Contenders emerging as EYHL Division One closes in on halfway stage
With EY Hockey League women’s and men’s divisions closing in on the halfway stage, the main contenders have emerged in recent weeks with a couple of key fixtures on the horizon.
Pembroke have eked out a two-point lead in the women’s division and and two games in the next fortnight against the sides at the bottom of the table can strengthen their hold on the lead.
First is an away game against Muckross at Grange Road before facing Cork Harlequins on December 4th at home.
The sides just below them, meanwhile, have tough encounters against each other. Third placed Old Alex welcome back Nikki Evans, Emma Russell and Holly Micklem to the line-up after they missed last week’s draw with UCD. They face a Railway Union side who have picked up seven points from the last nine available to rise to fourth place.
Second placed Pegasus are up against UCD who, while they currently sit seventh, are the league’s top scorers but have missed Hannah McLoughlin’s huge influence since sustaining injury on Irish duty in Pisa.
Loreto will be hoping to make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they host Cork Harlequins at Beaufort. They are boosted by their strong Irish Under-21 contingent – Caitlin Sherin, Christina Hamill, Lisa Mulcahy, Siofra O’Brien, Yasmin Pratt and Aoife Taaffe.
Catholic Institute, meanwhile, hosts Belfast Harlequins at Rosbrien with the Limerick side looking to bolster the top six playoff chances.
On the men’s side, Lisnagarvey’s six game winning streak faces a serious test when they travel to Monkstown in a meeting between the sides with the two best defensive records in the EYHL. The game will be live streamed on the link below.
Pembroke will hope to emulate their 5-1 success against Annadale in the Irish Senior Cup and build on last week’s first EYHL success of the campaign when they got the best of Corinthian 4-3.
Banbridge will look to make it three wins in a row when they host UCD at Havelock Park with the students hoping they can land a first win of the campaign.
Second placed Three Rock Rovers face a tester in their Dublin derby against YMCA who fought well to earn a point last week against Monkstown. The Y are looking for their first win since the opening day of the campaign.
Corinthian and Glenanne are both looking to get back on the winning trail with the former aiming to end a run of three defeats while the Glens fell to top two Lisnagarvey and Three Rock in recent weeks.
** To read about the teams playing in men’s EYHL2 click here and for women’s EYHL2, click here
Saturday 20th November 2021 fixtures
Men
EYHL Division 1
Banbridge v UCD, Havelock Park, 2.45pm; Corinthian v Glenanne, Whitechurch Park, 3.15pm; Monkstown v Lisnagarvey, Rathdown, 4pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Annadale, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm; Three Rock Rovers v YMCA, Grange Road, 1pm
EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Instonians v Railway Union, Shaw’s Bridge, 3pm; Rathgar v Cork C of I, The High School, 2.45pm
Pool 2: Cork Harlequins v Clontarf, Farmers’ Cross, 2.45pm
Pool 3: Cookstown v Mossley, Coolnafranky, 2.30pm; Portrane v Bandon, Donabate Leisure Centre, 2pm
Women
EYHL Division 1: Catholic Institute v Belfast Harlequins, Rosbrien, 3pm; Loreto v Cork Harlequins, Beaufort, 1.15pm; Muckross v Pembroke Wanderers, Grange Road, 1pm; Pegasus v UCD, Newforge Country Club, 2.30pm; Railway Union v Old Alexandra, Park Avenue, 1.30pm
EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Ards v Corinthian, Londonderry Park, 2.30pm; Trinity v UCC, Trinity Sports Grounds, 2pm
Pool 2: Monkstown v Cork C of I, Rathdown, 2pm; Queens University v NUIG, Malone Playing Fields, 1pm
