Two Limerick friends will be cast in the unfamiliar role of opponents as Cork Harlequins host Ulster Elks in the new-look EY Hockey League.

Crescent College Comprehensive became just the third Munster school to taste national glory in 20 years as they claimed the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships in Galway yesterday. 

UCC hope a historic day at the Mardyke turns out to be one to remember for the right reasons as both their men’s and women’s first teams host Irish Hockey League opposition.

UCC captain Fionn O’Leary hopes his side can be the ultimate spoilers as they make their Irish Hockey League debut at Instonians tomorrow.

Cork Church of Ireland showed they could be a dark horse for this year’s Irish Hockey League by routing Glenanne 4-1 at Garryduff on Saturday.

There was cup action all around the country this weekend as the cream of the crop in the men’s and women’s senior and U18s battled it out in the quarter-finals.

AS STATEMENTS of intent go, Killester’s work at the weekend was pretty emphatic.

EXPECT more fireworks when Bord Gais Neptune and UCC Demons meet in the Cork SuperLeague local derby at Neptune Stadium tomorrow night.

DEFENDING champions, 11890 Killester and Dublin neighbours, UCD Marian, advanced to the Men’s SuperLeague National Cup final after facile semi-finals victories at Neptune Stadium yesterday.

ULSTER ELKS coach, Deirdre Brennan, is confident the students are capable of pulling off another big shock when they face UCD Marian in the semi-final of the Super League National Cup at Neptune Stadium tomorrow afternoon.

MARK KEENAN, coach to 11890 Killester, is hoping his team will return to form for Sunday’s National Cup semi-final against UL Eagles at Neptune Stadium in Cork after two disappointing losses in the lead up to their most important assignment of the season.

DCU SAINTS brought off what could be the surprise of the season in recording a stunning victory over defending champions 11890 Killester, as the men’s SuperLeague turned the corner yesterday.

BOTH men’s SuperLeague sides in Cork will be back in action over the weekend after Thursday night’s derby game saw UCC Demons blow away Bord Gais Neptune with little difficulty.

THE weather may have wrought havoc with the weekend SuperLeague programme, but it didn’t prevent 11890 Killester and UL Eagles consolidating their positions at the top of their respective conferences.

UL EAGLES beat UCC Demons to set up another clash with defending champions, 11890 Killester, while Ulster Elks shocked Belfast Star and will meet UCD Marian — who beat DCU Saints for the second time in a week — when the quarter-finals of the Men’s SuperLeague National Cup were decided over the weekend.

WITH defending champions 1890 Killester in waiting, the remaining quarter-finals of the Men’s SuperLeague National Cup will be played this weekend.

UL EAGLES reversed their recent SuperLeague result to end the National Cup hopes of Bord Gais Neptune on Saturday, while 11890 Killester are just two games away from retaining the title after an emphatic victory over Moycullen in their quarter-final clash.

BORD GAIS Neptune Head Coach Pat Price believes his side’s rebounding will be vital in tomorrow night’s National Cup second-round clash with South Conference leaders UL Eagles in Limerick.

UCC DEMONS coach Paul Kelleher believes his side’s amazing comeback to win at Moycullen in the Nivea for Men Superleague will prove to be a turning point in their season.

PAUL KELLEHER could hardly have hoped for better after stepping into the role of the head coach with his club, UCC Demons.

CORK rivals, UCC Demons and NEH Neptune, will play at each end of the country this weekend but they will be drawn together in a fierce battle for second place in the Southern Conference as the Nivea for Men SuperLeague goes into the final series before the play-offs.

NEH NEPTUNE coach, Pat Price, has appealed to referees to “sit up and take notice” of the physicality being directed at their American player, Juwann James.

ULSTER ELKS may be propping up the Northern Division table but they brought off the shock of the weekend when they beat UL Eagles 91-89 in a dramatic Nivea for Men SuperLeague clash after taking the game into overtime.

UL EAGLES will be fancied to reinforce their position at the top of the Southern Conference when they travel to Belfast to play Ulster Elks this weekend while Neptune bid to keep the pressure on SuperLeague champions, UCC Demons, for the prime second spot.

THE form guide points to a classic. When UCC Demons and National Event Hire Neptune clashed in the SuperLeague this season, overtime was required before the former claimed a three-point win over their arch rivals.

NEPTUNE are scheduled to travel to travel to Limerick tomorrow night to play UL Eagles in an eagerly-awaited Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague game.

FOLLOWING back-to-back losses to Killester in the cup and SuperLeague Coach Tony Hehir wants UL Eagles to refocus on the target which is now the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

WITH their defence of the national cup on course, UCC Demons will concentrate on getting their Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague campaign back on track when they travel to Dublin tomorrow evening to play Killester.

AFTER their thrilling derby game on Friday night at The Mardyke Arena, UCC Demons and National Event Hire Neptune go their separate ways this weekend with the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague champions heading to Jordanstown and Neptune make their first trip to Moycullen.

MICHAEL McGINN went over on his ankle in practice on Wednesday night, leaving new coach Pat Price facing the possibility of sending out National Event Hire/Neptune, without their captain for tonight’s crucial derby game against UCC Demons at The Mardyke Arena (8 pm).

SOME old faces will be missing from the scene with the addition of some promising newcomers when the basketball’s Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague gets underway tonight.

THE picture regarding one of the most fascinating women’s title races in Munster should be a lot clearer as champions Cork Harlequins meet pretenders Cork C of I at Garryduff tomorrow (2.30pm).

LIMERICK LIONS stunned Belfast Star on Saturday night to put themselves in line for a place in the play-off stages of the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague to the detriment of defending champions, Abrakebabra Tigers, who earned an away win over Ulster Elks.

DCU SAINTS brought DART Killester’s unbeaten run to a dramatic end with a shock 91-88 overtime win in their Nivea for Men SuperLeague derby on Saturday night, before rounding off an exciting weekend with a win over the basement team, Ulster Elks, yesterday afternoon.

KIERAN O’BRIEN is expected to be back on court tomorrow night when DART Killester defend their unbeaten record against Belfast Star at the IWA gymnasium in Clontarf.

IRELAND senior men’s interim coach Dave Passmore believes the young players in his squad will be in for a serious test as they take on Argentina in the first of an international double-header at Belfield tonight (7.30pm).

A disastrous weekend for Abrakebabra Tigers ended with the departure of head coach Mark Bernsen following their surprise hammering at the hands of DCU Saints.

UCC Demons coach, Douglas Leichner, was a happy man after his side came from behind in a spectacular finish to beat DCU Saints 86-82 and keep their NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague record straight.