Key days for title chasers

It might only be early December but Ulster champions Pegasus are already just one match away from securing, at the very least, a place in a play-off for this season's Section One title.

The Belfast side are level on points with Portadown going into the final weekend of the first of the province's two "mini-seasons" but a vastly superior goal difference means a win over Collegians should prove enough for them to finish top of the table.

If they succeed tomorrow but fail to win the second league campaign of the season, which gets under way in January, they meet the winners in a play-off in April to determine who goes to the All-Ireland League finals.

The Ulster branch, like their Munster counterparts, decided to split their season in such a way as to accommodate clubs who provide senior Irish internationals, none of whom can play league hockey after Christmas.

Pegasus had five players named in the Irish panel on Wednesday so, if they retain their places for the Olympic Qualifier in March, tomorrow's match will be the last time this season they can play in the league (they can still play in the Irish Senior Cup).

Portadown will lose the services of Jill Orbinson after the weekend but will hope that the Irish forward signs off with a glut of goals against Omagh as they attempt to close the goal difference gap between themselves and Pegasus. Those hopes might not be unrealistic in light of Omagh's 14-0 defeat by the champions last month and a 7-0 drubbing by Ballymoney during the week.

Loreto could also face the second half of the season without their leading scorer following Cathy McKean's selection for the Irish squad that travels to Barcelona in January. The prospect of losing both McKean and Caitriona O'Kelly after Christmas makes tomorrow's match against Old Alexandra all the more important for the club. They must at least avoid defeat at Milltown if they are to retain hopes of winning the league.

UCD have a chance to avenge their defeat in the Intervarsity final last month when they meet Trinity at Belfield tomorrow, while Hermes will look for their eighth successive league win of the season away to Genesis.

There are no Senior League fixtures in Munster this weekend but the clubs will be in action on Sunday at Harlequin Park which hosts a new one day tournament, the Jury's Cup. Meanwhile Dublin schools Wesley College and Mount Anville are the venues for the under-16 and under-18 interprovincial tournaments which get under way today and conclude tomorrow afternoon.