The Jr Futsal Raiders...

...won the 2018 Canterbury Futsal Championship early March. This is the first time Middleton Grange has won the prestigious event. It was a gut wrenching final, with the boys coming through with an extra time winner to take the game 5-4. Coach Benjie Lapslie has been working with the same group of boys for two years. He has turned all their potential into results, after teaching the boys to play like Futsal players not football players. Jayden Lin (GK) and Edward Bilcliff were standout players, playing the most minutes out of everyone else in the team. The boys and management team are looking forward to focusing on their next goal, a top 4 finish at the national competition held in Wellington in late March.

UPDATE

After weeks of preparation, we headed up to Wellington with high expectations from both teams, however different goals for their respective tournaments. The Seniors were cut down with injuries and squad changes throughout term 1, and were aiming for a top 24 finish at nationals. The juniors, after winning Canterbury champs, were reaching for the same heights at the national level. Both squads reached their goals, and really stood out for different reasons. The juniors played great futsal throughout the tournament, and with the help of star coach, Benjie Lapslie, reached their goal of a top 4 finish. They fought hard in their semi final, but fatigue set in, losing concentration and giving up some easy goals to a talented Napier Boys outfit. They bounced back to win their 3rd/4th playoff 5-0. The seniors showed a hunger we hadn’t seen all season, and truly deserved their top 10 finish. Their newly appointed keeper, Ezra Muir, a standout between the sticks, helped to keep the boys undefeated in pool play. They placed 9th in the competition after beating Canterbury seed #2 Shirley Boys 3-0 in the play off for 9th/10th. Both captains, Edward Billcliff (jr) and Hiro Sanada (snr) were inspirational to their respective team mates on and off the court. They scored goals, tackled hard, and played the most minutes out of everyone on their teams. I want to personally thank Hiro for his commitment, energy, and desire to do the best he can for the school, and the sport he’s grown to love over the last 3 years. Isaac Stanton, TIC Futsal. #upthegrange #raidersfutsal