2025 League – Week 3 – Match Reports

Playing against a lively Leeds Uni side, Slaz struggled to get anything going. The whole match felt like an uphill battle: slow to start, awkward in transition, and everything just that little bit harder than it needed to be. Leeds didn’t score anything particularly special, but somehow the scrappy, bouncing mess always seemed to work in their favour. Right place, right time — every time.

But even in a performance that felt clunky and hard to shift, we found some moments of relief.
Millie opened our account after a rogue, bobbly ball squirmed through a crowd of players. It wasn’t pretty, but she was there to guide it in — a gritty finish in a messy passage of play.
Emma followed it up with a far more satisfying moment, the result of Frankie going absolutely feral through the midfield. She bulldozed her way past defenders like she’d been possessed, leaving Leeds in disarray and Emma with a clean shot. Clinical. Cathartic. Just what we needed.

Defensively, Eliz was a wall. Calm, composed, and constantly in the right place, she pulled off some perfectly timed tackles and kept the back line from completely unravelling. She rightly took Player of the Match for her consistency and command.

Alys, brand new to ladies hockey and still fresh-faced, looked like she’d been playing for years. Calm under pressure, cool in tight spaces — not a single moment of panic. One to watch. Zoe was relentless — up and down the pitch all game, pressing, tracking, and generally running herself into the ground. A real shift put in from first whistle to last.

And Frankie… dear god. The chaos she brought was unmatched. Aggression, energy, and limbs flying. She left parts of the Leeds midfield questioning their life choices — and left herself with Tart of the Day honours for a mysteriously sore bum cheek. We didn’t ask.

It wasn’t the smooth, free-flowing performance we wanted — more stop-start, awkward, and harder to move than it should’ve been — but sometimes that’s how it goes. We’re shaking it off, regrouping, and looking ahead to next week, when the full squad’s back and we can get things shifting properly again.

Ladies 2nds
No Game

Ladies 3rd’s (6) vs. (3) Otliensians 1st’s
Slazenger Ladies 3s returned to home turf this weekend to take on Otliensians and produced an exciting display of attacking hockey to secure a 6–3 victory.

The hosts got off to a flying start when Caro Schofield opened the scoring within the first few minutes, calmly finding the backboard for the first of her three goals. Slazenger looked sharp and cohesive, moving the ball well and linking up across the pitch. Their dominance was soon rewarded again when Sian whipped in a cross that was brilliantly taken out of the air and finished by Player of the Match Arina Lee. Momentum stayed with the home side, and from a well-drilled short corner routine Schofield struck again to make it 3–0. Otley rallied just before half-time, pulling one back to keep themselves in the game.

The second half began with more pressure from Slazengers, and Arina’s blistering pace down the right caused chaos in the Otley defence. Her driving run set up Evie Millart, who lashed home a powerful first-time strike to restore the three-goal cushion. Otley responded well, keeping the contest alive with some end-to-end play, and were rewarded with a well-taken strike into the top corner.

But then came Caro Schofield’s veteran masterclass. With the calmness of someone who’s been there, done that, and probably still has the wooden sticks to prove it, she completed her hat trick with a brilliant first-time finish from a long corner. Rumour has it she’ll be selling DVDs of her performance titled “How to Age Like Fine Wine and Still Bag Goals.”

Otley managed to grab another goal back, but Slazenger weren’t finished. Ellie Page capped off a superb solo run, weaving past defenders before coolly slotting the ball past the keeper to seal the 6–3 win. It was a strong team performance full of energy, creativity, and determination—leaving Slazenger Ladies 3s rightly proud of their efforts

Ladies 4ths (0) vs. (4) Cleckheaton 1st’s
Slazenger Ladies 4s welcomed local rivals Cleckheaton in what proved to be a challenging yet spirited encounter on home turf.

Despite the final 0–4 score-line, there were plenty of positives to take from the match. The defensive line, bolstered by the return of the experienced Ingrid Coughtrey, showed real composure under pressure. Goalkeeper Lisa Ellis made several key saves to keep Slazenger in the game, especially during a sustained period of Cleckheaton pressure. Although will also hold her hands up that 2 of the goals shouldn’t have got past her, especially the 2nd Cleckheaton goal that she made no attempt to move for, simply watched it go past.

Beth Buckley stood out with a tireless performance, particularly when she intercepted the ball deep in her own half and dribbled through multiple players over three-quarters of the pitch. Her effort and determination earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match accolade.

