The numbers game in South Africa leaves the Park Avenue hosts down in the overall tally as Alex Speers, Emma Smyth and Nikki Evans while Chloe Watkins is UCD’s one absentee.

Plenty of international talent remains, though, as Railway can call on Jean McDonnell’s aggression up front with Julia O’Halloran pulling the strings while Niamh Atcheler and Anna O’Flanagan are in harness for the students. A winner on the day is guaranteed to top the table on Saturday evening but Railway, with a game extra played, have the more pressing need for points at this stage.

Kate Lloyd has been in scintillating form for the yellow and greens in recent times and will need to be shackled.
Lying in wait are Loreto as they host Corinthian and have a dilemma over goalkeeper selection following Ruth Murphy’s impressive showing against Railway last week.

She vyes with Mary Harkin to fill in for Louisa Healy at the base of a defence who have provided a wealth of goals for the Beaufort club. Sarah Clarke’s thunderous corner hits have seen her top score with Johannesburg-bound Nicci Daly while Hannah Matthews and Rachel Keegan have also weighed in for the league’s most potent corner routine.

But the reds will be keen to nab a result in this Rathfarnham derby, pushing Loreto all the way earlier this term in a 4-3 result. Corinthian are a much improved outfit this term with a growing number of youngsters coming through to make them tough to beat.

Their win over Glenanne last week lifted them to seventh, a place above Pembroke who bounced back against Three Rock Ladies with a well-judged 2-0 win over their vanquishers of five days earlier. Emma Kielthy and Rachel McGrath got the goals in midweek at Grange Road for a powerful comeback to Saturday’s setback which briefly placed them at the bottom of the table.

Hermes is a tough place to go for a third game in seven days in spite of six international absentees as top performers like Mary Goode, Jenny Burke, Christine Quinlan and Sinead Connery power them on.

Three Rock face Trinity hoping them can get back off the bottom, possibly using one of the youngest midfields around as Clare Samuel joined Wesley schoolmate Lauren Haughton and Ana Fabra.

The students are in the rare position of the experience differential being in their favour with Rachel Scott and Maebh Horan high level performers in this division but with just eight goals between the sides this term in total, expect a tight battle.

Old Alex, meanwhile, will hope to keep a comfortable grasp on their top five position, facing a Glenanne side who were frustrated by Corinthian last week.

The Irish Hockey Trophy begins to reach the business end, too, this Saturday with four Leinster sides contesting the last 16 stage. After a number of successful years in the Irish Hockey Challenge, YMCA are aiming to be the first side to clock up wins in both of the two recently introduced competitions.

Travelling to Bandon is a tough ask, though, a side riding high in Munster’s division one. Leinster’s highest ranked side is North Kildare and they have a division to spare over Clontarf for their tie at Kilcock.

Naas, meanwhile, make it two ties in Kildare with their hosting of Wexford – the South East’s last remaining side. Elsewhere, the competition has mainly an Ulster feel to it with seven entrants left with two from Munster and Connacht.

Women’s Division One: Railway Union v UCD, 1pm, Park Avenue; Loreto v Corinthian, 1pm, Beaufort; Hermes v Pembroke, 3.15pm, St Andrew’s; TRL v Trinity, 3.15pm, Grange Road; Old Alexandra v Glenanne, 4pm, Milltown
Division Two: Pembroke v Railway Union, 11am, Serpentine Ave; Hermes v Newbridge, 1.15pm, St Andrew’s; Genesis v UCD, 2.30pm, Belfield; Corinthian v Loreto, 3.30pm, Whitechurch

Electric Ireland Women’s Irish Hockey Trophy, round three: Omagh v Portadown, 2.30pm, Campsie Omagh; Greenfields v Ashton, 3pm, Dangan; Galway v Victorians, 1pm, Dangan; Bandon v YMCA, 1pm, Bandon GS; Naas v Wexford, 3.45pm, Caragh Road; North Kildare v Clontarf, 1.30pm, The Maws; NICS v Larne, 1pm, Maynard Sinclair Pavillion Stormont; Ballymena v Dromore, 2.30pm, Ballymena Showground

Loreto were thankful to stand-in goalkeeper Ruth Murphy in the final reckoning, the regular third teamer filling in for the international-tied Louisa Healy and the unavailable Mary Harkin. She and Clarke kept out two corners after the final whistle to hold onto a point as well as picking off a decent late save to deny Jean McDonnell.

