The spoils are shared in annual tournament

This year’s tournament was held at the new astro-turf facility at Rugby Avenue, and the sun shone all morning on the 11 participating schools, and their supporters. This year’s entry reflects the growth and interest in hockey in the Coleraine Area.

The tournament was played in two sections with the section winners and the runners-up progressing to the semi-final stages. Section A was won by Portrush Primary, who played the runners up in section B, the DH Christie Memorial. Section B winners were Portstewart PS, and they played their semi-final against a very enthusiastic side from Milburn Primary School.

In the section B semi the experience of Portstewart players became evident and they booked their place in the final. The second semi-final, a much more keenly contested affair, ended in a draw. Following a tense penalty shoot-out, DH Christie eventually secured their place in a repeat of last year’s final.

The final between Portstewart and DH Christie was very exciting with both schools having their chances in the dying moments of the game to secure the trophy outright. The final result, however was the same as the previous year and both schools shared the trophy.

Organiser, Mrs Nicky Smyth was delighted with the skill and enthusiasm of all the girls who took part. She thanked all the travelling staff and parents for their commitment to coaching and supporting their pupils. She also encouraged the girls to join their local hockey clubs to help develop their game and interest in the sport, although it was very apparent that many of them were playing hockey outside their school time. The future of Hockey in the Coleraine district looks very promising.