Vitality Women's Hockey League Week 8 2022 Preview

With four matches to go until the mid-season break and the split in the division ready for Phase Two, the race for the top six is hotting up.

Jade Bloomfield of Hockey World News looks over the action from the Premier Division and previews the hot matchups.

In this week's Match of the Week, Surbiton travel to Hampstead & Westminster with a three-point lead, over Wimbledon, at the top of the Vitality Hockey League Premier Division. With the Hamilton sisters facing each other for the first time this season, Surbiton will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins over their hosts at the Paddington Recreation Ground, having won there in both 2019-20 and 2021-22, with no meeting in 2020-21.

Wimbledon, having drawn last time out against Clifton Robinsons, travel to the Nottingham Hockey Centre to face an in-form Beeston. Finally getting the better of their opponents on the fourth time of trying, Beeston defeated Wimbledon for the first time in March when Lucy Millington's brace and a goal from Sophie Robinson earned a 3-1 home win. Wimbledon won three of the four previous meetings, keeping a clean sheet on all three occasions.

Clifton Robinsons welcome the University of Nottingham to Coombe Dingle for the first time in the National League. Currently sitting in sixth place, Clifton will be searching for the win to maintain their top six status come the end of phase one. However, with a three-point lead over the Loughborough Students and a convincing goal difference, it would take Clifton losing and a winning margin greater than ten goals for the students to see them climb the table when they travel to Kent to face Holcombe.

On the other hand, Holcombe needs a two-goal win to see them climb the table and leap from their visitors.

East Grinstead travel to Reading for the first time since November 2016 due to Reading being in the second tier from 2017-18 to 2021-22. Reading are looking for the first victory over East Grinstead, with just a 3-3 draw to show for their efforts coming in November 2015, having lost their other three games home and away. East Grinstead's Zoe Burrell has scored in all four games.

Buckingham welcome the University of Birmingham to Stow School for the eighth time in the Premier Division; with both sides underperforming in the league this season, picking up all three points will be invaluable to the winning side. Having met the University of Birmingham at home on seven occasions, winning twice in 2019-20 and 2020-21, Buckingham knows what it takes to beat their visitors. Birmingham have won four, including a thrilling 5-4 victory in 2018-19, with one draw in 2017-18.

In Division One North, Swansea travel to Manchester to face Bowdon, looking for a win that will see them climb above their opponents into second place.

Struggling Cambridge City head to the Capital to face Wimbledon 2's in Divison One South. With their hosts suffering a heavy defeat at Isca & Exter University last week, Cambridge will be looking to inflict further pain on their opponents and pick up their first points of the season.

Conference North's Fylde travel to Timperley, just two points off their opponents, looking for the win that will see them climb into the top three of the table.

After a 3-0 home loss last week against Ipswich, Chelmsford have the arduous task of a trip to Guildford to face one of the league's favourites and one of two sides with a 100% record.

With one point separating the bottom two in the Conference Midlands, bottom side Loughborough Students 2's travel to Cannock searching for their first win of the season.

In the Conference West, leaders Team Bath Buccaneers travel to third-placed Exe, level on points. With thirteen points apiece, along with the Oxford Hawks, will we see a clear leader emerge from the closest division in the National League?