Author: cschiwanza

Paarl Gimnasium held their nerve to beat Herschel 3-2 in a penalty shootout to lift the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge trophy on home ground, on Saturday evening.

Paarl Gim also received the Girls Challenge Trophy, which goes to the top-performing school across all three age groups: u19, u16, and u14. Paarl Gim won the u16 cup, while Affies finished first in the u14 competition.

The tournament was billed as a new chapter in schoolgirl hockey and it lived up to expectations with thrilling encounters over three days of intense competition.

Naturally, with the hosts performing superbly, the local crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves, too.

In the final, the stakes weighed down on the shoulders of both teams and a cagey first few minutes unfolded. Gim was the first to respond, though, and they seized the initiative and went on the offensive.

Herschel, though, had been sound in defence throughout the tournament, conceding only one goal on their path to the final, and they showed why when Paarl Gim attacked. The Cape Town school maintained a solid defensive structure to keep the hosts at bay.

When the home team’s forwards beat the defenders, they were met by the immovable titan that is goalkeeper Hailey Lewis. She pulled off multiple saves to stave off Paarl Gim’s attacking forays.

Twice, coach Danelle van Zyl’s girls came close to breaking the deadlock, beating both the Herschel defence and goalkeeper, but both shots were only millimetres wide of the mark.

Herschel had their moments in attack in the first two chukkas, but they didn’t produce anything to write home about.

After the halftime break, Paarl Gim upped their intensity. However, as had been the case in the first two chukkas, their excursions into the Herschel half were met by an organised defence. Herschel got behind the ball, setting up a tight wall, which also affected their ability to counter when they turned over possession.

The game opened up more in the final chukka and Herschel made more runs into the Paarl Gim half, creating some chances. Meanwhile, Hailey Lewis kept denying the home team’s efforts and the match finished 0-0 after regulation time. It would be settled by penalties.

Sarah Ashbolt stepped up to take the first one for Herschel and she didn’t make a mistake, beating Karli van Deventer, the Paarl Gim keeper, to put the visitors ahead. Herschel thought they were in business when Hailey Lewis denied Joné de Winnaar a goal from Paarl Gim’s first attempt.

However, Herschel offered the hosts a way back into the shootout when their second effort exceeded the eight-second time limit.

Minke Botha converted her penalty to level the scores at 1-1. Another Herschel miss and the advantage tilted Paarl Gim’s way.

Alanda Rademeyer took on the responsibility of the third attempt for the home team. With six goals to her name, she was the leading goal-scorer in the tournament and she demonstrated her goal-scoring chops once more by converting her chance to put Gim 2-1 up.

When their next effort missed the mark, Herschel’s players, coaching staff, and supporters watched the title slipping from their hands. They needed Paarl Gim to miss their fourth attempt. The hosts didn’t and the title was theirs.

Still, the umpires decreed that the last two penalties be taken. Herschel converted and Paarl Gim missed theirs and it ended 3-2 to the home side.

It might have finished goalless in regulation time, but the final was far from a snooze-fest. There were moments of brilliance and superb skills from both teams, which underlined why they had made it through to the title-deciding contest.

Oranje, who finished in ninth place, took home the Plate, while Durbanville claimed the Bowl.

RESULTS

U19 Final

Paarl Gim (3) 0-0 (2) Herschel

U16 Final

Paarl Gim 3-0 Rhenish

U14 Final

Affies 3-2 Rhenish

U19

3rd/4th: Pearson 2-1 St Mary’s DSG Kloof
5th/6th: Collegiate (4) 1-1 (3) Waterkloof
7th/8th: Durban Girls College (4) 1-1 (1) Rustenburg
9th/10th: Oranje (3) 1-1 (1) Stellenberg
11th/12th: St Mary’s Waverley 1-0 Reddam Constantia
13th/14th: St Cyprian’s 1-0 Garsfontein
15th/16th: Fairmont 2-0 Springfield
17th/18th: Durbanville 2-1 Somerset College
19th/20th: St Stithians 6-0 Cornwall Hill

Herschel and Pearson will go head-to-head in the semifinals of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge on Saturday, at Paarl Gimnasium.

They remain in the running for the title in the inaugural edition of the tournament that has attracted some of the best hockey-playing girls’ schools from across South Africa.

Herschel beat Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 3-1 to punch their ticket to the final four, while Pearson defeated Collegiate 3-2 in a thrilling Gqeberha rivalry.

They meet at 11:15 on Saturday morning.

In the quarterfinals, DGC found a chink in Herschel’s defence to open the scoring. That was the first time the Cape Town school had conceded in the tournament. However, it wasn’t enough to stop Herschel, who replied with two goals from Emily Dickinson and another from Katherine Featherstone.

