Fun-filled day at Carrick Junior Hockey tournament

It was very much a case of standing room only both in and around the hockey pitch at Carrickfergus Amphitheatre on Saturday when Carrick Ladies Hockey Club staged their annual Junior Club tournament for their youngest members.
Carrick players Ami Loughlins, Erin Patterson and Anna Sloan at the junior hockey tournament. Don't miss this week's Carrick Times for a full page of photos from Saturday's competition. In shops on Wednesday, April 16.Carrick players Ami Loughlins, Erin Patterson and Anna Sloan at the junior hockey tournament. Don't miss this week's Carrick Times for a full page of photos from Saturday's competition. In shops on Wednesday, April 16.
Carrick players Ami Loughlins, Erin Patterson and Anna Sloan at the junior hockey tournament. Don't miss this week's Carrick Times for a full page of photos from Saturday's competition. In shops on Wednesday, April 16.

Something in the region of three to four hundred excited young hockey players together with their families and friends packed into the popular town venue from early on Saturday morning to enjoy what turned out to be yet another hugely successful event for the progressive Carrick club.

With a full day of competition for the three age groups involved, Under-7, Under-9 and Under-11, in which the ever-growing Carrick club fielded no fewer than 12 of its own teams, there were also numerous teams also from various invited clubs namely Parkview, Mossley, Saintfield, Rainey, and Omagh.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While the primary purpose of this annual tournament is, and always has been, to provide its youngest members with a fun-filled day of hockey and associated activities, it also offers the enthusiastic young players what is, in many instances, their first ever taste of a competitive hockey game.

A few brief but heavy showers passed across the venue during the early games, but the sun shone brightly for the remainder of the day and with it the standard of hockey shone even more brightly as each and every young player threw themselves enthusiastically into their game and proudly represented their respective clubs.

Speaking after the event, Carrick Ladies senior club chairperson Christine McIlroy spoke warmly of her club’s appreciation for all of the players and parents who had attended the tournament and in particular all those from within the Club who had helped to make the day such a resounding success.

The organising committee and support workers June McMaw, Heidi Kirk, Leslie Oliver, Gillian Clarke, Christine Clarke, Kerrie Moore, Julie Oliver, and Ashley McConnell came in for special mention as did the extensive range of Carrick Ladies players who helped coach the young Carrick players throughout the season, those who umpired during the tournament, and the girls from Carrick Junior Club’s Under-15 squad who worked tirelessly as pitch runners throughout the day collecting scores and monitoring the pitch areas.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

At the end of a long but extremely enjoyable day, the winners and runners up in the three age groups were:

Under-7 Winners: Saintfield Wombats

Runners-up: Mossley Tasmania Devils

Under-9 Winners: Omagh Dolphins

Runners-up: Rainey Octopuses

Under-11 Winners: Mossley Lions

Runners-up: Rainey Panthers

Related topics: