Men’s 1st’s (4) vs. (1) Chapeltown 1st’s
Men’s 1st’s best visitors Chapeltown 4-1. Goals from Chris Gascoigne (3) and Amar Kahlil (1).
Men’s 2nd’s (4) vs. (4) Brigg 2nd’s
Two spells of ten minutes in each half was the difference between a commanding win and the 4-4 draw against second place Brigg at Slazenger HC. Slazenger controlled the game wall, and scored at regular intervals during the game. Goals came from Richard Tuddenham, James Swinden (2) and Jack Mumford. However, a ten minute period in the first and second half allowed Brigg to score 4 of their own. However it is another vital point which solidifies Slazenger’s 3rd place in the league.
Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (3) University of Leeds 2nd’s
A warmer Saturday than the last few weeks, with a clear blue sky overhead set the scene for today’s game against a strong opposition. The first meeting led to a 7-0 win for LU, but Slaz didn’t come into the game already defeated!
Leeds started the game stronger and faster, as expected from a group of university lads, and they broke the deadlock 10 minutes in after a lack of forward movement was capitalised on by their attackers. This didn’t dishearten the Slaz team, instead it urged them to push on. Leeds found themselves subject to the umpires’ cards after 15 minutes, this was to be the first of many. Yet Leeds doubled their lead with about 10 minutes of the first half to play. Despite the best efforts of Slazenger players across the pitch, namely Harry F at the back and Harry A through the middle, then Scott leading the line, Slaz couldn’t break through the quick, but seemingly ill-disciplined, university side, as they received their second green of the match at the closing stages of the half. HT 2-0 LU.
Following the break, Slaz began with a second wind, winning their fourth short corner within two minutes of the restart. After some confusion with a yellow card given to a LU player that was eventually rescinded, Slazenger got one back, Mark with a great finish from the centre of the D after some persistent pressure from the Slaz attack and midfield. Another green card came for Leeds, showing their frustration at the consistent Slazenger desire to get another. Taking advantage of this, Mark got his, and Slaz’s, second, levelling the game, a well worked short corner went to Damo who beat the number one and number two runners before slipping it to Mark to finish coolly. Daz in the Slazenger goal made some outstanding saves throughout the game, keeping the LU players out, much to their annoyance. This was shown with two back-to-back yellow cards, within five minutes of each other towards the end of the game. A tense end to the game, with the odd chance for Slaz, but Leeds University pushed on for a winner, and after their sixth card of the game, they won a short corner in the dying seconds. The short was deflected high and wide by Damo only for Simon ‘Choo Choo’ Taylor to try and control the ball, playing past the isolated keeper into his own goal. Albeit scrappy, Leeds took the win. FT 3-2 LU. A much better performance from Slaz in comparison to previous weeks, and an unlucky result that didn’t tell the entire story of the game.
Men’s 4th’s (3) vs. (4) Aire Valley 3rd’s
A disappointing week for the fourth team as we lost 4-3 away to Aire Valley. A strong start saw us creating early chances but the hosts defended strongly and kept us out. Sloppy defending cost us as Aire Valley broke through to open the scoring. The hosts couldn’t hold the lead as a Slazenger counter attack allowed our wingers to cut in and equalise. The hosts reclaimed the lead with a fast break allowing a 2v1 against our keeper not long before halftime.
The second half started the same as the first went with Aire Valley extending their lead within the first minute of the half. Slaz continued to fight and a cross into the D was met by a runner and guided a second goal in. The one goal advantage didn’t last long as another valley once again extended the lead to 2. The fight continued until the end and we did manage to claw one more back and kept pushing until the end. The final whistle ended our attack after we had managed to get into the D.
Development vs. Chesterfield
Game Cancelled
Ladies 1st’s (4) vs. (3) Wakefield 3rd’s
Slazenger claimed a hard-fought 4-3 victory away at Wakefield, surviving a second-half fightback after a dominant first-half display. The visitors started strong, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime. Mollie made an instant impact after coming on, smashing a tomahawk strike into the bottom right corner to open the scoring. Moments later, Rudgey reacted quickly to a shot from Mollie, delicately tipping the ball into the top of the net to extend the advantage. Wakefield came out fighting in the second half, pulling one back with some sharp passing play. However, Slazengers responded when Hannah produced a moment of both skill and comedy—megging the keeper with a backstick effort before openly admitting it to the umpire, who still allowed the goal to stand. Millie then deflected in a shot from Hannah to make it four, giving Slazengers breathing room.
