A thrilling display of indoor hockey saw the Ipswich School U18 boys lift the national championship trophy, with an inspired performance across five games resulting in a victory in the final against Whitgift School.
The boys saw triumphs over Yarm, St George’s College Weybridge and Repton School, before a return meeting with Whitgift in an exciting final. The squad of 11 were faced with a dramatic ending as their 1-0 lead was extinguished in the dying seconds of normal time, leading to a penalty shoot out.
However, Ipswich remained calm under pressure, slotting home 3 flicks to beat the opposition 3-1, and taking the top spot in this Super 6s event. Team captain Ben H was also the top scorer in the finals event, with 6 goals scored for Ipswich.
Mr Edmondson, Director of Sport, said: “The boys have developed their skills over the last three years and it is credit to them and the staff. The most valuable asset they had was belief, and they used this to unite as a team and emerge victorious over strong opposition from across the country with steely determination. Well done to them all!”
Headmaster Mr Weaver added: “I know the boys and their coaches have worked tirelessly to get to this position, and we are delighted to see this pay off in a spectacular fashion. We were able to watch the tournament back at school via a livestream, and to see them play with so much skill under such pressure was a great opportunity for us all.”
Hockey at Ipswich School has a rich history of success which continues to go from strength to strength in recent years. Six of this U18 squad played together while at Ipswich Prep, where they were county champions in 2016. Four Old Ipswichians – Hannah Martin, Harry Martin, James Gall and George Pinner – were members of the GB senior hockey squads who travelled to the Tokyo Olympics, with Hannah winning a bronze medal. Looking to follow in their footsteps, current pupil Amie H in Year 10 has just been selected for England Hockey’s U16 girls squad.
After winning all three County Cup titles last term at U11, U13 and U14, our U13 girls and U14 girls hockey team are also training hard for their upcoming National Outdoor Finals and aiming to secure further titles for the school.
