Eagles U14s qualified for National Club Finals as undefeated South Region Champions and travelled to Sheffield on the last weekend of May to compete alongside the top 18 clubs in the country.
The first group stage included Teignbridge Titans and Oldham, with Eagles taking the double win with scores of 32-13 and 23-18. Topping the first group lined up Turnford and Sheffield-based DNC in the second stage to determine what placings the girls would play for on Day 2. A closely contested match against Turnford saw the girls take a 29-25 win with a determined quarter 4 performance to grind out the result. The final match of Day 1 saw every player take to court and a strong 39-9 win over DNC. The full sweep of wins placed Eagles in the top group playing for position 1-6 on Day 2.
The group stage of Day 2 lined up Essex-based Crosskeys and fellow South Region qualifiers 5 Ways. Crosskeys had taken a narrow victory from 5 Ways before meeting Eagles, creating a highly competitive match to determine who would progress to the final. Quarter 1 remained tight throughout, ending with a narrow 8-7 lead for Eagles. The girls put in a strong 2nd quarter to stretch out a 20-8 lead that proved too much for Crosskeys and finished the match with a 29-20 win.
Last match of the group stage saw the two South Region qualifiers come head-to-head. A tight and entertaining match full of mutual respect and high-quality play. The first three quarters could not separate these teams and they went into the final quarter level at 14-14. A few motivating words from Coach Lisa set the girls up for the last quarter, which they won convincingly 10-4, giving Eagles a 24-18 win and place in the final two. The girls enjoyed a post-match huddle with their southern counterparts in what was a great display of comradery among these two top South Region clubs.
The final brought together the powerhouse of the North with Champions of the South in an eagerly anticipated Kingsway Power and Eagles match up. Eagles started the stronger side pulling out an initial 5-1 lead before Kingsway got it back to two goals with a 5-3 lead for Eagles at the end of the first quarter. Half-time saw the lead remain with Eagles going into the second half 12-10 up. Kingsway regrouped and pulled out a strong quarter 3 to take a 17-13 lead. Eagles fought hard but couldn’t quite close the gap and the match ended with a 23-17 victory for Kingsway Power.
Silver medals for this super squad and strengthened determination to build on everything achieved and the positive experience to come back at U16s to compete amongst the best.