In the first half, Lloyd finished off the first goal of the game with a nicely clipped reverse but a penalty stroke was conceded within two minutes which Hannah Matthews converted for her fourth goal of the campaign.

The second period followed a similar pattern despite the hosts enjoying more of the possession. Railway, as is their wont, were sharp on the break and were back in front when McDonnell picked up a loose ball and tore into the circle. She feigned to shoot before squaring for Lloyd to put her side back in front going into the closing quarter.

But Niamh Small jagged back inside to win a corner in the next wave of play and Clarke applied a thunderous strike. With Matthews, the two defenders have now provided 11 goals between them showing the value of their set piece routines.

Railway went closest to winning it as both sides were down to ten players for breaking down play; Zara Delany just missed out on the back post while McDonnell’s corner hits were denied. It leaves them a point off UCD who now have a game in hand while Loreto are one further back.

Of the three main contenders, the students appear to be the ones most likely to push on after the weekend, too, as they face colours rivals early on Saturday in Santry. They must do it without Chloe Watkins but Niamh Atcheler is available for selection for the game as she has been rested for the national team’s South Africa trip.

Railway and Loreto, though, have tough battles ahead as they play Old Alex and Hermes away, respectively. Attack-wise, the Park Avenue outfit’s forward line will be blunted by the absence of Nikki Evans and Alex Speers and the creative drive of Emma Smyth for much of the remainder of this campaign.

Alex have to cope without netminder Pam Smithwick and midfield firebrand Shirley McCay while Loreto are shy a quartet of players – including a fit-again Nikki Symmons.

But it is Hermes who are most affected as six of their number travel out to Johannesburg on Sunday. Mary Goode will cover goalkeeping duties while a number of their youngsters will likely be added to a panel short Miriam Crowley, Lisa Jacob, Aine Connery, Sinead McCarthy and Audrey O’Flynn.

At the bottom, there are also two vital games. Three Rock travel to Pembroke in a make or break tie between the basement pair with the visitors needing a win to move level on four points.

It is one of two meetings between the sides in quick succession – the next coming next Wednesday night – which could go a long way to defining their respective seasons. Corinthian and Glenanne, meanwhile, will be looking for points to pull themselves further away from impending danger.

On the men’s side, Pembroke started the New Year’s action with a comprehensive 6-1 win over Weston at Serpentine Avenue to knock out the last remaining division two side from the Mills Cup.

Alan Sothern snagged a hat-trick while Mick O’Connor got two to build a 6-0 half-time lead. Rob Lynch finished off a two-on-two attack to pull one back and win the second half for Weston – his tenth goal of the campaign.

All the rest of the Mills’ ties have also been brought forward from their initial Sunday date to Saturday. Monkstown against YMCA is the pick of the bunch at 1.30pm in Rathdown while Corinthian face Glenanne and UCD host a Three Rock side with a few players set to return.

The students will miss Shane O’Donoghue and possibly Conor Motyer while Rovers will need to find an alternative scoring source than Peter Blakeney. Alan Bothwell returns from suspension while Ali Haughton and Peter McConnell eased back over Christmas through the indoor campaign.

The Town are the side most affected by the international trip to Spain with goalkeeper Dave Fitzgerald unavailable along with David Cole and attacking linchpin Gareth Watkins. With Iain Walker unable to tend the goal, YM have top back-up in the form of Graham Woods.

Division two sees Avoca, Portrane and Trinity all make their first appearances of 2012 as the race hots up considerably for the title.

