Midland girls chase third title in succession

Scotland’s players to watch do the honours of bringing down the curtain on the indoor season with the Midland U18 squad going for their third Inter District Indoor title on the spin at the Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth, today.

Squad coach Siobhan Penman is fortunate to have six of last year’s titlewinning squad, including Scotland senior women’s debutant Emily Dark, available to steer her newcomers through a round-robin tournament which also features their counterparts from four other districts.

Midland U18 squad: Holly Duval, Heidi Sampson, Rachel Strachan, all Dundee High; Emily Dark, Michaela McCarthy, Kara MacRitchie, Catriona Roberts, Ellie Stott, all Kilgraston; Ruth Blaikie, Perth HS; Lisa Biermann, Emilia Leue, Izzy Folan, all Strathallan.

Fixtures: 10am – East v Midland, South v North; 11.30 – South v East, North v West; 1pm – Midland v North, West v South; 2.30 – West v Midland, North v East; 3.30pm – South v Midland, East v West.

Elsewhere, in Berlin, the race for the fifth Indoor Hockey World Cup crown took a step nearer the finishing line with today’s quarter-final line-up determined following completion of the pool phase.

Netherlands carry a perfect record into their match against the Czech Republic, European champions Germany go head-to-head with Poland, Ukraine line up against Switzerland and Belarus will battle it out against Australia.

Meanwhile following the conclusion of this season’s Midland indoor league the newly crowned champions of divisions 1 and 2 are Grove Menzieshill and Madras FP, respectively. Positions:

Midland Indoor League, Division 1 final rankings – 1 Grove Menzieshill 15 points, 2 Wanderers II 12, 3 Strathallan 9, 4 Kinross 6, 5 Wanderers III 3, 6 Monarchs 0.

Division 2 final rankings – 1 Madras 16, 2 St Andrews University 9, 3 Perthshire 7, 4 Monarchs II 3. Fixtures for today:

National League Division 2 – St Andrews University v Glasgow University. Championship League 1 – Edinburgh University III v Stirling University. Championship League 2 – Grange EL II v Dundee University II, Uddingston v St Andrews University II, Strathclyde University v Kelburne II.

Midland Division 1 – Perthshire II v Madras FP, St Andrews University III v Kinross II, Dundee University III v Blairgowrie, Wanderers II v Brechin Thistles.

Division 2 – Perthshire III v St Andrews University V, St Andrews University IV v Stirling University II, Dundee University IV v Grove Menzieshill III, St Andrews University IV v Monarchs (Sunday).