Newcastle Vikings’ women’s and men’s teams both scored convincing North East friendly league wins over the University of York on Saturday at Temple Park Leisure Centre.
The Vikings ladies took the opportunity to give under-16 half-player Zoe Barber a first run-out in the senior side and club debuts to new back-court players Caroline Steinhagen and Ingvild Misund in a shortened 2 x 20-minutes match. Line-player Maria Jose Gonzalez opened the scoring with her first goal for the club, soon followed by strikes from centre Steinhagen and winger Blessing Ogbee. The university side pulled one back but two more from Gonzalez either side of one from half Maren Liane put Newcastle 6-1 up at the break.
Newcastle then ran away with it in the second half, scoring another 12 unanswered goals as York rarely troubled the Vikings’ solid defence. Gonzalez and Steinhagen both took their personal tallies up to five apiece, Misund scored her first Newcastle goal, with winger Emily Bjerk scoring three on the break and Liane also netting two more late on as the Vikings rounded off a 18-1 victory.
The men’s game saw the Vikings take the first half 16-11, with centre Julien Eng scoring four, half Cedric Le Lay, line-player Adam Mobberley and winger Matthew Lamb each scoring trebles while fellow winger Bogdan Ciurea added a brace and line-player Craig Swanson also netted.
The second-half was, however, much more one-sided as the Vikings ran away in dominant style. Le Lay’s fourth was followed by one from guest women’s player Maren Liane. Eng took his tally to seven with Ciurea and half Etienne Lisse also both scoring another three. Swanson grabbed his second, while Fedi Boussema also found the net late on and Mobberley’s double rounded off a 33-13 win.
Newcastle Vikings women: Andrea King (GK), Zoe Barber, Caroline Steinhagen (5 goals), Blessing Ogbee (1), Emily Bjerk (3), Katerina Gibson, Maria Jose Gonzalez Alvarez (5), Ingvild Misund (1), Maren Liane (3).
Newcastle Vikings men: Daniel Walsh (GK), Pål Jakobsen (GK), Andrei Bogdan Ciurea (5 goals), Daniel Larry, Craig Swanson (2), Matthew Lamb (5), Cedric Le Lay (4), Adam Mobberley (5), Emily Bjerk, Mohamed Fedi Boussema (1), Julien Eng (7), Maren Liane (1), Etienne Lisse (3).