Heading into the semi-finals, Herschel has scored 17 goals and conceded only one. They’ve staked their claim as a title contender.

After a goalless first chukka, DGC claimed the lead five minutes into the second quarter of the quarterfinal when they converted a short corner. Asanele Zuma injected the ball and then headed for the near post to receive a return pass before coolly tapping the ball in.

Herschel issued a swift response. They applied pressure on the DGC defence, forced a turnover, and won a penalty corner after moving into the Durban team’s circle. A minute later, the ladies from Claremont equalised from the PC.

For the next 21 minutes, the sides were tied. Herschel, though, broke the deadlock when they converted another penalty corner deep into the third chukka.

A third goal destroyed DGC’s hopes of a comeback. The goal-scoring move began when Herschel intercepted a DGC pass and attacked down the right flank. From there, they were able to win a penalty corner and its successful conversion, with only three minutes remaining, pretty much sealed the deal.

In the other quarterfinal, which pitted Pearson – the winner of Pool C after two wins and a draw – and Collegiate against each other, Jenna Coetzee and Kerrin Gillies fired Collegiate in front in the first half. Pearson’s response was outstanding. They came out guns blazing in the second stanza and overturned the deficit through goals from Annemi de Villiers and Chanelle Venter. A second goal from De Villiers, then, carried Pearson to a pulsating 3-2 win.

Collegiate led 1-0 after the first chukka, scoring just a minute from its end. Then, five minutes from halftime, they made it to 2-0, with both goals coming from penalty corners.

Pearson fought their way back and cut the lead in half in the third chukka, thanks to their persistence in the Collegiate circle, which earned them a penalty stroke. That made it 1-2 with eight minutes remaining in the match.

The goal breathed new life into the legs of Pearson players and they upped their intensity, and soon it was 2-2. They had momentum on their side and, with 30 seconds left in the game, they found a winner to upset the recently-crowned National All Girls’ Festival champions.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals

St Mary’s DSG Kloof 1-0 Waterkloof
Paarl Gim 3-0 Rustenburg
Pearson 3-2 Collegiate
Herschel 3-1 DGC

Last Pool Matches

Pool A

Durban Girls’ College 9-0 Cornwall Hill
Herschel 2-0 Oranje

Pool B

St Mary’s Waverley 1-0 Springfield
Paarl Gim 4-0 Fairmont

Pool C

Pearson 4-1 Somerset College
Waterkloof 4-0 Stellenberg

Pool D

St Cyprian’s 1-1 Reddam Constantia
St Mary’s DSG 4-2 St Stithians

Pool E

Rustenburg 2-0 Durbanville
Collegiate 1-1 Garsfontein

Paarl Gimnasium and St Mary’s DSG Kloof have been on a collision course and will finally go head-to-head in the semifinals of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge on Saturday.

Both headed into the tournament among the favourites to go all the way, and they proved those sentiments right by sweeping their group matches on their way to the final four.

St Mary’s DSG was the first of the two to book their semi-final slot with a thrilling 1-0 win over Hoërskool Waterkloof in their quarterfinal encounter.

Paarl Gim, the hosts, enjoyed a smoother path, scoring a comfortable 3-0 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High. Their reward is a showdown with St Mary’s DSG at 12:20 on Saturday for a place in the final.

A belligerent Waterkloof side gave the KZN side all they could handle in the quarterfinals, going toe-to-toe with the St Mary’s Waverley Festival champions before succumbing to a dramatic last-second winner.

Waterkloof went into the match with a solid plan on how to repel the St Mary’s attack and it worked well. That was the difference between them conceding a single goal and several, and that disciplined approach kept St Mary’s at bay in the final five minutes of the match after coach Nolwazi Nkabinde‘s charges had set up camp in Waterkloof’s final third.

Despite winning numerous penalty corners, St Mary’s was seemingly unable to find a way through the defensive wall erected by Waterkloof.

Their captain, Nicola Forbes, had been enjoying a good tournament in the middle of the park, but without being able to find the back of the net. However, in what turned out to be the final move of the game, from another penalty corner variation, she received the ball to the left of the castle and fired a shot hard into the backboard to secure a last-gasp victory for her side.

Matters were more straightforward earlier in the day for the KwaZulu-Natalians, who booked their semi-final spot after a 4-2 win over St Stithians College. Jenna-Leigh Freese, who has been prolific in front of goal and is St Mary’s leading scorer at the tournament, banged in a brace, while Georgia Short and Jamie da Silva added a goal each.

