Banbridge Academy Boys’ Hockey

Ulster Schools’ Burney Cup Final

1^st XI v Royal Belfast Academical Institution

Thursday 14^th March, 7:45pm, Playball (Stormont)

Banbridge Academy will play Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the Ulster Hockey Burney Cup Final on Thursday evening at Playball, Stormont, at 7:45pm. The 1^st XI are aiming for their second Ulster Schools’ title of the season after defeating Wallace High School in the McCullough Cup Final in December.

Head Coach Simon Jess will be hoping that his highly talented squad come through this stern test as they are the standout team in Ulster Schools’ hockey.  The team have only suffered one defeat this season and have also won an All-Ireland title, lifting the Herbie Sherman Trophy in October. The team will be led out by Matthew Spence after unfortunate illness and injury ruled out squad captain Matthew Stevenson and vice-captain Aaron Baxter. But there is still plenty of talent remaining in the squad. Goalkeeper Denver Golbey and centre-back Ben Thompson are Ulster Under 18 players while fellow defenders Ben Walker and Max Nicholson have represented Ireland at Under 21 and Under 18 levels respectively. Captain Spence and Lukas Moles are both Irish Under 18 internationals, with their midfield partners Josh Osborne and Josh Baird having both played for Ulster Under 16s. There should be no shortage of fire power in the forward line with Irish Under 21 Adam McKee being joined by Irish Under 18 players James Evans and Josh Brownlee.  The squad is completed with Joshua Cash, Harry Taylor, Jack Fleming, Theo Milligan, Daniel McKee, Charlie Taylor and Adam McKee.

After a bye in the early rounds of this season’s Burney Cup, the team, ably supported by Emtek, easily came through their quarter-final and semi-final tests. Bangor Grammar School were dispatched 5-1 at home with Adam McKee scoring four goals and James Evans getting the fifth. The semi-final saw the Academy winning 4-0 against Sullivan Upper with McKee only scoring two goals this time, and Josh Baird and Lukas Moles stepping up with the others.

A large and vocal support is expected for the evening trip to Stormont to sing and cheer on the Bann lads as they aim to end the season on the perfect note.