Mills Cup, round two result: Pembroke 6 (Alan Sothern 3, Mick O’Connor 2, Scott Furlong) Weston 1 (Rob Lynch)
Fixtures, Saturday: UCD v Three Rock Rovers, 1pm, Belfield; Corinthian v Glenanne, 1pm, Whitechurch Park’ Monkstown v YMCA, 1.30pm, Rathdown
Men’s Leinster Division Two: Avoca v Portrane, 2pm, Newpark; Suttonians v Dublin University, 2pm, Sutton Park; Mullingar v Rathgar, 2pm, Tullamore Harriers’ pitch

Women’s Leinster Division One, result: Loreto 2 (Hannah Matthews, Sarah Clarke) Railway Union 2 (Kate Lloyd 2)
Fixtures, Saturday: Trinity v UCD, 11.15am, Santry; Hermes v Loreto, 1.30pm, St Andrew’s; Old Alexandra v Railway Union, 3pm, Milltown; Glenanne v Corinthian, 3pm, St Mark’s; Pembroke v Three Rock Ladies, 3.30pm, Serpentine Ave
Division Two: Pembroke v Newbridge, 12.30pm, Serpentine Ave; Loreto v North Kildare, 12.45pm, Beaufort; Hermes v Genesis, 3.15pm, St Andrew’s; Corinthian v Railway Union, 3.45pm, Whitechurch Park; UCD v Old Alexandra, 4.15pm, Belfield

Trinity vs Loreto – postponed due to frozen pitch

Division Two: North Kildare 3 (Shelly Spillane, Liz Hasset, Louise Kelly) Hermes II 0; Railway Union 0 Newbridge 0; Corinthian 0 Genesis 1 (Laura Barrie); Pembroke 3 (Rachel McGrath 2, Anna O’Grady) Old Alex 1 (Hannah McDermott)

Jacqui Potter Cup, second round:

Helen Roche proved the unlikely heroine for Railway Union II as the club’s regular fourth team goalkeeper stepped in to save three penalty strokes against Trinity and earn a place in the Jacqui Potter Cup quarter-finals. Railway had led from a 40^th minute corner which Mary O’Dwyer deflected in. Eanna Horan levelled five minutes later from another corner and Rachel Scott thought she had put the students in front when she hit home a corner but it was disallowed as Maebh Horan had encroached into the circle before the push out to see a retake given. It led to extra-time and subsequently strokes with Roche saving three times to make it 2-2 after regulation strokes before Railway won it in the first round of sudden death.

Elsewhere, UCD were the big winners as former Alex students Nicola Gray and Deirdre Duke netted in a 2-1 victory over Loreto. Corinthian beat Glenanne 2-0 with both Jenny Heggie and Helene Peters getting their first goals of the season. Railway’s firsts  were comfortable victors over North Kildare with Orla Fox getting her first ever goal for the first team. It was a similar story for Hayley Sarratt as she netted in a 7-1 win over Loreto II while Pembroke had too much in the tank for Corinthian II, Joanna McDonald firing a double.

Results: Railway Union II 1 (Mary O’Dwyer) Trinity 1 (Eanna Horan), Railway won 3-2 on strokes; North Kildare 0 Railway Union 7 (Jean McDonnell 2, Orla Fox, Sinead Walsh, Julia O’Halloran, Emma Smyth, Zara Delany); UCD 2 (Nicola Gray, Deirdre Duke) Loreto 1 (Cathy McKean); Corinthian 2 (Jenny Heggie, Helene Peters) Glenanne 0; Hermes 7 (Lisa Jacob 2, Hayley Sarratt, Sadhbh Hoban Logan, Eimear Horan, Gillian Pinder, Jenny Burke) Loreto II 1 (Sarah Scott); Corinthian II 0 Pembroke 4 (Joanna McDonald 2, Claire Picard, Ciara Howard)

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

The tie was initially pushed back due to the intervarsities earlier this month, a situation which had the upshot of leaving both sides in a position to seriously strengthen their push for a playoff place.

The Booterstown hosts have saved their best form for the showpiece competition this term having already fallen by the wayside in the Senior Cup while three losses in the Leinster league see them well off the pace.

Goalscoring issues pervaded both campaigns but in the IHL they have had a carefree spirit, dismissing Armagh and Old Alex on 3-0 scorelines. As such, they lead the way by virtue of a bonus point ahead of UCD – along with Catholic Institute and Pegasus – on seven points.

