We enjoyed a brilliant day under the sunny but chilly skies at Fettes for the IAPS U11 qualifiers, with a record-breaking ten teams showcasing some outstanding hockey skills.

Our journey to the National Finals kicked off with a solid 2-0 victory against Strathallan, courtesy of Arlo's first-half double. Despite a bit of rustiness, we rallied through back-to-back games against Craigclowan and St Mary's, netting an impressive total of 13 goals, largely through Arlo, Jamie and Hamish and demonstrating stellar teamwork. Unfortunately, Monty, who had been terrific on the left wing, took a stick to the mouth in our third game and had to come off meaning a bit of a reshuffle in our formation and personnel.

Facing off against the also unbeaten team in our group, Aysgarth in a tense showdown, we had lots of possession and chances but were met with formidable opposition - particularly from their goalkeeper who made a truly remarkable save early on in the game. Timothy, who had had a quiet afternoon up till now, had to be at his best to block a shot from the Aysgarth forward. Nonetheless, a last-second strike from Lochie secured a confidence-boosting win for us.

Finishing atop Pool B, we saw off Loretto in the semi-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory, setting the stage for a rematch of the 2023 Final with St Peter's.

In a tightly contested final, which had our back line of Wilf, James and Arlo working hard in defence, our nerves were settled with Jamie's early breakthrough, giving us something to hold onto at half time. A second-half goal helped give us that 2 goal cushion and substitutes Geordie and Arthur performed solidly to secure the victory and making sure there were many as possible in the squad having a part to play in winning the final.

Claiming the tournament victory amidst stiff competition was truly special, highlighting the unity and skill of the Cargilfield team where everyone contributed at some stage throughout the afternoon. As we set our sights on the finals at Cheltenham, we're poised and ready to give our best, knowing the competition will be fierce.
Thank you to our wonderful supporters on the sidelines who cheered the boys on; to the Edinburgh University 1^st XI umpire, Rory; to Fettes for organising and running the tournament so well as always; but most importantly, the boys who worked their socks off all afternoon and reaped the rewards of playing as a team throughout and preparing so well in training in the build-up to the competition - well done, boys!