Girls’ 1st XI National Hockey Finals

Our girls’ 1st XI travelled to Nottingham Hockey Centre just before half term to take part in the U18 Tier 4 National Finals. After an overnight stay and a delay due to frost, the girls set about trying to finish top of the group to make the final.

Our first game was a tough one against KLB, a nervy affair which ended in a 1-0 loss. The second game saw the girls spring into life as we took a 1-0 win vs Hill House School. Going into the last game vs Abbotsholme, we knew that a win for us might not be enough as the result of the other group game would have to go our way too. Both games were played simultaneously, and our girls dominated the game, eventually taking a 1-0 lead. News was filtering through that the other group game result was going our way and with 1 minute to go we were in the driving seat with one foot in the final and just needed to hold on. The girls dug deep but devastatingly, with seven seconds to go, Abbotsholme equalised, sending them through to the final and us to the 5/6 place playoff.

Although the girls were devastated, they showed great character to pick themselves up and dominate the 5/6 place playoff. That game ended in a 0-0 draw and both teams took the joint fifth position. The most impressive part of the performance was the fact that in an U18 competition, our team average age was 14.1 years. This shows the competitiveness and drive of the team and the resilience to take on players much older. The future is bright for these girls.