Six rounds of group fixtures have marked out the leading teams in this year’s college hockey cup, and on Sunday we reach the knockout phase, as teams look to book their place in next week finals. Although the primary focus on Sunday will be placed upon the cup semi-finals, there are both plate and vase semi-finals also to come, where four enthralling battles lie in store.
After missing out on a top two finish by virtue of goal difference, James 2nds will be looking to salvage their campaign by lifting the plate. And heading into the semi-finals they appear to be the favourites to do exactly that, as their team containing a host of University players appears to be stronger than that of their rivals.
On Sunday they play Derwent 2nds at 12pm, and they will be looking to the likes of Jambo Talbot and Charlie Tyler to continue their good form and propel the side to victory. At the back Captain Ollie McGaw and Katherine Bramwell have added a solidity possessed by few teams, and with the likes of Nick Mitchell, Izi Hutchinson and Briony Peters in their ranks they have strength in depth.
Derwent 2nds meanwhile finished fourth in their group, but played some excellent hockey to overcome Halifax 2nds and Goodricke 3rds. Against both Alcuin 1sts and Goodricke 1sts they battled valiantly, both times succumbing to a single-goal defeat, before their campaign was rounded off by a thumping loss against James 1sts.
Led by Simon Varley, the team may not possess the wealth of talent of their opponents, but it would be wrong to underestimate the ability of the likes of Ali Walker. Eventually though one would expect the experience and talent of James 2nds to prevail, in what promises to be an exciting encounter.
The second plate semi-final pits Goodricke 1sts against Langwith 1sts, two teams who will be disappointed to have not pushed for a top two finish. Goodricke split their strength between the three teams, and in hindsight that may have been a mistake as none of the teams have been able to maintain a sustained challenge at the top of the table.
Ben Crawley’s side did though finish third in Group 1, performing well throughout to record four wins, but suffering defeats against Alcuin 1sts and James 1sts. In defence Aidan Pilgrim has been a linchpin for their success, however at times they have lacked a little bit of creativity going forward, a fact suggested by the notion that only three teams have scored less goals than them to date.
Unlike Goodricke, Langwith 1sts concentrated their strength into their 1st team, but drawn in a difficult group they have endured a dissapointing campaign, only finishing fourth. After a promising season which saw great improvement, the side could only muster two wins in the group stages, and apart from their 23-1 drubbing of Alcuin 2nds, they have struggled to find the net, scoring only ten times in their other five games.
Charlie Williams and Mike Dunnett-Stone are likely to be key for Jamie Hanna’s side, but it is rumoured that unavailability may well hamper them this weekend, and play into the favour of Goodricke 1sts. One of the hardest games of the weekend to call, a close contest lies in store at 11am, as these two teams battle it out to reach the plate final.
For those who finished fifth and sixth in their groups there is still the vase to look forward to. At 11am Halifax 2nds host Vanbrugh 1sts, two teams who will be disappointed to have fared so poorly in their groups. Three opening defeats ruined Halifax’s chances of pushing for the top spots, and despite an improvement in form in the later weeks, they had to settle for fifth place in Group 1.
Isaac Barker and Cameron Sanders will be key men for the side, and Vanbrugh 1sts will have to deal with that threat if they are to avoid a miserable end to a wretched season. There is undoubtedly talent in the Vanbrugh side, but it has only been apparent in glimpses, and on Sunday they will be looking to harness their potential fully, as they aim to book their place against of the other Goodricke sides in the final.
Indeed the second plate semi-final sees Goodricke 2nds meet Goodricke 3rds at 12pm, in what promises to be a feisty clash. Out of the three Goodricke teams, the 2nds appear to be the strongest on paper, but were left lamenting a horrible group draw, as they struggled to only fifth in a challenging group. Tom Merriman and Nick Larvin will be key for the side, as they look to avoid the embarrassment of being defeated by their own third team.
Goodricke 3rds meanwhile have demonstrated great courage over the past weeks, and reached the vase by beating Langwith 2nds in their opening match. Captain Alex McDonald has been the standout player, leading by example with his surging runs and strong challenges. Goodricke 2nds though will surely be favourites, and should progress through to the vase final unscathed.
Previews for the two cup semi-finals will follow in a later article…