Top Goalscorers
In the Women’s EYHL, Railway Union’s Hollai Quinn top the scoring charts with an exceptionally impressive tally of six goals in six games. What is almost more impressive is she is doing so in her first season for the reigning EY Champions Trophy winners having made the switch from Corinthian this summer. Quinn has been central to Railway’s success this year, scoring in every one of her side’s five wins.
Queen’s University’s Jenna McCarlie takes second spot with five goals while teammate Jodie Simmons sits just behind her on four, level with Ulster Elks’ Shannon McNellis. McCarlie and Simmons combined nine goals accounts for just over half of QUB’s goals this season, but the newly promoted side are not short of attacking threats, with eight different players getting on the scoresheet in the opening six rounds.
Top Goalkeepers
In the Women’s EYHL, Elizabeth Murphy has been a force to be reckoned with so far this season, keeping four clean sheets from her five appearances. The Loreto and Ireland International has conceded on just one occasion, a Round 3 goal from UCD’s Florence Maughan.
Just behind Murphy sit Pembroke Wanderers’ Aoife Glennon and Pegasus’ Megan Todd with two clean sheets each. Both keepers have been exceptional to date helping their sides maintain the joint second-best defensive records in the league behind current leaders Loreto.
As Things Stand
Loreto are once again the team to beat in the Women’s EY Hockey League. While they may sit behind rivals Railway Union in second place, the reigning league champions have a game in hand and also remain unbeaten.
A win in their refixed Round 5 match against Portadown would see them go three points clear at the top of the table. Despite the exits of several key players during the summer, they still look on course to retain their title for a third successive season.
Railway Union certainly won’t make it easy for them, however. Loreto’s win in Round 2 could prove to be a pivotal early moment in the title challenge, but they will get a chance to reverse the result when the sides meet for the second and final time in the penultimate round before the Christmas break.
Queen’s University have been the surprise package so far this season.
The newly promoted side have been almost flawless thus far in their first ever season in the EYHL, with a record of four wins, a bonus point draw and a loss seeing them sit comfortably in third spot, just a point behind Loreto and Railway Union. Principle to their success has been their energy and efficiency in front of goal. Their tally of seventeen goals so far is the joint best in the league.
Note: Goalkeepers are awarded a clean sheet when they play in a minimum of 75% of a match where their team do not concede a goal. In instances where players are tied for clean sheets, ranking will be determined by the keeper who has conceded the fewest goals per game (Goals Conceded divided by minutes played multiplied by 70). In the event that two players also have an identical Goals Per Game, ranking will be determined alphabetically by surname.
