It's not every day that you see cheerleaders entertaining a hockey crowd at half-time, but then it's not every day that Coleraine reach the semi-finals of the Sharwood's-sponsored Irish Senior Cup.
In fact before this season the Bannsiders hadn't even made it to the quarter-final stage of the competition. Tomorrow they meet the 1997 cup winners Hermes at the University of Ulster where the troupe of cheerleaders, from a local school, will strut their stuff at the ground where temporary seating has been installed to accommodate an expected bumper crowd. If the same cheerleaders are to get a trip to Dublin in March for the Cup final, then their team will have to produce one of the season's big upsets. Apart from a blip in their form around Christmas, Hermes' results have reflected the sheer quality of their squad, which includes seven senior Irish panellists.
In contrast only Coleraine's player-coach Caryn Bentley, capped 49 times by South Africa, has senior international experience, although their squad also includes the promising Jan McGowan, an Irish under-16 panellist this season.
It could prove to be a busy afternoon for the two defences, facing attacks that have scored 100 league goals between them this season - despite their mid-table position in Section One, Coleraine are second only to Pegasus in the `goals for' column.
Hermes, though, are strong favourites to reach the final where they will be expected to meet the holders Pegasus, who play Muckross in the second semi-final in Belfast tomorrow. Having already wrapped up the Ulster league title, Pegasus remain on course to repeat last season's grand slam but they will be wary of a Muckross side that should provide their most testing game of what has been an all-too-easy season so far.
After winning all their previous league and cup games Pegasus finally tasted defeat last weekend . . . . but their opponents were Ireland (4-2 winners) in a training match in Belfast.
Anya Bowers has withdrawn from the Irish senior panel for the season. The Trinity player has fourth-year medicine exams this summer and is unable to combine her studies with an intensive training and match programme ahead of August's European Nations' Cup finals.
Meanwhile details of the first official Under-18 boys and girls' European Youth Trophy (A Division) which will be staged in Belfast at Easter, were announced this week. The tournament will be the largest hockey event ever hosted in Ireland and will feature 16 international squads. Both Irish teams have been drawn in pools with England, France and Germany, with the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland and Spain completing the tournament line-up.
