The Men’s Hockey Blues started the second half of the season with a friendly double header against Oxford Brookes and Reading University. In the first game against Brookes, the Blues began the game dominating possession but without much success when it came to chances: by halftime, the score was at 1-1. In a frustrating second half, Brookes took the lead with an early goal, but a Stobbart penalty flick brought the Blues back to level, ending the game 2-2.
Against Reading, the Blues maintained their possession-style hockey, creating some extremely good chances, and though they only won the game 2-1, the team looked promising going into their first league game the following weekend in Lewes.
In the Lewes match, the first half brought a multitude of opportunities, two of which were put away early in the game, asserting the Blues’ grasp on the game, going into the half at 3-0. The team put in an extremely solid defensive performance, only allowing one short corner and very few shots on goal, earning a rare clean sheet.
Continuing to pile on the pressure in the second half, the team lost some of their precision around the attacking D. Despite missing some chances, the Blues added one more to the score sheet, closing out a convincing 4-0 win.
They restart their BUCS campaign on Wednesday 22nd away to Exeter.
