In looking at the score line from last nights U15s game you would think that this was a very one sided affair with Ipswich dominating.

Yes they did dominate the scoring but they did not dominate the play as you can see from the opening paragraph their match report. “Interesting game tonight, SC torpedoes played a good game gave us a run for the whole game, which is not reflected in the scoreline. We were able to find space and get goals when in front of goal despite their excellent keeper who stopped a good deal of shots at both ends of the pitch. Our offence found it tough also against Kirsty Logan in pit defence who eventually used her 3 personal fouls and was expelled in Q4 (to the delight of the Ipswich offence, Brad and James!).”

Ipswich are saying they did not find it easy and they felt they had to work hard to win, so well done to our players who gave a 100% last night. So whilst a heavy defeat is never easy to taste we did come up against a good side who showed us how to exploit space if it is made available.

I learnt something from the game last night– in 5 years of watching water polo, and skimming the rules once I never realised a player would be excluded from the rest of the game if he/she committed three fouls. Never seen that before.

Our u15s team is built of a number of experienced players and those still learning the nuances of match play so with more experience I am sure the team will become stronger and score a hatful of goals ourselves.

SC torpedoes team. – Pheobe Vale, Robert Johnson, Faye Hermon, Rufus Church, Jess Temple, Conall Smyth, Andy Perry, Kirsty Logan, Brooke Flower, Adam Palmer.

SC torpedoes ONLY scorer!  – Rufus x 2.

So next up away to Colchester on Sunday, a chance to erase this from our memory, the home game was tight with torpedoes only losing by one goal so this encounter could go either way.

A SC Torpedoes U17s Team took the short journey down the A12  to Colchester Leisure World on Sun 30^th June to play their Eastern Water Polo League Match against a Colchester U17s side.

I like away matches, because they do allow me to spectate as parent not worrying about keeping score/timing. So Sunday’s U17s Boys trip to Colchester was a treat for me and was I was duly rewarded with an entertaining and competitive match.

A few of the regular U17s were not available on this occasion so a first competitive match for SCT at this level for three players that normally play U15s  – Rufus, James and Rob J (hence why you get my 1^st U17s match report).

The Colchester team was mostly made of boys at the higher end of the age group and a couple of their forwards Hat Nos 3 & 4 were described as ‘body builders’ by Simon . I have to agree with him on that one.

From the start Colchester used their strength to take an early 2 goal lead, Robert A then halved the lead with the Torpedoes first goal on the night, this was then followed by a period where each side traded goals as they settled into the match. Robert A added to his tally and Caspar opened his account the quarter ending with the Torpedoes only one behind 4-3.

Change of ends and off we go again, Simon opens the scoring with the first of his two goals in this quarter to level it at 4 all.  Colchester then hit the Torpedoes with  two on the trot restoring the two goal cushion at 6-4. SCT rally, goals from Simon and Caspar bring the scores level again!.  Just before the half time whistle Colchester No4 (body builder) powers through and scores to gives Colchester their slender one goal lead again at the break.

So third quarter, both teams line up for what tuned out to be the most exciting quarter of the match, nine goals in total! Some excellent passing, strong defending, quick counter attacks from both sides. I do not know how the boys kept it up.

Colchester scored first taking it to 8-6, then goals from Caspar and James levelled things again at 8 all. Tense stuff indeed!

Two more from Colchester, another from Caspar to keept us to within one goal, another from Colchester – two goal lead restored, one  from Rob J, only one goal in it yet again.

Final action of this period , the other ‘body builder’ No3 breaches our defence then scores the last goal of quarter.  So at the end of third Colchester lead 12-10.

So into the final quarter, still in the match – only two goals behind! Could SCT do it pinch a win?. It had been a tight match and very compelling up until that point – Come on Torpedoes!

Alas it was not to be Colchester appeared to have more stamina (they did have more subs) and the two ‘body builders’ began to use their physical advantage to keep procession and exploit the tiredness in our players.  Goals in this quarter from Simon, James and Caspar and the defensive heroics of whole team (Ben in goal putting everything on the line, including his face a couple of times) gave us hope but on the night Colchester were just too strong winning 17-13.

So well done to U17s, whilst not a victory it was an excellent performance and I hope the players enjoyed playing the match as much as I enjoyed watching it. So that’s it for our u17s competitive games until Sept so enjoy your summer!

SC Torpedoes U17s Team

Ben Seeley,  Robert Attwater, Rob Johnson, Rufus Church, Simon Kirby, James Leney, Dan Perry and Caspar Church.

Goal scorers:- Caspar Church – 5, Simon Kirby – 3 , Robert Attwater   – 2, James Leney – 2, Robert Johnson – 1