Following the withdrawal of Russia, England found themselves in a reduced group of 4, along with heavyweights Spain & The Netherlands. Austria completed the group. With the top 2 qualifying for the semi-finals, advancing from the group stage was always going to be difficult.
The squad applied themselves admirably to the task, taking on tournament favourites, The Netherlands, in match 1 and producing a confident and resilient display which saw them disappointed to lose by a single goal. With Spain winning 10-0 over Austria in the other round 1 match, England needed to achieve a comfortable win over Austria in match 2. This they duly did, although their 9-0 win handed a slight advantage to Spain. The surprise result in the group came when Spain ran out 1-0 winners over The Netherlands. The final round of group matches required England to beat Spain to have any chance of advancing to the semi-finals. The team focused admirably on the task, scoring a late winner to register a 2-1 win – not enough to guarantee a semi-final place, but enough to mean that the outcome rested on the outcome of the Austria v The Netherlands game. With this match running behind the England v Spain game, there was a nail-biting 15 minutes before The Netherlands’ 5-0 win resulted in the Dutch team being consigned to the 5th/6th play-offs on goal difference, and England & Spain progressing to the semis.
Having drawn 2-2 with Belgium in May, England were confident that they had the ability to overcome them in the semi-final. Unfortunately, the team produced a lacklustre performance, losing 3-1. The bronze medal match saw England playing Spain again. Despite a much-improved display from England, the match swung the way of Spain with a single goal towards the end of the 3rd quarter, leaving the England girls disappointed with their 4th place. The final saw home favourites, Germany, emerge as winners over Belgium after a shoot-out.
England U18 Girls Head Coach, Lisa Letchford, said “International age group hockey is about progressing and learning. There is no better way to learn about the international game than when you have a really tough group and progress to the medal matches. The semi-final was really the only game of the tournament that we did not perform in. None of these girls have ever been in such a pressurised environment so it was tough to see them frustrated with their own performance in the semi, but to turn it around to perform in the bronze medal match was pleasing to see. It is such a great group of young players to work with – aiming high and growing together for the whole of the season. Lessons were learnt mostly about the mental strength required at this level, which really will help them grow for their onwards journey in the sport.”
A shootout win, following a 2-2 draw with Scotland, saw England end their tournament on a positive note. The team were 25 seconds away from a place in the semi-finals but a late Netherlands goal saw their opponents snatch 2nd place in Pool B and consign England to the 5th/6th playoff place instead.
Captain Jake Edwards commented: “The European Championships was a positive learning experience and helped me and the team get a feel for a real international tournament and the fine margins that come with them. It was really enjoyable, and I had a great time whilst being super focused and immersed in the experience.”
Head Coach Mark Bateman reflected: “It was a good, competitive tournament for the boys with some exceptional teams on show. Unfortunately, we had to learn some tough lessons, and whilst disappointing at the time, will stand the lads in good stead for their future in the sport. I am proud of the way that the squad conducted themselves with their professionalism and diligence during the programme. The management team and I look forward to tracking their progress over the coming years.”
The England U16 Girls had a positive campaign at the 8 Nations. In a tough group, the girls were narrowly defeated by the Netherlands on Day 1, despite playing very well and holding a draw until the final minutes.
The Netherlands’ game management was stronger, and the game finished 3-2. Day 2 saw a huge 7-3 win against Spain II, leaving the girls needing a draw against Belgium in Game 3 to progress.
Despite starting well, the girls fell to an experienced Belgium side who put in 3 goals in the final quarter, leaving a semi-final place out of England’s reach. In the playoffs, the girls put 7 goals past Scotland in a clinical performance, managing some tough moments with composure. This left them playing off for 5th place against Spain II again. The girls finished strongly with a 4-1 win to be placed 5th in the 8 Nations competition.
Head Coach, Don Vinson, commented: “Our very young squad produced some outstanding performances, and were left hungry for more, knowing they could have progressed much further in the competition if they had played more consistently. The girls had a hugely positive learning experience and have benefited so much from the tournament experience.”
The stifling heat of southern Spain provided an additional challenge and learning opportunity for the England U16 Boys at their 8 Nations tournament in Grenada. It was a tournament of mixed emotions, but lots of positives and improvements throughout, that the boys will now take through as they continue their path towards further international honours.
The boys started well with a hard-fought loss to The Netherlands 3-2, frustrating in some regards as they led into the 4th quarter. However, knowing that their performance was able to match the Dutch gave them confidence into the next few games. Scotland was next and saw the perfect level of continual intensity and quality in the D as England ran out 13-0 winners, with Lake and Haines both scoring hat tricks and a brace to Mead and Barber. In their final pool match, against Spain, the boys tried valiantly but couldn’t create the same intensity in attack and fell to a 4-1 loss and any chance of making the semi-finals was gone.
Another blistering hot evening saw England take on the second Spanish team. Down 2-0 at half time, the boys found their groove again with an early goal to Jordan in the second half. The fourth quarter completed the comeback with 4 goals and eventual 5-2 winners. This set up Ireland for the 5th v 6th play off on the final day and despite some high-quality play Ireland got home with a 3-2 win.
“This was a tremendous tournament for the boys to experience,” said England U16 Boys Head Coach Jimmy Culnane. “International hockey challenges on many levels, so to work through a series of 5 games in 6 days and bring a high level of performance against quality opposition is an important part of their development.”
