Phase one of battle for Hockey League promotion gets under way

The battle for a place in next season’s Irish Hockey League heats up this weekend when Old Alexandra host the first phase of the provincial playoffs at Milltown – Corinthian, Queens, Dungannon and Catholic Institute completing the line-up.

The winner of the round-robin tournament will go through to the following weekend’s playoffs in Cork where they will vie with the four provincial champions – UCC, Lurgan, Muckross and NUIG or Galway – for promotion to the IHL.

Whoever triumphs will replace the side that finishes bottom of this season’s IHL, Monkstown currently in that slot, while the runners-up will play off against the ninth-placed side, likely to be Trinity or Pembroke Wanderers.

The consolation prize for teams missing out on promotion will be a place in the new second division of the IHL which starts up next season, 10 slots, in two pools of five, up for grabs.

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Pegasus and Railway Union, meanwhile, will look to move a step closer to sealing their places in this season’s Champions Trophy, for which UCD and Cork Harlequins have already qualified.

Pegasus, who will hope to put last weekend’s 4-0 Irish Senior Cup final defeat to UCD behind them, are away to Ards on Sunday, Ards having moved up to fifth in the table with a 2-1 win over Belfast Harlequins on Wednesday evening. Railway host Cork Harlequins at Park Avenue.

Hockey League – Sunday: Loreto v Trinity, Beaufort, 12.45; Railway Union v Cork Harlequins, Park Avenue, 1.0; Ards v Pegasus, Ards Park, 2.30; Monkstown v UCD, Rathdown, 2.30; Pembroke Wanderers v Belfast Harlequins, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30.

Hockey League – Provincial Playoffs (at Milltown) – Saturday: Corinthian v Old Alexandra, 10.15; Dungannon v Catholic Institute, 11.45; Queens v Corinthian, 1.30; Alexandra v Dungannon, 3.0; Catholic Institute v Queens, 4.45. Sunday: Dungannon v Corinthian, 9.45; Catholic Institute v Alexandra, 11.15; Queens v Dungannon, 1.0; Corinthian v Catholic Institute, 2.30; Alexandra v Queens, 4.15.