In their quarterfinal clash with Rustenburg, Paarl Gim was forced to wait for almost 34 minutes before they broke the deadlock. The hosts have worked well as a unit throughout the tournament, and it took more good teamwork to conjure up their opener.

They attacked Rustenburg down the left flank, then penetrated into the circle, down the baseline, before a pass was laid off for Imke Koegelenberg to slot the ball into the back of the goalbox.

Rustenburg stubbornly resisted, but Paarl Gim doubled their advantage six minutes from time. Once again, they found a path into the circle down the left flank. This time, though, Isabella Nel provided the finish.

The Rustenburg girls were still trying to compose themselves when they conceded a third goal from a penalty corner. Alanda Rademeyer has been in red hot form, and she made the opportunity count from close range.

Earlier in the day, Paarl Gim sauntered to a 4-0 triumph over Fairmont to claim a quarterfinal slot. Rademeyer struck twice in that one, while Minke Botha and Anya Swanepoel scored one each.

A thrilling semi-final between two in-form teams awaits.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals

St Mary’s DSG Kloof 1-0 Waterkloof
Paarl Gim 3-0 Rustenburg
Pearson 3-2 Collegiate
Herschel 3-1 Durban Girls’ College

Last Pool Matches

Pool A

Durban Girls’ College 9-0 Cornwall Hill
Herschel 2-0 Oranje

Pool B

St Mary’s Waverley 1-0 Springfield
Paarl Gim 4-0 Fairmont

Pool C

Pearson 4-1 Somerset College
Waterkloof 4-0 Stellenberg

Pool D

St Cyprian’s 1-1 Reddam Constantia
St Mary’s DSG 4-2 St Stithians

Pool E

Rustenburg 2-0 Durbanville
Collegiate 1-1 Garsfontein

Herschel, St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, and Collegiate swept aside their opponents to rise to the summit of Pools A, D, and E after the first day of the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge, at Paarl Gimnasium, on Thursday.

Herschel got moving with back-to-back victories over Cornwall Hill College and Durban Girls’ College (DGC). Coach Stacey Gedult’s charges also registered the biggest margin of victory in the tournament with an 11-0 drubbing of Cornwall Hill.

That match was the first of the tournament and the ladies from Claremont, Cape Town, made their intentions loud and clear: they will not pull their punches and they have their eyes set on the title.

Anna Sherren, Sarah Ashbolt, and Emily Dickinson each scored a brace, while Heather Kane, Sophia Luger, Nina Wides, Katherine Featherstone, and Georgia Nicklin added a goal each in the dominant win.

Herschel faced a tougher opponent and a sterner test when they took on DGC. In the opening chukka, the sides traded blows, with each making threatening excursions into the other’s half. However, neither could deliver the killer blow despite creating numerous chances.

Five minutes into the second chukka, though, Anna Sherren provided the breakthrough, and her goal proved to be the match-winner, the only one of the contest.

“The team did well when they executed the game plan. They created goal-scoring opportunities, which we converted into a goal, and we defended the 1-0 lead well to close out the game,” Gedult told Supersport Schools Plus.

With Oranje also in Pool A, competition in the group is keen. The Bloemfontein school recorded the second-highest margin of victory on Thursday when they blasted Cornwall Hill 8-0.

St Mary’s DSG, Kloof, kicked off their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over St Cyprian’s, courtesy of goals from Jenna-Leigh Freese and Olivia Lord.

Freese tripled her output when she fired in a brace of goals to help St Mary’s DSG recover from being 0-1 down to score a 3-1 victory over Reddam House Constantia. Olivia Sivewright secured the win when she scored St Mary’s DSG’s third.

Reddam had taken the lead through Sally Gitlin just eight minutes into the contest. Up until that point, the KZN girls had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but Reddam struck against the run of play after St Mary’s had set up camp in the Capetonians’ half. Despite exerting huge pressure, the St Mary’s Waverley Festival champions ended the first chukka trailing by that one goal.

St Mary’s DSG’s persistent attacks on the Reddam goal reaped dividends, though, when they converted a short corner eight minutes into the second chukka.

Four minutes into the third quarter, coach Nolwazi Nkabinde‘s charges forced a turnover in the Reddam half and connected through pinpoint accurate passes to go 2-1 up. They scored their third in the fourth quarter with eight minutes remaining to seal the tie.

Collegiate went two for two to move to the top of Pool E. Fresh off of winning the National All Girls’ Festival title, they were made to work hard for victory in their opener, but, eventually, they squeezed past Durbanville, edging it 3-2.

Taryn Peltenburg, Jade Grobler, and Kerrin Gillies were on target for Collegiate, while Jani Steenkamp and Amber-Reece Dunker-Smith found the back of the net for Durbanville.

