Silver lining for Perse Hockey team at national finals
The Perse girls’ U14 hockey team came runners-up in the England Hockey Schools Tier 1 Plate after a narrow defeat in the national final.
They secured their place in the final at Lee Valley against King’s Worcester after a dramatic victory on penalty shuffles over St John’s school Leatherhead in the semi-finals.
After a strong warm-up, the team took time to adjust to the pitch and faced an early setback after conceding a goal from a penalty flick.
King’s applied sustained pressure with fast, fluid hockey, breaking through the Perse’s resilient defence to double their lead from a short corner.
As the first half progressed, the team found their rhythm and created attacking opportunities of their own, but they went into the break trailing 2-0.
Determined to turn the game around, The Perse came out fighting in the second half, pressing high and creating several promising attacks. A flurry of short corners gave them chances to close the gap, but despite their best efforts, the ball just would not find the back of the net.
As the final minutes ticked away, the team piled on the pressure, but King’s held firm to deny them a comeback.
Team coach Nicky Bareham said: “The U14 girls have had an incredible journey this season, evolving from a team where some players had never experienced 11-a-side hockey in September to reaching the National Plate final in March.
“Their dedication, hard work and growth, both individually and as a team, have been outstanding. We are immensely proud of everything they have achieved. I hope they will look back on this experience with pride and fond memories.”
Team captain Emily added: “The team has had a brilliant season and we all enjoyed playing at Lee Valley in a national final. It’s been a privilege to captain the team as it has grown from game to game.
“There have been some tough games and the whole team has had to dig deep, but there have been lots of laughs as well. We couldn’t have done it without Miss Bareham who has worked us hard, but kept it fun throughout the season. We are all looking forward to next year!”