The KHS Girls 1st XI Hockey team had the opportunity to head to a South Island Championship tournament in Dunedin in August.

This provided the girls with some solid motivation to prepare for the stronger competition that they would be facing at the end of their season. The strengths of this team were clear for anyone to see when watching their games, as they were achieving some very comfortable victories throughout their season. The girls continued to grow as a team during the Dunedin tournament, playing some fantastic hockey and taking down some strong competition. It was a tough but fun week and we finished the week on a high, coming away with a 6th place finish! Well done to everyone involved! 

Sam Creed, Manager

From the Captains:

Hockey this year has been absolutely amazing! As a team, we have improved so much over the 2020 season together. We knew that when we went to the tournament we would be ready. Tournament has been, and always will be, the best part of playing school hockey. Being able to spend a week away with the team means that you really get to know all your teammates, especially being able to get to know the younger players who have just joined the team this year. I know everyone really enjoyed spending time with time together, and us year 13s are definitely going to miss it next year!

On Sunday 30th August, the Kaiapoi High School Girls Hockey team left on their journey to Dunedin for the South Island Championship Girls Tournament. After a long drive, we finally made it to Burns Lodge in Mosgiel to set up camp for the week and prepare for the upcoming tournament.

First up, we were up against Rangi Ruru. It was a hard game, but it helped us to get our head in the tournament mindset and set up for the week and we fought harder than we thought we could. On Tuesday, we had two games lined up. First off against Taieri High, which happens to be our Coach Jan MacDonald’s old high school so as a coach and an ex-student she was torn, but we knew she was always rooting for us. That evening, we played Roncalli College and came out with our first win of the week. This game was what we needed to put us in the right mind to smash out the rest of the week. Gameday three saw the quarter-finals up against St Kevin’s College (who were also staying with us in Mosgiel!). We had a stunning game, but unfortunately didn’t come out on top. On game day four, we were up against Cromwell which ended in a draw. This game then went to shootouts, where we came out on top with a 3-2 win. As Co-Captain Emma Blackwell said, "We wouldn't have had the full tourney experience without shootouts, now we have." Gameday five saw a playoff for 5th place against Timaru Girls' High. This was an action-packed game, which kept the defence very busy, but unfortunately we came out with a loss. Overall we had an amazing week, with a 6th place finish out of 14. I couldn't be more proud of the team and it was a stunning tournament to finish on for all of us year 13s. On the way home the girls were all very quiet and it was a very sleepy ride home after an action-packed week. They are already excited for next year!

Sian Murphy (Co-Captain)

Being a part of Hockey at Kaiapoi High School for the past five years has been such a big part of my life. I have watched the team grow every year and have made some of the best memories of my life with this team. 2020 was no exception, and I can say as co-captain that the girls have given everything to the team, with lots of grit, hard work and determination throughout the season. Playing in a new competition and division this year, we achieved some good wins throughout the season, which was an amazing accomplishment and shows just how far Kaiapoi High School hockey has come. Our tournament down in Dunedin was also a highlight of the year for everyone. We had some amazing wins, some heartbreaking losses and one intense shoot out (which we came out victorious), thrown in for good measure. Overall, we finished 6th, which is an immense improvement on last year's 10th and was the best way to round of the year with this incredible team. I have made so many life-changing memories and connections with these girls, and I cannot wait to hear where 2021 takes this team.

Emma Blackwell (Co-Captain)