Ladies Hockey show grit in defeat

Wednesday of Week 8 was a very exciting day for Ladies Hockey – all three teams were at home and had gained the much coveted E&Y ‘One to Watch’ status. With all of the girls coming to support the teams, coaches on the sidelines, and spectators from Warwick Sport, the pressure was on to produce an exciting afternoon of hockey.

Despite not quite getting the results hoped for there were plenty of goals, a few controversial umpiring decisions, and tons of skill to keep everyone entertained. Ladies Hockey didn’t stop there though; they’ve had a busy couple of weeks off pitch too. They visited Leamington Dolphins for the first time, a local swimming club for children with disabilities and their families. According to the team, it was a great experience and everyone who volunteered had lots of fun learning the games.

The girls have also been involved in lots of events on campus, with the second team captain Isobel Duncan performing a show-stopping Samba and only narrowly missing out on first place in the Latin and Ballroom society’s Strictly Come Dancing event. With a strong team entered into last week’s CMD’s Dance for Sport Relief, they hoped to build on previous dance success. The club’s very own fundraiser last Saturday night was also graced with Warwick Hockey’s finest.

The Warwick Ladies first XI faced Nottingham Trent University first XI, a game known for being challenging, but one which the team were ready to put their heart and soul into. As always the ladies stepped onto the pitch prepared to give their all, starting the match with high levels of energy and enthusiasm.

In open play the team were able to keep Nottingham Trent at bay. Martha Bates impressed in defence, making some crucial tackles. The midfield battled through the entire match, never letting their heads drop. Emma Rosser and Sinead Collins created some great play, enabling our forwards to have some superb attempts at goal. Unfortunately the team soon began to concede penalty corners and Nottingham Trent had these drilled to perfection – over half of the opposition’s goals were gained from these set plays, which unfortunately led to a 0-8 loss for the Warwick team.

The coach Simon Richard Lee kept heads high throughout the game with encouragement from the sidelines. Elsewhere, Becky Marvell was Warwick’s best player, battling well throughout the game, making some amazing tackles and running out first on our penalty corners with some impressive sprints. The scoreline may have been disappointing, but the effort and commitment from the girls was unquestionable.

The second XI played against Nottingham Trent University Women’s 2nd XI; a team who had defeated them on their home turf two weeks previously. This time around, on Warwick ground, with an audience of cheering supporters and our coach on the sideline shouting advice, we were even more determined to go out and impress.

The team put in an excellent work rate throughout the game and there were moments of great hockey. Jo Boddy constantly battled up the left wing, putting pressure on the opposition; Geri Burton and Sophie England worked hard to hold the centre midfield position, and Emma Knight, Imogen Fearon and Lauren Coates all put in an excellent work rate together up front, with Fearon in particular making some lovely passes across goal.

The defence was strong, with goalkeeper Natalie Wride making some great saves, but despite all the hard work they lost 5-0. The work ethic was typified by Livy Law, who spent the entire game making fantastic runs down the wing and constantly putting pressure on the opposition. Despite the score, this was a great match; everyone played well as a team and the atmosphere on pitch was fantastic.

Elsewhere, the Warwick Ladies’ third team stepped out to face their hardest match of the season against the top of the BUCs league Nottingham University. The odds were stacked against the team, with it evident from the first push back that it was going to be a challenging match. With hard work and determination, the ladies pressured them back towards their own goal with the forwards and midfielders working excellently together.

The possession in the first half was fairly even with neither team being able to reach the back of the net, but with some very close chances created by beautiful crosses from Heather Booth and Kate Madden. Warwick went into half time, keeping the opposition at bay 0-0, with Laura Cree especially working hard. Unfortunately, they went on to concede four goals, mainly from some very slick short corners.

However, considering the team’s performance and the opposition’s previous average scores, the team were able to walk off pitch relatively happy on a big day for the club.