In midfield, May Bailey shook off a rocky start and went on to dominate the central areas, linking well with Julie Bailey, Phoebe Mitchell, and Sophie Longfield to distribute the ball and build attacking play. Her composure on the ball and vision helped stretch the Cleckheaton formation, even if clear-cut chances were hard to come by.

The forward line of Mandy Greenwood, Charlotte Young, Kirsty Goddard, and Gemma Wroe worked relentlessly to press high and create space, but Cleckheaton’s disciplined defence—often dropping numbers back—proved too stubborn to break down. While the result didn’t reflect the team’s effort and energy, the match showcased strong individual performances, a growing defensive partnership, and glimpses of excellent teamwork that will serve Slazenger well in the coming fixtures.

Men’s 1sts
No Game

Men’s 2nds (1) vs. (6) Sheffield 4ths
Slazenger 2nds travelled to Sheffield looking to bounce back from a couple of lack lustre results. However, it wasn’t to be with the hosts running out comprehensive winners.

Sheffield took the early initiative with a pair of well taken goals, before a trademark Richard Tuddenham strike pulled the team back into contention. However, when Slazenger capitalised on the goal to score a second, which was disallowed, the team struggled to maintain the momentum.

Sheffield with the wind in their sales scored further goals, with the visitors unable to find a rhythm or the killer spark. Slazenger 2nds will look to put the early games to bed when they hosted Chesterfield next week.

Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs (3) City of York 5th’s
Slazenger men’s 3’s travelled to York hoping to improve on last weeks result against Hull.

The visitors started well playing the ball confidently around at the back and then using the pace of Seth Hoole and Jack Sanderson out wide to put them in opposition territory. A break against the run of play saw York take the lead, however the Addingford side kept playing with Dan Bailey, who had found his stick and Adrian Buckley winning vital possession and setting the Slaz attacking press. After 20 minutes, a well worked short corner routine saw Tim Carr fire the ball high into the York net, meaning the two sides went in on equal terms at half time.

The second half was much like the first, with both teams trading attacks which kept keeper Daz Buttery busy as he pulled off some astounding saves. However, 10 minutes into the half the home side again took the lead as a loose ball was eventually put away. Undeterred, Will Carr and Owen Wiper linked up well as the half progress and the energy and running of Ali Smith put the York defence under pressure. A series of short corners finally paid off as Harry Ashford fired the ball home to level the scores once again. In an evenly matched game it was York who took the lead with 10 minutes to go as a hopeful ball across the D took a deflection off a Slaz stick and into the backboard.

The team in green pushed for a late equaliser but just couldn’t create that clear opportunity. The 3’s are aiming to avenge this 3-2 defeat when they play Leeds Adel at home next Saturday.

Men’s 4th’s (7) vs. (2) Chesterfield 4th’s
The men’s 4s who were seeking back to back wins hosted chesterfield 4s this weekend. A slow start saw Slazengers concede first early on this however woke the hosts up as they begun to dominate from this point onwards and equalised just 6 minutes later through John Sykes. Sykes netted a second goal just minutes later to give the hosts the lead which was extended to 3 less than a minute, through Roo Birkett to leave the score 3-1 at half-time.

Slaz continued the second half how they finished the first with 2 more quick goals early in the half (Birkett grabbing a second, and Sykes finishing his hat-trick). The visitors then caught the slaz defence sleeping and managed a second goal but this was not enough as hosts retaliated with 2 further goals (Birkett’s hat trick 3rd, and one for James Rawling), before the final whistle could end the dominant Slazenger display. A double hat-trick weekend, with the final score 7-2 to Slaz.

Development (1) vs. (1) Lindum
The Devs embarked on their first away adventure of the season, bravely travelling beyond the sacred borders of Yorkshire into the wilds of Lindum. Spirits were high, temperaments questionable, and the pizza prospects strong. From the first whistle, Slaz came out swinging — earning an early short corner which they could not convert. Then…glorious history was made! Cerys, in her first-ever league game, received a through ball from Izzy, calmly glided into the D like she’d been doing it for years, and slotted it home for 1–0. Cool. Composed. Clinical.

