Prep School
The favourable weather has significantly aided our sessions, and despite occasional cool temperatures, the children have been diligently working and demonstrating clear progress and understanding in our first week of the season. Saturday saw a strong turnout for our Year 5 and 6 hockey and netball sessions. It was inspiring to witness the children’s commitment to skill development, and their enthusiasm created a fantastic atmosphere to start the weekend.
A beautiful Wednesday afternoon marked the start of our match season. The girls were divided into three teams for a triangular at West Buckland and two teams at Perrott Hill. In the pleasant setting of Perrott Hill, the U11B and U10A girls showcased the skills they’ve been honing over the past week. Two closely contested matches ensued, and it was encouraging to see the girls development throughout the games. The West Buckland matches were also exciting, with our girls displaying impressive tenacity and working effectively across different positions.
The boys travelled to Millfield for their first round of matches. The U11 teams faced two strong opponents and encountered challenges with execution despite their best efforts. While there were positive aspects, such as wide play and dynamic runs, decision-making and speed require improvement. The U10 teams demonstrated excellent teamwork from the outset. Their dynamic attacks were a promising start to the season.
Senior School
Netball
Wednesday afternoon saw the first matches of the netball season for the U12A, U13A, and U13B teams. The U12A team participated in a lively tournament, playing four mini-games. With two wins and two losses, the players gained valuable experience and took away many positives to build on for future matches.
The U13 teams hosted Perrott Hill for two home fixtures. The U13A team delivered an impressive 23–6 victory, showcasing excellent teamwork and skill. The U13B match was a closely fought contest, ending in an exciting 7–7 draw.
On Thursday afternoon, the senior teams stepped onto the court for their first matches of the term against Sidcot, marking a strong start to the season.
Hockey
U16
Queen’s U16 hockey team faced Blundell’s in a thrilling opening match of the cup. The game began cautiously, with visible nerves affecting both squads and resulting in opportunities at both ends of the pitch. Ollie made several crucial saves in goal to keep the game balanced early on.
Just before halftime, Blundell’s managed to score an extraordinary goal—a deflected shot from 30 metres out that soared into the top corner, leaving the score at 1–0.
Determined to turn things around, Queen’s returned to the pitch in the second half with renewed energy and focus. Opportunities began to flow, driven by Tom’s aerials, Theo’s powerful carries, and Ollie’s incisive passes breaking through the opposition’s lines.
Despite their relentless attacking play, Queen’s couldn’t quite capitalise on their chances, and the match ended 1–0. While the result didn’t go their way, the team can take plenty of positives from the performance and will look to build on this as they prepare for their next plate match.
U13A
The U13A team faced a challenging but well-fought match against Millfield in their first outing of the season. Queen’s started strongly, creating numerous goal-scoring opportunities and forcing the Millfield goalkeeper into action on several occasions.
Despite Queen’s dominance, Millfield capitalised on two breakaway chances to take a 2-0 lead at halftime—both goals coming against the run of play.
In the second half, Queen’s stuck to their game plan, trusting the process and continuing to apply pressure. Their efforts paid off when Tom delivered a powerful strike from a short corner, firing the ball just off the ground and into the net.
Although Queen’s outscored their opponents 1-0 in the second half, they were unable to convert further opportunities in what was a positive and competitive game. The final score was 2-1 to Millfield, but the team can take pride in their strong performance and look forward to building on it in future matches.
