The Blues entered this 112th Varsity match as profound underdogs.  Having lost three games on the trot, and with Oxford’s hat-trick hero of 2011 still in the frame, it would have been a bold commentator who guaranteed a Cambridge victory.  But after 70 minutes of thrilling hockey, Cambridge came out victorious in a Varsity match for the ages.

The Blues started the game with the pace that would characterize the match, zipping the ball around the back.  Fresher Will Cairns and new Blue Charles Hardy were quick to whip out the wobble, and Captain Nick Parkes was a vision in red astro-boots as he tore around the park.   Oxford too had their moments, attacking on the break, but Will Harrison at left back was happy to pull the trigger on his trademark fifty-yard aerial to get Cambridge out of trouble.

But it wasn’t all pretty hockey.  Both sides were warned early on for stick tackles as Varsity nerves crept in.  Cambridge perhaps had the best of it, with the good ball movement that they have aspired to play all season evident.  However Oxford were always a threat, and after a monstrous chuck from Stubbs, the Oxford right back, the Dark Blues were awarded a short-corner.

This was the danger for Cambridge, and justifiably so, as Oxford’s Jordan put a drag flick in the bottom left for a 1-0 lead.  This seemed to settle the Dark Blues, who enjoyed a spell of pressure, hitting Cambridge on the break.  A ball across goal was saved by Morrison, but fell to the goalscorer Jordan.  The Cambridge crowd had a collective intake of breath, but on this occasion Jordan’s flick was no match for Parkes, who deflected it wide.

It was then Cambridge’s chance to break, as a missed pick by Oxford gave Salvesen a chance, but the dark blue defenders managed to hustle back in time.  Another Oxford chance forced a Morrison stick save, before Cambridge managed to win a short corner after the ball was pulled back onto an Oxford foot.  The resultant Styles drag flick was lifted only to hit an Oxford player on the line, and before anyone had a chance to react, Cambridge had been awarded a penalty flick and a chance to get even.

Harrison stepped up, and if there was any doubt in his mind it certainly didn’t seem like it, as he hurled it into the top right hand corner to make the score 1-1 after 20 minutes – game on.

However there was no time for either side to relax, as the game continued in end-to-end fashion.  The Cambridge back four relaxed into the trough, pinging the ball from side to side, while Oxford went on the break. Oxford had another chance after a swinging Parkes tackle went awry to give away a short corner.  Jordan stepped up again, and with a sense of inevitability hit the top right corner to regain the lead for Oxford.

With ten to go in the half, Cambridge couldn’t concede again.  Dave McLean made certain of that, after a tackle and a wonderful bit of skill cleared the Cambridge lines.  There began a messy period as neither side managed to assert themselves.  A Cambridge corner went begging, but then a Harrison aerial was picked above the shoulder, sending Oxford’s number three to the bin with six to go, but Cambridge were unable to capitalize, and at half time Cambridge trailed by one.

The second half began in similar thrilling fashion.  Rupert Allison showed his class early on with an excellent pick and a thunderous reverse stick strike.  Will Cairns matched him, dancing through the Oxford defence, while Styles somehow picked out Gus Kennedy whose good effort was saved.  It was the Captain Nick Parkes who made the breakthrough, banging it in after a Salvesen sally down the baseline – 2-2.

The Cambridge crowd went wild, and then the game went mad.  Riled by the goal, Oxford’s Jordan responded instantly, with a ludicrous reverse stick finish to go up again.  But then in similar reactionary fashion, Cambridge drew level again within minutes after the ball somehow found Salvesen on the back post who wasted no time in making it three each. 

The next few minutes would then define the game.  An incensed Jordan seemed hell-bent on doing it again, but was stopped by a huge Cairns tackle.  After Cairns had his own shot saved, Jordan went again, driving at the Cambridge fresher, but Cairns would once again match the Oxford captain and win the ball back as the Cambridge crowd roared.

However the game was still on a tightrope.  After Cambridge’s Borsuk was sinbinned for some elbow action, Oxford enjoyed a spell of pressure but could not break through, dribbling into Cambridge flat sticks and resorting to speculative balls.  Cambridge would break back, and an Oxford foot gave Cambridge a short corner and a chance.  Vice-captain Styles made no mistake, flicking it into the right side netting to give Cambridge their first lead of the game.

But a one-goal lead was never going to be safe in this game, especially with Jordan on the loose.  Oxford were desperately looking for short corners, but none were forthcoming.  Morrison stepped up, on one occasion taking man and ball, on another snaffling up a loose one on the penalty spot.  Cambridge would break, but could not convert the resultant short corner, and Oxford went back at them, only for Kennedy to make a diving clearance. Parkes was everywhere, dogged in pursuit of his first Varsity win, as the sides charged from end to end.

With two minutes to go, there were still goals in this game, and the opportunity fell to Cambridge.  An aerial through found Kennedy, whose diving pass found Salvesen on the back post, who took his second to give Cambridge a 5-3 lead.  Ball game.  Oxford would win a short at the final whistle, but with nothing on the line except pride, Morrison would knock the ball past the far post as the Light Blue celebrations began.

For Parkes and Allison, each playing in their fourth and final Varsity match, this was particularly sweet, and Cambridge’s man of the match went to aerial merchant and bastion of the defence Will Harrison.  But for the most part this was a game for the spectators, who saw an incredibly exciting match that was a credit to both sides.