Mary Logue, against the club she coached to the Senior Cup in 2009, will be looking to learn from the experience of nine days ago when the students nabbed a goal in each half to run up a 2-0 win.

For particular video analysis will be the corner moves as Hermes earned eight set pieces but could not finish. Sinead McCarthy should be allowed more pitch time, her recuperation limiting her to 30 minutes against TRL last Saturday, while Audrey O’Flynn is also back in the fray.

Again, taming the former Hermes’ stars Anna O’Flanagan and Chloe Watkins is key with the students’ confidence level sky-high after an amazing run of results.

In the other IHL tie to played this weekend, Railway Union will be without Cecelia and Isobel Joyce as they make their way back from Bangladesh where they helped the Irish women’s cricket team maintain one-day international status.

UCC graduate Julia O’Halloran will seek to plot the demise of some old friends as she welcomes her former colleagues to Park Avenue. O’Halloran, 24, was a mainstay of the College side during something of a golden period from 2007-2010, but now plies her trade with Mick McKinnon’s troops in Dublin.

Having recently withdrawn from the national setup, O’Halloran is now free to express herself more often at club level, and will be hoping she can guide her side to a repeat of Railway’s 3-0 win at the Mardyke in 2009, when she was on the losing side. While former team-mates Ali O’Regan and Ali O’Connor are still in situ at UCC, the majority of the side has a youthful look and is on a steep learning curve at this level.

With Loreto storming clear in Pool B, Railway will target a bonus point to put some daylight between themselves and Ballymoney in second place.

Domestically, Loreto and Old Alex is the marquee tie with the pair jostling for second place in the division behind UCD. It is a big moment for Alex having run up four successive wins against sides from the bottom half of the division without conceding a single goal. And they can make another big statement – to go with the Senior Cup win over Hermes – against a Loreto side for whom Katie Evans has finished up her short tenure in Dublin.

Nikki Symmons remains out but Loreto have coped reasonably well in her absence, winning each game to date, showing the strength in depth.

Trinity play Corinthian in a game which could lift the students into a share of fifth place with Hermes ahead of a game between the sides on December 3, having managed to garner seven points despite scoring just two goals to date.

For Pembroke and Glenanne, victory for either will push them to a relatively safe position at this point in the season. Pembroke fronted up well against Alex last week with Lizzie de Araugo leading their attacking options while Glenanne await the return of their cricket internationals.

Elsewhere, Pegasus received a big boost as Ireland was once again handed the hosting of a major tournament. The IHL and Senior Cup champions will host the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy – the second tier of women’s club hockey on the continent – over the Easter weekend.

They have been drawn in a pool with Belgium’s La Gantoise, Russia’s Metrostroy St Petersburg and Lithuanian Gintra Strekte Universitas while the other group has Belarussian, Scottish, Ukranian and Italian teams.

Railway hosted the competition last term in Dublin while Galway brought European club indoor to the country. With a men’s Olympic qualifier soon to follow this summer’s Champions Challenge I, it continues a recent run of high quality tournaments coming to these shores.

It could also be the catalyst to see Ireland earn a place in the recently rejigged women’s Club Champion’s Cup for a first time. Railway and Loreto’s performances last spring have seen Ireland move up to ninth in the standings, just half a ranking point behind Russia who occupy eighth – the lowest place to be included in the top competition.

Ten Leinster sides, meanwhile, take on the Irish Hockey Trophy first round with North Kildare the highest ranked from the province following an excellent start to women’s division two. They host Mourne side Kilkeel at The Maws.

