Slazenger
vs.
City of York 2
All Fixtures
Squad
Match Report
Crufts Canine Classic: Slazengers Show Their Pedigree at York
Sunday morning arrived with a mixture of weary limbs and determined spirits. Some of the players had played the day before, some were delicately managing hangovers, others were nursing various aches and strains—while a few had somehow arrived fresh as a daisy and ready to enter the arena. Either way, the team assembled and travelled to face City of York Hockey Club in what felt less like a routine league match and more like stepping into the ring at Crufts.
This twice-rearranged fixture required such a reshuffle of talent that an entirely new WhatsApp kennel—sorry, team chat—had to be created just to keep the pack organised.
With players drawn from the Ladies 1s, 2s and 3s, Slazengers fielded a proud and experienced pack for the early Sunday outing. This week’s average age sat comfortably in the early thirties—seasoned competitors very much in their pedigree prime. York, by comparison, looked more like the puppy class, with perhaps only one player appearing to have reached veteran status.
Standing firm between the posts like a loyal show champion was Ami in goal. In front of her, Eliz, Bella, Lisa, Sarah, Emma, and Nat formed a defensive unit as dependable and disciplined as a pack of well-trained sheepdogs—alert to every movement and quick to herd away any danger that wandered too close to the circle.
In midfield, Frankie, Zoe, Amelia and Rebecca worked tirelessly, darting about like enthusiastic agility competitors—sniffing out space, chasing every loose ball, and keeping York on their heels.
York moved the ball well early on, setting up in a three-quarter press with a tendency to collapse around the player in possession. But much like a pack of overexcited terriers chasing the same toy, this approach left space elsewhere on the pitch—something Slazengers were quick to exploit with sharp passing and well-timed breakaways.
The breakthrough came around ten minutes in. A free hit inside the York 22 presented an opportunity for Slazengers to display their best-in-show routine. The ball was played back to Emma in the middle, who unleashed a perfectly weighted crash ball into the D. Waiting there like a poised champion in the ring was Caro, forward extraordinaire. With her very first touch of the match, she produced a deft deflection past the York keeper to give Slazengers a deserved 1–0 lead.
Up front, Ellie, Justine and goal-scorer Caro led the attacking line with blistering pace, making speedy runs reminiscent of the lightning-fast dashes seen in Flyball—charging forward at every opportunity and keeping the York defence constantly on the back paw.
Despite York’s persistent advances, they simply couldn’t find a way through the Slazengers back line. Time and again their attacks were sniffed out, chased down, and firmly sent packing—like a determined guard dog protecting its territory. Every attempted break was met with calm composure and a wag-of-the-tail confidence from the defence, ensuring Ami’s goal remained securely guarded.
All in all, it was a performance worthy of a rosette: experience, teamwork, and a clinical finish that separated the pedigree performers from the pups.
Best in Show: Caro
Who pooped in the arena (aka Tart of the day): Frankie — for being green carded after making a proper dog’s dinner of a tackle with the back stick.
Slazengers proved that while York may have had youth on their side, sometimes experience—and a well-trained pack—wins the day.
Match Report
A Second-Half Surge Seals the Victory
On a crisp autumn afternoon, Slazenger Ladies took to the pitch against a well-drilled York side in what turned out to be a nail-biting, high-energy clash. The opening whistle saw Slazenger take a calm and calculated approach, focusing on structure and defensive discipline. With players holding their shape and taking time to read their opposition’s movements, the early minutes were a tactical chess match.
However, York managed to break the deadlock with an early goal, capitalising on a brief generalised lapse in concentration. Slazenger responded with flashes of intent but were caught again on the counter. A superb response, culminating in a well worked goal taken by Amelia Sykes kept Slazenger in the game. York took a 2–1 lead heading into halftime.
A well-needed team debrief and a tactical reshuffle during the break brought new energy onto the pitch. With Emma dropping into centre back, Slazenger gained the strength they needed. Defenders ( now Emma, Eliz, Marisa, Bella, and Lisa) had an unbeatable back line, composed like a brick wall. Slazenger began to take control of the game. The defence’s patience and precision in transferring the ball created openings, and it was only a matter of time before the breakthrough came.
Hannah found herself in space at the top of the D, and with determination and power, unleashed a thunderous shot that nearly tore through the net — levelling the score at 2–2. The crowd erupted as Slazenger clawed their way back into the contest. The momentum shift was palpable. Midfield dynamo Frankie, alongside Hannah, Becca, and Laura, orchestrated the game with intelligent runs, crisp passes, and relentless energy. York pushed back, attempting to break through, but were met with a wall of resistance from keeper Ami, who delivered a string of crucial saves — including some fearless dives and decisive kicks to clear the D.
A pivotal moment came when half-back Bella made a blistering run up the flank, sending a perfect ball sailing into the D. Alys brought it down with composure and slotted it home to give Slazenger the lead for the first time. 3–2. Now in control, Slazenger turned up the heat. Wave after wave of attacking plays followed, with short corners and shots raining in. Marisa, with tireless leading runs and tactical awareness, was everywhere — opening up space and driving the team forward. Her all-round performance earned her a clean sweep of Player of the Week votes. Captain Hannah kept the team glued together with constant communication and leadership from the centre, ensuring the formation held strong under pressure.
