Hermes to host Trophy

Women's Hockey: After their marathon trip to Azerbaijan last season for the European Hockey Trophy, Hermes won't be working up any more air miles next May, having been chosen as hosts for the tournament by the European Hockey Federation.

They will, then, become the first Irish women's club to stage the event, which takes place at Belfield (May 13th -16th).

Dublin is proving to be a well-used venue for European tournaments, next August's European Championships (A division) the sixth international event to be held in the city in 10 years.

Hermes are pooled with Ritm Grodno (Belarus), HF Mori Villa Franca (Italy) and Rotweiss Wettingen (Switzerland). Lithuanian, Belgian, Czech and Croatian teams make up the other pool. Promotion to the A division will be the Irish champions' target.

Irish Cup winners Pegasus will, like Cork Harlequins' men, be off to Vienna for the European Cup Winners Trophy (March 25th-28th) and are drawn with Italian, Belarussian and Austrian sides. Promotion will again be regarded as an achievable target.

Pegasus have of course won the Ulster title for the last seven years, but Ballymoney are hoping to end their supremacy this season. Their campaign couldn't have had a more encouraging start, the team winning their three games so far, including a 6-1 victory over Coleraine and that 2-0 win over the champions a fortnight ago.

The availability of four of their key players, Lynsey McVicker, Angela Platt, Bridget McKeever and Nicky McCaughern, all of whom were away on international duty for a chunk of last season, should help greatly.

There are no 100-per-cent winning records in the Leinster first division after three weekends of the season, Loreto, Hermes and Old Alexandra dropping points last weekend.

Hermes, away to Clontarf, and Alexandra, away to Genesis, will expect to get back to winning ways tomorrow but Loreto will be wary of the visit of UCD, to whom they trailed in the corresponding fixture last season before a Cathy McKean double saw them home.

UCD, whose coach Tom O'Donoghue led Loreto to the Irish Cup in 2003, also play on Sunday in a rescheduling of last weekend's postponed match against Three Rock.

Leinster League: Dvision one - Tomorrow: Clontarf v Hermes, Clontarf, 2 pm; Three Rock v Corinthian, Grange Road, 1 pm; Loreto v UCD, Beaufort, 2.15 pm; Railway Union v Pembroke Wanderers, Sandymount, 3 pm; Genesis v Old Alexandra, Belfield, 4.30 pm. Sunday: UCD v Three Rock, Belfield, 2.30 pm. Division Two - Tomorrow: Skerries v Diocesan, Dardistown, 11.15 am; Old Alexandra II v Loreto II, Milltown, 1.15 pm; Pembroke Wanderers II v Trinity, Ballsbridge, 3.30 pm; Loreto III v Muckross, Beaufort, 3.45 pm; Hermes II v Glenanne, Booterstown, 4.30 pm. Sunday: Glenanne v Trinity, Tallaght, 1.30 pm.

Ulster League - Section One: Ballymena v Ballymoney, Ballymena, 2.30 pm; Coleraine v Knock, UUC, 2.30 pm; Omagh v Ards, Omagh Leisure Centre, 2.30 pm; Randalstown v Belfast Harlequins, Antrim Forum, 2.30 pm; Victorians v Pegasus, Olympia Leisure Centre, 2.30 pm.