ESB Electric Ireland Irish Hockey League Round 3 (Saturday): Hermes v UCD, 3pm, Booterstown; Railway Union v UCC, 5pm, Park Avenue

Leinster Women’s Division One
Saturday: Old Alexandra v Loreto, 3pm, Milltown; Trinity v Corinthian, 4.30pm, Milltown; Pembroke v Glenanne, 5pm, Serpentine Ave
Division Two: Pembroke v UCD, 11am, Serpentine Ave; Old Alexandra v Railway Union, 1.15pm, Milltown
Sunday: Loreto v Hermes, 2.30pm, Beaufort

EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy
Pool A: HC Victorya Smolevichi (BLR), Grove Menzieshill (SCO), MSC Sumchanka (UKR), HF Libertas San Saba (ITA)
Pool B: ARA La Gantoise (BEL), Pegasus (IRL), HC Metrostroy St Petersburg (RUS), Gintra Strekte Universitas (LTU)

ESB Electric Ireland Irish Hockey Trophy, round two: Weston v Dromore, 3pm, Griffeen Valley Park; Portadown v Genesis, 2.30pm, Edenvilla Park; Waterford v Naas, 2.30pm, Newtown School; Our Ladys v Greenfields, 2pm, Templeogue; North Kildare v Kilkeel, 2.30pm, The Maws; Bandon v Cork C of I, 12pm, Bandon GS; Suttonians v Wexford, 2pm, Sutton Park; Cookstown v Galway, 1pm, Coolnafranky; Ashton v Knock, Knock withdrawn – Ashton receive w/o; North Down v NICS, 2.30pm, Comber LC; Victorians v Greenisland, 4pm, Queens; Bray v Clontarf, 1.15pm, Loreto Bray; YMCA v UL, 2.30pm, Claremont Road; Ballymena v Newbridge, 2.30pm, Ballymena; Omagh v Muckross, 4pm, Campsie; Fermoy v Larne, 12.30pm, Loreto Fermoy)

For Trinity, it was a backs to the wall effort which saw them eventually end Ards’ interest in the competition as Jessie Elliott and her corner defence incredibly kept out 17 set-pieces.

One did find the net but the ball never left the circle prior to stopping and was ruled out. Chances at the far end were scarce, Trin earning just one corner of their own while Kylie Deverall and Eanna Horan did carve out one scrambled opening but other than that it was all defence.

They also had to withstand having a stroke called against them when Maebh Horan took a ball to the chest but a consultation was it over-turned on the final hooter of normal time.

Plenty more corners followed in extra-time but strokes were the inevitable outcome. The first series ended locked at 3-3 before Rachel Scott and Deverall both scored in sudden death to claim the tie 5-4.

For UCD, it was a much more serene passage to the next round as their list of stars added the scalp of Cork Harlequins to their growing list.

Former Irish international Karen Bateman stepped out of retirement after 15 months out of the game to help Quins in their assignment, but it mattered little as they were routed 4-0 by the classy Belfield students, who finally found their range in the final half-hour after a goal-less first half.

Chloe Watkins was their big inspiration, forcing home the first from close range before Nicola Gray buried a trademark short corner bullet.

Watkins then produced an outrageous behind-the-back pass to allow Anna O’Flanagan to reverse home the third, before Deirdre Duke put a gloss on the scoreline late on. UCD must plunder Munster again in round two, as they’ll face Catholic Institute in Limerick on November 12.

Nine-time champions Loreto were comprehensive victors over IHT winners Lisnagarvey as their international contingent accounted for four of their five goals, the returning Nikki Symmons claiming a double while Niamh Small and Nicci Daly also registered while Sarah Clarke got her second goal for the club.

Old Alex won the Dublin derby with a 2-0 success at Serpentine Avenue against Pembroke with Newpark schoolgirl Juliette King-Hall on the mark along with Roisin Flinn.

Pegasus were the biggest winners of the day, Vanessa Surgeoner hitting four in their 7-0 dismissal of Three Rock Ladies, while Queens University were indebted to Hannah McMillan who rocketed in a hat-trick in their stunning 4-0 dismissal of Randalstown.

Munster’s other round one representative, UCC, came a cropper in Armagh as former Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star Amy Stewart scored in the hosts’ 2-0 win.

Stewart has endured a miserable 18 months on the sidelines with a chronic ankle problem, but the youngest ever Irish international broke the deadlock against the Cork students on Saturday before Kate Snyder added an insurance goal.

