The Under 18 Girls have reached the final of the National Indoor Hockey Championships after an exciting series of group games and a tense semi-final, but the U18 Boys just missed out by the narrowest of margins.

The girls qualified for the final rounds, held in Sheffield on Sunday 17th January, as Surrey and South champions. In the group stage of the finals they beat the Coopers' Company 2-0, Wakefield High 4-2 and Bromsgrove 4-3, and drew with the mighty Millfield 3-3, which saw them through to the semi-finals as group winners.

This was the stage at which they went out last year as defending champions, and the girls were determined to erase that painful memory this time around. Tormead were doughty opponents, but a thrilling match ended with KGS triumphant at 5-2. They were through to the final!

The boys, meanwhile, beat Millfield 8-5 and Hall Cross 5-0, drew with Repton 3-3 but lost 0-5 to The Perse in their group games. They failed to qualify for the semi-finals by dint of having scored one goal too few - a cruel blow. Head of Hockey Mr Buttanshaw was upbeat in defeat, though. 'It was terribly bad luck for the boys,' he said, 'but they did fantastically well to get to the final stages and I am proud of the way they played today - they really went for it and I still can't quite believe we were just one goal short of making the semis.'

Miss Brown, the girls' coach, was delighted to be back in the final of a tournament the girls won in 2008. 'I was thrilled by the way the girls played today,' she said, 'and we go into the final with real confidence.'

The team KGS face in the final, Repton, will provide stern opposition, though. The outdoor champions for the last five years - since KGS last won, in fact - will not be easy to beat, but Miss Brown is positive about her girls' chances. 'There is a real conviction about this team and the way they play,' she said, 'and there is no reason why they can't repeat the tremendous feat of two years ago and bring the title back to Kingston.'

The final will played at Nottingham on Saturday 30th January. Support would be very welcome - please see Mr Buttanshaw or Miss Brown for details.