Buccs ladies are on the up as hockey men prepare for title decider at University of Bath

19 March 2017

Team Bath Buccaneers Hockey Club are celebrating after the ladies’ 1st XI secured their return to the Investec National Women’s Hockey League.

And the men could also be popping the champagne corks next weekend as victory in their final match of the regular season would clinch another league title and a shot at promotion to the Premier League.

Buccs’ ladies went to West Club Women’s League Premier Division 1 leaders Clifton 2nd XI on Saturday knowing a point would be enough to ensure promotion with two games to spare.

But they came away with a 2-0 victory thanks to magnificent strikes from Olivia Hamilton and Lydia Thacker, plus some solid defending in the second period as Clifton forced several short corners.

Among the University of Bath students in the promoted Buccs squad are Helen Verhaegue, Nia Davis, Anna Reynolds, Maria Jones, Chloe Greenhill, Courtney Hansford, Tess Hannah and Harriet Montgomery.

Meanwhile, an exciting 6-4 win for Buccs’ men away to Old Georgians saw them capitalise on dropped points by Cardiff Met to go top of the England Hockey Men’s Conference West table with just one match remaining, at home to Cheltenham on Sunday (2pm).

Buccs got off to a scintillating start as Ben Stone and Trendell Sports Scholar Peter Scott – fresh from making his senior England debut in South Africa – both scored inside the opening five minutes.

Chris Shannon pulled one back for Old Georgians but quick-fire strikes from Stone and Will Hewer put Buccs 4-1 up at half-time.

Georgians struck early in the second period but goals from Scott and Lewis Jowett put Buccs out of reach, although they did concede twice more in the final five minutes.

Should Buccs win their match at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on Sunday, they will be presented with the league trophy and medals following the final whistle and will also progress to the Premier League play-offs in April.

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