After lots of hard work and training, our U18 Junior hockey team has made history by being crowned England Hockey Tier 2 Schools Champions on 11 March following a thrilling final at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, the iconic, purpose-built venue for the London 2012 Olympics.
The team faced a rigorous journey to the title, competing through six rounds in a straight knockout competition. Having emerged victorious in the Northern region, they overcame Perse School from the Eastern region in the semi-finals before facing Ardingly College from the South in the final.
The final proved to be an intense contest, with our girls taking an early lead. Ardingly equalised in the second half, and with no further goals, the match was decided by a dramatic penalty shuffle.
Our goalkeeper produced a stunning performance, saving three out of four opposition attempts, while the team converted three of their five penalties to secure a 3-1 victory in the shootout and claim the national title.
Reflecting on the achievement, Director of Loughborough Schools Foundation Sport, Jo Hackett, said: “This is an incredible achievement for the team, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. They have shown tremendous commitment, resilience, and teamwork throughout the season. To win at a venue as prestigious as Lee Valley is a moment they will never forget.”
Loughborough Schools Foundation’s Head of Hockey, Hannah Grieve, was delighted with the result. She said: “I am incredibly proud of this group. They have trained together week in, week out for seven months to achieve this goal and have written their own piece of history for LHS. They deserve every accolade that comes their way, and I hope one day they will look back and reflect on how much they have achieved!”
Our squad of 15 players has dedicated months of hard work to their success, with 13 of them being part of Loughborough Schools Foundation’s Hockey Player Pathway Programme, a talent programme funded through a generous donation to support hockey at the Schools, which includes specialised training off the hockey pitch, including fitness and strength training.
Additionally, six of the team’s players are also members of the England Hockey Talent Academy at Beeston Hockey Club, which feeds into the England U18 setup, with one of the girls having already been selected as part of the England U18 training squad.
The team’s success was celebrated with a special reception hosted by the Head of LHS, Dr Fiona Miles, where their achievements were formally recognised in the School’s Book of Excellence.
Dr Miles said: “This victory is a testament to the dedication and talent of our pupils, as well as the exceptional support from our coaching staff. Loughborough High School is firmly on the map for sporting excellence, and we take great pride in nurturing and supporting our students to achieve at the highest level. Our recent successes highlight the strength of our sporting offer at the School, and we are delighted to be recognised nationally for our achievements.”
Antonia, who scored the first goal, shared her excitement about the win. She said: “It was a fantastic way to end our last ever match and the support we’ve received from the School has been amazing. Lots of people were congratulating us when we got back after the match, and we’ve enjoyed celebrating with Dr Miles and our teachers today.”
Her teammate, Ella said: “We were all so proud of how far we’ve gotten as a team after putting in lots of hard work during training. We did player pathway sessions, gym and after School sessions so had been preparing for a while!”
We are exceptionally proud of the team and wish them all the best for their future hockey journeys.
Learn more about how we support Junior Hockey athletes.
