A week after their surprise exit from the Irish Senior Cup at the hands of Cork Harlequins, Pegasus will have the Hockey League title to celebrate on Saturday if they can avoid another upset when they take on bottom club Muckross at Queens in their penultimate fixture.
A point would suffice for the Belfast side, although that would not even be necessary if Loreto fail to beat Pembroke Wanderers at Serpentine Avenue.
With UCD looking likely to join the top two in the Champions Trophy, the fight for the fourth and final spot in the tournament is between Cork Harlequins and Pembroke Wanderers. Harlequins are three points ahead of Pembroke, but have played an extra game, so that particular battle could well go down to the final round of matches on April 27th.
Harlequins are at home to UCD on Saturday, before finishing up with another game at Farmers Cross against second-from-bottom Ards.
Pembroke’s remaining games are all against fellow Dublin sides, starting with Loreto. After that they are away to Railway Union and Old Alexandra.
Meanwhile, Division Two of the Hockey League will conclude on Saturday, with Queens and Trinity in Pool A and Monkstown and Catholic Institute in Pool B already assured of places in the semi-finals of the play-offs for promotion to the top tier.
All that is left to be decided is the order of the top two in Pool B – if Institute beat Dungannon then they will leapfrog Monkstown, who have completed their campaign, to set up a semi-final meeting with Trinity, winners of the Leinster first division title earlier this week.
The winner of the play-offs will be automatically promoted to the top division, with the losers going into play-off against the team that finishes second from bottom of the first division.
Hockey League – Saturday: Cork Harlequins v UCD, Farmers Cross, 1.05pm; Pegasus v Muckross, Queens, 2.30pm; Railway Union v Ards, Park Avenue, 2.30pm; Old Alexandra v Belfast Harlequins, Milltown, 3.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Loreto, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm.
