Hockey stars triumph in major tournament

RIPON Grammar School hockey stars have triumphed in a major tournament.

The school’s U-18 girls were competing against teams from all over the north of England and Scotland in the championship in Penrith.

They emerged victorious after a thrilling 7s Plate final, which ended in an exciting but nail-biting penalty flicks against independent Glenalmond College, Perth.

RGS faced tough competition from a number of independent schools, including Stonyhurst College, Durham School and Austin Friars, which hosted the event.

Captain Harriet Swiers described their hard-fought Plate final as tense: “There were multiple short corners and relentless effort from both sides,” she said.

“Despite our determination, the game ended in a nil-nil draw, leading to penalty flicks for the third consecutive year.

“Thanks to Lottie Nicol's and Lexis Ramshay’s outstanding flicks under pressure we secured the Plate victory.”

Coach Siobhan Gilfillan said: “This team is an absolute dream team - supportive, motivated and highly competitive.

“While winning isn't everything, they compete hard and always fairly.

“It has been a real privilege to see them develop from enthusiastic, fun-loving little Year 7 students to just as enthusiastic fun-loving sixth form students.

“I have loved every minute of our time competing together over the last six-plus years.”

Earlier in the tournament, the team secured impressive wins against Stonyhurst and Durham, followed by a hard-fought 2-1 win against Austin Friars: “We kicked off the day with an energetic performance, and excellent way to set the tone,” explained Harriet.

“Building on our momentum, we then faced Stonyhurst and Durham, with excellent communication and passing through the midfield, we controlled both games, and came away with an impressive 3-0 win and a well-earned 2-1 victory over Durham.

“But going into our final match in the group stage, we faced a tough challenge against a strong Kirkby Stephen side,” she said.

RGS narrowly lost out 2-1 to reach the Plate final.

Harriet concluded: “It was a fantastic team effort throughout the tournament, with everyone giving their all in every match. A huge thank you to our coach Miss Gilfillan for her support and guidance throughout the day."