The battle for a place in next season’s Irish Hockey League heats up this weekend when Old Alexandra host the first phase of the provincial playoffs at Milltown – Corinthian, Queens, Dungannon and Catholic Institute completing the line-up.
The winner of the round-robin tournament will go through to the following weekend’s playoffs in Cork where they will vie with the four provincial champions – UCC, Lurgan, Muckross and NUIG or Galway – for promotion to the IHL.
Whoever triumphs will replace the side that finishes bottom of this season’s IHL, Monkstown currently in that slot, while the runners-up will play off against the ninth-placed side, likely to be Trinity or Pembroke Wanderers.
The consolation prize for teams missing out on promotion will be a place in the new second division of the IHL which starts up next season, 10 slots, in two pools of five, up for grabs.
Pegasus and Railway Union, meanwhile, will look to move a step closer to sealing their places in this season’s Champions Trophy, for which UCD and Cork Harlequins have already qualified.
Pegasus, who will hope to put last weekend’s 4-0 Irish Senior Cup final defeat to UCD behind them, are away to Ards on Sunday, Ards having moved up to fifth in the table with a 2-1 win over Belfast Harlequins on Wednesday evening. Railway host Cork Harlequins at Park Avenue.
Hockey League – Sunday: Loreto v Trinity, Beaufort, 12.45; Railway Union v Cork Harlequins, Park Avenue, 1.0; Ards v Pegasus, Ards Park, 2.30; Monkstown v UCD, Rathdown, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Belfast Harlequins, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30.
Hockey League – Provincial Playoffs (at Milltown) – Saturday: Corinthian v Old Alexandra, 10.15; Dungannon v Catholic Institute, 11.45; Queens v Corinthian, 1.30; Alexandra v Dungannon, 3.0; Catholic Institute v Queens, 4.45. Sunday: Dungannon v Corinthian, 9.45; Catholic Institute v Alexandra, 11.15; Queens v Dungannon, 1.0; Corinthian v Catholic Institute, 2.30; Alexandra v Queens, 4.15.
