ON March 8, after six months of hard training, the Christ College Under 18s hockey team arrived at Swansea University Sports Village for the Hockey Wales National Schoolgirls U18 finals.

The first pool match set the tone for the rest of the day with Christ College beating a very good St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School in the first pool match 1-0, with a fantastic goal from Lydia Drinkall.

Christ College then played Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni again, with Willow Ransome securing a 1-0 win. Two terrific goals from Sarah Jeffes and Katy Garrett in their next pool match against Ysgol Glan Clwyd led to a 2-1 win and their place in the semi-final secured.

The semi-final against Ysgol Glantaf was never going to be easy. During the first half of the game Christ College were awarded a short corner which saw Beth Wood score the first goal of the match.

Cerys Jones (U18’s captain) gave the girls a constructive team talk during the break and as the second half got underway, Beth Wood scored another goal leading to a win for Christ College and a place in the final versus St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School.

Tensions were high and Christ College made terrific tackles and were fast on the attack.

U18’s captain Cerys Jones made terrific saves in goal and managed to keep the score 0-0 at half time.

The second half ended at 0-0, which meant it was down to penalty shuffles - five chances at goal to score within eight seconds. Hebe Thomas, Phillipa Ogilvie, Elin Jones, Sarah Jeffes and Beth Wood took their chances at goal. Both teams at the end of the penalty shuffles drew 1-1 and had to then go through to sudden death penalty shuffles.

Beth Wood was first up and managed to get the ball past the goalkeeper and score.

Cerys Jones then took her place in goal and read exactly where her opposition was going.

St Joseph’s missed the goal by a fraction to make Christ College the Hockey Wales national schoolgirls U18s champions for the second year running with a 2-1 result.

Christ College, Brecon Goal scorers: Cerys Jones (captain), Elin Jones (Narberth), Beth Wood (Brecon), Sarah Jeffes (Sennybridge) Katy Garrett (Hay-on-Wye), Lydia Drinkall (Llanwrda, Carms) Willow Ransome (Llannon, Llanelli) Hebe Thomas (Cowbridge), Phillipa Ogilvie (Germany).