Bacchas A win hockey's inaugural Tim Leeming Charity Shield

The inaugural Tim Leeming Charity Shield took place on Saturday and proved to be a fantastic success, providing a full day of competitive hockey as the island’s top mixed teams began their preparations for the season ahead.

Held at the NSC Astroturf, the tournament brought together eight teams, split across two pools, with players, officials, volunteers and spectators enjoying an action-packed day of pre-season action.

The event was named in recognition of former Manx Hockey Association chairman Tim Leeming, with fundraising at the heart of the day.

The day began with the two B sides going head-to-head, as Bacchas B and Vikings B played out a 1-1 draw. Kirsty Cooper was on target for Vikings and Will Wiseman scored for Bacchas in an entertaining opening encounter.

There was plenty of quality on display throughout the day, with one of the standout pool matches seeing Castletown A defeat Valkyrs A 2-0 in a well-fought contest between two A sides.

Dulcie Teare and Amy Sellors were on target for Castletown as they continued their impressive run through Pool B.

In Pool A, Bacchas A recorded a 3-1 victory over Harlequins A, despite the latter taking a 1-0 lead into half-time through Ronan Santanatoglia. Bacchas responded strongly after the interval, with Jamie Brown scoring one and Andy Whiting finding the net twice to turn the game around.

After a series of closely-contested pool matches, Bacchas A and Castletown A emerged as the respective pool winners, setting up a mouth-watering final between two of the island’s leading sides.

The final saw Bacchas A produce a commanding performance to defeat Castletown A 4-0 and lift the inaugural Tim Leeming Charity Shield.

Brown opened the scoring before Tom Lothain and Elliot Reid added further goals, with Sophie Hudson completing the scoring to secure a convincing victory and the first-ever Charity Shield trophy for Bacchas.

While the tournament provided an important opportunity for the island’s leading teams to test themselves ahead of the new season, the event also achieved its wider fundraising objective.

More than £2,250 was raised through the tournament raffle, with the proceeds being split between junior hockey and mental health charity partner Isle Listen.

Manx Hockey Association would like to thank all eight teams for their excellent performances and for helping make the tournament such an enjoyable spectacle for those watching throughout the day.

A special thank you also goes to the volunteers from Isle of Man junior hockey, who worked tirelessly as ball patrol during the tournament, playing an important role in keeping the matches running smoothly.

Finally, the association would like to extend its thanks to Zeta Global, whose sponsorship and support helped get the inaugural Tim Leeming Charity Shield off the ground.

With competitive hockey, plenty of goals, strong community support and more than £2,250 raised for two important causes, the first Tim Leeming Charity Shield has set a high standard — and provided a fitting start to what promises to be another exciting season of hockey in the island.

PAUL NUTTALL