Tuesday, October 14: With Round 6 of the EY Hockey League now complete and the campaign a third of the way over, baring those sides that suffered the Round 5 disruptions of Storm Amy, we take a look at which players and teams are leading the charts thus far.
Top Goalscorers
In the Women’s EYHL, Railway Union’s Hollai Quinn top the scoring charts with an exceptionally impressive tally of six goals in six games. What is almost more impressive is she is doing so in her first season for the reigning EY Champions Trophy winners having made the switch from Corinthian this summer. Quinn has been central to Railway’s success this year, scoring in every one of her side’s five wins.
Queen’s University’s Jenna McCarlie takes second spot with five goals while teammate Jodie Simmons sits just behind her on four, level with Ulster Elks’ Shannon McNellis. McCarlie and Simmons combined nine goals accounts for just over half of QUB’s goals this season, but the newly promoted side are not short of attacking threats, with eight different players getting on the scoresheet in the opening six rounds.
In the Men’s EYHL, Avoca skipper Guy Sarratt has been the most effective player in front of goal. Despite his side sitting bottom of the table, Sarratt has managed six goals from penalty corners this season in five games including two braces, form he will hope he can continue as his side go in search of vital points.
Lisnagarvey’s Matthew Nelson sits second on five goals in as many games. Having missed a considerable portion of the beginning of last season through injury, Nelson has looked hungry in front of goal as he looks to help Lisnagarvey retain their league title and collect the top scoring accolade for himself.
Seven players sit just behind them, joined at four goals apiece. Greg Williams, Johnny McKee and Matthew McKee sit just ahead of the rest having hit their tally of four in just four games, while Pembroke duo Alan Sothern and Matthew Treacy, along with Lisnagarvey’s Ben Nelson and Oliver Kidd have all got their four goals in five games.
Top Goalkeepers
In the Women’s EYHL, Elizabeth Murphy has been a force to be reckoned with so far this season, keeping four clean sheets from her five appearances. The Loreto and Ireland International has conceded on just one occasion, a Round 3 goal from UCD’s Florence Maughan.
Just behind Murphy sit Pembroke Wanderers’ Aoife Glennon and Pegasus’ Megan Todd with two clean sheets each. Both keepers have been exceptional to date helping their sides maintain the joint second-best defensive records in the league behind current leaders Loreto.
In the Men’s EYHL, clean sheets have been far less prevalent as sides continue their rich scoring form from last season.
Luke Roleston tops the charts with a single clean sheet from his four appearances this season. He has helped his side keep the goals against figure to a minimum, conceding just four times in the four games Banbridge have played to date.
Lisnagarvey’s James Milliken and last season’s Golden Gloves Three Rock Rovers’ James Coffey sit just behind Roleston with a single clean sheet also. Milliken narrowly pips Coffey to second with two fewer goals conceded, but both have been very strong do date, picking up where they left off last year.
As Things Stand:
Loreto are once again the team to beat in the Women’s EY Hockey League. While they may sit behind rivals Railway Union in second place, the reigning league champions have a game in hand and also remain unbeaten. A win in their refixed Round 5 match against Portadown would see them go three points clear at the top of the table. Despite the exits of several key players during the summer, they still look on course to retain their title for a third successive season.
Railway Union certainly won’t make it easy for them, however. Loreto’s win in Round 2 could prove to be a pivotal early moment in the title challenge, but they will get a chance to reverse the result when the sides meet for the second and final time in the penultimate round before the Christmas break.
Queen’s University have been the surprise package so far this season. The newly promoted side have been almost flawless thus far in their first ever season in the EYHL, with a record of four wins, a bonus point draw and a loss seeing them sit comfortably in third spot, just a point behind Loreto and Railway Union. Principle to their success has been their energy and efficiency in front of goal. Their tally of seventeen goals so far is the joint best in the league.
Pembroke Wanderers sit top of the Men’s EYHL after Round 6, with the Dublin club much more closely resembling the team that was perennially in the title race during the late 2000s. With three wins and two draws so far this season, the side are yet to suffer a loss. Maintaining this form in the weeks to come will be no easy task as they line up meetings with Lisnagarvey, YMCA and Three Rock Rovers in their next three games, but a task they will no doubt be up for.
Despite sitting in second, Banbridge are absolutely the team to beat this season. The Ulster side have two games in hand on many of the other sides in the division having suffered the effects of Storm Amy in Round 5 and missing Round 6 to Euro Hockey League duties. Despite this, they sit just a point off top spot having won all four of their opening four games, scoring seventeen and conceding just four. Johnny McKee continues to be a threat in attack, with young teammate Adam McKee showing fine form in front of goal this season also.
It’s neck-and –neck among the pursuing pack with just a point or two separating Monkstown, Lisnagarvey, Three Rock, YMCA and Corinthian. Just a single favourable result for any of those sides could see them propelled up the standings and into the title race, should Banbridge put a foot wrong.
Note: Goalkeepers are awarded a clean sheet when they play in a minimum of 75% of a match where their team do not concede a goal. In instances where players are tied for clean sheets, ranking will be determined by the keeper who has conceded the fewest goals per game (Goals Conceded divided by minutes played multiplied by 70). In the event that two players also have an identical Goals Per Game, ranking will be determined alphabetically by surname.