Hockey: Students learning fast during European bid

Loughborough Students opened their campaign to restore England to the European Indoor Club Championship with a win and a draw in the Trophy event in Ekaterinburg, Russia, yesterday.

Loughborough Students opened their campaign to restore England to the European Indoor Club Championship with a win and a draw in the Trophy event in Ekaterinburg, Russia, yesterday.

Students comfortably beat Valhall from Sweden 8-4 in their opening game but they then lost their way in their second match of the day when they were held to a 4-4 draw by Scotland's champions Menzieshill.

James McBlane and David Appleton scored but the Scots led 4-2 at one stage before McBlane, with his second, and Glen Kirkham earned a draw.

Students face HC Praga from the Czech Republic in their final first Pool game today but will be without their leading goalscorer Tim Benford who broke a hand yesterday.

Outdoors tomorrow, the women's EH Cup semi-finals take centre-stage after a full League programme today.

It is a busy and extremely important weekend for League leaders Chelmsford who are away to second place Ipswich today. The Essex club travel to Loughborough to play Fyffes Leicester tomorrow with the winners strong favourites to lift the Cup.

In the Men's League, fourth-placed Guildford aim to boost their hopes of a play-off place with victory over Surbiton.