MEN'S HOCKEY: THE TOP hockey action in Dublin this weekend is unquestionably at Serpentine Avenue, where Pembroke Wanderers host the EuroHockey Club Trophy over four days.
The competition, which involves the 2008 national cup winners of eight European nations, kicks off this afternoon with the host side facing Belarus cup winners SC Stroitel Brest in Pool B at 4pm.
Pembroke go into the event with the confidence of having beaten Annadale 5-1 last weekend to qualify for the semi-finals of the Irish Hockey League. Along with Glenanne and Three Rock Rovers, Pembroke lead quite a strong Leinster charge in that competition.
Pembroke won’t know a lot about their opposition but they do have to target a tournament win following Glenanne’s triumph in Paris last season.
Five successful strikes against Annadale last week and a place in this season’s cup final makes it a pretty heady year for Pembroke and with Alan Sothern staying on the goal-scoring trail with three against the Ulster side, Pembroke should feel confident.
Stroitel Brest came fifth in the 2007 edition of the tournament held in Prague, with Pembroke finishing a credible second to Dinamo Kazan from Russia. Close behind in third place that year were HC Rotweiss Wettingen from Switzerland, who are in Pool A and may only meet the hosts if both teams get to the cross-over stages. The Swiss side also finished in the bronze medal position in 2006, when they hosted the event.
Also in European action are Three Rock Rovers, who compete in the more prestigious European Hockey League, where they have made it to the last 16. The Grange Road club meet Belgian side KHC Leuven, who have a couple of Spanish stars playing. If Rovers win against Leuven then they meet either England’s Reading or Spanish side Real Polo on Monday.
Rovers’ side of the draw has some of the best sides in Europe, including Dutch sides Rotterdam and Amsterdam, who face Poland’s Grunwald and Belgium’s Waterloo respectively.
Pool A: Dinamo Elektrostal (Russia); AHC Suelli (Italy); HC Rotweiss Wettingen (Switzerland), HAHK Mladost (Croatia).
Pool B: Pembroke Wanderers (Ireland); Dinamo Olimpik VSM (Ukraine); Akademischer HTC Wien (Austria); SC Stroitel Brest (Belarus).
Friday schedule: (All matches Serpentine Avenue): Dinamo Elektrosal v HAHK Mladost 10am; AHC Suelli v HC Rotweiss Wettingen noon; Dinamo Olimpik VSM v Akademischer Wien 2pm; Pembroke v SC Stroitel Brest, 4pm.
