DEVON Hockey organised a one day festival involving high calibre junior U14 girls’ teams from across south west Devon, an event that Tavistock Hockey Club had not entered before.

With the holiday season and the different school term timings, it was a challenge getting enough players available to take part. However, the Tavistock U14 girls managed to register in with just enough players to form a squad and that proved to be a worthwhile effort.

Battling the freezing wind at the Plymouth Marjon Hockey Centre, the seven Tavistock youngsters ploughed through the two hour non-stop tournament and finished top of the leaderboard, achieving five wins and a draw, scoring 21 goals and conceding only two.

Such a performance would not have been possible without the total determination of the girls, playing together in unison and putting team before self.

The scores stand witness to a balanced combination of the team’s high skills in attack, defence and goalkeeping, being the perfect recipe for achieving this success.

This performance is not a one off though, as this same 12 players’ strong U14/15 Tavistock girls’ hockey team remains unbeaten since the start of the season in the equally challenging and highly competitive Devon Junior Hockey fixtures.

Ralph Rizk from Tavistock Hockey Club said: ‘What is as important — if not more — than winning, is the friendly atmosphere and warm spirit that bonds our small town’s team.

‘Egos are always left outside the pitch and the players look after and encourage each other to do their best regardless of their level of competency or the length of time they has been playing with the club. 

This is without a doubt due to the ethos driven by the coaches and club officials across all the club‘s ages and levels.’