Another busy week on the sports fields with the girls playing tournaments and having lots of matches. The senior girls played at Sevenoaks on Friday and then had their IAPS competition which was held at Bede’s senior school. The remainder of the senior girls and the U11’s played against Ardingly and then some of the 10’s played in the 5’s Festivals at Radnor House. The junior girls had a block against Kent College, Pembury which was nice and close for the teams from both schools.
Sevenoaks Tournament
On Friday last week Holmewood entered a 1st and 2nd Team into he Sevenoaks Tournament. Both team came across lots of schools we don’t normally play which was fun and the standard was very high.
The 1st team did themselves proud and just lost out to Radnor in the finals of the Plate whilst the 2nd team won and drew some of their matches and learnt so much from the afternoon
All in all a great afternoon and very well done to all the girls who were great ambassadors for the school!
1st Team Hockey
The U13 girls travelled to Bede’s for the IAPS Regional Qualifier, working incredibly hard throughout a long and competitive day of hockey.
In the group stages, they worked hard in every match and kept each game close against some strong opposition. They began with a 2-0 defeat to Hurst, before coming back to 2-1 against Edgeborough, with Bella finding the net only to concede again and lose 3-1. Against Hazlewood, the girls battled to a fantastic 1–1 draw thanks to Millie’s goal, with Tilly showing real bravery after taking a fierce shot to the ribs and Pippa producing some excellent saves to keep the team in it. Another 1–1 draw followed against the hosts, Bede’s, highlighted by an incredible reverse-stick finish from Bella for her goal. The final group game ended in a narrow 2-1 loss to Highfield and Brookham, with Trixie adding her name to the scoresheet with an excellent finish.
Moving into the Plate competition, the girls raised their game and secured a 2–1 semi-final victory over Westbourne House, with goals from Trixie and Bella, before facing St Ronan’s in the final. Bella produced a superb individual goal, but despite their efforts, the team were edged out 2-1 after soaking up a lot of pressure in the final stages of the game.
The girls came away as Plate runners-up, getting their medals signed by England and GB international Ellie Rayer, who was on hand to offer some valuable advice for our developing hockey players. They showed great teamwork, resilience and spirit, and can be really proud of their performances against such strong opposition.
IAPS Tournament at Bede’s:
Group stages:
vs Hurst: Lost 0-2
vs Edgeborough: Lost 1-3
vs Hazlewood: Drew 1-1
vs Bede’s: Drew 1-1
vs Highfield and Brookham: Lost 1-2
Plate Knockout Stages:
Semi-final vs Westbourne House: Won 2-1
Final vs St. Ronan’s: Lost 1-2
2nd Team Hockey vs Ardingly College – Result: 3-1 loss
The 2nd Girls Hockey team faced Ardingly College in a thrilling end-to-end match, ultimately falling short 3-1. Despite the loss, the team showed great defensive strength and composure under pressure. In attack, the girls moved the ball well and created several promising opportunities but couldn’t quite find the finishing touch. Ardingly capitalized on their chances more effectively. Overall, it was a competitive and hard-fought game with many positives to take into the next few matches.
3rd Team Hockey
The 3rd XI girls’ hockey team put up a spirited fight but fell 6–1 to Ardingly who were well skilled and cohesive. Despite the tough scoreline, the team showed determination throughout the match, netting a well-deserved goal in the second half. Strong defensive efforts and moments of teamwork were clear, but the opposition proved too strong on the day. The team remains focused on learning from the experience and bouncing back stronger in their next fixture.
4th Team Hockey
Despite a 6-1 loss to Ardingly, the Girls’ 4th team showed great spirit and teamwork. With determined defending and moments of positive attacking play from Holmewood, Ardingly’s shooting ability proved decisive. Captain Ottilie lifted the side with a superb second-half goal and was rightly named Girl of the Game.
U11A Hockey
The U11A team travelled to Ardingly for a challenging fixture against a very strong side. After a brisk warm-up, the girls faced an early test in defence, with the opposition’s standout player leading a rapid attack that saw us concede three quick goals.
