A Spirited Hockey Final at Lee Valley
The U16A Girls’ Hockey team travelled to Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Tuesday 10 March, for the national cup final against King’s Worcester. The occasion itself was a significant achievement, following months of hard work, dedication and meticulous planning. The girls’ approached the final with some impressive wins under their belt, beating Stamford, Oundle and Rugby without conceding a goal, before dispatching Headington Rye in the quarter finals and Hill House School (Doncaster) in the semi-finals.
There were understandable nerves in the early exchanges, with Kings Worcester taking a deserved lead after 15 minutes. As the half progressed, however, the team began to settle. Confidence grew, passes started to stick, enjoying more possession as we worked into the game. King’s doubled their lead early in the second half with a moment of individual brilliance – an effort that would have knocked the spirit of many teams. Not this one. The girls responded brilliantly, digging deep and raising the intensity. They dominated possession, were first to every challenge and showed tremendous determination with a fighting spirit. Their efforts were rewarded when Alia M, produced a neat finish, to pull the score back to 2 – 1. Suddenly the momentum shifted. Our confidence grew, while the opposition began to feel the pressure. We continued to control the ball and push forward, but sport can be cruel. A brief lapse allowed King’s to break quickly on the counterattack and finish clinically, stretching the lead to 3 – 1. The scoreline ultimately flatters the opposition, at 4 – 1 to King’s.
Despite the result it was an excellent display of character from a team competing at the highest level of school hockey. The girls displayed admirable resilience, for long periods the game was finely balanced and they should be extremely proud of their efforts.
The coaching staff were full of praise for the squad’s attitude and technical development throughout the season. Director of Sport, Ben Elston, commented: “First of all, we are so lucky to have such a dedicated coaching team, in Mr Rigden, Miss Anthony and Mr Coe. They have gone above and beyond in their preparations this season and their attention to detail and ability to motivate players is exceptional. Reaching a national final and finishing 2nd in the country is an incredible achievement. This group of girls are extremely talented, but what is most impressive is the togetherness that they show during the good times and the tough times.”
“They always get it right, on and off the pitch, winning with dignity and losing with grace. To me, the smiles after the game and the warm embraces with friends and family in the stands tell the real story. Days like yesterday remind us that sport at The Leys is about far more than the final score. All we ever hope to do is create opportunities for our pupils to enjoy sport and make memories with their teammates, and yesterday’s final showed exactly why school sport matters so much.”
The girls return to Cambridge with their heads held high and with their own piece of Leysian history. They should be proud of what they have achieved and should look forward with excitement.