Last weekend both of our NAGs Under 18 squads travelled to the Lilleshall National Sports Centre to play in a test series against a strong England setup.
Whilst the games were always going to be tough matches for the Welsh sides, both displayed increasingly confident and skilled performances over the course of the weekend.
With the upcoming under 18 Eurohockey Championships II being held in Swansea this July it was certainly a great test for the young players.
The boys side came the closest to a victory, after losing their first match 3-1, they led the way in the second match but ultimately lost 3-2 in the final quarter.
The girls were unfortunately on the wrong end of a strong English scoreline, although they created some good opportunities themselves it wasn’t enough to trouble the English as the game finished with a 5-0 defeat.
They showed determination and improvement in the second match and managed to make their way onto the scoreboard as the second match concluded 5-1.
Mike Williamson, NAG boys Head Coach commented:
“The boys played with hwyl and personality in two strong performances.
The team are frustrated not to have won but should be really pleased with the progress made.”
Elliot Foweraker, NAG girls head coach said:
‘It was a brilliant weekend of hockey, the girls worked hard to implement new learning, new shapes and systems and the matches were of excellent quality. Fantastic preparation for our home Europeans this summer.”
Ella Jackson, Pathway and Compliance Manager said:
“A big thank you to England Hockey and Lilleshall for hosting an excellent weekend of fixtures. The learning and development opportunities for our junior athletes will be invaluable in their European preparations this summer.”
You can see both sides in action under 18 Eurohockey Championships II between the 9th-15th July. Ticket information can be found here: https://ticketpass.org/o/520852936/hockey-wales/events
