Cumbria ladies are England champions

After a 700 mile round trip and four fierce challenges, Cumbria women’s senior hockey team has retained its national championship title.

At the National County Championships in Exeter on 31st May and 1st June, Cumbria drove back opposition from Yorkshire, Middlesex, Hertfordshire and finally Oxfordshire to hold on to their title and win the 2008 championship. They first won the National County Championships in 2007.

Coach Tom Leach, who is also Managing Partner at Carlisle solicitors firm, Burnetts said, “Last year’s achievement was fantastic, but this years’ success outstrips that! It was a lot tougher and virtually every game went down to the wire. Our victory was a as much a tribute to the players’ teamwork, character and resolve as their undoubted talent. We have certainly proved that last year’s victory was not a flash in the pan.” 

The Cumbria Women’s Hockey team is sponsored by Burnetts. To get involved with womens’ hockey in Cumbria, call Hockey Development Officer, Gillian Bland on 015242 76383.

Match Report

The Cumbrians had to travel to Exeter to defend their title and firstly defeated North rivals Yorkshire 2-1.

Cumbria dominated the first half and deservedly took the lead from Captain Vicky Jones’ penalty stroke after 12 minutes.

Yorkshire rallied in the second half and equalised from a penalty corner but Lisa Potter restored Cumbria’s advantage 8 minutes later.

Cumbria’s next game was against high scoring Middlesex who had previously thumped Hertfordshire  5-0.  Cumbria again dominated the early stages and took the lead with a fierce shot from Kath Sherlock.  The Cumbrians, however, were rocked by two Middlesex short corner goals within 2 minutes of each other just after half time.

Cumbria steadied themselves and Nicola Conway, who had just come on as a substitute, chipped the keeper on the reverse stick to give Cumbria a welcome equaliser to make the final score 2-2.

In their next game against Hertfordshire Cumbria raced to a 4-0 half time lead with 3 goals from Kath Sherlock and one from Megan Cook.

Hertfordshire scored twice shortly after the interval but Vicky Jones and Kath Sherlock made the final score 6-2.

The Cumbrians knew they had to win their final game against Oxfordshire to retain their title but they got off to a bad start when they conceded a goal after only 5 minutes.

Kath Sherlock and Lisa Potter gave Cumbria a 2-1 half time lead but Oxfordshire capitalised on Potter’s sin binning by equalising just after half time.

Kath Sherlock restored the Cumbrian’s lead but they were pegged back 4 minutes later from a penalty corner.

Finally Lisa Potter redeemed herself by flicking in what proved to be the winner 10 minutes from the end.

The squad included Wigton players Hannah and Kath Sherlock, Laura Raynes, Emma Hill, Megan Cook and Michelle Bowen and Carlisle’s Laura Harker as well as Kendal players Vicky Jones (Captain), Laura Morris and Nicola Martindale, Ambleside’s Lauren Wright and Nicola Conway, Windermere’s Mel Whalley, Kirkby Stephen’s Lisa Potter and Abby Bland from Casterton were also in the squad, along with Cumbria’s only national league player, the former Barrow Ladies goalkeeper Danielle Tedford.

6th June, 2008

End