Blazers’ Flavian Mutiva and Sliders’ Loreen Makulu during a Kenyan Hockey Premier League match at Dashmesh Stadium, Sikh Union.
Wins over Sliders and KU Titans lifted Blazers to 26 points, while Strathmore Scorpions strengthened their hold on third place.
Blazers Hockey Club regained the lead in the Kenya Hockey Union Women’s Premier League after winning both their weekend matches at Dashmesh Stadium, moving five points clear of defending champions Lakers.
The former champions defeated Sliders 3-0 before overcoming Kenyatta University (KU) Titans 2-0. The six-point haul took Blazers to 26 points and preserved their status as the only unbeaten team in the competition this season.
With eight victories and two draws from 10 matches, Blazers now lead a Lakers side that has played one more game. The defending champions were not in action over the weekend and remain on 21 points.
Blazers build advantage at the top
Eleanor Chebet opened the scoring against KU Titans, adding to her goal against Sliders. Captain Caroline Guchu also scored against the students as Blazers completed the weekend without conceding.
The results gave Blazers both the outright lead and a points cushion over their closest challengers. Lakers have won six, drawn three and lost two of their 11 matches, dropping 12 of the 33 points available to them.
Blazers’ unbeaten record contrasts with the setbacks suffered by the defending champions, whose absence from the weekend programme allowed the former title holders to pull ahead.
Scorpions sustain climb after slow start
Strathmore Scorpions remained third after a 1-0 victory over Kisumu Queens took them to 20 points from 12 matches, just one point behind Lakers.
The result extended their recovery from a difficult opening stretch. Scorpions went six matches without a win at the start of the campaign, collecting only four points through draws against United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Spartans, Lakers, Kisumu Queens and Amira Sailors.
Their breakthrough came in their seventh match, when they beat Sliders 1-0. They have since put together a more consistent run to establish themselves among the leading three teams.
Kisumu Queens had contrasting results over the weekend. They recorded a commanding 5-1 win against Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), but could not follow it up against Scorpions.
Queens sit fourth on 17 points from 11 matches, with four wins, five draws and two defeats.
Amira lose ground as Sliders face pressure
Amira Sailors missed the chance to close the gap on the leading sides after losing both their matches. KU Titans beat them 3-0 on Saturday before University of Nairobi (UoN) Vigilantes secured a 3-2 victory over them on Sunday.
Those defeats left Amira fifth on 15 points, two ahead of sixth-placed USIU-A Spartans, who did not play over the weekend.
Vigilantes are seventh with 10 points from nine games. Their victory over Amira was only their second of the season, alongside four draws and three losses.
Further down the standings, Sliders remain under relegation pressure in eighth place with eight points. With only three matches left in their campaign, they have limited opportunities to improve their position.
Ninth-placed KU Titans and bottom side JKUAT both have more games in hand than Sliders, giving them additional opportunities to collect points in the battle to avoid demotion.
