THE Elms School girls were crowned Independent Association of Prep Schools under-12s national hockey champions.

Youngsters from the Colwall school had progressed to Queenswood, Hertfordshire, after winning at regional level.

In the first national pool of the day, they beat Millfield, Beaudesert and Swanbourne House, while only losing to Bishop’s Stortford.

The girls were second in their group, putting them through to play the winner of the other pool in Danes Hill.

Their opponents were extremely strong, and The Elms were forced to defend with determination.

Level-headedness, the ability to cope well in a high-pressure situation and exhilarating attacking play paid off as the semi-final was won 2-1.

This put The Elms through to the final against Wycliffe School.

A nail-biting game ended with a full-time score of 0-0.

The match went into extra-time of five minutes, with a golden goal to decide the winners.

The Elms scored first to win the prestigious title and be crowned national prep school champions for their age group.