East Grinstead win through to England Hockey League championship final

[img_assist|nid=485|title=|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=151|height=46]League-topping East Grinstead have secured a place in the national championship hockey final (to be played April 15) with an 8-1 defeat of Reading. In the other Sunday playoff Beeston turned around a loss vs Reading the day before to defeat Surbiton 3-2. 

Beeston will now play Reading on Saturday April 14, for a place in the final the following day. Under the new men’s playoff system, EG, Reading and Beeston have all now qualified for the 2012-13 Euro Hockey League.

On Saturday, third-placed Reading travelled to second-placed Beeston, turning over the Nottingham side 3-1. In the other first-round playoff game Surbiton had ended fourth-placed Cannock’s season.

The women’s Investec hockey league championship final will be between defending champions Reading and Leicester. Reading defeated Bowdon Hightown 2-0 on Sunday. In Saturday’s games, Leicester defeated Canterbury to book a final spot, while Bowdon Hightown defeated Clifton 2-1 for the right to play Reading on Sunday.

The Investec Finals weekend will be held at Reading Hockey Club on 14-15 April 2012 and will feature the final of the Investec women’s hockey league championships and the men’s championships.

In addition the final stages of the Investec women’s hockey league promotion tournament will be held over the weekend as well as the Investec Women’s Trophy, Investec Women’s Vase, Investec Women’s Over 35s Cup and Investec Women’s Over 35 Plate all taking place at Reading. 

The men’s EHL Promotion Tournament will be held over the same weekend (14-15 April) at Cannock HC.

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