Week Two – October 1st; by Freddie Hill
Player of the Weekend: Tolly Humphries
1s
Suttonians P-P Dublin University Hockey Club
A day of torrential rain, early starts and driving through puddles all proved futile as Suttonians called the game off before midday. An unfortunate delay as DUHC looked to build on their lead at the top of the table and now have to wait until next Saturday, where they face Portrane in Grange Road. Confidence remains high in the club as the dust settles and the players mould. S
2s
YMCA 6-3 Dublin University Hockey Club
A late tip-off was delayed further and as the rain continued to pour, things didn’t look good for the seconds. Captain, Dan Ryan, watched on from the bleachers, injured, and allowed myself the chance to captain a DUHC team for the first time. A warm-up consisting of 9 players and Matt Lewis hitting himself in the face did not bode well. The odds became further stacked against us when YMCA failed to inform us we’d be needing umpires and thus we were unable to provide.
Highlights of the game include, Fred Mann getting off his Trinity duck with 2 fine taken goals and Connor Montgomery notching his first official goal for the University; a far cry from his brother Doug’s footsteps. Connor looks to be every bit the player we have strived for in previous years, a goal-getter. Matthew Lewis and Andrew Tyrrell continued their good starts to their careers and hustled well throughout the 70 minutes.
Huge kudos must be given to Tolly Humphries, and it would be remiss of me not to give him his own paragraph. A long-awaited comeback that delighted both players and supporters alike, it was a pleasure to welcome him back into the fold and his endless running has been missed. His homecoming will no doubt be of crucial importance to both the 1s and 2s this year.
3s
Mullingar 4-3 Dublin University Hockey Club
Tullamore. Tullamore? That was the question for the 3s this weekend as they struggled to comprehend a match outside of Dublin and the logistics involved. 4 away games on any weekend will be tough, but add to that, a trip deep into the countryside and it was always going to be difficult. However, the 3s represented well, led by captain, Stephen Horsfall, and ex-captain, Charlie Blakemore. The team consisted of a large number of freshers, including Toby Sherwood and Jonathon Browne, both making impressive debuts, and on another day, the 3s would have won this comfortably. With such a long trip and a promising second half, the 3s seemed to have turned a corner at this early stage of the season and with training numbers ever increasing, it seems another promotion push is probable this year.
4s
Clontarf P-P Dublin University Hockey Club
It seems DUHC may have picked up their only win of the weekend, by a technicality. Scott Overend did a fantastic job getting out a full squad, only one week into college, and they went out to Mount Temple all set to get off to a winning start. Clontarf were unable to open the pitch, and it is my understanding that DUHC went on to pick up the points.
