THE 2026 Ulster Women’s Indoor Hockey Championships got under way last Sunday at the Antrim Forum, with six clubs stepping onto the court for this season’s highly anticipated edition.
Defending champions Ards wasted no time asserting their authority, emerging as the team to beat after securing a perfect nine points from their opening three fixtures.
Ards opened their campaign with a 6-1 victory over Queen’s University, with goals from Emma Reid, Ellen Fitzpatrick, Frankie McKnight, Caroline Arnold and Rebecca Beggs.
However, it was their second-round performance against Antrim that truly sent a message to the competition.
In a relentless display of indoor hockey, Ards stormed to a 12-0 win. Alyssa Boyd ignited the scoring with a brace in the opening five minutes, followed quickly by an Alana Thornton strike to make it 3-0. Boyd completed her hat-trick before the half-time whistle, but the floodgates truly opened in the second period.
Maddie Leathem struck twice in 60 seconds to push the lead to 6-0, followed by a flurry of goals from Emma Reid, Rebecca Beggs, Frankie Mcknight and a clinical second-half hat-trick from Ellen Fitzpatrick. The emphatic result propelled Ards to the top of the table on goal difference.
The record champions maintained their momentum in their final game of the day, dispatching Portadown 7-1.
The squad returns to the Antrim Forum this weekend for round two, where they face stern tests against Randalstown and a high-flying Coleraine side. With Coleraine currently hot on their heels, Saturday’s fixtures will be pivotal in determining the standings before the crossover matches next week decide the ultimate destination of the Ulster title.
