SENIOR SCHOOL

Our 1^st team began day one of the tournament with a convincing victory over Harrogate College, followed by two very hard fought matches, losing 2-3 and 2-4 in close games, which could have gone either way. The girls bounced back and won their next 3 games in a convincing fashion.

The team opened on Saturday with a comfortable 4-0 victory. Next up were old enemies, Moreton Hall, which ended in an unexpected 1-3 loss. The pressure was on! To advance to the semi finals the girls knew they must remain unbeaten in their next 3 matches.

They stepped up to the challenge and beat a strong St Swithuns team 4-0 and then achieved a fantastic 6-1 win over long time rivals, Cheltenham Ladies College. Also impressive was fighting back to get a crucial 3-3 draw in a very physical game against Marlborough College, after being down 1-3. In the semi final they were drawn against defending champions, Bedford High School. Malvern came out fired up, pulling away with a 5-1 victory, with superb goals from Lottie Van Praag.

Facing Putney High School in the final, MSJ were just 15 minutes away from being named the 2011 champions! Putney put up a good fight for the first 5 minutes, but the attack, led by Lottie Van Praag and Sophy Coombes-Roberts, took control to secure an emphatic 5-1 victory.

It is difficult to single out individuals in what was a fantastic team effort but Frankie White, Anna Baird and Miranda Mayer must be acknowledged for their solid defensive effort throughout the weekend. In the midfield and attack, Lottie Van Praag, Sophy Coombes-Roberts and Jess Wright played vital roles in the victories.

Gigi Hensher, as Captain, was inspirational especially in getting the team back up and fighting after the Moreton Hall loss. Congratulations to all the girls on a job well done!