EHL Premier Division Preview | Week Ten

Women's Premier Division

Women's Premier Division leaders Surbiton welcome the University of Birmingham to Sugen Road and are looking to extend their unbeaten run this campaign. Birmingham were well placed in the top six five games ago but a run of one win in five sees them in a group of three teams on 12 points who look likely to be fighting for the final top six place. 

The other two teams are Loughborough Students and Durham University who meet on Saturday. Two successive wins have boosted Durham’s chances of a top six finish in their first top-flight campaign. 

Elsewhere, Hampstead & Westminster make the short trip to Wimbledon. The teams met three times last season and honours were even in three tight encounters, a win each and a draw. Hampstead will be looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season against Surbiton last weekend. 

East Grinstead travel to Reading after a loss at home to Wimbledon last Saturday ended a four-match winning streak.

Bowdon, who have an outside chance of a top six finish, travel to Barnes, the first ever meeting of the two teams.

Clifton Robinsons, who have drawn their last two games, host the University of Nottingham and could move off the foot of the table if victorious, going above Nottingham in the process.

Open/Men's Premier Division

After their 3-0 win at Wimbledon on Thursday evening, Surbiton travel to Southgate on Saturday and are looking to make it 10 wins out of 10 to extend their lead at the top of the Open/Men's Premier Division, whilst the hosts hope to build on a good win at Reading last weekend. 

Wimbledon, who now trail Surbiton by five points in second, host Hampstead & Westminster who are two points further back in third. Hampstead are unbeaten in seven and are hoping to break Wimbledon's win streak against them after the hosts came out winners in their three meetings last season.

Old Georgians in fourth take on fifth-placed Holcombe, who are looking to be confirmed mathematically with a top-six finish after the first league phase.

Brooklands MU host Cardiff & Met. It’s the teams’ first meeting since the 2014 play-offs, after Aidean Khares scored the winner in a 2-1 victory for Brooklands that day and is in their line up this season too. Neither team have picked up a point in their last three games. 

Beeston, who sit bottom of the league without a point, welcome Oxted to the Nottingham Hockey Centre. Oxted are looking for points in their quest to get into the top six. 

They trail sixth-placed East Grinstead, who travel to Reading, with the Berkshire-based club also a point behind them.