EHL Hockey League Week 16 2023 Matchday Review

In a one-sided affair, Surbiton dominated East Grinstead with a resounding 8-2 victory on Saturday. The win was a remarkable team effort, with Giselle Ansley (8th minute, Penalty Corner), Sophie Hamilton (9th minute), Leah Wilkinson (42nd minute, Penalty Corner), Hannah Martin (50th minute), Darcy Bourne (52nd minute), Meg Dowthwaite (57th minute, Penalty Corner), Sophie Hamilton (59th minute), and Izzy Petter (62nd minute, Penalty Corner) all getting on the score sheet. Tess Howard (37th and 39th minute) scored East Grinstead's two consolation goals.

On Sunday, Surbiton continued their impressive form by beating Hampstead & Westminster 3-1. Darcy Bourne (20th minute, Penalty Stroke), Izzy Petter (49th minute, Penalty Corner), and Giselle Ansley (67th minute, Penalty Corner) scored for Surbiton, while Lily Owsley (3rd minute, Penalty Corner) scored Hampstead & Westminster's only goal of the match.

Surbiton's dominant performance against East Grinstead inflicted the latter's heaviest defeat of the season, while the win against Hampstead & Westminster helped them maintain their unbeaten home record.

Wimbledon 2 - 2 East Grinstead

Wimbledon and East Grinstead played out a closely contested 2-2 draw. Meg Crowson put Wimbledon ahead in the 6th minute, before Anna Faulstitch equalized for East Grinstead just three minutes later. Fiona Crackles scored a penalty corner in the 25th minute to give Wimbledon the lead once again, but Tess Howard scored her second goal of the weekend in the 42nd minute to level the scores.

Beeston 4 - 0 Clifton Robinsons

Beeston took revenge for their 3-0 loss against Clifton earlier in the season with a comprehensive 4-0 win. Lauren Burrell scored from a penalty corner in the 21st minute to give Beeston the lead. Ella Cusack doubled their lead just 11 minutes later with another penalty corner. Cerys Miller scored in the 34th minute, before Charlotte Watson scored the fourth goal for Beeston in the 50th minute.

Loughborough Students 0 - 2 Holcombe

Holcombe continued their excellent away form with a 2-0 win over Loughborough Students to make it five consecutive away matches without defeat. Sofia Viarengo scored in the 22nd minute to give Holcombe the lead, before adding a second goal in the 69th minute. Loughborough Students were unable to find a way back into the match and suffered their sixth defeat of the season.

University of Birmingham 3 - 2 Reading

University of Birmingham secured a vital win in their fight to avoid relegation with a 3-2 win over Reading. Lexie Clark scored in the 2nd minute to give Birmingham the lead, before Carter Ayats doubled their lead with a penalty corner in the 6th minute. Phoebe Nixon scored a penalty corner for Reading in the 17th minute to halve the deficit before Lizzie Neal scored another penalty corner in the 29th minute to level the scores. However, Millie Giglio scored from a penalty corner in the 35th minute to secure the win for Birmingham.

University of Nottingham 4 - 0 Buckingham

The University of Nottingham faced off against Buckingham in a crucial match for both teams. Nottingham, looking to secure their place in the League Finals Phase, started strongly and dominated play from the outset. They took the lead early on through a well-placed penalty corner from Maddie Axford (29'), who continued her fine form this season.

Buckingham struggled to find their rhythm and were often on the back foot, defending for long periods of the game. Their defence was finally breached again in the 37th minute when Jordan Homann scored from a penalty corner, giving Nottingham a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Despite being two goals down, Buckingham refused to give up and battled hard to find a way back into the game. They had a few chances to score but were unable to convert them into goals. The game was put beyond doubt when Miranda Jackson scored a third for Nottingham in the 47th minute. Maddie Axford then added another goal to her tally in the 60th minute to seal a comfortable 4-0 victory for Nottingham.

This win secures Nottingham's place in Phase 3, a remarkable achievement for the team in their first season in the top flight of English women's hockey. They will now face some of the best teams in the country as they look to make their mark in the League Finals. Buckingham, on the other hand, will have to settle for a place in the relegation playoffs, where they will face a tough battle to avoid relegation to Division 1.

The final weekend of Phase Two in the England Hockey League brought an end to the regular season, with the top eight teams securing their places in the playoffs. Old Georgians finished top of the table with 46 points, followed by Surbiton with 38 points, Wimbledon with 31 points, and Holcombe with 30 points.

On Saturday, Wimbledon secured a 4-2 victory over Hampstead & Westminster at home. Ben Francis scored the opener from a penalty corner in the 5th minute, but Hampstead & Westminster equalized through Sam French in the 23rd minute. However, Wimbledon quickly regained the lead, with Ed Horler scoring in the 16th minute. Jack Waller scored from a penalty corner in the 35th minute to extend Wimbledon's lead to 3-1. Despite a goal from Hampstead & Westminster's Will Calnan in the 56th minute, Wimbledon held on for the win.

On Sunday, Old Georgians inflicted back-to-back away defeats on Wimbledon, winning 3-1. Tom Carson scored for Old Georgians in the 18th minute before Ben Francis equalized for Wimbledon from a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. James Tindall scored for Old Georgians in the 40th minute, and Liam Sandford extended their lead to 3-1 with a goal from a penalty corner in the 50th minute.

Meanwhile, Holcombe, having now won six of their last eight meetings, beat Hampstead by the same score line as earlier in the season when they met at Holcombe Park. Maintaining their place in the top 4 with a 3-1 victory over on Sunday, Nick Bandurak opened the scoring in the 8th minute before Louis Parker doubled their lead with a penalty corner in the 30th minute. Parker scored his second goal of the game in the 51st minute before Kei Kaeppeler scored a consolation goal for Hampstead & Westminster in the 53rd minute.

Reading lost for the sixth game in a row, as Surbiton won 4-0 at home. Arjan Chana scored for Surbiton in the 18th minute before Alex Williams extended their lead in the 32nd minute. Rob Farrington scored twice in the second half, once in the 44th minute and again in the 66th minute.

In the game between East Grinstead and Beeston, East Grinstead needed to win by two goals to secure their place in the League Finals. Charlie Taylor scored for East Grinstead from a penalty corner in the 5th minute to give his side the perfect start. However, with Beestons own place in the finals on the line, Henry Croft and Rohan Bhuhi scored in the 15th and 63rd minutes, respectively, to take command of the match.  East Grinstead pulled level in the dying minutes through a Tom Crowson penalty corner to tie the game. 

Oxted secured a 3-1 win against University of Nottingham on the final day of phase two of the England Hockey League. Lucas Ward opened the scoring for Oxted in the 38th minute before Bradley Sherwood doubled their lead in the 47th. University of Nottingham fought back with Charlie Axford finding the net in the 63rd minute, but Oxted held firm and secured the victory with Owen Williamson scoring from the penalty spot in the 69th minute to secure all three points. This win for Oxted helped them secure the seventh spot in the table and qualification for the League Finals.

Finally, Brooklands Manchester University's draw with the University of Exeter confirmed their relegation from the Top Flight of English Hockey. Peter Flanagan scored from a penalty corner for Brooklands Manchester University in the 18th minute, while Ollie Shelton and Lewis Wilcher scored for the University of Exeter in the 44th and 54th minutes, respectively. Finn Ward scored for Brooklands Manchester University in the 68th minute to secure the draw.