In the end, there was only one team left standing, unbeaten and unbowed, atop the Women’s EY Hockey League. With a perfect record, Loreto sit proudly at the summit, the sole unblemished side in a league that, even at this early stage, has begun to reveal its hierarchy. Yet for all their dominance, their 3-0 win over UCC was anything but routine. The students from Cork gave Loreto a hard time, keeping the game tight and frustrating their Dublin counterparts, clinging to a precarious 1-0 deficit until the final quarter. But then came the ruthlessness that separates contenders from champions: a quickfire brace, first from Siofra O’Brien and then from captain Mia Jennings, sealing a win that, while inevitable, was earned the hard way.
Elsewhere, Old Alex announced themselves with a statement of intent, knocking off last year’s runners-up Railway Union in a game that seemed to capture the very essence of an “eyebrow-raiser.” In a contest that never lacked for bite, Old Alex capitalized on two penalty corners to establish a lead that Railway Union, try as they might, couldn’t quite reel in. Even Róisín Upton’s strike – which pulled one back with 20 minutes to spare – couldn’t prevent Railway from slumping to a sobering defeat. There’s an air of quiet menace about Old Alex this season, a team that seems perfectly comfortable in its own skin, unfazed by the shadows of giants it continues to cast aside.
Ards, fresh from promotion, seem to have no interest in paying any respect to the established order. Their 2-0 triumph over a beleaguered opponent was a game of control and calm, one that belied the supposed gulf in class. Rachel Houston opened the scoring, and Zara Malseed put the finishing touches on a win that was both efficient and ruthless. A 2-0 win doesn’t just put points on the board; it puts down a marker, one that suggests that this team intends to make the league feel their presence, whether they’re ready for it or not.
Then there were the draws – a pair of tense standoffs that somehow produced a gripping spectacle from the mess. The Pegasus-Elks showdown was a game of perpetual catch-up, Elks taking the lead three times only for Pegasus to claw their way back on each occasion. When the dust settled, it was 3-3, but the shootout belonged to Elks, who, in front of their home crowd, snatched the bonus point with a 4-2 victory. It was a game that, for all its chaos, felt like a true battle of wills, one where resilience and grit won out over style.
Meanwhile, UCD and Catholic Institute produced a different kind of stalemate. The game remained scoreless, locked in a kind of strategic impasse. A goalless draw might sound like the stuff of nightmares, but the tension was palpable. It was Catholic Institute who held their nerve in the shootout, claiming the bonus point with a calm 4-2 display, the kind of composed performance that makes you wonder if they might yet have a real say in this title race.
So where does this leave us? Loreto sit alone at the top, looking down with nine points to their name. Just behind them, Catholic Institute lurk, undefeated and unbothered. Old Alex, with their growing aura of swagger, hold third on seven points, while the league’s college teams languish at the other end of the spectrum. UCC are still in search of that elusive first point, while UCD’s solitary point, gained today, might feel like cold comfort. There’s a long road ahead, but if the early skirmishes are any indication, this year’s Women’s EY Hockey League promises to be a war of attrition, where only the most ruthless will survive.
League Table
- Loreto - 9pts
- Catholic Institute - 8pts
- Old Alex - 7pts
- Ards - 6pts
- Ulster Elks - 5pts
- Pegasus - 4pts
- Railway Union - 3pts
- Pembroke Wanderers - 2pts
- UCD - 1pt
- UCC - 0pts
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