The finale of the season – the play-offs for the Nationwide Champions Trophy and locations in subsequent season`s European spots.
And it`s a cutthroat enterprise – two one-off semi-finals for each the women and men on Saturday and one-off finals on Sunday, and it`s winner-take-all in every of the video games, so there’s no hiding place.
The Premiership champions, that’s Western Wildcats males and Watsonians girls, have already secured the second European spot, however the prime locations will go to this weekend`s winners. If the groups are one in the identical, then the second European spot will probably be transferred to the dropping finalist.
However there’s a additional carrot for the profitable finalist. The European Hockey Federation have simply confirmed the EHL qualifiers for subsequent season following the latest Euro tournaments. There is no such thing as a change within the males, that’s Sunday`s winner will play within the prestigious EHL, however the girls`s champion will probably be promoted to the EHL for the primary time on account of Watsonians and Clydesdale Western`s medal finishes within the Trophy occasions – the Scots have moved from ninth to seventh within the rating.
So that is the enterprise finish of the season.
Saturday`s semi-finals are as follows – Western Wildcats v Edinburgh College and Grange v Watsonians within the males`s whereas the ladies`s pair Watsonians v Edinburgh College and Clydesdale Western v GHK.
As you’d anticipate, Premiership type would recommend that each one these video games will probably be shut – there was by no means greater than two objectives between the competing sides within the league, and in most video games the margin was even narrower. So to foretell winners is a fruitless train.
The ladies come first on Saturday and the opener is Clydesdale Western taking over GHK. Within the league Clydesdale triumphed 3-1 within the first outing however have been held to a 1-1 draw within the return, a consequence that in the end misplaced them the Premiership title. GHK are newcomers to those penultimate levels however have reached there on the again of a really profitable season that noticed them end third. They’ve misplaced solely three video games within the league and have proven that they’ll stay with the highest sides now. And in Lucy Williamson they’ve one of many league`s prime objective scorers.
Clydesdale come into the tie having completed third within the latest EuroHockey Membership Trophy 11 – and so they completed strongly with three highly effective outcomes.
The second tie is a repeat of final weekend`s Scottish Cup remaining which was gained by Edinburgh College in a shoot-out in opposition to neighbours Watsonians after a sensational 4-4 attract regular time. There is no such thing as a purpose to imagine that Saturday`s match won’t be simply as shut.
Nonetheless, apart from the cup end result, Watsonians gained the league matches 3-1 and 5-3, gained all 5 prime six matches and had a profitable Euro marketing campaign in Czechia – so Keith Smith`s costs will at all times be assured.
However Watsonians will definitely should put the tabs on Edinburgh`s Cat Nelli who scored a hat-trick within the cup remaining and in addition notched the winner within the shoot-out.
And so to the lads.
First up is the all-Edinburgh affair between Grange and Watsonians – this might in actuality be for the second European spot if Western Wildcats win the opposite semi-final. And that will be a primary for Watsonians. Dan Coultas`s males did very effectively to be stable contenders for a play-off spot however fell away barely within the remaining run-in – after a few wins they completed with two attracts and a defeat.
In distinction Grange upped their recreation on the similar stage with 4 wins and a draw, however their Euro sojourn in Lisburn was difficult and completed with out a medal.
Nonetheless, regardless of the statistics quoted above, this appears to be like like being an in depth one.
The ultimate recreation sees Premiership winners Western Wildcats tackle an Edinburgh College aspect nonetheless on a excessive having simply gained the Scottish Cup for the primary time.
Wildcats proved to be essentially the most constant aspect within the males`s competitors, they gained the league by a six level margin, profitable 14 of their 16 encounters, and completed eleven factors forward of the Edinburgh college students in fourth place. However there was not a lot to separate the edges within the face to face though Wildcats clawed their solution to victory in each, it was solely 3-2 and 6-5. It will not take a lot to show these video games round.
On the different finish of the spectrum there are the relegation play-offs as to which sides will play in subsequent season`s Premiership… that’s, the workforce ending in eleventh place within the prime flight or the runners-up within the second tier Nationwide League.
So how does it pan out this Sunday – within the girls Hillhead will play Dundee Wanderers whereas Inverleith tackle Kelburne within the males`s.- and once more it’s winner-take-all.