Wakefield weren’t done yet, striking twice more from open play after some clever passing around Dani, setting up a tense finish. But Slazengers held firm, with Eliz putting in another rock-solid defensive display. Zoe and Amelia worked tirelessly in the warm conditions, earning joint Players of the Match for their endless running. However, the real highlight of the day came off the pitch, with Hannah earning ‘Tart of the Game’ for spectacularly splurting coffee out of her nose—an unexpected but memorable moment. A competitive game played in great spirits, with Slazengers coming away with a well-deserved win and plenty of laughs along the way.
Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (2) Leeds Adel 2nd’s
The match started with heavy pressure and strong passing coming from Adel. They took advantage of an unsettled Slaz, resulting in an early lead, following an interception leading to a 1v1 with Slaz goalkeeper, who was unable to stop the shot on goal. Slaz steadied themselves slightly and began making smarter passes down the line to push the ball into Adel’s half. Slaz attempts were not enough to disrupt Adel’s dominant play and eventually they managed to score their second goal with a break and some skilful play to get past defence and find the back of the net. Half time finished 2-0 to Adel.
After hydrating and some team reflection, Slaz came out in the second half, determined to not lose this game. After some equal play, Slaz finally managed to get a break and after being awarded a short corner, the ball found Stacey’s stick, who slotted it firmly into the back of the net. Adel continued to press hard but Slaz were finally wising up to the style of play and were slowly making more advances towards their goal. Credit to both goalkeepers who made some spectacular saves end to end to not let the scoreboard creep up. Mid way through the second half, an equalizer came from some excellent team play as Slaz moved the ball skillfully up the field, culminating in a composed finish from Maisie. Motivated by the come back, Slaz continued to push hard, as did Adel, but nothing more came from these efforts despite both teams showing resilience and attacking intent. Final score 2-2.
Player of the match went to GK Erin for a spectacular performance, saving multiple goals and keeping Slaz in the game. A great comeback and a well fought 1 point to add to the tally. 2 big games left against very strong teams, including 2nd in the league Spen Valley next week.
Ladies 3rd’s (4) vs. (0) Halifax 3rd’s
Slazengers travelled to Halifax, feeling quite small,
With only a handful of players at all.
Missing some big hitters, Slaz were down a few,
But we had a secret weapon—yes, we knew what to do!
The pitch was a battlefield, the sun shining bright,
A perfect day for hockey—everything felt right!
The whistle blew, and we were off with a bang,
Caro Scofield, our forward, let her stick clang!
She darted and weaved, and with deadly precision,
Scored the first goal—a beautiful vision!
Halifax tried, but couldn’t break through,
As Nat Beech and Alys were chasing them too.
They worked the ball well, no panic, no rush,
Their teamwork was flawless, it all looked lush.
The first half was solid, Slaz led by two,
2-0 on the scoreboard—feeling brand new!
But it wasn’t just Caro who shone in this fight,
Our midfielders Hannah, Lauren, and Nicole were all dynamite.
They controlled the game with grace and with flair,
Making passes that dazzled, and left Halifax in despair.
While Sarah Ritchtea, in defense so bold,
Ran miles and miles—who knew she could be so gold?
The second half came, and Caro wasn’t done,
A quick counterattack, and she scored another one.
Then, one more time, with a swift flick of the wrist,
Caro made her tally four—an unassailable twist!
By the final whistle, we’d done what we came,
Halifax was defeated, we’d earned our fame.
4-0 was the score, an absolute dream,
A win for the ages, our hockey team’s gleam.
After the match, the sun still so bright,
We headed to the clubhouse, feeling light.
A few beers, some pizza—oh, what a treat,
Celebrating the victory, we had so much to eat!
So here’s to the players, the teamwork, the fun,
We’ll take the three points and keep on the run.
From Caro to Sarah, from Alys to Nat,
Slazengers 3’s are now where it’s at!
Ladies 4th’s (2) vs. (2) Wakefield 5s
In an exciting and hard-fought contest, Slazenger Ladies 4s came from behind twice to secure a thrilling 2-2 draw against Wakefield 5s. The match began with Slazenger Ladies showing plenty of early promise, but it was Wakefield who struck first, taking the lead despite Slaz’s strong start. However, the home side responded well, with their defense, led by the newly ever-reliable Emily Roberts, keeping the game competitive. After putting a few opportunities wide, Slazengers managed to equalise when Gemma Wroe finally managing to connect with a ball and put it in the bottom corner, just out of the Wakefield keepers reach.
