Until Saturday Loreto hadn’t lost a game in the EY Hockey League since April 2023, a remarkable 32-match unbeaten run, but Railway Union’s 4-0 win over the defending champions has injected some life in to the title race, the gap between the sides now just two points.
The odds are still very much in Loreto’s favour, though, they have three games left to play while Railway have just two, but goals in each quarter from Roisín Upton, Lily Lloyd, Niamh Gowing and Niamh Shaw denied them the chance to wrap up the title with those three games to spare.
Catholic Institute guaranteed themselves at least a place in the Champions Trophy play-offs with 1-0 defeats of Ards and UCC over the weekend, courtesy of late goals from Aoife Hickey and Roisín Begley. Ulster Elks still look good to join them despite suffering a 5-0 beating by UCD, while wins for Old Alexandra and Pegasus keep them on track too.
UCC are all but relegated, leaving Ards (13 points), Pembroke Wanderers (16) and UCD (19), all with three games to play, battling it out to avoid that second relegation spot.
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Hockey League – Saturday: Catholic Institute 1 (A Hickey), Ards 0; UCD 5 (M Power 2, A Naughton, L Moore, R Carthy), Ulster Elks 0; Railway Union 4 (R Upton, L Lloyd, N Gowing, N Shaw), Loreto 0; UCC 1 (N Barry), Pegasus 2 (L McKee, E Quinn); Pembroke Wanderers 2 (S Young, C Powell), Old Alexandra 3 (S Seaton, R Heatherington 2). Sunday: UCC 0, Catholic Institute 1 (R Begley).
