Loretto and Mary Erskine Schools take national titles

Mary Erskine School defeated Craigholme 3-2 in the Open Girls final. Picture: Duncan Gray.

In the Open boys’ final, Loretto scored an emphatic 6-1 victory over Stewart’s Melville College. The Musselburgh team started the onslaught when Alex Humphrey’s diversion on a Cameron Golden cross-shot put them 1-0 up in the seventh minute.

Golden added a second and, shortly after half-time, captain Joe Waterstonnetted the third.

James Stuart thought he had thrown Stewart’s Melville a lifeline with a penalty stroke,but further goals by Kyle McGhie, Waterston and Humphreys gave Loretto a 6-1 win.

Mary Erskine School won a dramatic final in the Open Girls’ event, defeating a valiant Craigholme 3-2. Emily Cross scored a dramatic winner after team-mate Hannah McKie’s double weas cancelled out by Craigholme’s Mayam Malik and Margery Justice.

In the first ever Quilter Cheviot Boys Aspire Cup – for schools developing hockey as a sport – Hermitage Academy defeated Harris Academy 6-1 in the final.

St. Margaret’s Academy were worthy winners of the inaugural girls’ Aspire Cup, defeating a determined Douglas Academy 11-0. Congratulations to Captain Stephanie Watson on scoring four of the goals. Lucy McLean and Jennifer Tait notched hat-tricks, while Eilidh Campbell was also on target.

Glenalmond College claimed the boys’ Plate final, beating Douglas Academy 4-2.

Lewis Goodfellow scored for Glenalmond in the sixth minute, only for Rory McDiarmid to equalise five minutes later. Glenalmond restored their lead three minutes before half-time, and John Stephen made it 3-1 in the 34th minute.

An Andrew McConnell penalty corner in the 41st minute pulled one back, but Jamie Arnaud’s goal for Glenalmond ten minutes from full-time made sure of the win.

Glasgow School of Sport secured a 4-0 win over Loretto in the Senior 3 Boys’ final, taking the lead through Euan Cowan in the tenth minute. Euan Cochrane extended the advantage, dispatching a well executed effort to make it 2-0.

Five minutes after half-time, Fraser Moran put further daylight between the two teams, his reverse stick shot deflecting off a defender’s stick on the way to finding the back of  the net.

In the 46th minute, Euan Cowan wrapped up the win with his second goal of the match, putting Glasgow School of Sport four goals up.

Goals by Kirsten Oag and Hannah Marchant gave Dollar Academy a 2-0 success against Strathallan School in the girls’ Senior 3 Cup.

Dollar Academy eventually broke the deadlock a few minutes before half-time when Kirsten pounced on a loose ball inside the circle to beat Strathallan goalkeeper Sarah Cameron-Sutcliffe.

Midway through the second half, Hannah doubled Dollar’s advantage, scoring with a sweetly-struck effort to make it 2-0 and ensure the silverware made its way to Fife.

Hutchesons’ Grammar completed the list of winners with a 4-2 victory over Edinburgh Academy in the Senior 3 Boys’ Plate.

The Glasgow team took a 1-0 lead into the half-time interval, Lewis McNiven the scorer. Academy responded through Jake Inglis six minutes after the break, only for Struan Walker and Rory Anderson to put Hutchesons’ Grammar back in front.

Inglis pulled one back for the capital outfit in the 55th minute, but Struan’s second goal made sure of the win.