England U18 Girls
England U18 Girls had a slow start to their series, coming out of the blocks too late in the fourth quarter to leave themselves with too much work to do to recover their first game against Scotland. A clinical Netherlands side put five unanswered goals past the team on Easter Sunday. In their final game against Germany, England put in a much-improved performance to draw.
Saturday 30 March
England 1 – 2 Scotland
Sunday 31 March
England 0 – 5 Netherlands
Monday 1 April
England 1 – 1 Germany
England U18 Boys
England U18 Boys took 2nd place in their Easter 4 Nations tournament in Dunkirk. England got off to the perfect start in the competition with a good 4-0 win over hosts France. England were unable to replicate that performance against Spain and went down 2-0, fighting until the end after playing the fourth quarter with 10 players. England needed a win against Belgium to reach the final and duly delivered with a solid 2-1 win. A rematch with Belgium in Monday’s final was a tense affair with both sides creating few clearcut chances. In the end it was a penalty stroke that decided the game and Belgium took 1st place with a 1-0 victory.
England U18 Boys Head Coach Mark Bateman reflected on the tournament: “This was a really good opportunity for the players to experience games that matter and the lads put in a really resolute performance in game three, when they needed a result. If they want to take the next step to winning these medal games, then they need to continue to be brave and to keep playing during these pressure moments. Overall though, this was a good tournament with plenty of progress made which will stand us in good stead as the programme ramps up in the coming months.”
Friday 29 March
England 4 – 0 France
(Conor Yap, Will Gravestock, Marcus Lake, Jake Bennett)
Saturday 30 March
England 0 – 2 Spain
Sunday 31 March
England 2 – 1 Belgium
(Jake Bennett, Isaac Dale)
Monday 1 April
England 0 – 1 Belgium
England U16 Girls
England U16 Girls won their 3 Nations series with convincing performances against Ireland and some thrilling encounters with Spain. The final day’s 4-4 draw with Spain was a highlight, a fast-paced, end-to-end affair.
Thursday 28 March
England 4 – 0 Ireland
(Phoebe Barnett, Isla Campbell, Evie Grindal, Martina Grace)
Friday 29 March
England 1 – 1 Spain
(Lettie Hughes)
Shootout England 3 – 2 Spain
Saturday 30 March
England 6 – 0 Ireland
(Phoebe Barnett 4, Lettie Hughes, Isla Campbell)
Sunday 31 March
England 4 – 4 Spain
(Evie Grindal 3, Mollie Beeton)
England U16 Boys
England U16 Boys enjoyed their first 4 Nations of the cycle in Glasgow over the Easter weekend. The full range of Scottish weather was on offer over the weekend. The boys had to adapt to the slower moving ball and the pace of play and commitment to defence was tested as The Netherlands ran out 5-1 winners. The next day was a chance to play France, who put in a stoically defensive effort and took full advantage of their chances to upset England 3-2.
As Scotland had beaten France in the first game for a chance to play in the 1 v 2 final match, England needed to win by 3 or more goals against the hosts. England hit the ground running and quickly put 3 goals in the first quarter to give themselves a boost. Scotland kept battling and threatening, however this time England were able to put away their chances and eventually ran out 9-2 winners and secure a place against The Netherlands in the final match.
This match was played in bitterly cold, but dry weather and was a well contested match. The Netherlands quickly moved two goals up in the first quarter, but the English boys battled hard and were able to get two goals back, leaving the score 2-2 halfway through the third quarter. The Netherlands showed their clinical side and were able to score 3 unanswered goals over the remaining time. Lots of positives in a much more competitive match, with England having more possession and penalty corner opportunities.
Head Coach Harry Jones said: “We’ve had a really pleasing 4 Nations over Easter and the players have continued to make good progress and test themselves against European opposition. It was a brilliant event, well hosted by Scottish Hockey and well supported by many family and friends of the squad.”
Thursday 28 March
England 1 – 5 The Netherlands
Friday 29 March
England 2 – 3 France
Saturday 30 March
England 9 – 2 Scotland
Sunday 31 March
England 2 – 5 Netherlands
