Puffins hold their nerve in shoot-out to lift shield

PwC Puffins 1, RWB 1 (a.e.t. Puffins won 3-1 on pens)

PUFFINS put their home supporters through the proverbial ringer but emerged triumphant as they retained the women's hockey Upton in a tense penalty shoot-out on Saturday.

Emma Atkinson was the hero at Footes Lane with three stunning saves to push away RWB flicks after the two sides could not be separated after 85 minutes.

In contrast, Michaela de Vial, Laura Webber and Tracey Powell all produced unstoppable efforts from the spot to win the Mandy Webber Shield.

'Emma's speciality has to be saving penalty flicks and when it went to penalties I was confident we had the ideal person in goal,' said Puffins captain Laura Sharrott.