by Clarissa Schilling
A marathon weekend of indoor hockey saw our Women’s side produce some of the most clinical attacking play of the indoor season, coming away with a strong points haul after five fixtures in just two days, and will be joining the Men’s 1s in Div 1 next season.
The weekend kicked off with a goal-fest against Cambridge University. Southgate were in relentless form, moving the ball with pace and precision to dismantle the opposition in an 8-1 rout, including goal (and celebration) of the season from non-other than Ami Robinson! It was the perfect start that set the tone for the journey.
As evening fell, the squad faced a trickier test against an experienced Old Georgians side, hungry for revenge from their previous encounter two weekends prior. Despite the physical intensity of the match, Southgate’s composure shone through. We stayed patient, exploited the gaps, and walked away with a professional 4-1 victory, ending the first day with a perfect six points.
The early rise on Sunday didn’t slow the momentum. The team delivered a defensive masterclass against Wakefield, suffocating their attack and converting chances at the other end for a disciplined 6-0 win. At this stage, the “invincible weekend” felt within reach.
However, indoor hockey is as much about endurance as it is skill. A see-saw battle against Leeds proved to be the game of the weekend. Both sides traded blows in a frantic encounter that ended 3-3, hitting the post three times in three minutes, and their goalie making some phenomenal saves. While the late equalizer was a sting, the point kept Southgate’s unbeaten streak alive, and secured promotion to Division 1 for the 26-27 season.
The final hurdle against H&W proved one step too far. After four high-intensity matches, the legs finally slowed against a clinical H&W outfit. Despite a spirited effort, the match ended in a 1-5 defeat.
With 57 goals scored and 22 points gained across the two weekends, the Women’s side has come a long way from the start of this journey when we were promoted out of the London league back in 2023. There are 7 members of the squad who have been there from that first promotion, and each year new players are joining and adding to this exciting squad oozing with potential. The group are really developing their indoor knowledge as a collective and we all look forward to seeing them step up next year. The weekend showcased the depth of our talent and a “never say die” attitude that makes the club proud.
Coachs’ Corner, Rob Schilling: “The brand of hockey we played in those first three games was exceptional. To score 22 goals across a weekend is a massive achievement for the squad and gives us plenty of confidence and lays sound foundations to build on for the future development of this squad.”
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has enabled and supported this campaign that has been years in the making. Thank you to our manger, Jonnie Robinson, for all his support and patience with us through both weekends, to Haileybury for our training facility, to Rob Schilling for coaching us and passing on his indoor knowledge and guiding us through both weekends, and to all the support both online and at the venue, led by the fantastic Simon! A final thank you also to all the players who committed to this; it is a lot of extra hockey over the holiday period, with a lot of travel. And thank you to both Ellie Robinson and Imi Swann for captaining and leading the troops so fantasticly both on and off the pitch.