Slazenger goalkeeper Charlotte Richardson made a number of crucial saves, including an impressive series where she took out multiple Wakefield players in the process, keeping the score level. Francesca Chromiakova was a standout in midfield, tirelessly battling in the 50/50s and distributing the ball effectively to launch attacks. Her work rate was pivotal as Slazenger grew into the game. Despite this, Wakefield regained the lead early in the second half, putting Slaz under pressure once again. However, Slazenger found new momentum with some inspired play from Mollie Glover. She was instrumental in intercepting Wakefield passes and creating new attacking opportunities.
One such opportunity saw Mandy Greenwood make an excellent run, delivering a dangerous ball into the circle, which was slotted away by Gemma Wroe, who got the final touch to level the score. In the final 10 minutes, both teams showed signs of fatigue, with neither able to find the winning goal. Despite some late pressure from both sides, the game ended in a hard-earned 2-2 draw. This match was a testament to the resilience and teamwork of Slazenger Ladies 4s, who fought back on two occasions.
U12 Boys
It was a beautiful sunny day today for the play off finals which our boys qualified for after finishing seventh place overall in the league this season. We secured one solid victory and faced two tough, narrow 1-0 losses. Both losses were incredibly close, with the team showing immense resilience and determination throughout the matches. Despite the defeat, the players gave their all, and it was clear that the margin between winning and losing was minimal.
Game 1 v Sheffield – Slaz started the game strongly with the experienced defence of Ollie and Charlie marking well and GK Nikolai making some outstanding saves. Alfie worked tirelessly in midfield, and Noah, Alistair and Zach worked back in defence and pushed forward. Matthew worked hard up front, pressuring the defence and the team were unlucky to not score. The team gave it their all throughout the game, with Charlie making a goal line save to keep the team in the game but in the final seconds of the game, its was Sheffield who managed to score ending the game a 0-1 loss.
Game 2 v Harrogate – Despite narrowly losing our first game, the boys came out strong with Alfie dominating in midfield. His interception of the ball and quick shot put the team in the lead. However Harrogate were quick to respond scoring two goals in quick succession. The team responded swiftly with Matthew and Noah linking up well and Noah finding the back of the net. Ollie and Charlie pushed the team forward from defence, and a solid press resulted in Alistair being in possession of the ball. His precision pass into the D, resulted in shots on goal which Alfie followed up on and ensured the team won this game 3-2.
Game 3 v York – Our final group stage game was an amazing game, with the crowd showing their appreciation and awe of our superstar Ninja GK Nikolai. He made some unreal saves throughout, and was the standout player with numerous opposition players, parents and coaches commenting on his performance. As ever Nikolai was supported by Ollie and Charlie in defence. Ollie’s pressure on the attackers, especially his signature jab tackle stopped many an attack and Charlie’s determination to stop shots and clear the ball from the D was commendable. Alfie worked tirelessly, linking with Zach, Alistair, Noah and Matthew, and gave the team a few opportunities but we could not convert. In the last few moments of the game, and despite a back stick, York were awarded a short corner which was stopped on the line by a Slaz foot. A penalty shuffle was given, and despite Nikolai’s best efforts was scored ending the game 0-1.
The results meant that the boys qualified for the 5th/6th play off position game, facing Doncaster. The boys again played some excellent hockey but were tiring from the intensity of the games today, with the game ending 0-1 so we finished 6th place in Yorkshire – one place higher than we finished in the league. The boys should be so proud of the results today, as they played some strong opposition and only lost by very narrow margins. It was Sheffield HC who went on to win the overall competition today to be crowned Play Off Champions. Well done!
The boys and coaches cast their votes for the Player of the Tournament today, with many voting for solid defender Ollie. However, it was Ninja GK Nikolai who claimed the title. He truly impressed the crowd with a series of outstanding saves, playing a crucial role in keeping the team in the games. Well done! Thanks to all the parents for their ongoing support this season, and special thanks to Gemma for umpiring all the games today!
U12 Girls A Team – Playoff Finals
The U12 girls put in a fantastic effort throughout the play-off tournament, showing resilience, teamwork, and skill to finish in third place. Here’s a breakdown of the tournament.
Group Stages:
Leeds (5-0) Scorers: Edie x2, Jess x2, Izzy – The girls started strong against a Leeds team missing a player. They maintained great width, moving the ball effectively up the pitch. Edie opened the scoring with two goals, followed by two from Jess. A well-placed cross from Darcie allowed Izzy to tap in the final goal, securing a commanding 5-0 victory.
