EY Hockey League Round 8 Preview
Round 8 of the EY Hockey League this weekend.
This weekend a Railway Union v Loreto will be live-streamed on our Youtube channel. Hockey Ireland YouTube
The Round Eight Women’s EY Hockey League featured game this week that will be streamed live on the Hockey Ireland YouTube channel is the Saturday afternoon tie between Railway Union and Loreto at 3.30 pm in Park Avenue in what is likely to be a pulsating affair.
Railway celebrated the plum signing of Ireland captain Katie Mullan last week with a 2-1 victory over Old Alex, and Mullan showed on debut just how valuable a player she is by scoring the goal that proved the difference between the teams.
Old Alex will look to get back to winning ways in their home fixture against Pembroke Wanderers at 1.30 pm. Pembroke will be hoping to back up last week’s performance after a close encounter against Monkstown saw them come away with all three points. Meanwhile, Monkstown will be eying up a third victory in the league this season when they take on Ards at home in Rathdown at 4.15 pm. Just one point separates the eighth and ninth-placed sides respectively, so this tie will have huge significance for the bottom-of-the-table positions.
Loreto gained valuable points last week, winning by the odd goal in three over UCD. Loreto went two in front before UCD got a goal back in the final quarter, but the students ran out of time as Loreto held on for the win.
UCD will look to bounce back this weekend in their tie against bottom-placed Belfast Harlequins in Belfield at 2.50 pm. The Belfast side has just one point thus far and is in desperate need of a change in fortunes before the competition takes a break until the new year.
Top-placed Catholic Institute and sixth-placed Pegasus have already played their Round 8 fixtures and so do not have a match this week.
Saturday 19th November
WOMEN
Old Alex v Pembroke in Alexandra College at 1:30 pm
UCD v Belfast Harlequins in UCD at 2:50 pm
Railway v Loreto in Railway Union at 3:30 pm
Monkstown v Ards in Rathdown at 4:15 pm
The Men’s EY Hockey League enters Round 8 this weekend with a full timetable of fixtures. Top of the table Banbridge travels to Rathdown to take on Monkstown at 2.15 pm. The Lurgan side are top of the pile ahead of Lisnagarvey courtesy of a better goal difference, both teams on 16 points and both have a game in hand on the rest of the table. Neither team will want to drop points before they face each other after their game was postponed earlier in the season due to Lisnagarvey’s involvement in Europe. Lisnagarvey have arguably the trickier fixture as they welcome Annadale to Comber Road at 3.30 pm.
Glenanne host Instonians in St Andrews College at 3 pm. The Dublin team lie in third place on 12 points with double the points tally of the Belfast side who are in eighth place with just six points out of a possible 21.
Three Rock, also on 12 points and just behind Glenanne on goal difference, make the journey to Cookstown Hockey Club for their Round Eight match at 2.30 pm. Cookstown currently lie in tenth place with just one point so far. YMCA welcomes Pembroke Wanderers to Wesley College at 2.15 pm for an all-Dublin affair. YMCA will see this as an opportunity to push up to the top of the table; they are currently in fifth place with three wins and two draws, while Pembroke are second from bottom with four points and a season of rebuilding ahead of them.
MEN
Monkstown v Banbridge in Rathdown at 2:15 pm
YMCA v Pembroke in YMCA Hockey club at 2:15 pm
Cookstown v TRR in Cookstown Hockey Club at 2:30 pm
Glenanne v Instonians in St Andrews College at 3:00 pm
Lisnagarvey v Annadale in Comber Road at 3:00 pm
