By Mrs Mason-McLeod (Director of Sport)
The BGS U19A team competed in the South East Lacrosse Finals at Surrey Sports Park on Saturday 31st January, beginning the day in a morning section featuring LEH, Putney and St Albans. After a series of closely fought matches that did not quite fall our way, the team finished fourth in the section.
This placed BGS into a challenging first-round knockout fixture against section winners St Catherine’s. The game was hotly contested, with BGS showing excellent resilience and attacking intent. Impressive goals from Harri Scar and Rhianne Noor helped keep the scoreline tight at 3-2 at half time. In the second half, St Catherine’s found a new rhythm and secured centre draw possession on numerous occasions, eventually pulling away to win 9-3. Despite the result, the intensity and quality of lacrosse displayed by BGS was extremely encouraging.
The defeat moved BGS into the Trophy competition, where they faced Putney for the second time that day, having narrowly lost 4-3 to them earlier in the group stages. The team entered the match with real belief and made an outstanding start, racing into a 3–0 lead within the first five minutes. Goals from Esmee and Alice Challacombe reflected the sharp attacking play and confidence within the squad. Putney responded strongly, however, and brought the game back to 3-3 by half time.
The second half was end-to-end and highly competitive, with both teams creating chances. Unfortunately, Putney capitalised on their attacking opportunities and secured a 7-4 victory. Despite the result, BGS showed significant growth in composure, teamwork, and attacking combinations.
Lucy Nissen deserves particular recognition for her outstanding performances in goal throughout the competition, especially as she has only recently returned to the position following a broken wrist in December.
Looking ahead, BGS face St George’s this weekend at Cople Fields. As the team heads into the half-term break, they are in a very strong position, with clear progress made and attacking partnerships beginning to form effectively. After half term, increased daylight will allow for more pitch-based training, alongside two further fixtures against Haberdashers’ Girls’ School and North London Collegiate School.
National Finals will take place on Saturday and Sunday 7th- 8th March, and the squad is very excited about their prospects. The tournament provided excellent preparation, and the team continues to develop well as they build towards this key event.
View photos here.
