Boys’ Hockey Portugal Tour January 2017

The senior boys’ hockey squad enjoyed a pre-season tour to Portugal between 3rd and 8th January, returning with a winning record against some high quality teams.

Zak Jones, Head of Hockey, reports on the tour to Portugal and the team’s successes:

“Despite a very early flight, the tour got off to a good start with a particularly positive afternoon training session before the tour party settled into our base of operations for the next five days, the Hotel Amazonia Jamor. The following evening we had our first fixture of the tour against a Lisbon Casuals side that featured a number of experienced players, including a current Portuguese senior international. The boys fought hard to tie up the game at 3-3, with goals from Louis Leger, Dan Brady and a fantastic solo effort from Hugh Rayner, before an agonising late winner from the home side who ran out 4-3 winners.

The second game against Casa Pia, an educational institution that is dedicated to helping youngsters at risk of social exclusion or who have no parental support, contained a number of guest players, including the same senior international player from the night before. In a physical encounter Teddies came through 3-1 winners, with goals from forwards Louis Leger and Dan Brady, and a spectacular back-hand score from man of the match, Toby MacLachlan.

The final games saw two further victories for Teddies, with a 2-0 win over another Casa Pia XI and a 2-1 win in a highly competitive match against a Lisbon Select side, with a fine rear-guard display from goalkeeper Rob McKersie, and two more goals apiece from Louis Leger and Dan Brady in the fixtures.

Outside of the fixtures, we enjoyed a rich variety of team building activities, including a Hippo tour of Libson by land and sea, a trip to the Lisbon Oceanarium and a team surfing lesson. All in all, it was a very positive and enjoyable tour, where the squad really came together both on and off the field and much progress was made in a short space of time.”