From a highly successful end to our last season, the LPHS 1st XI Girls Hockey team managed to keep our position in the 1st division competition. Seeing as it was a heavily dominated Year 13 team during 2012, this meant that for this year we were expecting a lot of younger players to step up. The focus of the season became to build and grow a great team who would consistently put their best foot forwards and that’s exactly what they did.
We started off well as the girls, including our newbies, came into the season with enthusiasm and vigour. This attitude was contagious and it was a constant characteristic seen both on and off the field.
Unfortunately early in the season the Co-Ed Sports Exchange was cancelled due to a snow day. This was slightly disappointing as it’s always a great opportunity to sharpen up on our team play and communications, nevertheless the team made top efforts to increase their skill and fitness wherever they could.
Midway through the season we had to farewell our two incredibly dedicated International Exchange Students, Sofia and Delia, as they headed back to their home countries. Delia had played since she had arrived a year previous, and only grew more and more skillful each time she came on the field! A real asset to the team! Sofia only played for about 6 weeks, but in that time she was one of the most positive and determined players on the team, having never played before she was still giving everything she had to play her part in the game.
The final event for the team was the Jenny McDonald cup which was held back in Cromwell during September. Despite the number of great plays and shots on goal we had, we were competing with teams of high talent and unfortunately we were unable to make ends meet.. until our last game in which we got our first goal of the tournament! YAHOOO!!
It’s been such a privilege to be a part of the Girls Hockey team for the past 4 years, undertaking a new sport and picking up new skill, and it’s been even more of a privilege to be able to captain the team this year. From the team bonding exercises (Mrs Browns Boys), to the patient leadership we’ve been under, the movie nights and One Direction raves, the team triumphs and losses; all of these things have added up to create the team we are today, whether we’re on the field or not.
I want to say a huge thank you to all of you who made this season what it was. I look forward to watching games in the future and seeing you girls go from strength to strength. Keep your heads up, play fair and go “Hard Out”.
