Clubs face critical league clashes ahead of cup engagement
Tonight, Notre Dame face Tolka Rovers in a Dublin derby at the ESB Arena while on Sunday afternoon they are at home to Frosties Tigers seeking to avenge one of only four defeats in this season's competition.
"It is a pretty important weekend for us," Notre Dame's player/coach, Anthony Jenkins admitted. "And it will be pretty hectic but we are not focusing on a league and cup double or anything like that right now.
"Our focus is on ourselves. We just try to play to the high standard and we are not there at all yet. If we were to think about too many things then it could get complicated and you just might lose sight of the important thing which is the standard which we have set for ourselves."
Notre Dame are the quiet ones of the SuperLeague. After beating Frosties Tigers in the first round of the cup they went back down to Tralee the following weekend and lost to them. Now they want to avenge that defeat one of only four losses this season.
"It is a big game for us in that respect," Coach Jenkins admitted. "But the game against Tolka is also a big one. Their American players are playing very well right now and, on a given night, they are capable of beating anyone.
"Two years ago, after the semi-final of the cup, I pointed out we were going through a transition period. We had won four in a row but we had some new people in and there were major adjustments to be made.
"You can't have success without going through this but it is hard to go through it if you do not have the taste of silverware."
Right now they are just four points adrift of table-toppers Sx3 Star and alongside Irish Travel Partners Saints and UCC Demon, with Neptune in between. But they have a game in hand and Demons and Saints clash on Sunday afternoon.
Demons' Coach Pat Price will have one eye on Notre Dame's performances as he sends his side into action against ITP Saints in the plush surroundings of the Mardyke Arena.
"It is an important game in two respects for us," he said. "If we win it then we will be very much in contention for the SuperLeague honours but it would also be very important for morale in advance of the cup final weekend.
"It would mean a lot to go into the semi-final against Notre Dame with a win over Saints behind us but it is going to be difficult. Saints lost both their games last weekend and I would prefer if they were not coming to play us off two losses. I would expect them to be fired up."
Like Notre Dame, Demons are enjoying the success without the profile in the SuperLeague but once the excitement of the cup dies down fans can expect fireworks.
Demons lost to Notre Dame in the 1998 Cup final. They won the in '86 and they have to go back to '89 for the last of their four league titles.
It has been tedious and at times frustrating but now Pat Price feels he has the right formula and the squad is just the right frame of mind.
"We are playing well at the moment and the players themselves realise the importance of every game and they will want to win on Sunday," he said.
There are only five games in the ESB Men's SuperLeague this weekend. The Waterford Crystal/Neptune game has been postponed as a mark of respect to Emmett Neville while Dart Killester and Sx3 Star are both out of action due to Adrian Fulton and Damien Sealy's international commitments in Bosnia.
In the ESB Women's SuperLeague, University of Limerick will entertain Scruffy's St Paul's tomorrow night.
Killarney are the only team who have managed to beat UL this season and will hope to repeat November's 77-75 thriller. But they may to be without Catriona O'Connell who is recovering from eye surgery.
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