Hornets, Knights, Ravens claim victory on Winter Box League opening day
Reigning champions Hornets and Ravens claimed narrow one-goal victories in the respective men’s and women’s competitions on the opening day of SEMLA’s 2025/26 Winter Box League on Sunday.
Hornets took a 6-5 win over Steelheads at the Oxford Academy 3G Dome with attacker Ollie Allsop scoring four while two-time winners of the men’s competition Knights made a statement with a big 11-5 win over Capitals.
Elliot Leonard scored four for Knights and Jon Arthur grabbed a hat-trick as the team led by player-coach and England captain Tom Roche put themselves in pole position to reclaim the Winter Box League title with three game days still to play.
In a high-scoring opening match in the women’s competition, last year’s champions Ravens started as they mean to go on with a 10-9 win over Jaguars.
Perhaps most impressively, the goals were spread throughout the Ravens team with Amelia Foord, Beth Frank, and Millie Johnson all scoring two each.
Jaguars will be buoyed by their performance on the opening day despite the defeat, however, with Rosie Bathurst scoring a hat-trick of goals.
SEMLA’s Winter Box League returns this Sunday 14 December with three more mouth-watering games. For more information about the League, click HERE.
12:00 | Jaguars v Ravens
14:00 | Steelheads v Capitals
16:00 | Knights v Hornets
Hornet 6-5 Steelheads
Hornets scorers | Ollie Allsop (4G), Martin (2G, 2A)
Steelheads scorers | Ward (3G), Farrer (1G, 1A), Buchanan (1G), Lynch (1A), 99 (1A)
Knights 11-5 Capitals
Knights scorers | Leonard (4G), Arthur (3A), Lee-Whitehead (2G), Rodberg (2G), Edwards (1G), Goodfellow (1G), MacQueen (1G)
Steelheads scorers | Major (2A), Barrow (1G), Groves (1G), Krommenhoek (1G), Lee (1G), O’Mahoney (1G)
Ravens 10-9 Jaguars
Ravens scorers | Foord (2G), Frank (2G), Johnson (2G), Beaman (1G), Kabbani (1G), Racle (1G), Tufnell (1G), Greenwood (1A)
Jaguars | Bathurst (3G, 1A), Keane (2G), Ford (1G, 1A), Day (1G), Lee-Whitehead (1G), Parshall (1G), Kitson (1A)