Final Score: Stirling 4-0 Aberdeen
Venue: Stirling University, Wednesday 5 February
Competition: BUCS League Match – Men’s Hockey 1s
First Quarter:
Stirling started strong, asserting dominance with clean passes across the field and applying early pressure to Aberdeen. This set the tone for the match as Stirling battered Aberdeen in their own half for most of the match.
Their early control paid off with two goals from shorts in quick succession in the 6th and 9th minute by Just Noordzij and Robbie Forrest, putting Aberdeen on the back foot right as the match started.
Aberdeen, who began the match with only nine players due team commitments, struggled to mount any attacking threat and focused on defensive play to withstand Stirling’s pressure.
Post-match, Luc Hermsen – the teams captain – acknowledged Aberdeen’s approach, saying, “The team was laughing about it in the beginning, but everyone knows how important it is for us to have a big goal difference.”
“However, compliments to Aberdeen for staying so compact after so many opportunities we had during the game.”
Second Quarter:
Stirling maintained their high tempo, keeping Aberdeen pinned in their half for most of the quarter.
Despite several promising attacks from Stirling, Aberdeen’s goalkeeper made some crucial saves to keep the score from increasing. This was also accompanied with Stirling having numerous shorts, however despite the building pressure none ended in a goal.
Aberdeen struggled to pressure Stirling and had difficulty breaking through Stirling’s defensive line, managing only one close attempt at goal which was well saved by Stirling. Their lack of players was evident, with only two men up field when on play for goal.
When asked about his thoughts on Aberdeen’s performance Luc said, “Aberdeen was surviving, they arrived with nine players and defended the full match to keep us out of their goal.”
This was in contrast to Stirling who where able to maintain control as they could crowd Aberdeens half with players to set up plays.
Third Quarter:
Aberdeen attempted to up the tempo but remained unable to gain control, with their attacks frequently intercepted.
During the quarter Stirling player Ben Young was carded for comments to the umpire. After coming back onto play he didn’t let it affect his play as he continued to support his team.
Stirling controlled possession and play, rarely allowing Aberdeen out of their own half. Dampening the moral of the Aberdeen side.
Stirling’s technical play continued to create multiple goal opportunities, and their persistence paid off as Luke Bannerman extended the lead to 3-0 at the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter:
The start of the quarter saw Stirling go up 4-0, by Andrew Clark, effectively sealing the game.
Despite this lead Stirling never dropped the intensity, they continued to drive Aberdeen’s defence. Though Aberdeen defended strongly to prevent further goals, they were unable to create any meaningful chances of their own.
Fatigue caused by not being able to sub out caught up to them, as the team prioritised defence for the rest of the game.
With a comfortable lead, Stirling remained in control, dictating play and pressing Aberdeen deep into their half for most of the quarter.
Post Match Luc commented on his thoughts on the teams performance as well as their plan going forward:
“For us, it’s about scoring as many goals as we can due to the tight race for the title with Edinburgh Uni 2s.”
“The confidence is looking really good, as we won 4-0 and have scored five goals more than Edinburgh Uni. It will be the second most important thing after the points.”
“We plan as we always do—train hard and make sure everyone keeps their head in the right direction. We have one goal, and that is promotion.”
Feature Image Credit: Dylan Burt