U11B Boys' Hockey v Edinburgh Academy EA-3 L-5 (win)

Clearly this match was one where the expression 'a game of two halves' rings true. From the start, territory and possession proved somewhat difficult for Loretto to hold onto and therefore most of the action in the first half was played ten yards out from our own goal! That said, we put on the most spirited defence and time after time we fought off relentless waves of Academy attacks, only twice allowing the opposition to break through a chink in our armour. At half time both teams made small changes. For Loretto, this meant tweaking the formation to allow for more attacking play and to take advantage from whenever we cleared our lines. This strategy fortunately worked, and saw Loretto make good breaks and more opportunities to score - which we did and managed to turn things around to a well deserved victory at full time! Well done!

U10 Boys' Hockey v Edinburgh Academy EA-0 L-6 (win)

In contrast to the U11Bs, the U10s dominated the first half in both territory and possession, rarely giving the ball to the other side and regularly denying them opportunities to thread more than two passes between players. We were able to look up and around for support, and plenty of players were seen moving quickly into space to receive long and short passes from team mates. In the first half, perseverance in attack and our use of numbers up front produced the first couple of goals. Then employing our tactics of using space on the wings to make deep runs before crossing into the centre for a finishing opportunity proved to be a winning formula, earning us another 4 goals with clinical finishing. After half time and the changes, the battle became very closely fought indeed with The Academy retaliating more often and Loretto seemingly unable to answer their renewed vigour effectively, being forced instead to play defensively and hold off the opposition as best we could, leading to a goaless second half. On the whole a very encouraging performance and a well deserved win.

U9 Girls' Hockey v Cargilfield 4-3 (win)

In a fast and an evenly matched game Loretto came out on top, with a 4-3 win against Cargilfield on Wednesday. The girls played superbly, using the width of the hall to make accurate passes and communicated successfully with each other. It was obvious during play that the girls have become more aware of their positions, and are really starting to stick to their area of the pitch, allowing them to work effectively as a team. The defence was strong and Felicity, Megan and Amanda showed great determination in preventing the Cargilfield attackers reaching the goal. The midfield, Olivia and Jemima did a lot of running, and helped out both in defence and attack, making passes which allowed the attackers to score. The strikers, Porsche and Tessa played well and successfully scored 4 goals, 2 in the first half and 2 in the second half. It was a great team effort and they should be very pleased with their win! Well done girls.

U12 Girls' Hockey v Cargilfield C-8 L-2 (lost)

This was a disappointing result for the U12 girls this week. It took the Loretto side a while to get into the match and the girls seemed a little overwhelmed by the confidence and power of the Cargilfield side. In the second half however, confidence grew and we saw a good display of team work and communication particularly amongst the strikers, Sophie Ward, Erin McNamara and Venetia Smith. Congratulations to Sophie Ward who scored Loretto's second goal with a powerful strike from a penalty corner.

U11 Girls' Hockey v Cargilfield C-5 L-2 (lost)

The Under 11 team played really well this week and displayed confidence and determination throughout the match. However, despite many opportunities, they didn't manage to get sufficient strikes into the goal. A special mention to Cerys Dibble who had an outstanding match as goal keeper and to Samantha Murdoch who showed some very good skill in attack.

U10 Girls' Hockey v Cargilfield C-7 L-1 (lost)

The U10 Girls had a disappointing loss against Cargilfield on Wednesday. They have found playing on the surface of the sports hall more challenging than the astro. The defence have a lot of work to do to improve their game. There was some excellent play by Catherine and Anne. Unfortunately with no subs, with an injured player we had to call on the services of one of the U9 players. Thanks to Felicity for filling in.