L1 Visit Clifton Robinsons On Sat.
By Colin Pike
Having achieved their ambition of winning promotion back to the Super Sixes Premier Division, Surbiton Ladies turn their attention to outdoor hockey as the Vitality Women's Hockey League Premier Division resumes on Saturday.
For the first time, the Premier Division splits into two after the eleven teams played each other once before the winter break.
The top six will battle for the league title with the runners-up also qualifying for Europe with the bottom five competing to avoid finishing in the bottom two slots which would see them relegated to Division One North/ South.
Both sections will see the competing teams play each other home and away in a round-robin, carrying forward the points won in the first half of the season.
With the Men's Premier Division not resuming until next weekend and the Women's Bottom Five following suit due to a lesser number of fixtures, the Women's Top Six is the centre of attention this weekend.
The first fixtures match the first day's scheduled fixtures back in September, therefore Surbiton return to Clifton Robinsons, where they drew 2-2, Alice Wills and Eloise Stenner scoring for Surbiton with Catherine Macaulay scoring both goals for Clifton at Coombe Dingle.
Surbiton start the second half of the season in third, three points behind leaders Hampstead and Westminster after Hampstead lost 3-2 at Sugden Road in their last game before Christmas; and on level points but with an inferior goal difference to second-placed East Grinstead, where Surbiton also won 2-1 earlier in the season.
Hampstead travel to fourth-placed London rivals Wimbledon, where they won 3-1 on the opening day of the season. East Grinstead would have been at home to Loughborough Students, but Loughborough are one of the teams in the Bottom Five, so East Grinstead travel to Nottingham instead to take on Beeston, who finished fifth ahead of sixth-placed Clifton Robinsons.