National indoor finals await Perse hockey team

The Perse girls’ U18 indoor hockey team’s qualification for the England Hockey Schools Super 6s national finals went down to the wire at a nail-biting East tournament.

Held at Queenswood, The Perse opened with a 3-1 win over the hosts in the regional finals and followed up with victory by the same score against Gresham’s.

Further triumphs came against Haileybury (3-2) and Chigwell School (5-2) meaning the team needed just to draw their final match of the round-robin competition against Framlingham College to claim the East title for the first time ever and go through to the national finals.

The girls did just that with a 1-1 stalemate, but they had goalkeeper Jean to thank for making two penalty stroke saves, including one with just two seconds left to play, to ensure their success and a place in the national finals at Repton next week.

Perse Head of Hockey Ross Hayward said: “The squad played exceptionally well over the course of the day in a competitive tournament. The group’s ability to adapt and adjust tactically in each game helped the team to produce strong performances and gain positive outcomes.

“The last match was very tense. A strong defensive performance from the whole team during the Framlingham fixture, including two penalty stroke saves from Jean Macdonald, secured the draw needed to win the tournament and progress through to the national finals.

“It’s also the first time The Perse have won this regional U18 tournament, so it’s a great achievement.”