Balls will be flying, offenses will be scoring and goalies will be saving on a championship field next weekend in the Sandhills — and unlike their soccer and lacrosse counterparts, these players do it all on horseback.

The Eastern Zone Polocrosse Championships are scheduled for Sept. 15-16 at the Pinehurst Harness Track. It’s one of the largest events of the year for East Coast polocrosse teams, second only to Nationals, which will be held in Texas this October.

Hosting the competition is the Carolina Polocrosse Club, one of the largest polocrosse clubs in the nation and a frequent winner of national and international accolades.

Sanctioned by the American Polocrosse Association, the event will feature about 35 teams from as far as New York and Florida, as well as the usual North Carolina powerhouses.

Carolina will have at least one full six-player team representing the club in each of the five grades, from beginner to experienced, from sixth grader to senior citizen.

These fall championships were first held in 2007 in Hurdle Mills, N.C., the home base of the Orange County Polocrosse Club. Last year was the event’s first time in the Sandhills area.

“Pinehurst’s central location makes us a convenient venue for the Eastern Zone teams,” said Wade Liner, the tournament organizer. “And the fields at the Harness Track are among the finest in the country for polocrosse.”

There will be matches running all weekend from early morning throughout most of the day.