GU16 First game of the season

YHC 2 - Andover 7

Today the girls played Andover away. Weather was torrential but spirits were high throughout the game. We welcomed a new player to the YHC club, Georgina Dean, and an altogether new team of girls who play for both the junior and senior section of the club. We also currently have no GK so MOM automatically went to Charlotte Payne who stepped up and went in goal, her performance was consistent and she too never gave up.

We knew today would be a tough game with an established club and team but this did not affect how the girls played at all. There was amazing simple hockey, communication increased as the game went on, encouragement and support both on and off the pitch was positive as the girls boosted each other continuously, team talks had the girls contributing areas of skill and areas of improvement and they gave it all they had.
The score did not reflect the game, an opinion shared by Andover's coach. He congratulated the girls on a game well fought right the end. In the middle of the second half I gave the girls the option of calling the game but it was unanimous, they wanted to play right to the end because the score did not matter, my mantra consistently.

Yateley scored two goals, the first from Georgina as she received the ball from three great passes into the D. The second was from Amber, coming off the back of a half time team talk and communication on the pitch. Both were fantastic goals. YHC had more attempts on goal and certainly dominated the game on the attack, those attempts will become goals as the girls work together and complete all those simple passes and execute their skills with confidence.

Thank you Dane for umpiring and Caty for coaching Charlotte in goal from start to finish. No team photo today given the weather.