HOCKEY: Ulster Elks '˜unstoppable' in Irish Senior Cup semi-final win over UCD

The Ulster University women's hockey club, renamed the Ulster Elks in 2009, have been rewriting their club's history in recent years and added a new chapter at the weekend when they qualified for the Irish Senior Cup final for a second consecutive year.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Feb 2016, 14:14 BST
Updated 29th Feb 2016, 14:19 BST
Robyn Chambers, Ulster Elks, exploits a gap in the UCD defence. INLT 09-911-CON Photo: Philip McCloyRobyn Chambers, Ulster Elks, exploits a gap in the UCD defence. INLT 09-911-CON Photo: Philip McCloy
Robyn Chambers, Ulster Elks, exploits a gap in the UCD defence. INLT 09-911-CON Photo: Philip McCloy

They claimed a 4-2 win over fellow students University College Dublin (UCD) in an action-packed semi-final in front of a large crowd at Jordanstown last Saturday. The home side were much sharper and looked hungry racing out of the blocks at the first whistle.

Early chances were missed but eventually Gemma Frazer opened the scoring in the 13th minute when she netted from the first penalty corner of the game.

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Carrickfergus girl Chloe Mitchell’s strike into the bottom corner made it two in the 20th minute before Ireland captain Megan Frazer furthered the lead to 3-0 a couple of minutes later, picking up a loose ball in the circle and struck home on her backhand.

Frazer made it 4-0 in the 50th minute to finish off the victory and practically kill off the game as a contest.

However, UCD rallied with two goals in the closing 11 minutes as the Elks arguably took their foot off the gas. Kate Lloyd pulled one back before Sorcha Clarke nabbed another from a corner in the dying stages.

The final will be played on March 20 at the National Hockey Stadium at UCD and it will be an all-Ulster affair after Ards beat Hermes in the other semi-final.

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Elks coach Ricky Lee was overjoyed: “The girls just looked so determined and it wouldn’t have mattered who the opposition was, they were simply unstoppable”.

The Elks are back in League action this weekend, travelling to Greenfields (Galway) on Saturday before taking on Railway Union at Jordanstown on Sunday