On the Leinster league circuit, Railway Union hit the top of the table with a 7-0 drubbing of Corinthian with the goals shared between five players. They are next in line to face Lurgan – 2-1 winners over the Ulster Elks – following Saturday’s draw while Corinthian against Trinity and Alex against Hermes provide the Leinster intrigue. Holders Pegasus, meanwhile, face Ulster Premier champions Ballymoney in another tie bristling with potential.

** Cork Harlequins vs UCD report courtesy of Southern Fried’s Alan Good

ESB Electric Ireland Irish Senior Cup, round one results: Armagh 2 (Amy Stewart, Kate Synder) UCC 0; Queens 4 (Hannah McMillan 3, Ashley Mulholland) Randalstown 0; Cork Harlequins 0 UCD 4 (Chloe Watkins; Deirdre Duke; Anna O’Flanagan; Nicola Gray); Lurgan 2 (Charlene Hull, Joanne Wilson) Ulster Elks 1 (Sarah Galbraith); Lisnagarvey 0 Loreto 5 (Nikki Symmons 2, Nicci Daly; Sarah Clarke; Niamh Small); Ards 0 Dublin University 0, Dublin Uni win 5-4 on penalties; Three Rock Ladies 0 Pegasus 7 (Vanessa Surgeoner 4; Suzanne Beaney 2; Stephanie Quinn); Pembroke 0 Old Alex 2 (Roisin Flinn, Juliette King-Hall)

Byes: Ballymoney, Belfast Harlequins, Portadown, Catholic Institute, Corinthian, Glenanne, Hermes, Railway Union .

ESB Electric Ireland Women’s Irish Senior Cup, round two draw (November 12): Corinthian vs Dublin University; Belfast Harlequins vs Loreto; Railway Union vs Lurgan; Old Alex vs Hermes; Catholic Institute vs UCD; Armagh vs Glenanne; Queens Uni vs Portadown; Ballymoney vs Pegasus

Women’s Division One: Corinthian 0 Railway Union 7 (Kate McKenna 2, Zara Delany 2, Alex Speers, Isobel Joyce, Sinead Walsh)

Division Two: Newbridge 1 (Ciara Brody) Pembroke II 2 (Eimear McCarthy, Anna O’Grady); Railway Union II 8 (Sinead Dooley 2, Sarah Hawkshaw 2, Kate Lloyd 2, Cecelia Joyce, Lisa McCarthy) Corinthian II 0; Old Alex II 1 (Hannah McDermott) UCD II 1 (Emily Menzies); Genesis 0 Hermes II 1 (Jenny Kinch); North Kildare vs Loreto II, postponed

Cork Harlequins and UCD’s tie at Farmer’s Cross could provide the main source of quality but the worry in Munster is that the former 15 in-a-row champions have dramatically lost their edge.

Having lost many of their main stars in recent years, Karen Bateman, Rachael Kohler, Jane Chapple, Hilary Chapple, Jane Bourke and Eimear Cregan chief among them, they fell a fortnight ago to a shock 2-1 defeat to UL, a side they had beaten 12-0 in the corresponding fixture last term.

A scratchy 3-2 win over Ashton hardly eased the nerves but they do have Cliodhna Sargent back after active rest following the Europeans to underpin their defence.

Hers will be a central role to tame the returning Chloe Watkins who adds to UCD’s glittering array of options. She links up with former Hermes’ club mates Deirdre Duke and Anna O’Flanagan – Leinster’s top scorer to date with four from three appearances – in a side which looks to be gelling instantly and lead the provincial charts.

How they cope on the sand-based pitch and the battling qualities of Rachel McSharry and Yvonne O’Byrne will be their main concerns.

Loreto’s trip to Lisnagarvey is another with the potential to be close, the Hillsborough side impressing earlier this year in the Irish Hockey Trophy and IJC runs en route to promotion back up to the Ulster Premier league. Loreto, though, have the twin threats of Nikki Symmons and Niamh Small to add to Nicci Daly’s wily presence.

Reigning champions Pegasus start their campaign at Grange Road as Three Rock’s late replacement of Bray hands them the toughest possible opener. The 2011 double winners started their provincial campaign in rude health with a 6-0 win over IHL-bound Lurgan and will expect victory though Eimear Fitzsimons showed last week she is not easily beaten. On the umpiring front, this tie sees Guy and Gillian Garrett blowing the whistles, a unique situation of a husband and wife team taking charge of a game.

