Hook Hockey

Round three for Old Alex and Hermes

UCD’s midweek win over Three Rock Ladies has upped the ante for a few vital ties in the coming weeks leading up to Christmas as Hermes and Old Alex takes centre stage in women’s division one on Saturday. Its round three for the pair with honours even to date, Hermes bossing an IHL tie before being knocked out in the Senior Cup.

With both sides down their international contingents, though, it makes for a tricky one to predict though Hermes coped the better of the two last week in beating Trinity.

Alex’s frustrating 1-1 draw with Corinthian was the first major setback of an impressive campaign to date with Sarah Canning adding goals to her repertoire and leadership from the back.

Their youth is countered by the Booterstown hosts’ experience with Jenny Burke, Jenny Kinch and Mary Goode with a world of experience while there is still plenty of senior interpro talent in the likes of Sinead Connery and Christine Quinlan. Coping with a teenage strike-force in the middle of exam period is their major concern.

Second placed Railway can reduce the gap to two points when they go across the dart tracks to Pembroke and they do so with a number of players coming back. Kate Dillon scored last Sunday in the Jacqui Potter Cup on her return from a holiday in New York while Holly Jenkinson was also back after a hairline fracture in her hand. Emer Lucey, though, is a slight doubt while they also have international players away.

Loreto are in a similar boat as they are on the early shift in Santry, tipping off at 10.30am against Trinity, without Nicci Daly, Lizzie Colvin and Niamh Small.

Genesis’ young charges, meanwhile, were the first side to make it into the quarter-finals of the Jacqui Potter Cup as they picked off a surprise win over Pembroke II.

Chloe Hamill netted a deft first half deflection from Clare Walsh’s crash ball while Catriona Lavelle got a reverse-stick touch to another powerful ball into the circle, this time from Laura Barrie’s ball.

A couple more ties in this competition will be played on Sunday with Loreto playing UCD in the tie of the ground at Beaufort while there is a double-header at Whitechurch Park on Sunday with Corinthian playing Glenanne before their seconds meet Pembroke.

Women’s Division One (Saturday): Trinity v Loreto, 10.30am, Santry; Hermes v Old Alexandra, 1.30pm, Booterstown; Pembroke v Railway Union, 3.30pm, Serpentine Ave

Division Two: North Kildare v Hermes, 11.30am, Kilcock; Railway Union v Newbridge, 12pm, Park Ave; Corinthian v Genesis, 2.45pm, Whitechurch Park; Pembroke v Old Alexandra, 5pm, Serpentine Ave

Jacqui Potter Cup, round two: Corinthian II v Pembroke, 3.30pm, Whitechurch Park; Loreto v UCD, 3pm, Beaufort; Corinthian v Glenanne, 1.30pm, Whitechurch Park

Round Two result (Wednesday): Genesis 2 (Chloe Hammill, Catriona Lavelle) Pembroke II 0