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UCC Hockey Club – Weekend Match Report
UCC Hockey experienced a full and competitive weekend across all divisions, with strong performances, hard‑fought battles, and crucial league and cup implications.
Division 3A – UCC 1–0 Cork Harlequins
Fresh from clinching the league title with an impressive win over Church of Ireland the previous weekend, the Division 3A squad faced Cork Harlequins in their latest league encounter. Despite the emotional high of securing the title, UCC maintained their unbeaten record. The game proved challenging, with Harlequins working tirelessly to disrupt UCC’s rhythm. The decisive moment came from a well‑executed penalty corner, finished superbly by Aimee McSweeney, securing a 1–0 victory for the students.
Division 7 – Clonmel 0–2 UCC
A fixture error forced the Division 7 side to make the long trip to Clonmel, but the team responded with determination and resilience. Goalkeeper Lily O’Regan Lynch produced a series of outstanding saves to keep UCC in control throughout the match. At the other end, goals from Iza Stanley and Sophie Guiney sealed a deserved 2–0 win.
UCC remain third in the league, behind Crescent and Nenagh, and now turn their attention to their upcoming cup fixture on 21 March, where they will face Clonmel once again.
Division 1 – UCC 1–1 Avoca (UCC win shoot‑out 3–2)
The Division 1 squad welcomed Avoca to the Mardyke for a critical EYHL2 clash, with both clubs vying for promotion. Avoca arrived unbeaten and started strongly, scoring in the opening minute through Cork native Kirsty Coombes. UCC responded quickly, converting a penalty corner in the ninth minute with an excellent strike from Lauren Cripps. The evenly matched contest remained 1–1 at full time, forcing a shoot‑out for the bonus point.
Avoca opened confidently, but UCC goalkeeper Faye Luby, renowned for her shoot‑out expertise, grew into the contest and produced crucial late saves. UCC held their nerve to take the bonus point with a 3–2 shoot‑out victory.
Men’s Team – UCC 0–3 C of I C
The men’s team concluded Saturday’s fixtures with a league tie against Church of Ireland C. Although UCC created several promising opportunities, they were unable to convert, while C of I proved clinical with their chances, securing a 3–0 win.
UCC now look ahead to their final league match away to Catholic Institute on 29 March, as well as two remaining cup campaigns:
- Munster Junior Cup semi‑final vs. C of I C
- McClean Cup vs. Midleton at home on 22 March
Division 3B – UCC 2–4 C of I
Sunday’s sole fixture saw the Division 3B team take on Church of Ireland in a must‑win game for both sides. UCC started brightly, scoring twice through Sarah O’Sullivan from a penalty corner and a calmly converted penalty stroke by Alice Nicholson. However, C of I grew into the match, with standout performances—particularly from Hollie Moffat—shifting momentum. They overturned UCC’s early lead to win 4–2.
The Division 3B team still have fixtures remaining against Tipperary and Bandon, with the outcome of the Tipperary match likely to determine league survival.
Looking Ahead
Next weekend features two fixtures:
- Division 1 W away to Trinity in EYHL2, Saturday, 3:30pm
- Division 2 vs. Blackrock in the Examiner Cup, Saturday, 12:00pm at the Mardyke
St Patrick’s Day will host two significant cup finals at Garryduff:
- Munster Senior Cup Final – UCC vs. Cork Harlequins (1pm)
- 3/4 Combined Cup Final – UCC vs. Bandon (2pm)
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