Excitement builds for Manx hockey Finals Day

Cup and Plate showdowns to take place at the NSC

The champagne is on ice and the scene is set for the Manx hockey Cup and Plate champions to be crowned this weekend.

Four finals are to be played out throughout the day as the season draws to a close.

Women's Plate

Valkyrs B and Bacchas B will be the first teams out on the smurf turf at the National Sports Centre, as they contest the Women's Plate.

The westerners will begin the day as favourites due to their second place finish in PwC Women's Division One.

Bacchas have themselves proven they're up for the challenge ahead, however, after beating Premier League-bound Saracens 2-1 in the semi-finals.

Women's Cup

Once that game has finished, it's the turn of Women's Cup Final as Vikings A take on Valkyrs A.

Valkyrs go into the game after pipping their opponents to the top flight title, which Vikings agonisingly missed out on retaining on the final day of the league campaign.

The All Blacks will be buoyed by their two previous results against Valkyrs in the league, though, having completed the double over them in the PwC Women's Premier League.

Men's Cup

No one came close to even getting a draw against Bacchas A in the PwC Men's Premier League, as they romped to another title securing maximum points in the process.

In fact, their most slender scoreline came in the Cup, as they overcame Ramsey A 4-1 in the last round.

On Saturday, they take on a Vikings A side that boasts plenty of quality in the likes of Nathan Evans, Steven Underwood and Neil Crowe.

The Vikings defence will have to be on top of their game if they're to nullify the threat of 35-goal Bacchas forward Andy Whiting.

Men's Plate

Another side hoping to complete the double are Saracens A, who line-up against Valkyrs B in the Men's Plate Final.

Saracens won all but one match in the league this term, scoring a staggering 68 goals with just four against them in reply.

Valkyrs beat Harlequins B and Vikings C en route to Saturday's showdown, scoring 15 times in the process without conceding.