EY Provincial Playoff Hosts Revealed

The culmination of the domestic season is fast approaching with some clubs even wrapping up their provincial fixtures this weekend. That means the EY Provincial Playoffs are right around the corner and Hockey Ireland are pleased to announce this year’s hosts:

Weekend 1: Sat /Sun 14-15 April: Provincial Wildcards (Men & Women) hosted by Old Alex HC.

Weekend 2: Sat /Sun 28-29 April: Provincial Play-off Finals (Men & Women) hosted by UCC Hockey Clubs with Garryduff being used for the men’s semi-final matches on the Saturday.

Old Alex have secured their place is in the provincial playoffs as they currently sit 3^rd in Leinster Division 1 but could yet move into second as they have a game in hand and are just 1 point behind Corinthian; Muckross have already booked their spot in the Finals weekend. The men’s Leinster league is even tighter with UCD and YMCA on 38 points each and just 1 goal in the difference, while Corinthian are 3 points behind but also have a game in hand.

All is still to play for both the men’s and women’s Ulster teams; 7 points separates Bangor in 1^st and Kilkeel in 3^rd in the men’s league but Kilkeel have 2 games in hand in which they could overtake Instonians currently occupying second place. In the women’s league it looks like it’ll be a battle for 1^st place between Queens and Lurgan, while Ballymoney could yet creep up in 3^rd place as they have 5 games still to play.

Bandon have already secured the number 1 spot in Munster as they went undefeated in the league, and UCC men will travel to Old Alex as the Munster 2 representative. UCC women’s team have already secured the Munster title on goal difference and still have their final match yet to play, while Catholic Institute will take up Munster’s second spot.

The winner of the Connacht league will fill the final provincial spot in the Play off finals on April 28^th/29^th in Cork.

The EYHL Provincial Wildcards & Play-off Finals are beginning to take shape and start on the 14^th of April. The necessary information for these weekends are below:

1. Venues/Dates/Qualification / Format 

The EYHL Provincial Play-offs consists of 8 teams (men) and 9 teams (women). The EYHL Play-offs are played over 2 weekends, with Provincial League winners rewarded with a bye directly into the second weekend.

NB all Clubs have to provide their squads by to Hockey Ireland by 9th April 2017.

Venues/Dates:

Weekend 1: Sat /Sun 14-15 April: Provincial Wildcards (Men & Women) at Old Alex HC.

Weekend 2: Sat /Sun 28-29 April: Provincial Play-off Finals (Men & Women) at UCC & Garryduff.

Qualification: (see EYHL Rule 5.4)

The EYHL Working Group has made a decision to revert Rule 5.4 to the regulation per previous season to ensure that, where possible, we maintain the planned number of teams in the wildcard /provincials play-off competition as was intended.:

5.4. EYHL Provincial Play-offs qualification

• Qualification for the EYHL Provincial Play-offs is based on placing position in the provincial league in the current season. Teams earn the right to compete in the EYHL Provincial Play-offs based on their finishing position within their provincial league feeder competition as follows:

o Men: Ulster 1 / 2 / 3; Leinster 1 / 2 / 3; Munster 1 / 2

o Women: Ulster 1 / 2 / 3; Leinster 1 / 2 / 3; Munster 1 / 2; Connacht 1

• All clubs who qualify for the EYHL Provincial Play-offs must confirm their participation by the due date requested.
• If a club is unable/un-willing to take up its qualifying place within the EYHL Provincial Play-offs, a further invite will be offered to the next highest finishing club from that province to a maximum of one further invitation per province.
• If a qualifying club is unable/un-willing to take up its qualifying place and there is another lower qualifier(s) from the same province, then the clubs ‘shuffle up’ in position to leave any gap(s) in the lowest qualifying position(s).

Format: (see EYHL Rule 5.3)

The format for the 2 weekends differs for men and women.

Men 

• Round 1: consists of 5 teams (Ulster 2 /Ulster 3 /Leinster 2 /Leinster 3 /Munster 2). Each team will play each of the other teams on a round robin basis over one weekend .The games will be 25 minutes each way.
• Round 2:The winner from Round 1, along with the provincial league winners (Ulster1 /Leinster 1 /Munster 1), qualify for the EYHL Provincial Play-offs knockout semi-finals/final.
• The winner of EYHL Provincial Play-offs final will qualify for the EYHL in the following season.
• The runner-up will enter a play-off with the 9th placed finisher in the EYHL to determine which club will join the winner of the EYHL Provincial Play-offs in the EYHL in the following season.

Women 

• Round 1:-consists of 5 teams (Ulster 2 /Ulster 3 /Leinster 2 /Leinster 3 /Munster 2). Each team will play each of the other teams on a round robin basis over one weekend. The games will be 25 minutes each way.
• Round 2:-The winner from Round 1, along with the provincial winners (Ulster 1 /Leinster 1 /Munster 1 /Connacht 1), qualify for the EYHL Provincial Play-offs Round 2 

 NB Round 2 is played in the same round robin format as Round 1. 

• The winner of EYHL Provincial Round 2 will qualify for the EYHL in the following season.
• The Runner-up will enter a play-off with the 9th placed finisher in the EYHL to determine which club will join the winner of the EYHL Provincial Play-offs in the EYHL in the following season.