Varsity prep

With just over two weeks to the first games of the hockey varsity at Abbeydale, specific varsity training has started for the performance squad in particular as they start sessions on the famously bouncy pitch they will play on on the 28th March. With team selection due to be announced by Thursday, as well as the arts tower now sporting the yearly "Varsity" banner, the tension is beginning to rise. After the boxing varsity on Saturday night, the points are currently shared exactly 1.5 to 1.5 as this is written.

With hockey having so many points up for grabs - 7 to be specific - including points available for the intra-mural varsity fixtures, the potential 14 point swing will be a massive deciding factor in who clinches the trophy this year. The men's 3's secured the deciding point to win Varsity for Uni of Sheffield last year, and before that in 2015, the women's 3's got the finalising point. Will it be another hockey fixture deciding the title of Sheffield varsity winners again this year perhaps?

Fixtures being played at Abbeydale on Tuesday the 28th march are the Women's 1's and 2's, and also the Men's 1's and 2's (Timings at the bottom of this post). Last year, the W1's came away clear winners after smashing Hallam 1's 4-0, and the W2's also got the point after it was judged that Hallam should be disqualified after fielding an ineligible player. The M1's fell to a seriously close defeat at the hands of an opposition 2 leagues above them, with a final score of 2-3, but the team has been strengthened this year, so are looking to grab that point. One of the best wins in the club has to be the M2's as they snatched a late winner to win the game 3-2, and secure the teams first win against Hallam 2's.

At Uni of Sheffield's home pitch Goodwin, on the next day, Wednesday the 29th March, the W3's, W4's and M3's face off against their respective Hallam counterparts. Last year the W3's somehow ended up drawing 2-2 after leading 2-0 at half-time, and despite a tough season, look well placed to bring home the point after seeing both the W4's and W5's beating Hallam 3's already this season. The W4's last year hammered Hallam 4's and after watching their 3rd team lose to both the W4's and W5's, and our W6's also beating them, they will be confident of the win. Lastly the M3's played an incredible fixture last year with a real nail biter ending in favour of a 3-2 win for Uni of.

All these events are not ticketed, and are completely free, so if you feel like coming to Abbeydale, or Goodwin to support the black and gold, you are more than welcome to!

ABBEYDALE:

W2's : 12pm

M2's: 2pm

W1's: 4pm

M1's: 6pm

GOODWIN:

W4's: 10am

M3's: 12pm

W3's: 2pm

Good luck to all teams competing, and keep an eye on the counter to varsity! #bleedblackandgold #suhc