UCD Waves

UCD Waves

Full name	University College Dublin Waves
Founded	1966 (UCD formed) 2012 (DLR Waves formed) clubs merged 2014
Ground	Jackson Park UCD Bowl Belfield Park
Manager	Noel Kealy
League	Women's National League Dublin Women's Soccer League Womens Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland League
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

UCD Waves (Irish: Tonnta COBÁC) is an Irish association football club based in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. It is the senior women's football team of University College Dublin. UCD are one of the oldest women's football clubs in the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1966. Like the UCD men's team, the women's football team has competed in national competitions, such as the Women's National League, the FAI Women's Cup, and intervarsity competitions. It has also represented the Republic of Ireland in Europe. In 2014, following a merger, with DLR Waves, the club added the Waves title to their name.

History

Intervarsity level

Founded in 1966, according to Professor Meenan's History of UCD Sport, UCD played their first games in 1967, including one against Dublin University. However it was not until the early 1980s that the club began to play regularly. In 1983 and 1984 they finished as runners-up in the LSCAI Intervarsity Cup. In 1991 UCD joined the national colleges league, which was organized by the Ladies Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland (LSCAI) and then by the Women's Soccer Colleges Association of Ireland (WSCAI). The club won its first Colleges Premier Division title in 1994–95 with a 100% record and without conceding a goal all season. The club completed an Intervarsity double after also winning the Intervarsity Cup for the first time. A second Intervarsity double was completed in 1996–97.^[1][2]

National level

In the early 2000s UCD entered national level competitions for the first time, joining the Dublin Women's Soccer League and entering the FAI Women's Cup. With a team that included Marie Curtin, Sylvia Gee and Mary Waldron, UCD rivalled Shamrock Rovers as one of the strongest women's teams in the Republic of Ireland. UCD completed a four in a row of DWSL titles between 2003 and 2006. They also won the FAI Women's Cup three times in a row between 2002 and 2004.^[3][4][5][6]

DLR Waves

In August 2012 the Football Association of Ireland announced the formation of DLR Waves as an expansion team for the 2012–13 Women's National League season. The new club was formed with the support of the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council with an ambitious plan to promote girl's and women's football throughout Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.^[7][8] Initially DLR Waves had mixed success in the WNL. With a team that included former UCD player Sylvia Gee, DLR Waves finished their debut season in fifth place. They were also FAI Women's Cup semi-finalists. Gee was also named WNL Player of the Month while playing for the club in November/December 2012.^[9][10][11] Before the start of the 2014–15 Women's National League season it was announced that DLR Waves and UCD would merge.^[12]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Erica Turner 2 DF Jetta Berrill 3 DF Karen Duggan 4 DF Claire Walsh 5 DF Rebekah Carroll 6 MF Emily Cahill 7 FW Julieann Russell 8 MF Dearbhaile Beirne 9 FW Aine O'Gorman 10 FW Orlagh Nolan 11 MF Catherine Cronin

No. Position Player 12 MF Jenni Cosgrave 13 MF Sinead Gaynor 14 DF Naima Chemaou 15 FW Arabel Vilas Serin 16 MF Lauren Kelly 17 DF Sophie O'Donoghue 18 FW Kerri Letmon 19 MF Aisling Dunbar 20 MF Katie Burdis 21 MF Orla Haran 22 GK Brooke Dunne

UCD in Europe

After winning the FAI Women's Cup, UCD qualified three times to represent the Republic of Ireland in Europe. After Shamrock Rovers, UCD were the second women's team to represent the Republic of Ireland in Europe.

2003–04 UEFA Women's Cup – Group 6

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Kolbotn	3	3	0	0	25	3	+22	9
2	Juvisy	3	2	0	1	10	3	+7	6
3	AZS Wrocław	3	1	0	2	4	12	−8	3
4	UCD	3	0	0	3	0	13	−13	0

^[13]

2004–05 UEFA Women's Cup – Group 9

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Montpellier	3	3	0	0	13	0	+13	9
2	Neulengbach	3	2	0	1	7	10	−3	6
3	1.º de Dezembro	3	0	1	2	2	5	−3	1
4	UCD	3	0	1	2	3	10	−7	1

^[14]

2005–06 UEFA Women's Cup – Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Neulengbach	3	2	1	0	10	2	+8	7
2	Bardolino	3	2	1	0	5	0	+5	7
3	UCD	3	1	0	2	3	7	−4	3
4	Maksimir	3	0	0	3	1	10	−9	0

^[15]

Notable players

Republic of Ireland women's internationals

^[16]

Honours

• Women's National League
  • Runners-up: 2014–15
• Dublin Women's Soccer League
  • Winners: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006: 4
  • Runners-up: 2002: 1
• FAI Women's Cup
  • Winners: 2002, 2003, 2004 : 3
  • Runners-up: 2006, 2014: 2
• WNL Cup
  • Runners-up: 2016: 1
• DWSL Premier Cup
  • Winners: 2004, 2005, 2007 : 3
• LSCAI/WSCAI Premier Division
  • Winners: 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2013–14: 5
  • Runners-up: 2012–13: 1
• LSCAI/WSCAI Intervarsity Cup
  • Winners: 1994–95, 1996–97: 2
  • Runners-up: 1983, 1984, 2006–07, 2008–09 : 4

^[17]

References

External links

• Homepage
• UCD Waves on Facebook
• UCD Waves on Twitter
  
• WNL page
• Soccerway page
• page on UEFA.com