Chronicle January 2021

46 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Hockey By Jamie Davies

also had a good season, with wins against Pangbourne, Kimbolton and Bradfield, with Josh Davies announcing himself as a player for the future. The 16As were a strong unit and built on the successes of the previous year under the guidance of Mr Taylor. The County Cup was a case of ‘what might have been’ with three draws and a loss, but they bounced back the following week to defeat Abingdon 3-1. Disappointing losses to Radley and Bloxham followed before they secured a good win at Wellington and a pulsating 4-4 draw against Marlborough. The 16Bs won four of their seven games with the highlight being a 1-0 win against Marlborough in their final match of the season. The 15As, under the coaching of Mr Craze, had an excellent season, even though at times they struggled to close out games. There were important wins, however, against close rivals Radley and Marlborough, which bodes very well for the future of the sport at Teddies. Alex Niblett and Charles Turner were the stand out players of the season. The 15Bs were the team of the season, winning five and drawing one of their eight games – all their games were

close affairs, demonstrating resilience and a ‘never say die’ attitude. The 14As really grew as a team as the season progressed, using the first weeks to get used to playing together, before a string of fine performances. There was cause for celebration in the County Cup: having lost heavily to Abingdon the week before, the boys secured a 2-0 win against the same opponents, prompting jubilant scenes from players and coaches alike. The season was rounded off with a 1-0 win over Marlborough and with the majority having played in the Autumn Term as well, this is very much a team to keep an eye on. The 14Bs suffered four narrow defeats, which could certainly be reversed next year, but had good wins against Kimbolton, Bloxham and Pangbourne. Lockdown There was little to be done over lockdown but lots of pupils engaged with the weekly zoom sessions which comprised fitness circuits or individual skill development. There was fun to be had however, with a Pass It On video featuring 100 people including 27 international hockey players – there were

While 2020 presented challenges for many sports and activities, Hockey was played throughout the year, even during lockdown, and the sport is flourishing at Teddies. Boys’ Hockey The boys’ 1st XI, led by Captain Charlie Keen, had their best season for some time in the Spring Term. They trained hard and were arguably one of the fittest teams on the circuit, but the main thing was they were all fully committed, creating a strong team environment. A tough defeat against Pangbourne at the start of the season was followed by wins against Bradfield and Abingdon, but perhaps the most exciting game was against Bloxham where the lead changed hands several times before Charlie Keen scored from a short corner with the last hit of the game to secure a draw. The 2nd XI, which included several girls,

Tom Niblett, Millie Holme, Charlotte Churchman and Alfie Turner