The strength in depth has been ever apparent to see within the Senior teams. The 2ndXI only lost two games and the 3rdXI went unbeaten, scoring an average of three goals a game and only conceding once! The 4thXI similarly enjoyed an excellent season winning matches against Eton, Marlborough, Cheltenham and Cranleigh.
The U16s continued to make excellent progress, their passion for the sport evident in their attitude in training and endeavour in matches. While the ‘A’ team have found victories hard to come by, the progress is evident in the way they bettered previous year’s results while some superb performances led Ted (A) and Ted (G) to claim well-deserved places in the 1stXI. The team also performed well during the indoor programme, reaching the regional finals. The ‘B’ team only lost two matches, their highlight being a dogged 3-1 win against a determined Cranleigh side, while the ‘C’ team became renowned as tough to beat. They did showcase their flair by scoring eight goals in a game against Marlborough.
The team of the season was undoubtedly the U15As. For a number of boys hockey was a new sport when they arrived in Faulkner’s but a term of indoor fixtures helped them to improve technically and gel as a unit. Despite being knocked out in the ISHC to RGS Guildford the team had an excellent run of results, beating Wellington, Eton, Marlborough and Cranleigh. As a group they complement each other superbly and have all shared responsibility for driving standards in training and on the field. Elsewhere in the age group the U15Bs were particularly miserly in defence, conceding just three goals all season while the ‘C’ team only lost one game.
Our Faulkner’s pupils have enjoyed their first taste of Bradfield hockey, impressing their coaches by showing desire to learn and improve. The standout team in terms of results has been the U14D team, who only lost one game and scored 19 goals across their fixtures. While the results for the U14 A-C teams haven’t necessarily always been quite what they were wanting, the progress they have all made is very clear to see. The boys are often seen after school making the most of the College’s new warm-up area at the AWP playing small-sided games. The progress the ‘A’ team have made was apparent in their South Central Regional tournament where they lost in the semi-final to the eventual winners and, while there was disappointment to fall at that late hurdle, it was clear there has been much improvement from the players both technically as well as tactically.