Thirsk (1-1) Scorer: Ruth – Thirsk’s fast-paced attacks kept the defense busy, with Lillianna making some impressive saves. Despite her efforts, one slipped through, putting Thirsk ahead. Slaz responded with determination, tightening up the defense and pushing forward until Ruth capitalised on a rebound to secure a 1-1 draw.
York 2 (0-0) – A tough, hard-fought match with both teams giving their all. Despite several promising breaks and shots on goal, Slaz couldn’t find the net. The defense worked tirelessly, with Lillianna making crucial saves and the entire team ensuring players were marked well.
Slaz finished second in their group behind York 2, who won both their other matches. This meant Slaz would face York 1 (winners of the other group) in the semi-final.
York 1 (0-0, Lost 4-5 on Shuffles) Semi-Final: Scorers: Izzy, Katie x2, Jess – This match felt like a final, with both teams battling fiercely. The girls displayed strong tackling, excellent communication, and well-spaced play, proving themselves against a successful York 1 team. Neither side managed to score, leading to a tense shuffle showdown. Darcie, Izzy, Katie, Ruth, and Jess stepped up for the shuffles. With Katie and Jess taking turns again in sudden death, Lillianna bravely defended seven shuffles with fantastic saves. Unfortunately, York edged ahead, and Slaz narrowly lost 4-5.
3rd/4th Place Play-Off: Doncaster (0-0, Won 2-1 on Shuffles) Scorers: Izzy, Darcie – Another intense match, with Doncaster proving to be a physical but well-matched opponent. The girls defended strongly, allowing no goals through. Great wing clearances allowed them to push forward, but the match ended 0-0. In the shuffles, Izzy, Darcie, Katie, Ruth, and Jess took on the pressure, while Lillianna saved 4 out of 5 attempts! The girls secured a 2-1 win, earning a well-deserved 3rd place finish.
The girls played with skill and teamwork, delivering nail-biting moments and showing incredible determination. They were unlucky not to reach the final, but their resilience and composure, especially during the shuffles were remarkable. Player of the Tournament: Lillianna, for her cool-headedness throughout 12 shuffles and outstanding saves during the tournament. As ever thanks to Gemma for coaching and managing the girls, a big thank you to Mark for umpiring and to all the supportive parents who cheered the girls on!
U12 Girls B Team
This Sunday saw Slazenger B team take the big step up to Division 3. The team should be proud of how hard they worked, especially in the unseasonably warm weather!
Slazenger vs. Adel – Adel were relegated from Division 2 last tournament, so came out with a point to prove. They moved the ball around well and looked threatening from the start. Slaz defended well, with Lydia, Penny and Matlida working hard to keep the scoreline level. However, Adel were the stronger and scored 5 in the game.
Slazenger vs. Ben Rhydding 2 – Ben Rhydding were also a strong team, with some fast attacking players. However, Slaz worked the ball around better and got on the attacking foot. Cerys and Georgie both had chances, and the midfield of Hollie, Florence and Ella created a strong platform to keep Ben Rhydding under pressure. Unfortunately the opposition scored through a short corner. Not deterred, slaz continued to battle and looked stronger as the game developed. However, Rhydding managed to beat Lydia at the back post to take the points.
Slazenger vs. Halifax – Slazenger were the stronger team in this game, and it was only a bit of luck which separated the two teams. Slazenger attacked harder and grew into the tournament with each game. Hollie was tenacious in the middle, with Ella and Cerys both having some good attacking play. However, Halifax scored the only goal (after they kicked it in the D…). Unfortunately, the umpires weren’t able to see the foot with the commotion in the D, and the goal stood, 6 seconds before the final whistle went 🙁
Slazenger vs. Wakefield 2 – The final game, Slazenger continued to grow into the tournament. Again, it was only a rogue goal which separated the two teams. Slazenger looked more threatening, and the game was end to end for both teams. A strong defensive display from Wakefield kept it level. Penny and Matilda at the back worked hard, and Lydia continued to have a standout performance in goal. However, Wakefield were able to grab a last gasp goal.
While it was a tough tournament for the team, every single one of the players put in strong performances and rose to the challenge. It’s fantastic to see how far they have all come as a team in the last season. In the end however, there could be only one winner of player of the tournament. Lydia was standout in goal, keeping out far more than the opposition were able to score. Her head never dropped and her attitude was outstanding! Well done!
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