HC Knole Park’s U14 girls completed the England Hockey league and cup double after securing the National Supra-League title with a superb 3-1 win against Surbiton HC.
On another memorable day at Lee Valley National Hockey & Tennis Centre the U14 Girls beat Bowdon (Manchester) 4-0 in the semi-final. Goals from Biba Mills, Evie Whitehead, Isla Johnson, and Evie Smith in a comfortable win.
In the final the team faced Surbiton (who had won their semi-final 3-0 against Clifton). In a superb performance the girls stormed into a 2-0 lead. Captain Smith was on fire as she scored one and set-up another for strike partner Mills, as well as hitting the post with a phenomenal solo effort. Boadicea Cannon, Lilly Holmes, Betsy Burden, and Ines Gascoyne-Day were amazing in defence throughout.
In the second half, the girls were hit on the break by Surbiton as they scored a well worked goal. However, in a dominant final five minutes the girls continued to push for the third goal and were rewarded when Mills had a shot saved on the line by a field player. From the subsequent penalty stroke, Mills slotted the ball into the corner and the girls had done it! Double National Champions! A phenomenal effort!
The U16B Girls qualified for the Regional Finals through their league matches this season. In the semi-final they beat Fleet and Ewshot A-team 9-1. Mackenzie Ward scored a hat-trick and Phoebe Bright scored twice. In the final they played Canterbury A-team. In a very close contest, the Canterbury was excellent and managed to keep the score line down at 0-0 for most of the first half. Just before the break Canterbury scored with a breakaway for 1-0 lead. The second half followed a similar pattern as Canterbury were able to stop all the Knole Park attacks. Canterbury scored a well taken breakaway. The Knole Park girls’ final scored on the full-time whistle as Cara Gould rolled in from a well worked penalty corner between Amy Wakeham-Dawson and Talya Harvey. A fantastic game played by both sides.
The Men’s 1st team got their opportunity for a celebration with an amazing win 3-1 against Canterbury. With five players stuck in the M2 traffic, despite a short delay, the game had to start with Knole Park only fielding 8 players! They conceded early on, however once they had worked out how to defend with 8 the young team grew into the game and started to create some chances. Duncan Parnis scored the equaliser with a fantastic solo effort, before Isaac Dale scored a penalty stroke.
Into the second half and Knole Park had a slowly increasing number of players! After ten minutes they were up to 9, before two more arrived with about 15 minutes to go to take us u to 11! Finally, up to a full complement, Duncan Parnis scored a late goal to seal the match. Knole Park even had two subs by the end of the match! This win seals the Men’s 1st team’s promotion to Invicta Division 3 for next season.
The Women’s 1st team wrapped up their season with their 22nd win from 22 matches. The team beat Edenbridge 13-1. A hat-trick from Mackenzie Ward, as well as a two each for Bella Muñoz, Jess Wentzel and Annabel Cheveley were the picks. This completed the Women’s 1st team season and promotion to Invicta Division 1 for next season.
The Women’s 2nd team played in the quarter finals of the England Hockey Tier 4 Cup. In a brilliant performance Evie Smith starred with a sublime hat-trick in a 9-0 win against Spencer 6s. The team move onto the semi-finals this Saturday against Wootton Wanderers from Northampton. HC Knole Park’s chair, Ruth Bingham said: “This has a brilliant end to an amazing season. The U14A Girls have been superb all season. To win both competitions was unthinkable at the start of the year! We are equally proud of our U16B girls for winning their silver at their Tier 2 Finals in a tough competition where they have played A-teams for most of the season. For all three adults sides to be promoted is also amazing too. The EH Tier 4 Cup for the Women’s 2nd team has been great so far too as they have had so many conceded matches this season. Also, this week we had six of our juniors represent England or Wales in European matches, as well as others playing for Kent or at the England Hockey Performance Centre. There’s always so much going on! Well done to everyone at Knole Park.”
