W1 Start Phase 2 On Saturday Versus Hampstead
By Colin Pike
After England and Scotland both qualified for the Hockey World Cup, attention focuses on the resumption of the Women's Hockey League Premier Division as Surbiton Women begin their Phase 2 campaign at home to Hampstead & Westminster on Saturday (push back 1600)
The twelve top-flight teams have been split into the Top Six and Lower Six and although Surbiton resume this weekend, Hampstead brought forward their away game at Reading in order to allow both teams to have more time to prepare for European competition at Easter, drawing 2-2 at Sonning Lane last weekend.
Tyler Lench scored both goals for Hampstead, with Megan Crowson and Emma Findlay ensuring that the reigning champions salvaged a point. Hampstead are three points behind Surbiton having played a game more.
Surbiton visited Paddington Recreation Ground on 8 November and came back with all three points as Darcy Bourne and Amy Costello earned a 2-1 win, Olivia Hamilton scoring Hampstead's consolation goal five minutes from time.
Holly Hunt is still Hampstead's leading goalscorer with six goals, but with Lench, Hamilton, Lucy Hyams and Rose Tynan all now on four goals, Hampstead bring plenty of scoring options to Sugden Road.
Bourne goes into Phase 2 as both Surbiton and the Premier Division's leading goalscorer on 12 goals with Durham University's Lizzy Pocknell not on her heels with 11. Bourne's team-mate, Erica Sanders and East Grinstead's Biba Mills are both on ten goals and having both been in excellent goalscoring form in the Super 6s, will be transferring their skills outdoors in their quest to qualify for the Premier Division Finals at Surbiton over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Due to the World Cup qualifiers timing, Phase 2 has been compressed into three weekends with a break over Easter for European competition, meaning that there will be consecutive doubleheader weekends.
Surbiton welcome Reading to Sugden Road on Sunday, whilst Hampstead host Wimbledon.
Durham University also have a home double header, Reading making the long trip on Saturday before Sunday's visit to Elmbridge. East Grinstead also face a challenging weekend, visiting Wimbledon on Saturday before it's the West Sussex's club's turn to travel to Durham on Sunday.
The Lower Six also resumed last weekend with Clifton Robinsons winning 1-0 at Loughborough Students in a match rearranged from 22 March. Clifton Robinsons visit University of Nottingham and Loughborough Students are at home to Bowdon on Saturday, whilst the University of Birmingham welcome Barnes to the Second City.
On Sunday, there is a Midlands University derby as Nottingham travel to Birmingham and Barnes travel north from Birmingham to Altrincham as they visit Bowdon.