W1 Start Premier Division Finals Campaign against East Grinstead
By Colin Pike
Surbiton Women continue the defence of their Premier Division title when they take on East Grinstead in the second semi-final of the Athleteq.App Premier Division Finals at Nottingham Hockey Centre on Saturday evening (push back 1745).
Supporters unable to get to Nottingham Hockey Centre can watch the Premier Division Finals on the England Hockey channel on You Tube here.
Surbiton only made sure of their place in the final four with a 3-0 home victory over Reading last Saturday, to pip their opponents to the top of Pool B on goal difference and will be keen to avenge the stunning 5-3 home defeat at the hands of East Grinstead on 29 March.
Surbiton were cruising with a 2-0 lead after Giselle Ansley and Erica Sanders scored by the 21st minute and although the West Sussex club were level within seven minutes thanks to Biba Mills and Tess Howard, Darcy Bourne restored Surbiton's lead in the third quarter.
Trailing 3-2, East Grinstead equalised again through a second goal by Tess Howard, before Olivia Shannon and a second goal by Mills ensured that Surbiton's Top Six season ended in defeat.
When Surbiton visited East Grinstead in October they came away from Saint Hill with a 2-0 win for the fourth time since the teams first met in the Premier Division in 2015-16, courtesy of Ellie Mackenzie and Meg Dowthwaite.
Mills finished the 2024-25 regular Premier Division season as the divisional top scorer with 17 goals, with Surbiton's Bourne her nearest rival on 13 goals, together with Reading's Mia Moore.
Howard is on five goals with Shannon having scored four goals after transferring in from Holcombe. Millie Giglio scored three goals with Summer Knight-Thompson, Lily Walker, Carlota Gomez and Grace Balsdon all on two goals.
Emma Bandurak, who also joined East Grinstead from Holcombe, scored once alongside Sally Sime, Connie Penlington, Courtney Hansford, Pippa Lock, Amy Thompson, Mollie Mason and Ellie Rayer.
Mackenzie, in her first season at Surbiton, scored eleven goals, with Erica Sanders finding the net seven times. Sophie Hamilton is on five, Alice Wills is on four and Issy Yonge, who has also played for Surbiton's second team this season, scoring three, with Jordan Homann and Izzy Petter, who only played in 2025.
Martha Taylor, Meg Dowthwaite, Alice Sharp and Giselle Ansley, who also missed some matches after playing for Canberra Chill in the Hockey One tournament in Australia, all contributed twice.
Lottie Ross, Liz Thompson, Eloise Stenner and Holly Wilkinson each scored on one occasion.
Hampstead & Westminster play Reading in the first semi-final at 1530 on Saturday.
More information about the Women's Premier Division Finals can be found at the England Hockey Altius website here.