Undeterred, Holmewood showed great resilience and determination. Through tireless effort and intelligent play, the team began to find space and build momentum. Their perseverance paid off with two superb goals—Darcie and Ella both finding the back of the net to bring the score to a close 2–3.
Despite our comeback, Ardingly responded with renewed energy and added a couple more goals to seal the win. Nevertheless, the match was a valuable learning experience. The girls’ passing and positional awareness continue to improve impressively, and their teamwork was evident throughout.
Special recognition goes to Temi and Darcie as our Girls of the Game, though every player contributed with heart and commitment. Well done, girls—we’re proud of your performance and look forward to the upcoming match against Dulwich next week! SP
U11B Hockey v Ardingly
Won 3 0
On arriving at Ardingly, both teams took to the pitch, 7 aside with 2 players ready and waiting to rotate. A really strong start with Holmewood dominating possession and play for the most part in our attacking half. We peppered the goal with shots and were rewarded with two quick consecutive goals from Ellie after some excellent passages of play from all the team. A further goal came from Darcy in the second half. The key today was the more powerful hitting and use of space. The girls are quickly learning the importance of positioning and whichever formation was used, everyone slotted in and worked collectively. In particular, in our running back defensively to support Emilia and Flora and protecting Rebecca in goal. A really great game today.
POM Darcy and Emilia
Well Done to Fiyi, Fleur, Anna, Marsali, Ellie, Rebecca and Flora. SE
U11C Hockey
We secured a win against Ardingly, final score 3-2 to Holmewood House.
The girls played really well. Some great quick passes and making sure they were all working together to get a goal. Great team effort and some great saves from Hannah. Tamzin setting up some brilliant goals from Sofia and Tavonga. The girls didn’t give up and kept running. Well done girls. Player of the match picked by Ardingly was Florence H. EB
U10A Hockey
The U10A team delivered an outstanding performance at the Radnor 5s tournament, showcasing their skill, teamwork, and adaptability. Margot, Cecilia, Ottilie, Winter, and Maddie demonstrated excellent control throughout the day — maintaining possession, making smart use of the width of the pitch, and seamlessly adjusting to the 5-a-side format. Their cohesive play was matched by clinical finishing, resulting in a series of impressive wins:
· 2–0 vs Somerhill
· 2–0 vs Sevenoaks Prep
· 4–0 vs Hazelwood
· 3–0 vs Holden Oaks
· 3–0 vs St Michael’s
An undefeated run without conceding a single goal is a testament to the team’s discipline and determination. A superb team effort all round! KB
U10B Hockey
What a fantastic afternoon the Year 5 girls had at the Radnor House Hockey Tournament on Wednesday afternoon! They played six very exciting matches, winning one, losing one and drawing four! It was impressive to see such team spirit on the pitch and the girls really built on the skills learnt at training; each holding strong in their position and communicating effectively for the ball. There was some amazing defence, saving numerous goals and equally real persistence to score. During the course of the matches, the pace quickened and confidence grew, and the team ended the afternoon with a thrilling match against St Michaels winning 1-0. Congratulations to Alana for winning girl of the match! Well done girls! You should be so proud! LM
U9 Hockey
The U9s travelled to Kent College this week and had their first experience playing on a full-sized pitch – which meant plenty of extra running! The team rose to the challenge brilliantly, showing fantastic progress in both their gameplay and understanding of positioning throughout the match.
Congratulations to Maggie and Daisy for getting on the scoresheet, and a special mention to Iona for her tireless effort – she seemed to be everywhere on the pitch! Well done also to Skylar and Isla, who were deservedly named Players of the Match for their excellent performances.
A great step forward for the whole team – well played, girls! KB
U8 Hockey
The U8 girls enjoyed a fun afternoon of hockey at home against Kent College. With Holmewood having a larger squad, we mixed the teams and rotated the teams each quarter, ensuring everyone had plenty of game time. Our play was generally stronger, and we scored a number of goals in each of the mini matches. The girls’ dribbling, passing, and awareness of space are improving each week, and they should be very proud of their effort and performance. Well done to all the girls—we now look forward to our first away fixture next week against Dulwich Prep. SP
