cup.

Katie McKee, Charlotte Beggs, Christina Hamill, Caoimhe Perdue and Siofra O'Brien have been included in a panel that features just five players from the silver medal-winning squad of 2018.

There are 12 players in the squad that represented Ireland at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

The World Cup, co-hosted by Spain and the Netherlands, runs from 1-17 July.

Head coach Sean Dancer's 20-player squad boasts five players with over 100 caps: goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (113), defender Lena Tice (122), captain Katie Mullan (206), striker Naomi Carroll (121) and midfielder Deirdre Duke (154).

While McKee, Beggs, Hamill, O'Brien and Purdue have yet to be officially capped, they were involved in recent uncapped friendlies.

Stalwarts Shirley McCay, Lizzie Colvin, Nicci Daly and Hannah Matthews have all retired since the Olympics, while Anna O'Flanagan and Chloe Watkins are currently unavailable.

Barr sisters Bethany and Serena and Zoe Wilson are also missing.

'Youthful excitement spurring group on' - Mullan

"We have some great experience of a small number of players who have been to a World Cup and an Olympic Games, which is a lot more experience than we had four years ago," said Mullan.

"But we also have the youth, the excited young players to unleash themselves on the world stage and I think that excitement is really spurring the group on.

"This is a new journey and a new group and it's time for this group to write their own story - it's something we're very passionate about."

McFerran, Mullan, Tice, Duke and Roisin Upton were all a part of the Ireland squad that took a surprise silver medal at the 2018 World Cup.

The Irish will open their campaign in the Netherlands on 2 July against the co-hosts in what will be a repeat of the 2018 final in London.

Ireland then face in Chile in their second group game three days later before the 6 July contest with Germany.

Dancer's side will complete their preparations with four warm-up games against Japan over the next seven days in Dublin.

Ireland World Cup squad

Ayeisha McFerran (GK, SV Kampong), Roisin Upton (Catholic Institute), Lena Tice (Old Alex), Katie Mullan (Ballymoney, capt), Sarah Hawkshaw (Railway Union), Deirdre Duke (Old Alex), Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute), Elizabeth Murphy (GK, Loreto), Hannah McLoughlin (UCD), Sarah McAuley (UCD), Michelle Carey (UCD), Sarah Torrans (Loreto), Zara Malseed (Ards), Caoimhe Perdue (UCC), Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks), Katie McKee (Pegasus), Ellen Curran (Pembroke), Christina Hamill (Loreto), Siofra O'Brien (Loreto), Erin Getty (Queen's)