Chronicle January 2021

47 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

wonderful hockey to win 3-2 with goals from Anna West and Sasha Withers Green. Many are playing again this term and they will undoubtedly go from strength to strength. The 2nd XI were also unbeaten last term with strong wins against Bradfield and Bloxham, and a 2-2 draw against Stowe. The 3rd XI had two exciting draws against Bradfield and Stowe, and have a huge amount of promise looking forward. The 4th XI bounced back from defeat against Bradfield to beat Stowe 2-0, a win which gave the girls a great deal of confidence. The 5th XI trained with a wonderful sense of fun and joie de vivre under the ever-enthusiastic eye of Mr Caro. The 16B and 16C are teams of high quality, winning two of the three games they played, and I hope that many of them will continue playing in the Sixth Form. The inaugural Teddies Hockey League was a big success, allowing the girls to mix across teams and raising the standard of play. The 15As are a group who are getting better everyday, and never was this clearer than when drawing 1-1 with the 16As on the last Saturday of term. The Fourth Form enjoyed Tuesday morning sport as well as House matches on Thursdays. The Shells only played hockey from Half Term but there is a great deal of potential in the year group and it will be exciting to follow their progress. The 14As had a tough 1-1 draw against Stowe which will be a good marker for them in years to come. England Trials Fifth Former Charles Turner and Sixth Former William Barlow were chosen to attend an England selection camp over three days in October. William made it through to the final stage and is now one of a handful of goalkeepers in contention. Charles was invited back for further national age group training sessions in December.

Bella Link, Scarlett Gibb and Nisha Callender

The Ist XI v Bloxham

some incredible skills on show from all ages and abilities. You can watch the video on the hockey page of the website. Girls’ Hockey Last term was a strange yet wonderful one for girls’ Hockey. Yes, we would have loved full fixtures every week, but their absence allowed pupils to play with freedom and enjoy developing their skills without the pressure of matches. The most talented 1st XI for a long time did manage four matches, all of which were tremendous, with three wins and one draw. The first

game saw Bloxham beaten 5-3, with plenty of chances at both

William Barlow and Charles Turner

ends. Having conceded two late goals against

Bradfield to draw, the return fixture the following week was always going to be feisty. Conceding after 40 seconds was not part of the plan but the girls put together some