Stokesley Ladies and Men Make History in Mixed Hockey Friendly
Date: Sunday 11th October 2026
POM: Molly
Stokesley Ladies and Stokesley Men’s joined forces for a day to remember, coming together at MacMillan Academy for a history-making mixed friendly. With the teams mixed up and the bibs on, the fixture was all about enjoying hockey together, building connections and, of course, producing a few moments worthy of the highlight reel.
The game got off to an entertaining start, with both sides embracing the opportunity to play alongside familiar faces in a new way. The natural hockey on display was a credit to both squads, with some excellent link-up play, confident dribbling and plenty of goals to keep things interesting.
Kait Newby certainly made up for her late arrival, helping herself to a hat-trick after finally making it onto the pitch. Her first goal required little more than impeccable timing, turning up and finding herself perfectly positioned at the back post to sneak the ball past Iona in goal. Sometimes, all you need is to be in the right place at the right time!
Elsewhere, youngster Lou showed that age is no barrier to leaving experienced players scratching their heads. With some fantastic close control and confident dribbling, Lou spun opponents inside out, giving a few seasoned campaigners a timely reminder that there is plenty of talent coming through the Stokesley ranks.
Abi was another standout performer, earning a few shouts for Player of the Match thanks to her class out wide. Combining brilliant dribbling with excellent passing, she caused problems throughout and demonstrated just how dangerous Stokesley can be when given space to attack.
Phil W also found himself linking up beautifully with Kait and Abi inside the D, helping create some well-earned team goals. Meanwhile, Phil R produced a series of determined runs through the middle. Although those forward surges didn’t quite result in goals, the experienced centre-back’s energy and commitment certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for everyone, however. Tom found himself under attack from all angles, with balls whizzing past his head on two separate occasions — one courtesy of Kait and another from a deflection off Chris. A reminder that, even in a friendly, keeping your head up is always advisable!
For the non-bibs side, Ethan, Chris and Sam led the attacking charge, finding the net against Stokesley 1s goalkeeper Marcus. Their combination play was so well synchronised that you could have been forgiven for thinking they’d been playing together for 30 years. The movement, passing and understanding between the trio provided a real highlight of the afternoon.
Ultimately, the result took a back seat to what the occasion represented. With players from both the Ladies and Men’s 1s sides combining naturally, sharing skills and enjoying each other’s company, the friendly proved to be a fantastic opportunity to strengthen the bond between the two squads.
The hockey was only half the story, though, as both squads headed back to The Chapel afterwards for well-earned Hog Roast, a few drinks and plenty of laughs. With stories from the pitch being shared and the banter flowing just as freely as the drinks, it was the perfect way to round off a brilliant afternoon. This mixed team is already building something special ahead of the National Mixed Cup!
With hopes of a successful run in the National Mixed Cup on the horizon, this was an encouraging first step towards building a competitive mixed side. If the chemistry, quality and good humour on show at MacMillan Academy are anything to go by, Stokesley could have plenty to look forward to.
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