Team BC won 5 – 3 against Yeovil College in a friendly and the first mixed game of the season. Sam Beasley deputised as captain in the absence of regular captains Sean Hedaux and Kat Male. There was also a first appearance for Erin Martin, making her Team BC debut.
With Yeovil unable to field a keeper, Team BC’s Brad Palmer played in goal for the opposition, with Emily Blake in goal for BC.
Team BC took the lead through Nick Parkinson who scored his first goal for Team BC and was unlucky not to add to his tally shortly after, as a top corner effort only missed by inches. Captain Beasley was instrumental to the team, taking to the centre midfield role, was heavily involved throughout the game and was rewarded with a goal that was coolly taken, rounding the keeper and slotting it home.
Alice Fry, Georgia Western and Erin Martin were full of running in midfield and looked very good attacking from the wide areas and helped out in defence. Fry scored her first goal and Western was also unlucky not to score as teammate turned opponent Palmer denying her with a brilliant stick save.
The Team BC defence was finally breached when Yeovil counter attacked after a short corner, leaving keeper Emily Blake outnumbered three to one at the back. This left the score 3 – 1 to Team BC after 40 minutes of the match.
Amy Chainey-Lane and Lucy Derrick played well throughout making a number of solid tackles at the back, with Derrick unlucky not to score from a short corner strike. The final 20 minutes was frantic as both sides exchange four goals between them, as Connor Gillespie grabbed a goal before Yeovil scored almost instantly after the restart. It was then debutant Martin to score, sweeping in from top of the D, before Yeovil yet again pegged one back.
Team BC had a number of chances to finish the game off, with Levi Hembrow stepping up from the back to find the goal but saw his chance go wide, with Beasley selflessly setting up his teammates. The game finished 5-3.
Team BC Hockey Coach Rob Morrish said,
“I was really pleased with the performance today, we were missing a number of our experienced players, but this was a chance for some of our new players in the squad to show what they were capable of and they didn’t disappoint. I was especially pleased with the girls’ contribution throughout the game, with this being their first mixed game they certainly rose to the challenge. It was also a great team performance, with the goals being shared throughout the squad and with a number of players scoring their first goals for Team BC, this match will be a real confidence boost for them.”
In Team BC Elite Hockey’s next appearance the women’s team face an away fixture against Richard Huish Seconds, and the men’s play Richard Huish Firsts in the Cup at Home, both fixtures take place on Wednesday 21 October.
