It was the draw nobody wanted but the task of taking on the seemingly invincible Pegasus in the first round of the Sharwood's Irish Senior Cup tomorrow falls to Pembroke Wanderers, who travel to Belfast hoping to give the cup holders at least a sterner test than they have so far received this season.
Pegasus have, quite simply, been a class apart from even their closest Ulster rivals this season.
Pembroke coach Rudi Wortmann is under no illusions about the enormity of the task facing his young side at Upper Malone tomorrow but he is happy with the progress the team has made so far this season.
"We are all looking forward to the match. I reckon we can show people that we can play good hockey and we would like to put on a good display, but we have to keep in mind that they are the current league and cup champions," said Wortmann.
Pembroke's Leinster rivals Muckross also face Ulster opposition tomorrow, mindful of the fact that the last time they travelled north they were surprise 1-0 losers to Collegians, in last year's second round tie. Tomorrow they play North Down in Bangor.
UCC, meanwhile, will settle for a repeat of their second round result from last season when they beat Portadown 2-1, in a cup run that was only halted at the semi-final stage by Old Alexandra. The draw has paired them with the same Ulster side and, again, they face a marathon journey north - the teams meet at Edenvilla Park in Portadown.
The Dangan Sports Centre in Galway hosts two first round ties - the first between UCG and Munster League leaders Harlequins, followed by Galway's game against another Cork side, Church of Ireland.
The remaining two fixtures are all-Leinster affairs - Glenanne are at home to Railway Union in Tallaght while last year's beaten finalists Old Alexandra and Loreto meet, in what could be the tie of the round, at Milltown. A goal from Hazel Agar gave Alex a 1-0 win over Loreto in last year's quarter-finals but the current Leinster League leaders avenged that defeat in the first game of this season, which they won 20.
