Tuesday, January 28, 2025: With the Men’s EY Hockey League set to resume after the winter break this Saturday, we take a look at how each side has fared thus far.
Lisnagarvey – 27pts (9W, 0D, 1L)
Current league leaders Lisnagarvey have looked every bit as good as they did last season, topping the charts for goals scored, and conceding the second fewest. Despite several high-profile departures in the summer, Lisnagarvey have continued to do what they do best, trusting youth to take up the mantle of exiting senior figures.
The Hollywood outfit’s round 7 loss to Ulster rivals Banbridge could have derailed their stellar progress to that point. But rather than lose confidence, the loss seemed to spur them on, with the side recovering to record huge wins against pursuing Three Rock Rovers, fourth place YMCA, and newly promoted Avoca.
Despite being without the services of Ireland International Matthew Nelson due to injury, the side have remained clinical in front of goal, with brother Ben Nelson and teammate Andrew Williamson taking up the goalscoring mantle. If the side can pick up exactly where they left off after the winter break, they will fancy themselves to go all the way this season.
Three Rock Rovers – 26pts (8W, 1D, 1L)
Having endured a slow start to the season in 2023/24, Three Rock wasted no time getting out of the gates this time around putting themselves in the title race conversation from the get-go. The return of Luke Madeley to Grange Road added additional experience at the back and an extra goal threat alongside Ben Johnson from penalty corners, while young players Ben Pasley, Rex Dunlop, and Zach Silverman, to name just a few, are another year old, wiser and better equipped to continue contributing to their side’s lofty targets.
Their bonus point draw against Banbridge was a massive result against a fellow league title contender, but the side have experienced a little bit of a wobble in the final two rounds, suffering a 3-1 loss to Lisnagarvey, and then almost coughing up a three-goal league to Pembroke in Round 10. No doubt the winter break offered a good opportunity for the side to rest up and refocus ahead of the imminent league return.
Banbridge – 24pts (7W, 2D, 0L)
It should come as no surprise that Banbridge are yet again in silverware contention as they sit just 3 points behind the league leaders with a game in hand against Annadale. The Havelock Park side remain unbeaten in the league, having grabbed a huge win against Lisnagarvey, but dropping points against YMCA and Three Rock.
Yet again the team are not short on goals with the electric Johnny McKee remaining a prominent goal threat from open play, and centre back Philip Brown scoring penalty corners for fun. Banbridge also boast the best defensive record to date, in part thanks to goalkeeper Luke Roleston whose performances this season earned him an International call up.
It’s difficult to see Banbridge dropping points against anyone other than their fellow title challengers, so expect their games against Three Rock and Lisnagarvey to play a vital role in the destination of the EY Hockey League trophy.
YMCA – 19pts (6W, 1D, 3L)
YMCA yet again find themselves amongst the top four this season with an impressive record to their name so far. Since their surprise opening round loss to Corinthian, YM have made no major mistakes, winning all their games against the teams that currently sit below them, and even grabbing a point against Banbridge during their encounter in Wesley College.
Adam Walker has provided the most significant threat in front of goal with his drag flicking accounting for roughly a quarter of their goals so far. If they can continue to provide him with chances, they will undoubtedly be a concern for opposition when it comes EY Champions Trophy time.
Monkstown – 17pts (5W, 1D, 4L)
Monkstown faced an exceptionally tough run of games following their back-to-back wins in the opening two rounds, having to face Banbridge, Lisnagarvey, YMCA and Three Rock in the space of four weeks. The tough run meant the Glenageary side sat in seventh with just 6 points after six rounds.
However, since then Monkstown have recorded points in all four of their games, dropping just one point against Corinthian in their Round 8 refix.
Thus far, the side have been largely reliant on Lee Cole to get them on the scoreboard, with David Vincent also making a considerable contribution particularly in key moments. Monkstown will be massively bolstered by the return of Jeremy Duncan who returned to play their final two games before the break, immediately getting his name on the scoresheet with a brace against Corinthian.
An EY Champions Trophy spot will be the expectation for Monkstown.
Corinthian – 14pts (4W, 2D, 4L)
Now in their second season in the topflight, Corinthian look to be in a position to solidify themselves as an EY Hockey League stalwart. The side have an impressive record so far, with the addition of Gregory Williams and the continued fine form of Max Neill both major contributing factors to their success.
With survival in the EY Hockey League more than likely already achieved, Corinthian will now have their sites firmly set on staying in the top six and securing a play-off spot, and based on their performances to date they are more than good enough to achieve that.
If there was one criticism that could be levelled against Corinthian, it would be their defensive record. The team sit joint 3rd for most goals conceded, level with Annadale. If they can address this, a place in the EY Champions Trophy play-offs is well within their capabilities.
Avoca – 8pts (2W, 1D, 7L)
Having recruited well during the summer, adding the likes of Shane O’Donoghue, Neil Byrne, and Brad Venter to their ranks, Avoca will have entered their first season in the EYHL with lofty aspirations. However, the Blackrock outfit will probably be disappointed with their points tally and league position going into the winter break.
Despite conceding 29 goals, they have largely been defensively decent to date, conceding over half their goals in their meetings with Banbridge, Lisnagarvey, and Three Rock. For Avoca, it’s largely up the other end where they have struggled, scoring the third fewest goals from open play, with 17. While miraculously scoring more goals from open play is a difficult trick to pull, Avoca could look to leverage the drag flicking ability of Shane O’Donoghue and Guy Sarratt more in the second half of the season to increase their fortunes and sneak their way into the play-off places.
Pembroke Wanderers – 7pts (1W, 2D, 7L)
Much like fellow promoted side Avoca, Pembroke might have fancied themselves to sit a little higher up the table at this stage in the season. A few disappointing results so far such as a loss against Avoca and draws against UCD and Corinthian have left the side eighth with just one win so far.
However, there is plenty of signs of life in this team, with Alan Sothern doing his typical job in front of goal, and the likes of Tevin Kok and Fawaaz Kader adding plenty of flare in transition. If their electric performance against Three Rock is anything to go by, this team could well make a late surge upwards if they can put all the pieces together.
Annadale – 3pts (0W, 2D, 7L)
Another challenging start for Annadale sees them in the relegation zone going into the winter break. The summer wasn’t kind to the Belfast side as they had to watch key players like Michael Robson, Fergus Gibson, Neal Glassey, and Owen McElhinney exit the club.
As a result, Annadale have struggled both offensively and defensively scoring the second fewest and conceding the third most goals of any team so far. However, Annadale have shown no intention of going down without a fight. The return of Owen McElhinney to the club will bolster them going forward, adding to Spencer Pinnion’s solid return so far this season.
UCD – 2pts (0W, 2D, 8L)
UCD yet again find themselves in a relegation battle, their late reprieve following the withdrawal of Glenanne from the league doing them no favours. With so many high-profile outgoings, including Kevin O’Dea, Mark Collins, and Josh Filgas, this season was always going to be an uphill struggle.
However, the students have taken on the challenge valiantly so far, with many of their most unflattering results a result of a difficult final quarter rather than a poor overall performance. While it is very difficult to see a route to survival for UCD, it’s still imperative that the students do everything they can while even the faintest chance of remaining in the top-flight still exists.