The WGHS First XI Football Team finished in 4th place at the National Tournament in Taupo. It was an outstanding effort from the girls to finish as high as they did, making it one of the best finishes the school has had at this tournament in over 20 years. It was also a phenomenal effort, considering Westlake was one of the youngest teams at the tournament, featuring four Year 10s and one Year 9!

The girls went through the group stage unbeaten, securing a draw with Takapuna and victories over Palmerston North Girls and Wellington East Girls College. This ensured the team finished top of their pool and had a Round of 16 match against Hutt Valley High School, which features three players in the Wellington Phoenix Academy and the New Zealand U16s Squad. The girls pulled off a nail-biting 1-0 win in this match, with Kiera O’Malley scoring the winning goal from a corner. On Wednesday, the girls had a quarterfinal match against Diocesan, who had beaten us earlier in the season 2-0. Westlake went 1-0 up early in the game, with Kiera O’Malley scoring yet again from a corner before Dio equalized in the second half. Sophie Thompson scored the winning goal with 4 minutes left to send us to our first semifinal in over 20 years.

Unfortunately, in the semifinal, we went down 1-0 to St Kents, who scored late in the second half. With injuries and fatigue running high, the girls struggled against a very good MAGS side in the 3rd place playoff, going down 4-0. Despite this result, the girls were extremely proud of their performances during the tournament. A special mention has to go to Ava Lewis and Maddi Day, who played every minute of the tournament. Overall, it was a very successful week for the girls and one for them all to be proud of!