EHL Premier Division Review | Week Thirteen

Open/Men's Premier Division

It was a busy weekend in the Open/Men's Premier Division with teams facing two matches in two days apart from Wimbledon and Oxted in the Top Six, who brought their game forwards to the Thursday evening which Wimbledon won 6-1, with Sam Hooper netting his second hat-trick of the season. 
 
Two wins for Surbiton has guaranteed that they will finish top of the table at the end of Phase 2, with two matches still to play, which secures a Euro Hockey League place next season. On Saturday they won 4-1 at Hampstead & Westminster which was unusual in that Nick Bandurak failed to find the target for the first time this season. He made up for that with a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Oxted on Sunday. Oxted will finish sixth but only five points separate the teams from second to fifth who enjoyed mixed weekends. Holcombe in fifth enjoyed a fine 5-3 win at Old Georgians on Saturday to end OGs six-match winning streak, but were beaten 4-1 at Hampstead & Westminster on Sunday, Damon Steffens netting a treble for the home side. Wimbledon stay second, a point ahead of Old Georgians, after the teams drew 1-1 on Sunday    

 
In the Lower Six, two narrow wins at the weekend for East Grinstead virtually guarantee them a place in the league finals stages. On Saturday they came away from Brooklands MU with a 2-1 win thanks to a Jonty Elmes' brace in the first quarter. They followed this up with a 3-2 defeat of Reading at Saint Hill with Max Lowrey on target twice. Elsewhere the other games were all decided by the odd goal apart from Beeston v Southgate which ended 1-1. Both teams then won on Sunday. Beeston were 3-2 winners at Brooklands MU with Chris Curry scoring two of their goals. The result lifts Beeston off the foot of the table where they have been since 4 October, going above Brooklands, and now four points from safety. Southgate beat Cardiff & Met 2-1, who themselves had won 3-2 at Reading, their first win in seven, and the teams are both on 13 points, hopeful of a league finals place but still not safe from relegation.      
 

Premier Division Top Scorers (22 March 2026) 

Nick Bandurak (Surbiton) 22 

Damon Steffens (Hampstead & Westminster) 18 

Teague Marcano (Holcombe) 16 

Jonty Elmes (East Grinstead) 14 

Henry Croft (Old Georgians) 12 

Sam Ward (Old Georgians) 12 

Sam Hooper (Wimbledon) 11 

Matt Ramshaw (Holcombe) 10 

Premier Division Clean Sheets 

James Mazarelo (Old Georgians) 5 

Calum Douglas (Surbiton) 4 

Dom Dixon (Holcombe) 3 

Lekan Ogunlana (Hampstead & Westminster) 2 

Women's Premier Division

League front runners, Surbiton, extended their lead with two wins as the Top Six restarted in full this weekend. On Saturday they beat nearest rivals Hampstead & Westminster 5-1. Surbiton’s Sophie Hamilton also won a family battle with sister Olivia from the visitors with two goals to her one. On Sunday Maddie Axford, who also scored the day before, netted the only goal of the game as Surbiton beat Reading 1-0. 
 
Reading had returned from Durham University empty handed the day before going down 2-0 which ended their 12 match sequence of scoring at least once in every game. Durham were one of four teams to win one/lose one over the weekend. East Grinstead beat them 3-2 at Maiden Castle on Sunday with Biba Mills scoring twice. This came after EG had fallen to a 4-0 defeat at Wimbledon on Saturday, Jess Buchanan’s seventh clean sheet of the season. However Wimbledon were unable to follow this up with a win, going down 1-0 at Hampstead & Westminster on Sunday. 
 
In the Lower Six, Birmingham University went top and strengthened their chance of a finals place with six points from the weekend.  On Saturday they beat Barnes 5-0, they followed this up with a 4-0 victory over Nottingham University on Sunday, Lottie Bingham scoring their last two goals on Saturday and the first on Sunday. Nottingham had enjoyed a 1-0 win over Clifton Robinsons the day before, their first win since October and whilst they stay 11^th, they move to within three points of Clifton.  Loughborough Students are level on points with Birmingham and beat Bowdon 3-0 on Saturday whilst the visitors returned home to defeat Barnes 2-1 on Sunday. Barnes stay bottom, eight points from safety.          
 

Premier Division Top Scorers (22 Mar 2026) 

Darcy Bourne (Surbiton) 12 

Biba Mills (East Grinstead) 12 

Lizzy Pocknell (Durham University) 11 

Erica Sanders (Surbiton) 10 

Coca Hall (University of Birmingham) 9 

Amy Costello (Surbiton) 8 

Flo Fletcher (Wimbledon) 6 

Evie Grindal (Clifton Robinsons) 6 

Hannah Pearce (University of Birmingham) 6 

Premier Division Clean Sheets

Jessica Buchanan (Wimbledon) 7 

Miriam Pritchard (Hampstead & Westminster) 6 

Ayeisha McFerran (Surbiton) 4 

Tilly Woodhead (University of Birmingham) 4 

Nicki Cochrane (Reading) 3 

Molly Smith (Loughborough Students) 3 

Mila Welch (East Grinstead) 3