EY HOCKEY LEAGUE MEN’S DIVISION 2 FINAL
AVOCA 4 PEMBROKE WANDERERS 4 (AVOCA WIN 4-1 IN SHOOT-OUT )
Avoca are the EYHL Men’s Division 2 Champions after this final in Garryduff in Cork. But they were made fight all the way to a shoot-out by Dublin rivals Pembroke Wanderers. Andrew Tutty opened the scoring for Avoca from open play in the 8th minute and they led 1-0. Pembroke Wanderers responded in the 22nd minute with a James Maginnis goal from open play to make it 1-1. Both sides were only on level terms for two minutes as Hayden Vaitekenas’ first goal of the game for Avoca gave them a 2-1 lead with another open play effort. Avoca led 2-1 at half-time. Pembroke Wanderers drew level early in the third quarter through Ross Breytenbach with an open play goal in the 37th minute to make it 2-2. Ross Breytenbach got his second goal of the game for Pembroke Wanderers in the 41st minute to put them 3-2 ahead. Avoca responded through another open play goal for Hayden Vaitenkenas to make it 3-3. Pembroke Wanderers’ Ross Breytenbach completed his hat-trick to put his side 4-3 ahead. But it wasn’t over yet as Avoca’s Marshall Puzey converted a penalty corner in the 65th minute to leave it 4-4 at full time. And so, it went to the 1 v 1 shoot outs.
Avoca took the first one through Harry Dagg who scored to make it 1-0 in the shoot-out. Stephen Tully took the first one for Pembroke Wanderers but was unsuccessful, so it remained 1-0. Marshall Puzey took the second one for Avoca and scored to make it 2-1 to Avoca in the shoot-out. Dechlan Bennett took the second one for Pembroke Wanderers and scored to make it 2-1 to Avoca. The third one for Avoca fell to Hayden Vaitenkenas who scored to make it 3-1 to Avoca. The third one for Pembroke Wanderers fell to David Lynch who failed to score so it was 3-1 for Avoca meaning if they scored their next one, they won. The fourth one for Avoca was scored by David Rankin to make it 4-1 to Avoca and they are crowned EYHL Men’s Division 2 Champions for 2023-24. The very big consolation prize for Pembroke Wanderers is that they too will join Avoca in the EYHL Men’s Division 1 for season 2024-25, which was their main target to achieve in the current season. So in a very real sense mission accomplished for both of these teams.
EYHL WOMEN’S DIVISION 2 FINAL
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK 0 ARDS 2
The Women’s final of the EYHL 2 may have taken place in the relatively familiar surroundings of Garryduff for University College Cork but they derived no “home” advantage from their relative lack of travel on the day. This game was decided by two penalty corners, one in the first quarter and the other in the final quarter. Emma Reid who gave the Ulster Women’s Premier League side the lead in the 12th minute with her first converted penalty corner of the match and it remained 1-0 at the break. It was nip and tuck in quarter three but again there was no further scoring. And just as it appeared that the goal scored in the first quarter might be the decider in this tie, Ards were awarded a penalty corner in the 67th minute which Emma Reid converted to get her second goal of the match and secure a 2-0 win for Ards, and they are the EYHL Women’s Division 2 Champions for 2023-24. But again, on this occasion there was a huge consolation price for U.C.C. because they too will be joining Ards in the EYHL Women’s Division 1 for season 2024-25, which was their main target to achieve in the current season. Promotion to EYHL Women’s Division 1 comes exactly 12 months after being relegated for Ards, and there will be three Ulster teams and two Munster teams in the Division next season.
