Loreto stormed to two pieces of silverware over the weekend as they won by the EY Hockey League regular season title and the Jacqui Potter Cup competition.
They secured the first of those crowns on Saturday with a 4-1 league win over Ulster Elks, a result which puts them out of range of Railway Union with three rounds of matches still to play.
They had already hit the post in the early stages before injector Siofra O’Brien gave them the lead from a corner move in the first quarter.
Caoimhe Perdue’s drag-flick in the second quarter doubled the advantage and they were flying high in the second half when Hannah McLoughlin and Mia Jennings exchanged passes for Rachel Kelly to finish at the back post.
Elks did get one back but a McLoughlin corner propelled Loreto to the victory that keeps 14 points clear at the head of the table, dropping just two points thus far this season.
A day later, they retained the Leinster region’s Jacqui Potter Cup title with a 3-1 win over UCD, internationals Sarah Torrans and Caoimhe Perdue among the goalscorers.
It keeps them in the frame for four potential domestic titles this season. Next week, they will play in the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals before they go to the EHL FINAL8.
After their trip to Amsterdam, they will have the EY Champions Trophy to look forward to.
** Stay tuned to the EHL website this week for a feature interview with Hannah Matthews
