BRAMHALL WIN U15 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
The ENG U15 YNPL Championship Finals, a momentous occasion in youth sports, occurred at the esteemed Oxstalls Arena in Gloucester on May 12th. This event marked a significant milestone for numerous clubs, propelling them closer to the highly coveted YNPL Grand Finals.
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Quarter Finals
The quarter-final got underway with Wyre easily winning against Team Beds, who were severely understrength. AP Saints, the top seed from the South, took on a wild card entry in Hucclecote. Due to teams not attending, Hucclescote took their place and was unknown to all the teams at the event due to not playing in the league this season. The game started pretty even, but AP Saints struggled with the Hucclecote attack and found themselves two points down at half-time. AP Saints needed to think of an alternative way to try and get some much-needed dominance, especially in breaking down the Hucclecote attack. Still, as the second half began, it was clear the only team getting more assertive and dominant was Hucclecote, who went on to win the game comfortably. Bramhall, the top seed from the North, brushed aside Sutton Town, and Little Sutton, who was winning up to the final quarter against Northwich Sapphires, managed to throw away all their hard work after Northwich came out in the final quarter all guns blazing to take the win and a place in the semi-finals.
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Wyre NC (32) Vs Team Beds (15)
Hucclecote NC (31) Vs AP Saints (26)
Bramhall NC (26) Vs Sutton Town (13)
Northwich Sapphires (31) Vs Little Sutton (26)
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Semi-Finals
Next up for Hucclecote after their surprise win over AP Saints was Wyre NC. Wyre has been competing in the league for several years and had enough experience to overcome Hucclecote despite their impressive win against the AP Saints. However, Wyre had yet to see why the AP Saints lost to Hucclecote and fell foul of their impressive attacking play and their Wing Defense's fantastic play, which constantly broke down attacks. Throughout the game, Wyre struggled to cope with the feeds into the circle from Hucclecote, and the unpredictability of our wildcard entry once again claimed another victim. Hucclecote was through to the final after a straightforward win.
Bramhall, who won their first game in impressive style against Sutton Town, faced Northwich Sapphires. Both sides got off to a good start, with the match going goal for goal in the first quarter. In the second quarter, the game started to unravel, with the incredible Freya Buckley dictating the play in the mid-court and the Bramhall shooters paying her the best compliment possible with constant goals. After an impressive second-quarter performance, Bramhall went from strength to strength and recorded a brilliant victory.
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Results
Bramhall NC (28) Vs Northwich Sapphires (18)
Hucclecote NC (30) Vs Wyre NC (20)
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5th-8th Play-Offs
AP Saints (24) Vs Team Beds (13)
Little Sutton (23) Vs Sutton Town (18)
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7th-8th Play-Off
Team Beds (26) Vs Sutton Town (14)
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5th-6th
AP Saints (18) Vs Little Sutton (15)
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3rd/4th Play-Off
Wyre NC took on Northwich Sapphires in a momentous game for the Lancashire side. This particular Wyre team was one of the pioneers of this league, and this would be their final game within the YNPL. After all the ups and downs of the previous years, their last game was going to end in dramatic style. With the score level with seconds to go, Wyre found themselves able to win the game with the last shot of the game. The shooter calmly lined up the shot, and it went straight into the net to give Wyre the best possible ending to an incredible time within the YNPL.
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Final
Both finalists had no trouble getting to this stage after convincing wins. Bramhall was the competition favourites coming into this but faced the unpredictable Hucclecote side, which was causing a stir due to their wildcard entry. Both sides started brightly, and Hucclecote stuck to its tactic of getting the ball to its tall shooter. It worked initially in the first quarter, but the Bramhall coaches knew they had to restrict Hucclecote from feeding the ball as often as they had done in the previous games. As the second quarter started, the Bramhall mid-court did an excellent job of suffocating the Hucclecote attack. This led to Hucclecote being unable to feed their shooters, and Bramhall began to run away with the game. Once again, their mid-court magician, Freya Buckley, was instrumental in this process. Her ability to build the attacks and contribute to the defensive work was incredible. Bramhall won the game with relative ease and was crowned the U15 YNPL Championship winner.
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Result
Bramhall NC (32) Vs Hucclecote NC (15)
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MVP: Freya Buckley (Bramhall NC)
All-Stars: Caitlin Campbell (NW Sapphires), Mollie Jenkins (Wyre NC), Ella Everett-Morris (Hucclecote) Ella Smith (AP Saints NC), Freya Buckley (Bramhall NC), Imogen Fay (Team Beds), Daisy Higgins (Sutton Town)
