It’s that time of year again. After the bliss of enjoying Mum’s home-cooked meals, and washing being done for you, it is time to return to your student digs. Sitting on the sofa eating your selection boxes now needs to be swapped out for seminar reading. However, students coming back to uni also means that university sport is returning. Therefore, it’s not all bad. One of the best things about university sport is the competitiveness of BUCS, where the best each university has to offer face off in leagues. One of the sports with the most BUCS teams and leagues is hockey, with play beginning again this week. As a result, Freshered has all you need to know from this week’s fixtures in this handy article.
If you need a recap of last term’s events, or want to remind yourself of the league structure, I would recommend checking out this guide.
Men’s Midlands Tier 1
This week’s fixtures in this regional tier of BUCS Hockey saw two old foes face off in the Oxbridge derby. Both Cambridge 2’s and Oxford 2’s would have been unhappy with their seasons before this game, with the teams sat fourth and sixth in the league respectively. This game, fuelled by the rivalry, held extra importance, as both teams are involved in the relegation battle. However, Oxford trialled their oldest rivals by only three points. Victory in this derby would not only restore bragging rights, but also see them leapfrog Cambridge in the league. A comprehensive 2-0 victory to Oxford saw exactly this happen, lifting the team off the bottom. Both teams now sit one point better off than Nottingham 4’s at the foot of the table.
ICG Women’s South Eastern Tier 2
The third tier of BUCS Hockey is divided into regions, with the South Eastern region playing host to some of the most exciting results from this week’s fixtures.
In Tier 2A, it was fourth vs fifth in a clash that had more implications at the bottom of the table than at the top. The game between Reading 2’s and Royal Holloway 1’s was a key relegation battle, especially given that Reading were yet to pick up a point all season. The record of Royal Holloway was not much better, with their win against Chichester their sole source of points. The tense nature of the fixture was reflected in the play, with neither team able to find the required cutting edge. It finished 2-2, with two teams still threatened by relegation. At least Reading now have a point.
In the sister league, Tier 2B, it was Imperial 2’s and Kent 1’s who faced off. Imperial have had endured a flawless start to the season, winning all four heading into this fixture. This saw them sit joint top with St Mary’s. However, victory for Kent would have seen them go level on points with Imperial. However, it was Imperial who dominated the game, keeping up their 100% record with a 6-0 thrashing. Imperial now sit as the only team in first, with Kent‘s promotion hopes all but quashed.
Result of the Week
After doing my research, there was only one fixture which deserved the inaugural result of the week. Liverpool John Moores Men’s 2’s were more than clinical in front of net in their Northern Tier 4A match against Wrexham Glyndwr 1’s. In a day to forget for the Wrexham Glyndwr goalkeeper, Liverpool John Moores ran out 20-0 winners.