As the clock ticked down, York pushed hard for an equaliser, but Ami stood tall — putting her body on the line with match-defining saves to preserve the lead. The final whistle blew to cheers from the side-lines. Slazenger 3, York 2 — a well-earned victory forged from teamwork, resilience, and second-half brilliance. The team spirit was lifted higher, thanks to the generosity of the Sykes family who knitted glamorous tart and player headbands. Final Score: Slazenger 3 – 2 York
Player of the Match: Marisa who donned the victory headband
Tart of the match: Frankie who despite the title, wore the headband with great panache!
Match Report
No match report available.
Squad
Match Report
Slazengers Ladies 1s travelled to face York Ladies 2s with a depleted squad, fielding the bare 11 players due to several absences. This required versatile player Laura Teasdale to step into the centre-back role, where she put in a standout performance alongside defensive partner Marissa, both of whom were strong contenders for Player of the Match.
The youthful Slazengers side started the game brightly, with captain Hannah Field linking up well with vice-captain Frankie Tyrrell. Tyrrell found herself one-on-one with the York keeper after a slick pass from Field, and calmly flicked the ball over the onrushing goalie to give Slazengers an early 1-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was fiercely contested, with both teams pushing for the next goal. Slazengers goalkeeper Dani, who was named Player of the Match, made several crucial saves to preserve the lead going into half-time.
With no substitutes available, Slazengers were aware of the challenge fatigue would pose in the second half. Despite tired legs, their defence held firm, frustrating York’s attacking efforts. Meanwhile, captain Hannah Field continued to create opportunities, frequently feeding striker Millie in search of a second goal to extend their lead. Unfortunately, Millie picked up an injury and had to leave the field in the final 15 minutes, leaving Slazengers down to 10 players.
As the match drew to a close, York took advantage of the numerical superiority and finally broke through Slazengers' defence in the penultimate minutes, levelling the score at 1-1. Despite the late setback, Slazengers’ determination and defensive resilience earned them a well-fought point. With a well-deserved break next week, Slazengers Ladies 1s will be looking to return with a full squad and renewed energy for their next fixture.
Match Report
No match report available.
Match Report
No match report available.
Match Report
No match report available.
Squad
Match Report
No match report available.
Match Report
Slaz ladies 1’s played host to City of York 2’s on Sunday. Whilst Slaz hoped to continue their winning ways against a relegation place York it was never going to be a walk in the park with York knowing a win could move them 3 places out of the drop zone.
From the off, York proved they were a better side than their league position suggested and pressurised the Slaz midfield and defence. A short corner early on awarded to York was well executed and Slaz realised they really would need to up their game. It didn’t take long for Slaz to equalise when from a long corner the ball was passed to Bates who fired it goal bound - Gilbert the Elder was there ready to get the deflection in. Hoping to capitalise on this Slaz pushed forward but we’re unlucky not to gain the lead. It was York who next found the back of the net when the caught Slaz on the break and with 3 on 2 beat the keeper on the far post.
Slaz fought back again and shortly before half time managed an equaliser- again couttesy of Gilbert the elder.
Half time score 2:2. Unaccustomed to these kind of events, composure was needed and Slaz rose to the challenge. With Wallace injured, Whittam made a comeback to the teams defence and the pressure turned on to York’s defence. Some dazzling runs in the midfield gave Paige the opportunity she deserved to put Slaz in front for the first time in the game. A short corner soon after saw the ball deflected up from a defenders stick - Mini Minch was over like a pocket rocket and caught it on the volley to put home a forth. With 15 minutes still to go it was clear that York were not ing to take this turn in the score line lightly. The younger Gilbert made it hard work for York’s left side but they continued to fight.
A late short corner saved by keeper Wilson found a York stick and was lifted into the top corner, but it was too little too late for York. With the score at 4:3 they were given no further opportunity to claim any points and move up the league, while Slaz kept the ball in the York 25 they were unlucky not to score again but happy to take the 3 points and return to their place 2nd in the league. Special thanks to Lisa GK and Danny for providing excellent tooting. Slaz travel to Leeds uni next week
Match Report
The ladies 1’s traveled to York this weekend chasing their first win of the season. Determined from the start, Slaz quickly went ahead with a well executed short corner tapped in by Mini-Minch. Maintaining their shape and structure Slaz dominated the first half. York did manage to pull one back and the half time score was 1:1
In a change from the norm, the start of the second half saw York driving at the Slaz defence and quickly took the lead. Undeterred, Slaz bounced back and a second conversion at a short corner was tipped in by Bates. At 2:2 Slaz applied the pressure, passing the ball around they were unlucky and missed a number of chances. With 2 minutes to go Katie Minchella received the ball at the top of the D, turning quickly she put Monday nights training into practice and hammered the ball into the bottom corner for her second. Final score 3:2; The first win in far too long they have to be strong in contention for team of the week!!!!! "
