The youth competitions’ season kicked off in style on 17 September with the U18 National Club Cup events. After two hard-fought tournaments, the teams qualifying for the finals were:
- Girls: Grange v Fjordhus Reivers
- Boys: Grove Menzieshill v Uddingston
The finals will have a new look this season, with Fjordhus Reivers girls and Uddingston boys appearing in their first ever U18 finals. Grange girls have never won the U18 cup; and it’s eight years since Grove Menzieshill lifted the boys’ trophy.
U18 Girls Competition
The thirteen teams in the girls’ tournament at Peffermill were split into one pool of four teams and three pools of three, with pool winners going on to play semi-finals.
Pool A produced some thrilling matches, with GHK finishing top after three hard-fought wins. Captain, Lara Nolte and Libby McFadzean scored to secure a 2-1 win after Emily Appleson had given Inverleith the lead. A double from Georgia Rose earned another 2-1 win against Hillhead, for whom Anna Brown scored. And Maia Macaloney’s double gave them a 2-0 win v Dundee Wanderers.
Hillhead edged Inverleith for second place on goal difference after they drew 0-0. Hillhead’s captain Alex Burdon netted twice in a 4-0 win v Wanderers, who lost 0-2 to Inverleith.
Grange started Pool B in style with a 6-1 win against Edinburgh HC, with six different scorers. Lauren Mahoney got the consolation. Amber Wade scored both Clydesdale Western’s goals in a 2-0 win against Edinburgh to set up a decider. Kirstie Buchan put Grange ahead before Phoebe King equalised, but the Glasgow girls couldn’t find a winner and Grange progressed on goal difference.
Watsonians won Pool C with two good wins against Perthshire (4-0) and Kelburne (5-0). Jenna Park scored in both games, and Izzy Hogarth hit a double v Kelburne. The Paisley girls drew 1-1 with Perthshire but were edged out of second on goal difference. Jazlyn Sandhu and Riley Thomson scored the respective goals.
Finally, Fjordhus Reivers wrapped up Group D with two strong performances. An Ella Mundell double helped see off Western Wildcats 3-0 before a 2-0 win v Granite City Wanderers. Mundell was on the scoresheet again, along with Aela Thomson. Wildcats beat Granite City 3-1 to finish runners-up.
Girls Semi-Finals
In the first semi-final, Grange came flying out of the traps to go 2-0 up in 9 minutes through Iona Syme and Kirstie Buchan’s penalty corner. In the second half, Syme scored again before a consolation from Murrin Kilpatrick made it 3-1. Grange secured the win with a couple of late saves from goalie Abi Grahamslaw.
In the second semi-final, Fjordhus Reivers frustrated the usually potent Watsonians attack with some disciplined, hard-working defence to leave it poised at 0-0 at half time. A series of excellent saves from Reivers’ goalie Ailsa Ogilvie kept the scores level before Aela Thomson sprinted away to finish superbly and make it 1-0 to the Borderers. In a dramatic late twist, Ogilvie saved a penalty flick to give Reivers a well-deserved victory.
U18 Boys Competition
The Boys’ competition at Glasgow National Hockey Centre was equally exciting. The eight teams competed in two groups of four, following a late call-off.
Grove Menzieshill got off to a flier in Pool A with a 3-0 win against Kelburne. They followed this up with a 2-0 win in a feisty encounter with Inverleith. John Donald scored both goals in the last 10 minutes, but the talking points were a 10-minute suspension for the Dundonians’ captain, Murray Griffiths and a red card for Inverleith’s Cody Adams with two minutes remaining.
Grove Menzieshill secured a place in the final with a 5-0 win against Clydesdale, with all the goals coming in the second half.
Kelburne won their other two matches to finish runners-up, built on strong defensive performances. They beat Clydesdale 3-0, including a double from Tom Hunt, and then saw off Inverleith 2-0 thanks to goals from Adam Jack and senior internationalist Tommy Austin.
In the remaining Pool B fixture, Clydesdale drew 2-2 with Inverleith. Ben Moulson scored both Clydesdale goals.
In Pool A, Uddingston started with an impressive 4-1 win v Western Wildcats, including two penalty corners from Ben Young. Their 2-1 win against ESM was fiercely contested, including two yellow cards for ESM players. Uddingston took a 2-0 lead but had to withstand late pressure after conceding a goal with six minutes to go, and it finished 2-1.
Ben Young was the hattrick hero for Uddingston in a 5-2 win against Watsonians to secure their place in the final. Max Strachan and Ruari McFarlane got the others, with Owen Hunter scoring both of the Edinburgh side’s goals.
ESM were runners-up, ahead of Watsonians and Wildcats. ESM needed three late goals to see off Watsonians, including a Jamie Hendry double. And they rounded off their day with a 5-0 win against Wildcats. Watsonians drew 3-3 with Wildcats to finish third on goal difference. Corbin Miller hit two of the ‘Cats goals.
It had been a great day of youth hockey, and the scene is set for two fantastic finals on 27 October at Peffermill.
