Perse hockey teams perform well at national indoor finals
Perse indoor hockey teams staged strong displays in their respective England Hockey Schools Super 6s national finals.
The boys’ U18 side came fifth in their tournament at Whitgift, while the girls’ U18 team were seventh in their finals at Repton.
In the boys’ competition, The Perse opened with an excellent 2-1 victory over Repton, a traditional powerhouse in schools hockey, with Henry scoring an excellent individual goal and captain Theo finishing off a well-worked short corner move.
However, they went on to lose their remaining group games 3-2 to Yarm School, with William and Teddie on the scoresheet, and 2-1 to Taunton School, with William on target.
These results meant the team came third in their pool and went into the fifth-place play-off against Peter Symonds College.
They concluded the day with an outstanding performance, winning 4-1. Henry delivered a remarkable hat-trick, while Harry added a goal with excellent composure and skill to finish the play.
Perse Assistant Director of Sport (Performance) Ravi Mahendra, who coached the boys, said: “This marked the third indoor national finals appearance for this group, who have proven to be excellent ambassadors for the sport. Their indoor season has been highly successful, with an impressive record of 15 games played, 13 wins, and only two losses.”
The girls’ team got off to a slow start in their finals, conceding twice in the first three minutes against Surbiton High School, before going on to lose 3-0 following a late goal from their opponents.
They bounced back with a 2-0 triumph over Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, with Rosabel netting from a penalty corner in the second minute and Sophie firing home just before half time.
A tough encounter with Repton ensued in their final group match, as they went down 3-0 despite a promising performance against the eventual champions.
Despite finishing on three points with Surbiton and Borlase’s, the girls came fourth in the pool on goal difference to set up a seventh-place play-off with Manchester High School for Girls.
After going behind early on, Rosabel equalised for The Perse before Sophie scored the winner midway through the second half in a 2-1 success.
Perse Head of Hockey Ross Hayward said: “The squad have been excellent throughout the indoor hockey season. They were the first Perse team to win the girls’ U18 regional indoor title, which gave them the opportunity to compete at the national finals. The group should be extremely proud of their achievement and performance at the national finals.”