The Macleans First XI Girls Soccer had a fantastic season.  Early on in the year, they travelled down to Rotorua to compete in the Western Heights pre-season Tournament and they returned victorious.  The tournament consisted of twelve teams and the girls had a grueling programme having to play eight games in just three days.  However, they managed to overcome fatigue, they battled superbly and played some attractive football which saw them win the competition to claim their first trophy, beating Tauranga Girls 3-1 in the Final. 

Macleans’ league season started soon after as they competed in the Couties Manukau Premier Division playing Howick, Pukekohe, Papatoetoe, Waiku and Rosehill.  They again were successful topping the league with five wins from five games to qualify for the final.  Unfortunately, the final was lost to an extra-determined Howick team.

The league position qualified us for the Auckland Provincial Championship – a knock-out competition against the best Secondary School teams in Auckland.  After a third placed finish in last year’s competition, hopes were high, but sadly the girls lost in the second round to Auckland Girls Grammar after a penalty shoot-out.
However, during all this Macleans still managed to qualify for the New Zealand Secondary Schools National competition in Napier with a convincing 5-0 win over Rangitoto.

The National Tournament boasts the best 28 Secondary School teams throughout the country.  Entering the competition as underdogs and an “unknown” to the other teams we set ourselves a realistic goal of finishing in the Top 8.  Our first game was a tough encounter against local rivals Avondale, who finished 4th in last years National Tournament.  We went in with a determination to prove ourselves at this level, and came away with an excellent 2-1 win.  With our heads held high, we kept up our great football and came first in our pool, with 3 consecutive wins. 

The Second Round saw us continue our good form with another win and two draws to remain unbeaten in 6 and gained us qualification for the Quarter-Finals, were we sadly lost 3-0 to St. Peters (Cambridge).  

Our final game was against Hillcrest for 5th/6th place, which we narrowly lost 1-0.  It was another gruelling contest playing 9 games in just 4 days, with 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses.  The highlight of our tournament was beating Dioceson, who were confident of victory having won the APC.  Most Valuable Player of the tournament was Mikaela Garland.

Winning the Western Heights Tournament, Winning the Counties Manukau Premier Division, Qualifying for the Second Round of the Auckland Provincial Championship and Finishing 6th in New Zealand is a fantastic achievement for the girls and they should be thoroughly proud.  Overall it was the most successful season ever for the Macleans Girls First XI Soccer!

Macleans Girls First XI started the season with a well-earned victory. A dominant performance by the girls who had to work hard to break down a very defensive Pukekohe side to eventually come away with a 3 - 0 win.  Mikaela Garland scored the first and Gabi Bryce followed with a brace.  Player of the Match was Eleanor Glenton.

Macleans Girls First XI Hammered Waiuku 6 - 0 yesterday afternoon.
A determined and powerful display saw Macleans easily win at Waiuku College.  From the first whistle Macleans set a high-tempo in defence denying Waiuku’s players time and space resulting in a third successive clean-sheet.  Hannah Donoghue didn’t have a save to make due to the superb team performance in front of her.  Bronwyn Retief, Sophie Elwood and Katie Patterson were marshalled brilliantly by Alex Eastwood at the back.  The midfield quartet of Hollie MacDonald, Harriet Copeland, Eleanor Glenton, Jane Rumble (and Christy Carr) ran the show, snapping into the tackles and showing composure on the ball.  Captain Kirsten Millen was the driving force in the second half as the team spread the ball majestically in attack, creating chance after chance as the front line ran the Waiuku team ragged.  Sarah-Jayne Phillips and Sibahn van Heerden also came off the bench and continued to impress.  Goals were scored by Mikaela Garland 2, Gabi Bryce 2, and Siobahn van Heerden 2.
Player Of The Match was Kirsten Millen.

The team maintains their excellent run with another win and another clean sheet.
A high-tempo start saw the girls race into the lead through great use of the wings with Christy Carr and Jane Rumble challenging the Papatoetoe fullbacks. Superbly taken goals from Gabi Bryce and Mikaela Garland (2) saw the game end as a contest after just 15 minutes when it began raining and the opposition reverted to an ultra-defensive style which stifled the attack as the game petered out. Harriet Copeland’s distribution was fantastic from the middle of the park, spraying the ball continuously into the wide players and she was deservedly Player of the Match.

Macleans beat Rosehill 5-3 in a tightly fought contest.
The Girls First XI overcame the toughest opposition we’ve played this year on Wednesday afternoon.  A high-tempo start saw the girls race into a 4-0 lead through goals from Alex Eastwood, Gabi Bryce 2, and Kirsten Millen.  However, a lax approach after the initial good start allowed a determined Rosehill back into the game.  At 4-2 Rosehill enjoyed a good spell putting a lot of pressure on the backline and forcing Hannah Donoghue to make some excellent saves.  Mikaela Garland scored our fifth which sured up the game, even though Rosehill managed to get a third.
Solid performances by Lee Hunter and Bronwyn Retief in defence kept Rosehill at bay.
Player Of The Day goes to Bronwyn Retief.

