RECORD-BREAKING LACROSSETRIUMPH

Moreton Hall’s Senior Lacrosse team are celebrating after an extraordinary season which saw them crowned runnersup in the National School’s Lacrosse Championship, the firsttime in the tournament’s history aschool from the north has made it to the finals.

The highlight of the national lacrosse calendar,many larger schools from the south of the country traditionally dominate this Aldershot-based prestigious tournament, fielding teams with an army of substitutes on standby to step in during agruelling 48 hours of lacrosse during which the teams making it to the final will have played 13 matches. Moreton Hall’s First Lacrosse team, aDavid amongst the Goliaths, played for the duration with just three substitutes and with pupils as young as Year 10 against teams dominated by sixth formers.

Watching Moreton Hall walk onto the field for their match against St Catherine’s School, Bramley,anapplauding spectator hailed them as ‘the Queens of the North’: an epithet the Moreton Hall team are delighted to adopt. Cheering from the sidelines at the tournament in Aldershot, parent Ruth Longfellow said: “The girls were amazing, they grew in confidence and as ateam throughout the two days, so by the time we reached the knockout stages on Sunday,they had it sorted. Calm and collected, they played their game, at their pace, in defence, midfield and attack and looked completely in control to reach the final.”

Parent Heather Pickering who had two daughters in the squad added: “Day two was an absoluterollercoaster of emotions and energy levels, especially with two matches againstold ‘frenemies’ Bolton and Shrewsbury,where thankfully we were triumphant. The girls’ team spirit and fellowship was so lovely to watch for asquad spread across four school years. Words cannot convey how proud the parents are ofour Mighty Moreton 1st.”

First Lacrosse team captains Georgia Thomas and Laura Hayton-Lee, aware of their place in National Schools Lacrosse history,said: “Second in the country places Moreton higher than any northern school has ever reached. We’re incredibly proud of our team and of our phenomenal coach Miss Lewin; she is both our voice of reason and our loudest cheerleader

“Although every member of our team played spectacularly we feel it would be remiss not to mention Emily Fearne, a15-year-old goalie, who effortlessly blocked the shots of 18-year-old England players time and time again.”

Coach Lulu Lewin reflected: “Everything we’ve worked on all season came together and they played with commitment, composure and courage and the Moreton magic –this is agreat achievement… anditwas so close!”

Moreton Hall Principal Sarah Davis commented: “The starkcontrast of how small Moreton was in terms of team numbers was so evident as other teams ploughed on with (whole team) subs. Andyet the girls played with aconfidence and skill which was wonderful to see. It was such an historic weekend for so many reasons. Iwas incredibly proud of everyone involved.”