Fettes hosted the 2021 IAPS Hockey Qualifiers for the U11s on Wednesday. We were in a group with Sedbergh, Belhaven and Loretto and began well against the only English side who had some strong girls in the team. Our energy and solid defending when it mattered saw us win our opening game 3-1. We scored a few goals against Belhaven with Isla C at the back post taking most of the chances. Belhaven kept going and credit should go to them for keeping their heads up. In the final pool game, Loretto battled hard in the midfield and it took us a while to get the opening two goals which came in quick succession. Loretto scored one back but by putting some passes together but we went on to score another two to put us in the Semi Final.
We played Fettes who we hadn’t met on the circuit yet. We started poorly, however, with a well struck shot in the corner. We didn’t panic and within 30 seconds we were back level after a great pass from Miranda to Emilia on the right, allowed the right winger to get around their defence and lay the ball back from the baseline where Savannah rifled the first time shot home. After that, we kept going and didn’t give the host team much of a sight of our goal. Savannah and Miranda played strongly and when the ball fell to Savannah again in the D, she made no mistake to put it past the keeper. Pocket Rocket, Athena P was given the important job of following their best player around the pitch to disrupt the play she did this brilliantly. With a 4-1 win, we were in the final.
St Mary’s, who had previously beaten us this season, looked like a great unit and given our defeat last time, the Cargilfield girls were determined to get revenge. They set out right from the beginning to play some outstanding hockey. Again, we worked the ball down the right-hand side, this time thanks to Athena L’s excellent passing from deep. Miranda’s late runs into the D were too much for the St Mary’s defence. Savannah, once again, was the scorer of the goals and we shell-shocked the opposition with a 3-0 at the break. Beatrice came on to take over in defence from Valentina who hadn’t put a foot wrong all day at the back. Beatrice made some outstanding block tackles and cleared the danger but when it fell to their right-wing, she sped up into the D and managed to squeeze the ball past Isla in goal. It was only the 3rd goal Isla had let in all day which was incredible given that was in 70 minutes of 7 a side hockey. There was no panic when St Mary’s scored early in the second half to make it 3-1; Athena L once again showed that she can spot the space and played a wonderful diagonal out to Emilia who set up Savannah in what was almost a carbon copy of the first goal we scored in the Semis.
The girls played some terrific hockey, much admired by the spectators and umpires who commented on the girls’ play throughout the day. As tournament winners, we now head south to Millfield School for the IAPS Finals at the end of the month. Well done, girls!
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