Meanwhile, GK Ami spent most of the first half resting, thanks to Slaz holding 95% possession. At the back, Katie shut down Lindum’s attacks linking well with Izzy and Cerys down the right — a super trio! Four consecutive short corners followed without converting. Despite not feeling well herself, Georgie battled on and got herself into some great positions. Half time: 1–0. Glorious team chat full of positivity!

The second half saw Adelaide and Amelia continue to boss centre midfield, while Matthew launched into some jab tackles so sharp they required a safety warning! Noah was unfazed by tackling fully grown adults. Lindum eventually clawed back an equaliser late in the second half, despite Slaz throwing bodies and sticks in defence. For the fourth week in a row, the prestigious Donut of the Day goes to…Adelaide! However — in an unprecedented twist — this week’s donut may need to be shared with her Dad, who served as Chief Chauffeur, Logistics Manager, and Human Sat Nav for the cross-border expedition. Outstanding effort. Brilliant teamwork. Happy now we are all safely back in Yorkshire 💚

🏅 PLAYER OF THE MATCH
A truly standout debut — Cerys claims Player of the Match! Goal scorer, cool-headed finisher, and future club legend in the making. Take a bow!

🍕 TEA RATING: 9/10
Pizza, chips, and birthday cake galore for Amelia & Matthew! If only goals were awarded for cakes!

Some excellent saves from goalkeeper George Hutchinson kept Slazengers in the game. The team responded well, with Owen Wiper causing problems down the right wing and intercepting free hits that led to attacking opportunities. At 15 minutes, Owen Coughtrey drove into the D and fired just wide, while Ally Smith’s deceptive ball into the circle created another chance. Despite Slazengers’ growing momentum, Sheffield’s deep defensive setup limited space and looked to counter on the break. Ally appeared to have scored, but the goal was disallowed due to a Slazenger foot in the build-up.

The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when Aleks Thompson opened the scoring with a superb reverse hit following an excellent pass from Evan Tuddenham. A green card followed shortly after for a Sheffield player not retreating five yards. Slazenger defended a Sheffield short corner well at 32 minutes, preserving their lead into halftime. During the break, the coaching team emphasised the importance of communication and cohesion.

Slazengers started the second half strongly, with Aleks nearly doubling the lead after controlling the ball and chipping the keeper, only to see his effort crash off the crossbar. Sustained pressure followed, and at 44 minutes, Olly Tuddenham chased down a ball near the sideline, keeping it in play and creating a great chance. At 50 minutes, Seth Hoole intercepted a stray Sheffield pass and delivered a clever reverse pass to Aleks, who scored on the second attempt after the keeper saved the first. Sheffield’s frustrations grew, resulting in a yellow card at 55 minutes for dissent following a tackle.

Will Carr played a brilliant ball into the D at 60 minutes, but it couldn’t be converted. A green card for Owen C followed, but Slazengers remained composed. One minute later, Olly T’s tenacity down the wing led to a pass to Aleks, who calmly slipped the ball past the keeper for his hat-trick.

Slazengers continued to press, with Olly delivering a drag pass to the far post that narrowly missed being turned in. In the closing stages, the defensive trio of Isaac Rawling, Jack Sanderson and Harry Firth were called into action as Sheffield pushed for a consolation goal. However, Slazengers held firm, and the Sheffield keeper made several good saves to keep the score at 3–0.
A big thank you to the umpires, coaches, and parents for their continued support.

Girls U14s (4) vs. (0) Leeds Adel

🎁 Goal #1 – The Party Starter: Jess made a cracking tackle, slipped the ball to Sophie who sprinted down the line and delivered the perfect assist to Izzy — who calmly slotted it home. 1-0! Despite countless chances, Adel’s GK was in determined party-pooper mode, pulling off some great saves. Ruth worked tirelessly, chasing everything down like someone had whispered “last slice of dessert.” GK Ami barely had anything to do, but when called upon, cleared the danger with ease. Ella made her mark as she subbed on in midfield, pressuring the opposition.

🍬 Half-Time Treats: Sweets — essential halftime fuel.

🎂 Second Half – Birthday Girl Magic:
Some slick passing between Amelia and Adelaide saw Amelia break into the D and fire into the bottom corner — a birthday goal to remember! Jess and Izzy kept things ticking in midfield, Sophie added her name to the score sheet, and the defensive wall of Matilda, Beth, Lorna, and Katie stayed rock solid all game. 🎯 Amelia sent a quick ball to Ruth, who spun and smashed in to make it 4-0.

