A WEST FIFE hockey star has been named in the Scotland women's squad for a three-match series against Spain.

Eve Pearson, a former youth player with Dunfermline Carnegie Hockey Club, and who is from the city, has travelled to Benalmadena for the games, the first of which was due to take place yesterday (Wednesday).

The two teams will meet again today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) ahead of a big year for the 'Tartan Hearts', who will play on home turf in vital EuroHockey qualifiers in August.

The Scots will feature alongside Wales, Austria, Croatia, Czechia and Lithuania at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre, with the tournament winner progressing to the EuroHockey Championships in 2025.

Chris Duncan, the team's head coach, said: "The group have been working seriously hard since we restarted in late September, and these games come at a great time as we look to launch into a big year ahead moving into the European qualifiers.

"Spain have recently sealed their place in Paris at the Olympics so these games will be a great test for us."

Eve, currently playing for Grossflottbeker THGC, was, in 2023, selected for the GB Women's Elite Development Programme squad, an initiative funded by UK Sport and the National Lottery as part of their World Class Programme.

It seeks to identify and select the most talented future senior internationals, with the potential to perform at the world’s best level; implement a programme that enables players to maximise their potential, and that supports the development of the skills, physicality and character required to become a medal-winning Olympian in the future; and deliver junior international teams that excel and under-21 and non-under-21 level.

In 2022, Eve made her debut for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where the team finished sixth overall.

Meanwhile, Dunfermline Carnegie Hockey Club's ladies seconds enjoyed a 1-0 win over Edinburgh University nines at Woodmill High School at the weekend.

The team, sponsored by Production Bureau, resisted pressure in the opening quarter in the second, coming close to scoring, and gain further momentum after half-time.

In the final period, a fast-flowing attack from one end to the other allowed Carnegie to open up the pitch, with Laura Donaldson scoring a deserved decsivie goal with only a few minutes to go.

There were wins for the men's and ladies thirds, 7-2 and 5-0 over Edinburgh University sixes and Haddington seconds respectively, whilst the ladies development side lost 3-0 to Stirling thirds.

On Tuesday, the men's firsts played a friendly with Dundee Wanderers, which ended in a 1-1 draw.