Old Alex head into the sole Dublin derby at Pembroke as favourites with Keogh’s Aisling and Alison in charge. Trinity’s new look defence – comprising at times of Zoe Codd, Vera Taaffe, Nadia Douglas and Laura Stephens – will be put to the test by Ards.

Of the ties not involving Leinster sides, UCC’s trip to Armagh has potential while a pair of Ulster derbies – Queens against Randalstown and Lurgan against the Elks – provide strong local intrigue.

Ballymoney, Catholic Institute, Hermes and Railway are among the big names waiting to enter the fray. The Park Avenue outfit, though, are in domestic action, bringing forward their game against Corinthian in the Leinster league to keep their momentum going. They can now have use of a string of Irish internationals, making it a tough test for Colm Blennerhassett’s reds.

** For twitter updates, The Hook and IHA are recommending using the #iscwomen hashtag to try and pool all the latest updates from the day’s action

ESB Electric Ireland Irish Senior Cup – round one (Saturday): Armagh vs UCC, 1pm, Orchard RC; Queens Uni vs Randalstown, 1pm, Queens; Cork Harlequins vs UCD, 1.30pm, Harlequins Park; Lurgan vs Ulster Elks, 2.30pm, Lurgan Junior HS; Lisnagarvey vs Loreto, 2.30pm, Hillsborough; Ards vs Trinity, 2.45pm, Ards; Three Rock Ladies vs Pegasus, 3pm, Grange Road; Pembroke vs Old Alex, 3pm, Serpentine Avenue
Byes: Ballymoney, Belfast Harlequins, Portadown, Catholic Institute, Corinthian, Glenanne, Hermes, Railway Union

Women’s Leinster Division One (Saturday): Corinthian vs Railway Union, 2.15pm, Whitechurch Park
Division Two: Newbridge vs Pembroke, 10.30am, St Mary’s Naas; Railway Union vs Corinthian, 12.45pm, Park Avenue; Old Alexandra vs UCD, 1.15pm, Milltown; Genesis vs Hermes, 2.30pm, Belfield

That the tie takes place prior to the return of the European championships squad means it is another high profile tie with a caveat against it as Chloe Watkins, Niamh Small and Nikki Symmons are all out before they become available again in a week’s time.

Louisa Healy, though, is edging closer to a full-scale return and she could step back into the pads vacated for the game against Corinthian last week in favour of Mary Harkin for Loreto for their trip to Belfield.

UCD were stung by Jean McDonnell’s late equaliser last week but Johnny Harte’s side showed serious signs of cohesion in the middle third of their tie against Railway Union, giving rise to the suggestion this could be a four-horse race this term.

Trinity and Three Rock Ladies make their first appearances of the campaign this weekend, too, the former hopeful of picking off a result against Justin Sherriff’s outfit.

It will be Scott Beattie’s first game in charge as he looks to narrow a large preseason panel with Vera Taaffe among the major additions along with Bandon’s Sarah Gray who brings Munster U-21 and Junior interpro experience.

Caroline Murphy is the big loss, however, as study and subsequent travel concerns deny the students of their top quality centre-back while Alice Ward’s Erasmus year and the departures of Lucy Small and Katie Grehan are also part of the annual overhaul.

They were an emerging force last term under David Bane but light on goal-scoring options which Eanna Horan will seek to rectify having found her range late last season while Rachel Scott and Maebh Horan provide the other main thrusts. Both are Irish Unis players along with goalkeeper Jessie Elliott but study commitments could constrain her involvement as the season progresses.

Three Rock, meanwhile, have made a couple of additions since being handed a belated ticket to the top tier with a few players from Bray making the switch following the Wicklow club’s withdrawal from division one.

Former Spanish youth international Anna Fabra Ferrer is one notable addition, too, along with Sarah Lovett and Julie Garvey but they will have their work cut out to halt the lightning pace of Old Alex’s young cohorts at Grange Road.