Beth and Matilda, pushed up the pitch with new found confidence which was a joy to watch. Darcie and Georgie burst onto the pitch again full of energy — with Darcie earning a short corner, then following it up with her first-ever U14 goal after a cross from Adelaide! Ruth wasn’t finished — she added her second to seal a brilliant 6-0 win.

• Opposition Player of the Match: Ruth – she worked tirelessly all game, and scored two goals!
• Team Player of the Match: Sophie – despite having not played a match for two years, she fitted back into the team like she’d never been away!
• 🍩 Donut of the Day: Lorna — for scoring a cracking goal… sadly from outside the D. Lovely finish though!


Post-match birthday cake 🎂 Huge thanks to Aleks and Aidy for umpiring — and to the girls for putting on a performance as sweet as the celebrations that followed! So proud of these wonderful girls 💚

Slaz vs Barnsley (2-0)
A quick start for Slaz with Noah pouncing on a slow push back with good interplay with Trysten leading to a short corner. Slaz kept on the pressure with Alistair on the right and Matthew in the D had their shots saved. Trysten, Alistair and Matthew linked well. A good 16 pass from Harry found Noah in the middle who skilfully attacked the D with Matthew finding the goal. Barnsley played some nice passes but couldn’t break through the Slaz defence with Zach, Harry and Nikolai keeping the attacks out. Noah took a quick free hit and had a shot from the top of the D to make it 2 nil. Trysten made a great stop in the corner to keep Barnsley out. The boys worked hard for each other with Harry making a crucial tackle to stop the attacks and setting Slaz on the break with Alistair and Caleb winning a short corner. Unfortunately the shot from Noah hit the post and deflected wide. Barnsley only had a big hit to relieve pressure but it just meant Slaz could come back in the attack and create chances but Slaz couldn’t increase their lead.

Wakefield vs Slaz (1-2)
Slaz made another quick start with Alistair and Noah creating an early chance. Wakefield broke well with good tracking by Noah, with Harry and Zach clearing the lines. Nikolai made a good save but the follow up was put in by Wakefield to give them the lead. Slaz had some good possession but couldn’t make the passes count but after a good tackle by Harry sent the ball forward to Alistair who drove into the D and won a short corner. The SC was saved but the follow up attack saw Alistair find the bottom corner with a tomahawk strike. Trysten and Noah worked tirelessly for the team making good tackles to stop Wakefield’s advances. Slaz kept the pressure on making chance after chance but the Wakefield defence and GK kept them out until Slaz won another short corner and Noah converted with a well struck shot and to take the lead. Caleb and Zach held strong at the back with some big tackles keeping Wakefield out. Lots of effort from all turned the game around which gave them a well deserved win against rivals Wakefield.

Slaz vs Hull (5-0)
Slaz were straight out of the blocks and with a great drive down the left from Trysten, followed up by Matthew and Alistair who squared it to Noah to take the shot and put Slaz 1 up. Slaz played some lovely passes with Alistair recycling the ball back to Harry who drove into space and slipped the ball to Noah in the D and he doubled the Slaz lead. Slaz kept the pressure on Hull, lots of hard work by Matthew and midfield of Caleb, Noah and Alistair. Harry and Zach controlled the defence keeping Hull out with Nikolai very quiet in goal. Harry and Caleb linked up well creating a good chance for Matthew but hull kept it out.
Noah now in defence picked the ball up at the top of his D from a pass from Zach. He showed his class and skill by going fully length and finding the goal for his hat-trick. Jude making his debut got stuck in and made some great runs and passes. Caleb made a great tackle at the top of the D and set the boys away with Matthew finishing off a well worked team goal. The boys kept working hard and with a good run on the left by Jude, found Alistair in the D who rounded the GK and finished well on the final whistle to round off a comprehensive win and a great team performance.

Sheffield vs Slaz (3-0)
A tough final game against a strong Sheffield team, Slaz made a strong start with Noah, Alistair and Matthew causing the Sheffield defence problems. Good passing created chances but they could not convert. Sheffield broke well and created a good chance which was slipped past Nikolai to give them the lead. Trysten, Zach and Harry kept Sheffield out with Nikolai making a couple of great body save clears by Zach. Sheffield kept coming and made it 2 with a well worked goal.

