Suffolk Under 12 Girls In 2 Hockey Competition
Dominant Bury and IES March On
Suffolk Under 12 Girls In 2 Hockey Competition – Dominant Bury and IES March On
Bury St Edmunds Hockey Club hosted the Suffolk Under 12 Girls In 2 Hockey competition on a brisk Sunday afternoon at Culford. A total of 7 teams battled it out to see which 2 would go forward to the East Regional Finals in April. The teams included; IES 1 & 2, Bury 1 (A) & 2 (B), Ipswich 7, Felixstowe and Sudbury. Bury 1, Captained by Olivia Hyndman, were in Pool A and Bury 2, Captained by Lulu Surti, were in Pool B.
Pool A. Bury 1 were drawn against IES 2, Ipswich 7 and Sudbury.
The first game for Bury 1 was against IES 2. The girls settled quickly and were strong in defence particularly from an early IES short corner. It did not take long for Bury to score, with a cracking opening goal from Katie Rogers. This was quickly followed by a Short Corner which resulted with a goal from Georgia Wishlade. A goal hungry Helena Page-Blair scored 2 goals in quick succession. The final score was 4-0 to Bury 1.
Bury 1’s second game was against Sudbury. Sudbury proved to be a bit of a nemesis for the team in the Suffolk Youth League (SYL) so Bury had a score to settle. A hungry Helena scored a fantastic opening goal. Sudbury though broke through the defence and levelled the score. Was this going to be SYL all over again! No, it was not. Katie Slark-Hollis put Bury ahead with an awesome goal deep within the D. This was followed by an excellent match sealing goal from Georgia. The final score was 3-1 to Bury 1. Score settled, point proved.
Bury 1’s final pool match was against Ipswich 7. A goal thirsty Bury dominated throughout, defending well through Olivia Hyndman and Barber and operating well in mid through Josie Gooderham. Up front the Katie powerhouse were too strong for Ipswich. The opening goal of 6 came from Katie Randall, followed by goals from Katie Slark-Hollis and Helena. A further 2 goals came from Katie Slark-Hollis and Randall, with the final goal coming from Katie Rogers. The final score was 6-0 to Bury 1.
Pool A - Match Results
Bury 1 4-0 IES 2
Ipswich 7 0-3 Sudbury
IES 2 1-0 Ipswich 7
Sudbury 1-3 Bury 1
Bury 1 6-0 Ipswich 7
IES 2 1-0 Sudbury
Pool B. Bury 2 (or as they themselves fondly called it - 'Beast') were drawn against Felixstowe and IES 1.
The first game was against Felixstowe. Stirling defensive efforts from the back from Lilia Payne, Abigail Bushell and Amy Bradford in goal meant that the initial efforts from Felixstowe came to nothing. Lulu Surti, as Captain in a Centre Defence role settled in, as did Grace Baxter up front and both Millie Hansgate and Arabella Stockdale out on the wings. It wasn't long before a beautiful goal came from a set combination from Lulu to Arabella and then on to Grace to finish the game 1-0 to Bury 'Beasts!!'
The next game was against the favourite of the competition IES 1. The girls knew it was going to be a tough game from the outset. Unfortunately, the size, age and experience of the IES side just proved too hard to match despite some lovely drives through the middle from Imogen Callaghan and Lulu and Grace. The forwards Alice Prentice and Arabella pestered up front but the IES defence was too strong and they turned the ball over quickly. Irrespective of the 0-6 defeat, it did not reflect the commendable goalkeeping of Amy, who if it hadn’t been for many initial saves would have led to an even higher scoring defeat. Great effort.
Pool B - Match Results
Bury 2 1-0 Felixstowe
IES 1 5-0 Felixstowe
Bury 2 0-6 IES 1
At the end of the pool stage Bury 1 topped Pool A and Bury 2 were runners up in Pool B. This ironically resulted in semi-final match encounters between Bury 1 & 2 and IES 1 & 2.
Semi’s – Bury 1 vs Bury 2. The semi-final match between Bury 1 & 2 saw friendships placed to one side as they battled it out to see who would go through to the final. What a game they gave each other too. Bury 2 gave Bury 1 a great run for their money and on occasion it looked like the ‘Beasts’ might have scored after Bury 1 had conceded 2 short corners thanks to the perseverance and tenacity of Millie and Arabella. However, Bury 1 defended well and Goalkeeper Kerry Woods was able to confidently see off any advances. Ultimately Bury 1 had the edge and were just too strong for the ‘Beasts’, despite Lilia, Abigail and Lulu staying back in defence, and were able to score 2 fabulous goals from Katie Rogers and Helena. The final score was 2-0 to Bury 1.
Semi Final 1 Bury 1 2-0 Bury 2
Semi Final 2 IES 1 3-0 IES 2
The resulting scores from the semis resulted in a 3rd & 4th place play off between Bury 2 & IES 2, and a 1st & 2nd place final between Bury 1 & IES 1.
3rd & 4th Play Off. The final game for Bury 2 was against IES 2. The girls expected the worst after having already played their opposition's club mates. It was a tough game after a long and damp afternoon. At half time it was 0-0 and all to play for. The midfield and defence were working hard to keep the opposition from scoring but after many attempts, IES 2 scored. Minutes remained, but this didn't stop the 'Beasts' who kept pushing the ball up field, driven by Lilia and Lulu. The final score of 2-0 to IES 2 did not reflect the efforts from all the girls who dealt with the afternoon superbly.
The Final. Bury 1 (who by this point had played one more match compared to the opposition) began their final match strongly against IES 1. However, despite a valiant effort from the girls in attack and defence IES 1 just managed to edge Bury out through a series of determined and forceful attacks. The final score line of 3-0 to IES 1 did not reflect the efforts or tenacity and perseverance of girls.
Final standings in the Suffolk Under 12 Girls In 2 Hockey competition.
4th – Bury 2
3rd – IES 2
2nd – Bury 1 (Runners up)
1st – IES 1 (Winners)
All the teams played fantastically in a day where Bury and IES dominated. Bury 1 and IES 1 will now go on to represent Suffolk at the East Regional Finals on 29 April at Harleston Magpies. We wish the Bury girls all the best of luck in their endeavours. Go Bury Go…
What a day! Great hockey!! Hugely proud coaches, managers and parents! Well done Girls!