Macleans Girls 1st XI top the Counties Manukau Premier Division following a 2-1 win over local rivals Howick.
In a tight game Macleans broke the deadlock with a looping header from the edge of the box by Gabi Bryce following a pin-point free-kick taken by Kirsten Millen. Macleans then had some defending to do with Howick piling on the pressure and striking the foot of the post before Alex Eastwood connected beautifully with a volley from a Millen corner which was cleared off the line.  Mikaela Garland also hit the cross-bar with a strong header and at half-time we were 1-0 up. Howick continued to play direct and eventually got their equaliser midway through the second half.  Macleans responded superbly and Gabi Bryce completed a Player of the Day performance grabbing the second with a well-driven left foot shot. A brilliant effort with five wins from five games.

Macleans Girls First XI Suffer Setback.
The First XI lost 3-1 to a determined Howick in Wednesday’s Counties Manukau Premier Final to end what was a fantastic run of victories.Macleans played some attractive football in the first half, toying with the Howick backline in an attempt to lure them out or their defensive tactics, but it was Howick who took the lead with a breakaway goal from a cleared Macleans corner.  1-0 down at halftime required extra resolve and fight from Macleans to get back into the game, and a wave of pressure saw us create a few good chances, but luck was not on our side and we failed to convert.  Howick’s lead was doubled before the girls pushed even harder to force an own-goal with ten minutes to go.  However, we couldn’t make the pressure count and yet another series of errors led to Howick restoring their two goal lead virtually from the kick-off.  Unfortunate – but that’s football!
Player Of The Day was Mikaela Garland who showed true character and grit from start to finish, enjoying the challenge of strong opposition.  An example to be followed going into the APC and National Playoff.

Girls Soccer to National Tournament.
The Girls 1st XI Soccer confirmed their place as one of the 24 teams to enter the New Zealand Secondary Schools National Tournament in Napier following a 5-0 win over Rangitoto.
Macleans produced a fine display which was a convincing response to last week’s loss. High-tempo pressure and controlled attacking play saw Macleans dominate all areas of the pitch from start to finish.  Siobhan van Heerden’s pace constantly caused panic in the Rangitoto backline and helped us to regain possession deep in the opposition’s half. Energy on the wings from Christy Carr and Jane Rumble (Hollie McDonald) helped drive Macleans forward relentlessly creating chance after chance. Mikaela Garland scored the first giving Macleans a 1-0 lead at half-time. The girls didn’t allow Rangitoto any breathing space and kept piling on the pressure (something that’s been missing in previous games) and Macleans benefited early in the second half with goals from Kirsten Millen and Jane Rumble. The partnership of Harriet Copeland and Sophie Elwood ran the show from the centre of the park and were the personification of power and composure. When Rangitoto did manage to get beyond our midfield, they were soon stopped in their tracks by a very solid defence of Lee Hunter (Bronwyn Retief), Alex Eastwood and Eleanor Glenton, who could also rely on Hannah Donoghue behind them in goal. Gabi Bryce came off the bench to score two. Player of the Day was deservedly Sophie Elwood, patrolling the field menacingly and unluckily striking the cross-bar from distance.

Girls Lose in Penalty Shoot-Out
Macleans Girls 1st XI Soccer lost their Auckland Provincial Championship game to Auckland Girls’ Grammar 5-4 on penalties on Wednesday night. The game was the start of the knock-out fixtures in the APC and would have resulted in a quarter final tie with Diocesan. Macleans took the game to AGGS from the outset with a high-tempo pressing game which hurried the opposition and forced them into a direct style of play which rarely troubled our backline of Lee Hunter, Alex Eastwood and Eleanor Glenton, who were completely solid and composed throughout. Another awesome display from the midfield partnership of Harriet Copeland and Sophie Elwood saw Macleans dictate play and continually won back possession and pushed forward in waves. However, Macleans couldn’t manage to play to strength and were unable to use the width and pace which normally sees the creative best down the wings, and chances were limited. Mikaela Garland and Siobhan van Heerden chased all game, but the supply to them lacked the quality. Hannah Donoghue was fantastic in goal. She was quick off her line and showed safe hands when dealing with crosses which helped maintain another clean-sheet and saw Macleans go into extra-time with the score tied at 0-0. A very exciting period of extra time saw both teams create match winning chances and Hannah made more vital saves, tipping round the post at full stretch and flicking a goal-bound shot over the cross-bar right at the death. With the score still at 0-0, Macleans went to a penalty shootout. After the initial five kicks each, the teams were still tied at 4-4 and the team had to go into “Sudden Death”. Hannah Donoghue completed her Player of the Day performance by saving two of the AGGS penalties, but sadly it wasn’t enough with a 5-4 loss. Macleans will take part in the national tournament later in the season.

