Women’s Premier Division
Women’s Premier Division front runners, Hampstead & Westminster, travel to fourth-placed Loughborough Students looking for a fifth successive win. The stats would suggest goals may be at a premium as Hampstead conceded their first goal only last weekend and it has been almost 200 minutes since Loughborough’s defence was breached.
Second placed Surbiton travel to Bowdon, a team who have only beaten them once, back in the 2012-13 season.
The University of Birmingham are unbeaten in third place and make the short trip to the University of Nottingham who they met three times last season, drawing twice and winning once.
Nottingham are one of three teams without a point, another are Barnes, who host East Grinstead, their first ever league meeting, knowing that the visitor’s Biba Mills is on a hot streak with five goals in the last two games.
There is another first league meeting at Maiden Castle where Durham University welcome Wimbledon.
The other team yet to get off the mark are Clifton Robinsons, Reading travel along the M4 to meet them tomorrow. Its Super Saturday at Clifton with a full programme of club games where the club will be remembering their photographer Peter Smith. There was some sad news from the club this week with the passing of their former long serving manager Alistair Kilfoil. Alistair was a popular figure in the England Hockey League and Bristol hockey circles for a number of seasons. Their game tomorrow will be preceded by a minute’s silence in Alistair’s memory.
Open/Men’s Premier Division
Leaders Old Georgians return to Open/Mens Premier Division action following their fantastic performance in qualifying for Euro Hockey League KO8 last weekend. They face Hampstead & Westminster, who enjoyed an 8-0 win at Beeston last weekend.
Second-placed Holcombe host Oxted who won a shootout game in the league’s final stage last season which ultimately saw them qualify for the league semi-finals in place of the Kent-based team.
Third placed Surbiton have a 100% record after three games and no match last weekend. They welcome East Grinstead to Sugden Road. EG are unbeaten in three but haven’t taken a point off Surbiton in 14 meetings stretching back over 10 seasons.
Surbiton’s scheduled game last weekend was against Wimbledon who were in Euro Hockey League action in Barcelona and they travel to Beeston this weekend, who are the only team without a point to date this season.
Reading are also on their travels, to Brooklands MU, looking for a first win. As are Southgate who play at Cardiff & Met. The teams met three times last season, two wins for Southgate, one for the Welshmen but the away team being victorious in each encounter.
