HC Knole Park’s U14 and U16 Girls won the Y1 National Finals at Surbiton HC this weekend! The U14 Girls beat Surbiton HC 5-1 and the U16 Girls beat the Hockey Mentors Project 10-3 with hat-tricks for Summer Knight-Thompson and Lottie Bingham!
In the U14 Girls final the girls were outstanding from start to finish. They dominated the ball and had the best chances of the match, but initially struggled to get passed the Surbiton goalkeeper. It wasn’t until the second quarter when super-sub Bea Foster came on and with her first touch roofed a flick into the Surbiton goal to give Knole Park the lead – 1-0. The score was levelled in the third quarter as Surbiton capitalised on a loss of concentration in defence, squeezing the ball past the Knole Park goalkeeper.
The final period was as good as the rest of the match, but with the goals! A 4-0 period gave Knole Park the win and the title! First Evie Whitehead flicked a ball high into the net from a rebound after a good run from Evie Smith. Smith then smashed home an outstanding backhand strike into the top corner. Boadicea Cannon then scored Knole Park’s fourth of the match with a coolly taken 1v1, before Biba Mills scored the goal of the game with a 3D carry over 15 metres before lobbing the goalkeeper! An amazing 5-1 win and Knole Park were crowned champions!
The U16 Girls match was a goal fest! The girls had come through as runners-up to the Hockey Mentor’s Project (HMP) in the Regional Finals, but in the Final, they stepped up and played some outstanding hockey to win 10-3!
The opening goal came against the run of play as the HMP had dominated the early exchanges. Pascale Pottier keeping the score at 0-0. On the break Knole Park put together a wonderful sweeping move involving the midfield duo of Alessia Turner and Josefina Hippe, before Amy Wakeham-Dawson hit the ball to Summer Knight-Thompson on the far post to tap in. 1-0. The HMP replied immediately for 1-1, however the goal for Knole Park was exactly what the girls needed and moments later they retook the lead. A superb run through the right from Charlotte Watkins resulted in the ball hitting a foot on the line and penalty stroke was awarded. Lottie Bingham slotted the ball high into the netting for 2-1. The second period was outstanding. First Watkins scored an excellent 1v1 for 3-1, before Bingham sliced through the HMP defence to make it 4-1. Knight-Thompson scored her second of the match going past the on-rushing goalkeeper for 5-1 and then Watkins and Bingham combined again to make it 6-1 with Bingham claiming her third of the match.
The third and fourth quarters continued with Knole Park playing some scintillating hockey. The girls’ technical skills and carrying ability, combined with their outstanding defence and clinical finishing that was the difference. Hippe scored two excellent individual goals, Knight-Thompson scored her third of the match and Watkins her second. The HMP scored twice on the break in the half to make the final score 10-3 to Knole Park and to seal the title!
More England Call-Ups!
Four more of Knole Park’s juniors have been called up for England U16 assessments in September! Noah Marsden Powell for the Boys, and Sophie Bernhardsen, Summer Knight-Thompson, and Bella Muñoz for the Girls. They are excited to join the other Knole Park juniors heading to Lilleshall National Sports Centre in September.
