THERE WAS disappointment for Nicola White as she captained England for the first time at theEuroHockey Indoor Championships which were held in Prague last weekend.
The joy that Nicola, who began her playing days at Saddleworth Hockey Club,at leading her country was tempered by a seventh-placed finish as England and France were both relegated into the EuroHockeyIndoor Division 2 which will be held in 2016.
England had to beat Belarus in their final game to avoid relegation and also secure a place at the Indoor World Cup.
“Gutted to lose crunch game against Belarus 4-3. We gave our all and I’m really proud of all the girls. We grew better and stronger every game,” tweeted Nicola who has a combined total of over 100 caps for England and Great Britain.
England head coach Jason Lee’s inexperienced side went to the European Indoors for a development opportunity, and despite finishing seventh, he was really pleased with his team’s progress.
He said: “It was obviously disappointing, but I am convinced if we came back next weekend we would be competitive at the top end of the competition such is the progress we have made over the three days.
“Nevertheless this has been a useful experience for the players and hopefully they will transfer some of the lessons to benefit their outdoor game.”
England were left to battle it out in Pool C for fifth-eighth place at the 2014 EuroHockey Indoor Championships after finishing fourth in Pool A behind the Netherlands, defending champions Germany and hosts Czech Republic. The young side needed a top six finish at the tournament to maintain their top flight status and qualify for the Indoor World Cup.
In Pool C, England beat France 3-0 and gave themselves a fighting chance of finishing sixth only to lose 4-3 ro Belarus, a defeat which sealed their fate.
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