Having qualified for next season’s Euro Hockey League at the National League play-offs three weekends ago, Surbiton still have the EHB Cup final to play this Saturday before their season is finally over.
And coach Todd Williams has not allowed his squad to rest on their laurels, especially as their opponents are his former club Hampstead & Westminster.
“Just so it is clear, this game is a priority as any final should be,” he emailed them after the 5-3 win over Canterbury that returned the Long Ditton-based club to Europe for the first time in 11 seasons.
“For anyone thinking about winding down, I'd remind you that the Euro Hockey League semi-finals are still to come in the season’s calendar and so we would expect to be peaking at this time in future seasons.
“I'd also add that Hampstead will be warming up with a weekend in Lille, playing two games against the French national side so there should be no illusions about the seriousness of their preparations.
Winners: Johnny Ruiz celebrates the fourth goal against Canterbury in the National play-offs that secured Surbiton's return to European competiton Picture: England Hockey/Ady Kerry
“With some players unavailable due to international commitments and injury, our team is far from finalised. If you want to play, you need to train.”
One of the injured players Williams was referring to is Scottish international Fergus Dunn, who had to miss the national play-offs with a torn cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Fellow Scots Chris Grassick and new cap Nicholas Parkes, who are in their nation’s 18-man squad preparing for the second round of the Hockey World League in Paris from May 6.
Two weekends ago, Scotland played two games away at Belgium A in Waterloo, beating them 3-2 on Saturday and 6-0 on Sunday.
Last weekend they took on England at Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire in two “performance events” (no spectators and not capped).
They lost both, 5-1 on Saturday afternoon and 2-6 on Sunday morning.
Grassick said: “To be fair, I think the games were a bit closer than the scores suggested.
“Parkesy and I will be hoping the rest of the guys bring the Cup back to Sugden Road before we leave for Paris.”
Third time's the charm: Under Todd Williams, Hampstead & Westminster were beaten finalists in two of the past three EHB Cup finals
The final is being hosted by Wakefield Hockey Club at 4pm.
The Cup is the oldest club competition in hockey, having started in the 1971/72 season.
Surbiton have only reached the final once before, losing 1-2 to Reading at Cannock HC in the 2003/04 season.
Their opponents this time round, Hampstead & Westminster, have also never won it, but, under Williams, were beaten finalists in two of the past three seasons.
Surbiton in fact did not enter the competition for the past three seasons, and only six of the 10 Premier Division clubs entered it this season.
The journey to the final started for Surbition by beating Southgate (1-2) in September.
They went on to beat West & Wales regional outfit Isca (10-0); lower Conference North Preston (8-0); North regional Sheffield University Bankers (4-1) in the quarter-finals Conference East Oxted (6-1) in the semi-final.
Against Premier Division rivals Hampstead, Surbiton drew 2-2 at Paddington Rec in November, but won 3-1 at Sugden Road in March.
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