Northampton Hockey Club take on England Mixed!

Northampton Saints v England Mixed 8thJuly 2012

Score: 8-2 to England!

It was a typical English Summer’s day when Northampton Saint’s mixed squad put in a bright performance against the England mixed side. NHC gave England a hard-fought battle and even though they lost, the 8-2 score line didn’t reflect their performance. The game was stretched from end to end with excitement for all those who turned out to watch.

The two NHC goals came from the two Joe’s. Joe Colantonio opened the Saints’ scoring when the England goalie came out to attack the ball – the Saints hit the ball in and Joe was able to deflect it into an open goal.

The second goal came in from an excellent ariel from deep in midfield to Martyn Cory who took it into the D passing to Joe Kopka who took a straight strike to score.

England’s first goal came from a well-perfected penalty corner execution, a text book example of an effective drag flick, showing how well rehearsed they are and looking good for their future match against Wales in 2 weeks time.

However, during the first half, England Mixed later took the opportunity to score a clutch of goals in quick succession when the Saints slightly lost formation due to this match being the first game as a mixed team. Although Saints’ never lost their fighting spirit.

Youngster Adam Croutear (15 years old) had a strong performance and made a confident contribution. He looks set to take Saints by storm this coming season!

Northampton Hockey Club’s own Amie Hone debuted for England Mixed, the crowd let out the biggest cheer when she scored a fantastic goal for England. Showing how much she deserves her place on the National team.

After the match, the teams lined up for a friendly penalty shoot out as practice for England in their upcoming fixtures, giving both the England & Saints goalie’s a run for their money!