With the mixed leagues neaarly finished, almost all the senior players turn to the knockout competitions to provide its weekly dose of hockey and there are some interesting match-ups in the Plate especially.

Vikings B take on a Cammags side who last year managed to draw with their own first team and beat Vikings B before being relegated and are always capable of an upset.

Although Cammags’ season hasn’t gone to plan, they always turn up for big games but will do well to beat the recently-promoted Vikings Bside. The latter, though, will be sure to start the game on the front foot with a couple of early goals, as in recent games they have started slowly and have on a few occasions gone behind early on.

Ramsey Ravens have only last week been promoted into Division One but face their first taste of what it will be like next year when they face Saracens Sabres.

The latter were the only team in Division One to take anything out of Vikings B but without their talismanic captain George Powell available they will need to make sure they are well organised to prevent the upset.

Ramsey Ravens, on the other hand, have had a shaky second half of the season and Saracens should have too much strength in depth.

Harlequins Colts are the only Division Three side left in the competition and they face Division One title challengers Valkyrs B in a game that should be more or less one-way traffic. Vikings C look to the Plate to finish their season on a high but Harlequins A should prove too strong.

The Mixed Cup quarter-finals mark the start of the competition with Vikings A and Bacchas A gaining byes owing to their league position in the top two at the halfway stage.

However, Castletown Celts look to turn league form on its head and beat Ramsey A with Bacchas B looking to do the same against Valkyrs A.

In reality neither Celts or Bacchas B have a surprise result in them based on form this year, but there have been some close results. If both sides can find their finishing touch then perhaps a few people in the hockey community will be made to eat their words.

In the PwC Mixed Under-16 League, everything could well be decided this weekend when Valkyrs face Vikings.

If Valkyrs win here they win the league with a game to spare, but if they lose and Harlequins win against Bacchas it comes down to the final weekend of games.

Elsewhere, Ramsey Rogues and Rascals take on Saracens with the northerners looking to earn two points to move off the bottom of the table.

SAM SPOONER

FIXTURES

Saturday, November 24:

Mixed Cup quarter-finals

2pm West Coast Fitness Valkyrs A v Ramsey Crookall Cronkbourne Bacchas B @ QEII

2pm Ramsey LJ A v Cherry Godfrey Castletown Celts @ RGS

Mixed Plate quarter-finals

2pm Cannacord Genuity Vikings B

V Cherry Godfrey Castletown Cammags

@ NSC

12.30pm Ramsey LJ Ravens v Saracens Sabres @ RGS

12.30pm Athena Healthcare Harlequins Colts v West Coast Fitness Valkyrs B @ NSC

11am Cannacord Genuity Vikings C v Athena Healthcare Harlequins A @ NSC

PwC Mixed Under-16 League

12.30pm Cannacord Genuity Vikings U16 v West Coast Fitness Valkyrs U16 @ QEII

3.30pm Ramsey Crookall Cronkbourne Bacchas U16 v Harlequins U16 @ NSC

3.30pmRamsey LJ Rogues & Rascals v Saracens U16 @ RGS