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On Monday 10th March, St Michael's Colts A boys’ hockey squad travelled to Framlingham College to compete in the IAPS National Finals. With 20 teams qualifying, the competition was split into four groups of five.

St Michael's got off to a fantastic start against Cranleigh School, securing a 2-1 victory with two brilliant team goals finished by Adam J. In their second match, the boys faced a very strong Perse School side: despite dealing with immense pressure from the opposition, St Michael's narrowly lost 2-1. The team then moved to a different pitch and against their third opponents, Bishop’s Stortford Prep, conceded two early goals.

St Michael's final group-stage match was against Bilton Grange School. St Michael's began to find their rhythm on the challenging sandy pitch, scoring two well-worked goals and winning 2-1. This result placed the boys third in their group with qualification for the Plate Competition.

In the Plate Quarter-Finals, St Michael's faced Beachborough Prep and delivered a dominant performance, winning 3-0. This was followed by the Semi-Final which saw them take on Hall Grove School for the third time this season. St Michael's took an early lead with a fantastic goal and held on until the final whistle when their opponents were awarded a short corner. Disappointingly, they converted after being given two successive short corners, bringing the game to a draw and pushing St Michael's into golden goal. With neither team able to score, the match was decided by penalty strokes where St Michael's were unfortunately defeated. This result put St Michael's into the Plate third-place play-off against Cranleigh School. Back on the better-quality pitch, the boys rediscovered their free-flowing hockey from earlier in the tournament. After sustained pressure, Oliver A clinically finished a well-executed short corner, securing a 1-0 victory.

St Michael's were delighted to come away with the Plate bronze medal, gaining valuable experience throughout the day.

Commenting on the team's success, Head of Boys' Games at St Michael's Joel Thomas said: "This was the first time a St Michael’s boys’ hockey team has ever competed in an IAPS National Tournament and the squad should be incredibly proud of their achievements!"