Railway’s stuttering start to the campaign will hope to catch fire at Glenanne but they still wait on the likes of Emma Smyth, Julia O’Halloran and Alex Speers to add to their scoring options.

Hermes, meanwhile, face a Corinthian side hungry to break their run of a single-goal defeats and buoyed by the distance they pushed another fancied side, Loreto, last weekend.

Georgina Fagan has used her lightning pace to head the goalscoring charts thus far with three in three games while Niamh Barry and Sally Cory have also been lively and could cause the odd problem or two for Mary Logue’s side.

Division two, meanwhile, tips off with Corinthian II stepping into the breach created by Bray’s departure from division one and TRL’s subsequent step out of the league. It leaves just three first team sides in the division with any chance of promotion – Genesis, North Kildare and Newbridge. The latter contest this level of competition for the first time in their history.

Women’s Leinster Division One (Saturday): Pembroke Wanderers v Trinity, 12.30pm, Serpentine Avenue; Glenanne v Railway Union, 3pm, St Mark’s; Hermes v Corinthian, 3.15pm, St Andrew’s; Three Rock v Old Alexandra, 3.30pm, Grange Road; UCD v Loreto, 4.15pm, Belfield.
Division Two: UCD II vs North Kildare, 11.15am, Belfield; Old Alex II vs Hermes II, 1.15pm, Milltown; Loreto II vs Railway Union II, 2.15pm; Genesis vs Pembroke II, 2.30pm, Belfield; Corinthian II vs Newbridge, 2.30pm, Whitechurch Park

Maguire, who hails originally from Zimbabwe, will be assisted by long time Glenanne member and former Leinster senior men’s team coach Noel Keogh for the duration of the season.

He brings Irish experience from his time with Weston while he is also involved with King’s Hospital. Dearbhla Kieran (pictured) has taken over as captain of the team, while Barbara O’Malley will continue as manager.

Three Rock Ladies, meanwhile, have secured the services of Geoff Walker to coach their first team for the upcoming season.

Walker takes over the reins from Niall Denham who has emigrated to Wales. The new man brings a wealth of experience despite his young age having worked with Corinthian ladies for the past few seasons as well as the Leinster boy’s underage setup.

The site has come a long way since its early beginnings. In the past year, the switch to a website format and the development of the site’s excellent photographic arm, culminating in the Irish Hockey Photographers’ dedicated website, were among the projects undertaken.

During the season, the addition of more video elements and our first ever ‘livestream’ – the vast majority with thanks to Tristan Seaton-Stedham – has been a huge advance.

The first Hook Awards’ night – primarily a fundraiser for Glenanne’s EHL trip at Easter – will hopefully become a regular fixture in the local hockey calendar.

Full league tables, updated on Sunday morning’s based on club submissions were integrated mid-season and the Stats Centre will hopefully be tidied up and improved in the coming months.

For the 2011/12 season, using The Hook’s twitter page, the intention is to be ramp up this service and be able to collate virtually all of the divisional results in a simple, free fashion within minutes of game’s completion and, thus provide the earliest possible league table updates.

During the season, the Hook has endeavoured to travel to as many games as possible, taking in trips to Munster, Ulster, the Netherlands and France to cover as many aspects of our sport to the highest standard.

More details will follow on this in due course but to develop these elements and maintain standards, the site does require a personal financial outlay which is primarily attempted to be covered from those who have donated to the site; 100pc of these funds go back into the Hook’s development.

Should you wish to help the coverage and promotion of Leinster and Irish hockey, feel free to contribute to the site via the ‘Donation’ button on the left-hand side of this page (or follow this link).

Finally, thank you all for taking the time to read, contribute and comment to The Hook. Website hits have increased more close to three-fold this season, an indicator that the Hook’s efforts are being appreciated in some form.

Such indicators, along with the feedback received around the grounds week-in, week-out, make the efforts which go into the site much easier to manage.

All the best for the rest of the summer and I look forward to seeing some of you pitch-side as the Irish men and women pursue their Olympic dream, building toward the European Championships in August.

Stephen Findlater