A 15-week programme aimed at developing young hockey players wrapped up on Wednesday night with an exciting final which saw the team which had finished last in league play capture the cup.

Five teams ? Hens, Goats, Turtles, Crows, and Rabbits ? competed in the ?Sandpiper League? which ran from October until this week.

The Hens (Juliette McComb, Riley Mello, Liza Gorham and Jessica Hollis) captured the cup on Wednesday after defeating the Crows 1-0 in the final game of a fast-moving knockout tournament.

While not successful in the cup, the Rabbits took the overall league title with a winning record of 10-6-4 for 36 points.

Crows took second place in the league followed by Turtles, Goats and Hens.

?Sandpipers hockey was set up to give young, female hockey players the chance to bridge the gap between the XL League for girls between the ages of six and ten and the Bermuda Hockey Federation?s Women?s Leagues,? said coach Dafydd Hermann-Smith. ?The programme consisted of 15 weeks of coaching and skills of the game and the basic tactics of play.?

The 32 players who participated made great strides in improving their skills, he added.

Hermann-Smith shared coaching duties with Kath Davis and the two are now busy preparing Bermuda?s Under-21 squad for next year?s Pan-American Junior Championships in Puerto Rico. After the knock-out tournament on Wednesday, BFA president Justin Freisenbruch was on hand to present awards to the up-and-coming players.

Francesca Cacace was the league?s top goalscorer, netting 19 goals over the season. Cacace, of Goats, also captured her team?s most valuable player (MVP) award.

Also winning MVP awards were Jasmine Patterson (Rabbits), Helen Marshall (Crows), Liza Gorham and Jessica Hollis (Hens) and Laura Roberts (Turtles).

Most improved player awards went to Jina Hontz (Rabbits), Erica Parsons (Crows), Riley Mello (Hens), Rebecca Bossin (Turtles) and Kaitlin Miller (Goats).

And Catriona Brewin (Rabbits), Juliette McComb (Hens), Jasmine Brunson (Crows), Jaime McComb (Goats) and Emma Norman (Turtles) all picked up Most Supportive Player awards.