The 2017-18 mixed hockey season starts not so much with a bang as a whimper on Saturday, as there are only games in PwC Division Three and the Under 16s league.

The latter is always difficult to predict, the natural age cycle of players meaning that the strongest in one season tend to graduate from the team before the following September.

Saracens will start the league buoyed by their success leading into the summer, but the creation of a Colts team in Division Three is likely to see some stronger players progress to that level.

Vikings and Ramsey are traditionally strong and play the opening match of the season at the NSC.

Harlequins have traditionally been more successful than their Douglas counterparts Bacchas at u16 level, and will be looking to start with a win, while Saracens will seek to open their account against an ever-improving Valkyrs squad.

Division Three looks likely to be a league with two very differing sets of teams.

There’s three predominantly development teams in Vikings D, Harlequins Colts and Saracens Colts, with a number of other teams often comprised of social teams including players of all ages.

As a general rule, the youth teams are likely to find success based on stamina alone over 70 minutes, and it is probably these we are looking towards for a title winner.

Vikings D pushback their season against Bacchas’ fourth string, a game which offers much promise between the Douglas rivals.

Both will have the opportunity to use guest players from higher teams, given the lack of fixtures in other leagues, and the inclusion of stronger individuals could make or break either side.

Saracens Colts and Harlequins Colts could well prove to be a title decider come the end of the season.

Saracens are something of an unknown quantity as a new team, but Harlequins are likely to start the game as favourites, having been unlucky to be relegated from the league above last year.

Harlequins B and Southerners, based on last year’s performance, will be an evenly balanced game.

Historically, both thave been defensively strong, but struggled to score, so a couple of goals for either side would seal the result.

JAMES RUSSELL