Ulster’s big two go head-to-head as Banbridge host Lisnagarvey in the Quarter-Finals of the Anderson Cup on Saturday.
The game is a repeat of the 2023/24 Final which saw Banbridge crowned champions with a 4-2 win.
Scott McCandless’ side cruised to a 9-0 win over Premiership side North Down in the First Round, with Johnny McKee’s hat-trick the highlight of the tie.
Opponents Lisnagarvey also progressed with a victory over Premier League opposition as they beat the division champions Cookstown 5-2.
The sides now go head-to-head once more having met in four Cup Finals in the 2023/24 season, with both sides winning two each.
In Lisburn, South Antrim host Belfast Harlequins with both sides having received a bye in the First Round of the competition.
The two teams were separated by just one point in the Men’s Premier League in 2023/24 and now do battle for a spot in the Semi-Finals of a domestic Cup.
The hosts will be relying on star man Jordan Robinson to get his 2024/25 season up and running as he netted 15 League goals in the 2023/24 season, whilst Harlequins come into the tie without their top scorer from 2023/24 Michael Patterson.
The final tie of the round sees Queen’s University travelling to Edenvilla to face Portadown.
The hosts grabbed the headlines in Round One when two goals from youngster Ben Thompson helped seal a shock 5-4 win over Instonians.
Meanwhile, the visitors booked their Quarter-Final place with a comfortable 5-1 win over PSNI, with four goals from Harry Scott and a debut strike from Josh Brownlee.
Following a summer of change at the university side and an influx of new players, they will be optimistic about going far in the competition with a number of Ireland Under-21s now in the team.
However, having already claimed one scalp in the 2024/25 season’s competition, Portadown will fancy their chances of causing another upset.
There is also one tie taking place from Round One, with Annadale versus Kilkeel being postponed from the previous week.
It is the home side who come into the tie as narrow favourites and, having lost a number of key players such as Fergus Gibson and Neal Glassey, the new-look outfit will be hoping for a quick transition for their new players.
However, with plenty of goalscoring prowess in their side, Kilkeel are more than capable of causing an upset. With a combined 26 League goals in the 2023/24 season, Luke Russell and David Rae provide plenty of goal threat for the Premiership side.