Kilgraston Hockey XI team wins

Kilgraston Hockey XI team wins

Kilgraston Hockey XI is celebrating two momentous trophy wins in two days. In a nail-biting final on Friday, the team scooped the Scottish Hockey Aspire Girls Cup winning 3-2 on penalties against Selkirk High.

Huge crowds came to the Senior Schools’ Cup final at Peffermill and at half-time the score-line remained at 0-0 despite the best efforts of both sides with Selkirk and then Kilgraston being denied a goal by the superb skills of the goalkeepers.

Into the second half and Selkirk took the lead however, Kilgraston were quick to response with Upper Fifth’s Flora equalising. Kilgraston were spurred on but were denied a goal but some great goalkeeping and a near post save.

With no more goals, the game went to running penalties. In a tense shoot-out, Kilgraston took the lead, with Selkirk equalising. Selkirk were then denied a point after Kilgraston scored a second penalty, then both sides scored giving Kilgraston a 3-2 lead. Both goalkeepers saved their last two penalties, giving Kilgraston a 3-2 victory to claim the trophy in style. What an outstanding achievement for the team.

After a heroes’ welcome back to school and barely time to pause for breath, the team were back out on Saturday for the Kilgraston Senior School Hockey Invitational.

Playing schools including St George’s, Strathallan and Robert Gordon’s College, Kilgraston won or drew all their initial matches and conceded no goals. The team then took on High School of Dundee in a make-or-break final which Kilgraston won 1- 0 to be crowned the tournament winners and add another trophy to their collection in just 24 hours.

Hockey XI captain and the team’s goalkeeper, Upper Sixth’s Tallie, part of the Scottish Hockey Brave Aspiring development squad, said: “The team has worked so incredibly hard this season but winning the Aspire Girls’ Cup and then the Kilgraston Senior School Hockey Invitational makes all the early morning training, sessions in the rain and dark nights worthwhile. “When it came down to penalties at the Scottish Hockey Aspire Cup, we had to stay strong and focused. It was not just physically exhausting but mentally exhausting too. But when I saved the penalty we couldn’t believe it.”

Vice-captain Upper Sixth’s Poppy, who plays Forward, added: “Winning the Kilgraston Scottish Schools Invitational was amazing and we knew we had to beat High School of Dundee in our last match to win. But we all believed in ourselves and our team; we knew we could do it and our coaches, Mr Stott and Miss Patton have been so committed to us and trained us so hard we are really grateful to them both.”

Photographs: David McCarthy