L1 v M3

Chap women's 1's began our final pre-season game with a performance of fire, strength and gut. Each one of us ran our hearts out and performed splendid formation passing, interceptions and gutsy tackles. Despite the Men getting the better of us on a couple of occasions, we kept our heads held high and never stopped battling until the whistle.

The men attacked the ladies half, resulting in goals. However we still didn't stop and we came back stronger every time! Due to an injury, the ladies had no subs, meaning every lady on that pitch had to work extra hard with no chance for a breather. The ladies were unlucky to not score, with short corners and attacks the goal just wasn't coming. Despite the score, we were still playing great hockey in our new formation.

After a quick breather and a team talk from Tom, the ladies went into the second half with an attitude that the score was back to 0-0. We showcased determination and made the most of every chance possible to win an attacking advantage and propel the ball forward. The wide players made some fantastic runs down the wings and passes which were at very fast pace. Our defenders made some strong clearances. Even though everyone was shattered, we didn't stop battling until the end.

Each and every one of the ladies on the pitch put in 110% effort throughout the game and despite not winning the friendly, we improved our hockey skills and also got used to our new formation in preparation for our first league match next week. Overall, we played some brilliant hockey in this friendly, against some members of our own club!

We matched the men with our skill, teamwork and communication meaning their extra strength was the only thing that topped our play. Despite the final score being 6-0, our heads never dropped, and the entire team remained positive, remembering that this was only a friendly. We practiced our skills and enjoyed the match. Overall, our play remained strong, and both friendly matches have left us all extremely eager to begin the season.

Written by Megan Howford, Hannah Hinchliffe, Cerys Christlo, Erin Thomas and Ellie Bradley.