The EIHA have today confirmed the NIHL Division 2 North and South fixtures for the upcoming season.
The Lee Valley Lions will once again be playing in NIHL Division 2 South (Wilkinson).
This season, the league will be split into two geographical divisions; with the Lions competing in the East Division alongside Haringey, Invicta and Peterborough, as well as new teams Bracknell and Streatham.
The Lions will also compete in the South 2 Cup competition alongside Bristol, Haringey and Invicta.
Our first fixture will be at home to league newcomers Streatham on Sunday 15th September – just 44 days from now.
The full press release from the EIHA can be found below:
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The National League Management Group (NLMG) are pleased to reveal the final set of fixtures for the NIHL season 2019/20, as Division 2 North & South confirm their schedules.
Division 2 North (Laidler) has an eight team league, each playing two home and two away, with no specific D2 Cup. Widnes Wild are playing the D1 Midlands Cup again this season. Their campaign begins on Saturday September 7thand is scheduled to end on Sunday March 22nd. The top four sides from the league campaign will contest the Laidler Playoff Finals Weekend over the April 4/5 with the venue to be confirmed very shortly.
Division 2 South (Wilkinson) has a total of 12 member clubs and they have been split into six-team East and West divisions playing clubs in their division two home and two away. At the seasons’ end the top four sides from each division will qualify for the playoffs. The quarter final round over March 28/29 will be two legged ties E1 v W4, E2 v W3, W1 v E4 and W2 v E3. The Wilkinson Playoff Finals Weekend will be on April 4/5 at a venue to be confirmed.
There is also a four-team South 2 Cup competition featuring Bristol Pitbulls, Haringey Huskies, Invicta Mustangs and Lee Valley Lions. They play once home and away with the team finishing top of the standings will be Cup winners.
An NLMG spokesman said: “We’re delighted to get these final sets of fixtures out there and now all of our member clubs, the players and of course the supporters can plan the next eight months of their lives and look forward to an exciting season of NIHL hockey.
“We are grateful to our fixtures secretaries for their work collating the club requests and again it has been great to see the clubs working together where needed to reach agreement on the schedule.
“The schedules will be loaded into Fixtures Live and will appear on the EIHA website very soon. For the NLMG we look to finalise 19/20 Rules of Competition and confirming our end of season finals venues for Moralee, Laidler, Britton and Wilkinson divisions.”
DIVISION 2 OPENING FIXTURES
North (Laidler)
Saturday September 7
Bradford v Telford
Sheffield v Hull
Sunday September 8
Altrincham v Blackburn
Saturday September 14
Hull v Dragons
Telford v Altrincham
Sunday September 15
Widnes v Sheffield
Dragons v Bradford
Blackburn v Hull
South (Wilkinson)
Saturday September 7
Cardiff v Bristol
Saturday September 14
Haringey v Invicta
Peterborough v Bracknell
Sunday September 15
Basingstoke v Cardiff
Lee Valley v Streatham