HC Knole Park’s Women’s 1st team headed to Nottingham University at the weekend to compete in the National League Division One Indoor Championships. The team were exceptional throughout the weekend picking up three wins and a draw putting them top of the league at the half way point. Lottie Bingham top scored for Knole Park with 8 goals, and Annabel Cheveley scored 7 times. Knole Park’s Men’s 1st team also registered a big 7-0 win moving them to the top of the league too.
At the indoor, in match one Knole Park played Kent neighbours Holcombe HC. Relegated from the Premier division last season Holcombe would be keen to bounce back, however Lottie Bingham had different ideas as she linked up with Josefina Hippe and opened the scoring in the first minute. Amelie Allen double the lead at the start of the second half, before Summer Knight-Thompson rolled in shortly after for 3-0. Holcombe rallied late on, but Knole Park held out record a memorable 3-2 win.
In match two against Reading HC, Knole Park were very positive from the start and Annabel Cheveley scored two quick goals. Reading however pegged the score back to 2-2 soon after. Unperturbed, Knole Park scored two penalty corners through Jess Lewis before Cheveley netted again for a 5-2 lead. Knight-Thompson added a sixth, and Cheveley scored twice at the start of the second half for an 8-2 lead. Once again, the opposition rallied late on and scored four times, however Cheveley had the final say as she completed her double hat-trick for a 9-6 win.
In match three Knole Park played early league leaders Guildford HC. In a brilliant game of indoor hockey, the score line went back and forwards between the two teams. Bingham opened the scoring once again with an excellent penalty corner flick. Guildford then scored twice before a moment of brilliance from Bingham levelled the scoring at 2-2. Knole Park then took the lead again as Evie Smith scored her debut goal, and Bingham completed her hat-trick. The score was then all tied up at 5-5 as Bingham levelled the scoring once again. Knole Park did however have the final say as Smith scored the winner with a diving deflection to seal all three points for Knole Park.
In the final match of the weekend the girls played much improved Cambridge City. In a tough match, Cambridge were excellent throughout and took an early 2-0 lead. A hat-trick of penalty corners from Bingham did however bring the scores level at half-time, 3-3. In the second half, Cheveley got the first goal and Knole Park were in the lead for the first time in the match. However, they were pegged back for 4-4. Betrys Galloni then waltzed her way through the Cambridge defence for a 5-4 lead, only for Cambridge to score twice to swing the lead in their favour. A last-minute penalty stroke from Lewis tied the match and that’s how it finished.
Next weekend sees Knole Park face the other four teams in the competition. Another successful weekend could see Knole Park promoted to the National Premier League.
There was plenty of other action this weekend at HC Knole Park as the Men’s 1st team thrashed Gillingham Anchorians 2s 7-0 and moved top of the league in the process! Isaac Dale was on fire as he netted four times. Noah Marsden Powell scored twice and Matt Goodwin with the other goal. The Women’s 2nd team lost 4-2 to Spencer 4s in the EH Tier 4 Cup, and the Men’s 1s lost 3-1 to Surbiton Sparticans. The U14s were both in action against Marden Russets. The boys lost 8-0 and the girls lost 10-6. Erin Tuffield and Elisa Hippe both scored twice. Olivia Walker and Connie Coquelin were also on the scoresheet.
This weekend the U16 Girls and U18 Girls head to Nottingham University to compete in the National Indoor Finals. The junior showpiece event of the indoor season; a hugely exciting weekend awaits all the girls selected. The Women’s 1s complete their National League campaign. The Women’s 2s and Men’s 1s are in league action against Burnt Ash 5s and Tunbridge Wells 3s respectively. The U8s and U10s are also in match action, whilst the U14 and U16 Girls start their England Hockey Supra League campaigns against Guildford and Sevenoaks.