Slaz kept their heads up and worked hard to try get back into the game. Alistair always posed a threat on the right with Jude on the left in good positions. Nikolai made a great save after great save to keep Slaz in the game. The boys worked hard for each other and did not let their heads drop. Sheffield kept coming and won a short corner, but was charged down well by Noah and Alistair to keep it out. The follow up shot by Sheffield was powerful and found the net. Slaz kept the pressure on with more attacks but the Sheffield team was well organised and kept them out. It was Sheffield who finished stronger with several short corners but Slaz defended them well and kept the ball out.

Lots of effort from all the boys, showed great team spirit and with 3 wins, only 1 loss shows brilliant promise for the season ahead. Special mention to Caleb and Jude making their Slazenger Hockey Club debuts.🌟 Player of the tournament went to Trysten for his the skill and determination he showed throughout the tournament 🌟

Girls U12 A team Tournament Report
The first u12 tournament of the season for our Slazengers U12A Girls team, and they came out fighting!

Game 1 – vs York 1 (0–3 loss)
A tough start against a strong York side. The girls showed determination from the outset, making strong tackles and pushing forward in attack. Frances was outstanding in goal, making several crucial saves, but York used the space well and managed to slip three goals past us. Despite battling hard, we struggled to break through their solid defense to convert our chances.

Game 2 – vs York 2 (2–0 win); Scorers: Katie (1), Ella (1)
Now warmed up and listening brilliantly to feedback, the girls came out looking like a completely different team! Matilda and Florence were rock solid in defense, marking tightly and keeping York pinned back. The ball was worked wide through the wings, opening up space in the D. Darcie and Georgie pressed tirelessly, forcing mistakes and keeping us in attack. Our breakthrough came when Katie drove strongly down the line and swept the ball powerfully into the back of the net. A well-drilled short corner saw Darcie’s strike saved, but Ella reacted quickly on the rebound to score our second goal. A superb all-round performance.

Game 3 – vs Leeds (4–0 win) Scorers: Darcie (3), Georgie (1)
Confidence was flowing, and the girls carried their momentum into the next game. Tackling strongly and winning the ball high up the pitch, they kept constant pressure on Leeds. Florence pushed further forward into midfield, finding great pockets of space and feeding the ball into the D. After several rebounds and scrappy chances, Georgie’s persistence paid off as she netted her first of the tournament. Darcie was relentless throughout, driving forward and pressing Leeds back, earning herself a fantastic hat trick. A dominant performance!

Game 4 – vs Doncaster (0–0 draw)
The final match was another test against a strong Doncaster side. Unfortunately, we lost Madison to injury during the warm-up, leaving the girls with no subs and tired legs. Even so, every player gave absolutely everything. The defense stood tall, tackles kept flying in, and Frances was superb once again with a string of excellent saves to ensure a hard-earned clean sheet. A gritty and determined team effort.

The girls showed huge progress throughout the day – working hard, listening to feedback, and playing as a team. Their energy, resilience, and improvement with every game was fantastic to see. Player of the Tournament was awarded to Georgie, who showed real grit in her tackles, endless work rate, and commitment to both attack and defense. A big thank you to our wonderful parents for their support, and a special mention to Mark for umpiring.

The first match was a 4-0 win over a young Huddersfield side with goals from Cerys (1x) & Grace (3x) all from open play, with very little for our defence or goalkeeper to do.

The second was a closer match against Halifax which Slaz won 1-0. Halifax could’ve won the game but a mixture of missing chances & saves from Lydia meant Slaz kept a clean sheet.

The next 3 matches were goalless draws against Wakefield 2, Ben Rhydding 2 & Ben Rhydding 3. All were close games where either side had chances.

Slaz worked hard for each other & ran their socks off. Plucky defending from Bridgett & Penny along with Lydia in goal meant we didn’t concede, Penny also pushed up when required to help out midfield. Cerys who played mainly on the wings was a constant threat and was skilful with the ball & creating some chances. New players all shone with 4 goals for Grace who was always an outlet upfront. Tilly played on the wings, was solid but quiet to start with & grew in confidence throughout each game & was always an outlet but wasn’t afraid to work back & tackle too. Although only 8 Edward was fearless & wasn’t put off by some opponents being nearly twice his height & played well on the wings where he dribbled & crossed & in defence where he made some good tackles. Maia put in a fantastic effort playing mainly in centre midfield pushing forward but also coming back to defend, earning herself player of the tournament.