Nottingham Trent University completed an historic three-peat as they secured the 2025 National Championship trophy with a 12-9 win over city rivals the University of Nottingham on BUCS Big Wednesday yesterday.
Eight separate goal-scorers, including a hat-trick from Jason Thomforde, helped Trent over the line in what should have been a comfortable win that became more than a little tense in the fourth quarter.
Four goals from Ben Jackson and three from Collin Stewart brought Nottingham to within three goals of Trent and salvaged some pride in a game where they were 10-2 down at the end of the third.
A tense back and forth first quarter ended with the teams just a single goal apart after Justin White hammered home with two minutes until quarter-time.
But a more simple second quarter from a Trent point of view saw them heading into the third in the ascendency and with a four goal lead after Blair Pachereva, Drew Wilkinson, and Thomforde scored.
Trent took that momentum and confidence into the penultimate quarter and, despite Nottingham showing some promise, took a 10-2 lead going into the final 15 minutes.
A game which looked easily won by Trent was thrown into disarray in the fourth as Nottingham, with nothing to lose, came out quickly and reduced the deficit to just three goals after a hat-trick from Stewart, two from Jamie Mochan, and a fourth from Ben Jackson.
With a couple of minutes to go in the game, Trent picked up the ball and saw the game out to win a third National Championship title in a row but Nottingham will be left wondering what might have been had there been an extra few minutes to play.
Watch the match in full HERE.
University of Nottingham 9-12 Nottingham Trent University (0-1, 0-3, 3-7, 6-1)
Nottingham scorers | Ben Jackson (3G), Collin Stewart (3G), Jamie Mochan (2G), Ben Jackson (1G).
Nottingham Trent scorers | Jason Thomforde (3G), Chase Lilly (2G), Justin White (2G), Ellis Baythorpe (1G), Will Locker (1G), Blair Pachreva (1G), Drew Wilkinson (1G), Nathan Wilkinson (1G).