IPSWICH School's Under-14 girls' hockey side have become the third team from the school to qualify for the finals of a national competition in the sport this year.

IPSWICH School's Under-14 girls' hockey side have become the third team from the school to qualify for the finals of a national competition in the sport this year.

Following hot on the heels of the school's U16 girls' and boys' sides, the U14s won the East Regional Hockey Championship recently.

In doing so, they became the first in their age group to achieve this feat in the school's history.

An outstanding display of team effort and unity, complemented by moments of individual brilliance and quality, booked the team a place in the National Finals which are due to take place in March next year.

After witnessing his side win all of their matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding only two in the process, Ipswich School's hockey coach Julian Halls said: “A slow start in the first game made it seem as though the day would be a long one, but like all top teams, they grew into the tournament and went from strength to strength.”

Ipswich School beat Beaumont 2-1 in the opening match, Hannah Martin scoring both goals, and went on to beat Kimbolton 3-0, with Martin achieving a hat-trick.

Against Gresham's the winning margin was 2-0, with the goals supplied by Rae Halls and Martin, as Ipswich finished the league phase as the only side to have won all three matches.

In the semi-final, against Cooper's, Coburn, the girls gave the performance of which their coach knew that they were capable, finishing worthy 4-0 winners. Martin scored again, while Francesca Tew, Lucy Dunnett and Natasha Heal-Cohen added the other goals.

The final against Sevenoaks was a tense affair with Ipswich taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Martin, who scored in every match, and Dunnett.

Sevenoaks then pulled one back and Ipswich were forced to spend a desperate 10 minutes defending their lead before a wonderful pressure corner strike from Lucy Dunnett in the dying moments finished the game in style, making the margin of victory 3-1.

Halls, Ipswich School's Director of Games, said: “My thanks go firstly to the girls for their undying commitment, secondly to their parents for the invaluable support and encouragement they give, and thirdly to Mr Will Stansbury and Mr William Williams for their considerable input, both on the day and before.”