Ireland qualified for the 2002 Women 's Hockey World Cup following a bizarre and controversial set of circumstances . At the 2001 Women 's Hockey World Cup Qualifier Ireland played Lithuania in a fifth to eighth place classification match . The match finished 2 – 2 and Lithuania won the subsequent penalty shoot-out 6 – 5 . However Ireland captain , Rachel Kohler , spotted that the penalty strokes were being taken in the wrong order . She was initially ignored by the match officials , but Ireland appealed and the tournament director ruled the shoot-out should be replayed the next day . However Lithuania refused to take part and withdrew from the tournament . Ireland went on to defeat Scotland 2 – 1 in the fifth place play-off and were initially confirmed as the final qualifier from the tournament . Before the match the Lithuania team staged a sit down protest on the pitch . Lithuania lodged a further appeal to the FIH who then ordered that Ireland , Lithuania , India and the United States take part in a second qualification tournament . Lithuania were due to play India in a seventh and eighth place play-off before they withdrew . The United States had been unable to participate in the original qualifier due to the disruption of airline schedules after the September 11 attacks . However Ireland in turn appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport who overruled the FIH decision and finally confirmed Ireland 's place in the 2002 Women 's Hockey World Cup
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Ireland women's national field hockey team