MARY HANNIGAN
We haven't even seen the back of February and already Hermes have qualified for European competition next season by winning phase one of the EY Hockey League with four games still to play, their 9-0 demolition of Greenfields on Saturday putting them an uncatchable 14 points clear of closest challengers Pegasus.
With 13 wins and a draw out of 14, averaging almost four goals a game, it’s been an outstanding campaign to date by Rudi Wortmann’s players against the strongest of opposition, Pegasus the only side to take points from them.
Greenfields, though, were well out of their depth against the runaway leaders, having lost 8-1 to them in November, the Connacht champions 5-0 down by half-time, shipping another four goals after the break.
Before Saturday, UCD had a mathematical – if highly unlikely – chance of catching up with Hermes, but they lost 3-1 away to a resurgent Ulster Elks (23 points) who, before their two wins last weekend, had been on a five game losing streak. Pegasus (26), then, leapfrogged UCD (25) in to second by beating Cork Harlequins (21), both games following the same pattern – the defeated sides levelled after going a goal down, the victors pulling away to win 3-1.
Pembroke Wanderers' hopes of reaching the finals' weekend suffered a serious blow when they were beaten at home by relegation-threatened UCC, Nicola Kerr getting the only goal of the game in the final quarter. Pembroke are now six points adrift of the top three with just three games left to play.