Girls First XI Soccer Beat Carmel
Macleans won 3-0 in horrible conditions on Wednesday evening.  The weather played a considerable part in the APC Playoff game with the rain hammering down and huge puddles preventing a passing game and producing more of a battle.
Harriet Copeland yet again dominated the midfield with high-tempo pressurising and hard tackling and the front line of Gabi Bryce and Siobhan van Heerden caused the opposition’s defence constant trouble with their lightning speed, yet failed to convert any chances with the score 0-0 at Half-Time. The Second-Half saw Macleans play more like they usually do as we started to control the game and push forward in waves of attack.  A free-kick on the edge of the penalty area was powerfully converted by Sophie Elwood, hitting the top corner of the goal to break the dead-lock.  A second goal followed with a low drive by Christy Carr that beat the goalkeeper at the near post.  Carmel managed a few shots of their own, and Hannah Donoghue again made some fantastic saves at full-stretch maintaining another clean-sheet.  The scoring was rounded off with a 25-yard screamer from Kirsten Millen.
Player Of The Day goes to Siobhan van Heerden with her relentless chasing providing a threatening outlet for Macleans.

Macleans Girls First XI Soccer lost 3-2 to Westlake Girls.
A very lacklustre performance from Macleans saw them lose the 9th/10th place APC Playoff last night on the North Shore.  From the outset we played without any urgency, the pressurising was non-existent and mistakes aplenty and Westlake, to their credit took full advantage. Westlake took the lead with a dubious goal.  The striker was in an offside position when they received the ball, and Goal-Keeper Hannah Donoghue looked like she’d done enough to prevent the ball crossing the line, but the referee gave a goal and we went in 1-0 down at Half-Time. After a few harsh words during the break, Macleans were a little more fired up and began to pile on the pressure winning a series of corners.  Unfortunately, the girls were unable to convert any of the chances, and following yet another lapse in concentration, Westlake broke away after clearing our corner to score the second.
The forward line of Gabi Bryce and Siobhan van Heerden again chased all night and tried to make the best of the scraps they were fed, and with good support from Hollie McDonald and Mikaela Garland, they managed to combine well to put van Heerden through on goal who scored with aplomb to get us back in the game.  However, this was short lived as a lack of awareness allowed a Westlake player to win a header from their corner unchallenged and restore their two goal advantage.
Bryce and Garland combined nicely again with Mikaela scoring a 25 yard screamer with her left foot, looping the ball over the keeper right at the death, but the final whistle followed immediately after.  This was quite easily the worst performance from the Macleans First XI this season with poor concentration, no communication and a lack of motivation meaning that we were only a shadow of the team we can be.  Hopefully the attitude will be improved before the National Tournament in Napier.
Player of the Match goes to Mikaela Garland. 

The Macleans Girls First XI Soccer Team has had a great season so far.  Early on in the year, they travelled down to Rotorua to compete in the Western Heights pre-season Tournament and they returned victorious.   The tournament consisted of twelve teams and the girls had a grueling programme having to play eight games in just three days.  However, they managed to overcome fatigue, they battled superbly and played some attractive football which saw them win the competition to claim their first trophy and set them up nicely for the rest of the season. 

Macleans league season started soon after as they competed in the Couties Manukau Premier Division playing Howick, Pukekohe, Papatoetoe, Waiku and Rosehill.  They again were successful topping the league with five wins from five games to qualify for the final.  Unfortunately, the final was lost to an extra-determined Howick team.

The league position qualified us for the Auckland Provincial Championship – a knock-out competition against the best Secondary School teams in Auckland.  After a third placed finish in last year’s competition, hopes were high, but sadly the girls lost in the second round to Auckland Girls Grammar after a penalty shoot-out.
However, during all this Macleans still managed to qualify for the New Zealand Secondary Schools National competition in Napier with a convincing 5-0 win over Rangitoto – a competition which the school has never previously qualified to enter!  The girls will be traveling down to Napier on the 13th August as one of the best 28 Secondary School Teams in the country, and hopefully will rise to the challenge of strong competition and play the football that they are capable of.

Top Row: Mr Kirk, Ms Robinson, Lee Hunter, Harriet Copeland, Sarah-Jayne Phillips, Hollie McDonald, Katie Patterson, Courtney Tremewan.  Middle Row: Bronwyn Retief, Riyah Jassat, Christy Carr, Alex Eastwood, Sophie Elwood.  Bottom Row: Jane Rumble, Kirsten Millen (Captain), Mikaela Garland, Hannah Donoghue, Gabi Bryce.  Absent: Eleanor Glenton, Siobhan van Heerden.

Girls 1st XI Soccer 6th in New Zealand

Girls 1st XI Soccer Beat Carmel

Girls Soccer to National Tournament

Girls Soccer Faces Tough Opposition

Girls Soccer at Top

Tight Competition in Girls Soccer

Girls Soccer Victory