22 October 2010

Hockey Club on national express

Dundee University Men’s Hockey Club has followed up on a bold statement of intent by emerging from their first four National League fixtures of the season unbeaten.

The club showed their ambitions for this season by entering the Scottish Hockey National Leagues for the first time in fifteen years. This built on last years’ successful season, where the club’s first team finished third in the Scottish Universities Leagues.

The calibre of the 1st team is evidenced by the fact that a number of the players have international experience at junior level and over half the team have played at the top league level in Scotland.

The lure of playing for the university team has brought a number of student players back to their alma mater from local Division 1 National League sides. The team is led by former Scottish Under-21 international and Scottish Universities Captain, Paul Martin, a final-year medical student.

This quality of players has ensured that the university side remain unbeaten after their first four national league fixtures and has raised the possibility of the team being promoted to Division 2 in their first season back on the national stage.

Men’s hockey are one of two university sports team’s who have been awarded a Team Scholarship by Dundee University Sport, the partnership between ISE (the University’s Institute of Sport and Exercise) and the university Sports Union (the other team being women’s volleyball). The Team Scholarships are designed to support university sports teams who it is felt have the potential, commitment and drive to succeed on a Scottish and British universities front. Scholarship support includes strength and conditioning support, needs analysis, coaching support and workshops tailored to the needs of the team.

Paul McPate, Assistant Director of ISE, said, 'Men’s Hockey is to be congratulated on their commitment to improving performance and raising their competitive targets. Their determination to succeed and their willingness to train hard to achieve this success is a positive example to other sports teams at the university.'

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902