For the first time ever, four ESMS Hockey teams travelled to Glasgow Green to play in their respective Scottish Schools’ Cup Finals on Friday 17 March. It was set to be an exciting day for ESMS with all teams playing highly competitive hockey.
For Stewart’s Melville College, the day came to an impressive end with both the S3 and first XI teams securing a win in their finals to take home the S3 Boys’ Cup and Open Boys’ Cup respectively. Our first XI defeated Loretto 3-1, while the S3 team secured a 2-1 score line against Strathallan.
The S3 final was a gripping match, with the scores even at 0-0 until the final ten minutes. Strathallan then took a 1-0 lead, before two late SMC points were scored to close the game!
The boys' first XI then faced Loretto, who beat SMC in last year’s final. The team played excellent hockey and though Loretto put plenty of pressure on the boys, SMC remained determined and focused. A last minute goal pushed the score line to 3-1 and SMC celebrated a deserved win in their entertaining final. Their success meant that Stewart’s Melville College achieved a cup double, a fantastic achievement for the School and one which the boys should all be very proud of.
Meanwhile, the Mary Erskine S3 girls’ team entered their final feeling positive after a tough cup run in which they beat George Watsons, Morrisons, the High School of Glasgow and Strathallan along the way. Their opponents in the final were Dollar Academy, and despite the majority of play and a number of corners, Dollar managed to secure a 2-1 win. The girls fought hard to the end, and showed grace and respect for their opposition throughout the day. The team should be very proud of themselves and look back on their day with fond memories.
The MES first XI also gave a top class performance in their final, played against George Watson’s College. This was a clash of the titans, as both teams have had very close results against each other all season. There was an outstanding display of hockey from both teams, but after MES conceded a penalty corner in the second half they could not even the scores, with GWC winning 2-1. Our team were committed and focused, and should be extremely proud of their improvement and development as a team this session!
Well done to all four teams for reaching their National Finals, an outstanding accomplishment.
