Men's Hockey League Week 5 2022 Preview

It's all eyes on the men's Premier Division this weekend as league hockey across the country takes a break for the school half-term. As well as some cup matches, the Premier League is the only place to get your hockey fix, with all games being played on Saturday. Jade Bloomfield of Hockey World News looks over week five of the EHL.

League leaders Surbiton head to the University of Exeter for the first time since 2019, storming to an 8-2 away win, doubling the score from their previous visit. Surbiton won 7-0 last season, with Luke Taylor grabbing a hattrick for the Surrey-based club.

Second-placed Old Georgians travel to Oxted for the first time since winning promotion to the Premier Division via the Promotion Tournament in 2018-19. When these two teams meet, you can guarantee lots of goals, with the October 2020 victory a goal fest, Old Georgians winning 10-6. Having scored 16 goals and conceded just 1 in their first three matches, the visitors are in fine form in the final third of the pitch.

Wimbledon, in third place, level on points with Old Georgians, travel to Reading for the eighth time since winning promotion to the Premier Division for the first time in 2013-2014. An evening fixture, under lights, at Sonning Lane awaits the South West London club, looking to maintain their 100% start to the season.  Reading will be missing their top goal scorer, Fred Newbold, who is away in Kuala Lumpur playing in the Sultan of Johor Cup.

After last weekend's end-to-end attacking display and goal fest against Reading, Holcombe returns home to Kent to host the University of Nottingham for their first visit to Holcombe Park. With the visitors missing key players Conor Williamson and Max Anderson, currently in Malaysia for the Sultan of Johor Cup (along with Holcombe's Sam Taylor), their Saturday afternoon has got a little more challenging. With Holcombe looking to make an impression on the league this season and fight for Playoff places for the post-season, this is a fixture where the hosts must take all three points.

After a tough start to the season, Brooklands Manchester University find themselves at the foot of the table, two points adrift of midlands side Beeston. With the daunting journey ahead to face Hampstead & Westminster, Brooklands MU will be looking to break an unwanted winless run that dates back to November 2014 at the Paddington Recreational Ground.

In one of the most regular fixtures in the Premier Division over the years, Beeston host East Grinstead at the Nottingham Hockey Centre.  Sitting 10th and 11th in the league, East Grinstead edges their opponents on goal difference. With Beeston conceding one more goal, going into the match, both sides will be looking for the additional boost to their season that a win and three points will bring at this early stage.