EYHL WOMEN'S DIVISION 1
LORETO 4 ULSTER ELKS 1
Loreto are the EYHL Champions for 2023/24 having beaten Ulster Elks by 4-1 and reaching 43 points. Even if Loreto lost all their remaining fixtures and second-placed Railway Union won all their remaining fixtures including their game in hand the maximum they could get is 41. Síofra O'Brien converted a penalty corner to give Loreto the lead in the 6th minute 1-0. Caoimhe Perdue made it 2-0 when she converted a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. Rachel Kelly made it 3-0 from open play in the 38th minute. Ulster Elks responded straightaway when Chloe Stewart scored from open play to make it 3-1. Hannah McLoughlin converted a 54th minute penalty corner to make the final score Loreto 4 Ulster Elks 1.
MONKSTOWN 0 CATHOLIC INSTITUTE 2
Monkstown's battle against Catholic Institute took an unpromising turn at Rathdown where they lost 0-2 at home to 2022 Irish Senior Cup winners Catholic Institute. The current cup holders found themselves behind in the 15th minute when Ireland international Naomi Carroll scored from open play. It was still 1-0 at half-time. Despite Monkstown's best efforts the score remained 0-1 in favour of the Shannonsiders going into the closing stages, and Laura Foley added a second goal in the 67th minute to secure the win for Catholic Institute, by 2-0.
CORINTHIANS 1 PEMBROKE WANDERERS 2
Bottom-of-the-table Corinthians took on Pembroke Wanderers at St. Columba's College and found themselves on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline. Hannah Irwin scored for Pembroke Wanderers in the 5th minute from open play to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Isobel Field increased the visitor's lead in the 8th minute to leave Pembroke 2-0 ahead and they led by this margin at half-time. There was no scoring in the third quarter and just when it appeared Pembroke might have kept a clean sheet, Lynne Pomeroy scored for the hosts in the 67th minute from open play to leave the final score Corinthians 1 Pembroke Wanderers.
OLD ALEXANDRA 2 PEGASUS 1
Pegasus came down from Belfast in search of League points to put daylight between themselves and ninth placed Monkstown. The first two quarters were scoreless and it remained 0-0 at half time. Alex Speers gave Pegasus the lead in the 36th minute from open play. The lead only lasted six minutes as a 42nd minute goal from Bethany Russ from open play equalised at 1-1. Old Alex completed the turnaround and secured all the points when Elva Kerr scored from open play in the 68th minute to make the final score Old Alexandra 2 Pegasus 1.
UCD 1 RAILWAY UNION 2
Second-placed Railway Union took on UCD at the National Stadium in Belfield in this EYHL Division 1 clash. Former student Niamh Carey opened the scoring for Railway Union in the 6th minute. Railway had the lion's share of possession and chances in the first half. The vistors still led by a soiltary goal at half time. UCD couldn't convert a number of penalty corners in the third quarter and Railway Union increased their lead in the 64th minute when Emma Smyth scored from open play. What the Railway captain was capable of doing was replicated by Ireland international Sarah McAuley who scored from open play for the students to leave the final score UCD 1 Railway Union 2. Railway Union will most likely secure second place in this Division but Loreto are the Champions and have secured the first automatic semi-final place in the Champions Trophy. The second-placed team in the Division also get an automatic semi-final spot so it's anything but a consolation prize as the post season race for an EYHL place hots up.
EY HOCKEY LEAGUE WOMEN'S DIVISION 2 POOL A
AVOCA 2 KILKENNY 2
Avoca, who lost out on winning the Leinster Women's Division 1 title on Tuesday last losing to eventual champions Muckross, faced into a must-win match on this occasion against Kilkenny on Friday night. Finishing 2nd in the Leinster Women's Division 1 may not be enough to secure a place in the 2024/25 EYHL 2 if Monkstown and Corinthians both get relegated from the Women's EYHL Division 1. Both clubs, before this game started, occupied places 9 and 10 in the top Division, which of course are automatic relegation spots. As there are only 3 guaranteed places for Leinster Division 1 sides in next season's competition two of these would be occupied by Monkstown and Corinthians. This meant that Avoca needed to win the EYHL 2 or at least reach the final to have any chance of getting promoted in the next two years, assuming Monkstown do not avoid relegation.
To be fair to the home side they did get off to a good early start and took the lead through a Sorcha McCooey goal from open play in the 9th minute. Avoca were awarded a penalty stroke and captain Anna Richardson made no mistake in the 27th minute to give Avoca a seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead in the 27th minute. Just before half time Kilkenny got on the scoresheet through captain Paula Farrell who converted a penalty corner in the 33rd minute to leave the half time score 2-1 to Avoca. Niamh Spratt-O'Shea converted a penalty corner to give the Marble City side an equalising goal in the 47th minute and that turned out to be the final score Avoca 2 Kilkenny 2.
GREENFIELDS 2 CORK HARLEQUINS 5
Yvonne O'Byrne opened her account for Cork Harlequins in this EYHL Women's Division 2 Pool A clash at Dangan, in the 16th minute with a goal from open play. Greenfields equalised when Zara O'Toole scored from open play in the 20th minute to make the score 1-1. Yvonne O'Byrne added a second from a converted penalty corner in the 27th minute to restore Harlequins lead 2-1. She added a third from open play in the 33rd minute and a fourth in the 52nd minute to leave the Corkwomen 4-1 ahead. Zara O'Toole got her second of the match for Greenfields in the 62nd minute to make it 4-2 to Harlequins and Harlequins captain Michelle Barry added a fifth goal to secure a 5-2 win for Quins.
