ISA U11 hockey silver medallists

It was a glorious day in the sunshine at Lee Valley, London, as nine eager yet nervous Ipswich High School students took to the pitch for the ISA National Tournament, facing teams from schools across England. Joint captain Noah led by example, opening the scoring with a brilliant strike from the top of the ‘D’, swiftly followed by Ramus’ slick solo effort.
This set the tone for the morning, with joint captain William delivering some stunning reverse hits. Oli and Hugh relentlessly pressured the opposition’s defence, while Albert, Daniel, and Henry held firm at the back, offering little to the attackers and keeping Rufus largely untroubled (though his moment to shine came later). The group stage ended in an impressive 2-0, 4-0, 3-0, and 0-0 record, topping the table.

Next up were the Cup semi-finals, where a long lunch break left us slow to start, ending the first game 0-0. Penalty shuffles were needed. Fortunately, the boys had practiced the day before. William and Ramus confidently converted their shuffles, while Rufus put in a stellar performance, conceding only one goal due to an accidental backheel. The final score was 2-1.
In the final, fatigue set in, and despite their best efforts, we lost 2-0 to a faster team. The boys should be incredibly proud of themselves. They worked hard, listened to feedback, and achieved our goal of progressing in each game. Congratulations to the team for earning a well-deserved silver medal in this national competition, and special mention to Rufus, Ipswich High’s Player of the Tournament.