Collegiate ended proceedings on day one with a 1-0 win over Rustenburg Girls’ High. Kerrin Gillies, the Player of the Tournament at the All Girls’ Festival, fired in her second goal of the competition as Collegiate got by the ladies from Rondebosch.

Rustenburg and Durbanville, both beaten by one goal by Collegiate, meet in the first match of day two. DGC will try to keep themselves in the running when they meet Cornwall Hill in the first Pool A game of the day. Pool D’s matches will begin with a fixture between St Cyprian’s and Reddam House Constantia.

RESULTS

Pool A

Oranje 1-1 Durban Girls’ College
Herschel 11-0 Cornwall Hill
Oranje 8-0 Cornwall Hill
Herschel 1-0 Durban Girls’ College

Pool B

Fairmont 0-0 Springfield
Paarl Gim 2-0 St Mary’s Waverley
Fairmont 1-1 St Mary’s Waverley
Paarl Gim 3-1 Springfield

Pool C

Stellenberg 4-0 Somerset College
Pearson 2-1 Waterkloof
Waterkloof 3-1 Somerset College
Pearson 1-1 Stellenberg

Pool D

Reddam Constantia 2-0 St Stithians
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-0 St Cyprian’s
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 3-1 Reddam Constantia
St Cyprian’s 2-0 St Stithians

Pool E

Rustenburg 2-1 Garsfontein
Collegiate 3-2 Durbanville
Collegiate 1-0 Rustenburg
Garsfontein 1-0 Durbanville

Paarl Gimnasium put on a good show in front of their home crowd, with back-to-back wins propelling them to the summit of Pool B, while Stellenberg recorded a win and a draw on their way to the top of Pool C on Thursday, the first day of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge.

Those results leave Paarl Gim and Stellenberg in healthy positions to advance to the next stage of the 20-team tournament. The competition continues through until Saturday, 3 May.

In their two matches, Paarl Gim beat St Mary’s Waverley 2-0 and Springfield Convent School 3-1.

“We were pressing really well in both games, putting the other teams under a lot of pressure and then creating good opportunities from the turnover,” Danelle Van Zyl, the Paarl Gim coach, told Supersport Schools Plus.

The hosts’ supporters had to wait until seconds before the halftime break to celebrate the first of the five goals Gim scored on Thursday as Van Zyl’s charges found St Mary’s Waverley to be a tricky opponent in their opening encounter.

With mere seconds remaining in the opening stanza, the home team Izelle Fourie converted a short corner for a morale-boosting halftime lead.

The third chukka looked a lot like the opening half, with the score remaining static. However, as they did in the first half, Paarl Gim grabbed a second goal, this time a minute before the end, also from a penalty corner, thanks to Alanda Rademeyer.

Rademeyer was again on the scoresheet in the hosts’ second match, along with Karea de Ridder and Marili Walters.

Unlike in the first match where they kept fans waiting for a breakthrough, Paarl Gim had their supporters on their feet early when they converted a long corner eight minutes into the game. Before the end of the quarter, they had doubled.

Springfield kept things interesting when they pulled one back through Mackenzie Cathcart-Gates, who struck from a goal-mouth scramble off a short corner six minutes into the final chukka. That goal gave Springfield hope for a dramatic comeback, but, with two minutes remaining, Gim fired in their third goal to drive the final nail into the coffin.

Stellenberg scored five goals across their two matches and conceded one, on their way to the summit of Pool C. They romped to a 4-0 win over Somerset College in their first match and were then held to a 1-1 draw by second-placed Pearson.

Bea van den Berg led the scoring for Stellenberg with a brace against Somerset, while Juane Meiring and Ilke van der Merwe added a goal each.

Stellenberg kept the Somerset College goalkeeper busy in the first chukka by creating several chances, but they had to wait until the second chukka to be rewarded for their attacking forays. Their first came from a short corner eight minutes in, and their second doubled their advantage two minutes later.

Even though they had a two-goal cushion, Stellenberg did not rest on their laurels in the second half. They peppered the Somerset College goal with more attempts and added two more goals to complete a comfortable victory.

In their clash with Pearson, Juane Meiring fired a rocket into the right corner to give her side the lead eight minutes in. Pearson found an equaliser, thanks to Kiyara Constable, early in the second chukka.

On Friday, Pool C action continues with Pearson facing Somerset College at 08:00. Springfield takes on St Mary’s Waverley in the first Pool B match of the day, at 10:00.

RESULTS

Pool A

Oranje 1-1 Durban Girls’ College
Herschel 11-0 Cornwall Hill
Oranje 8-0 Cornwall Hill
Herschel 1-0 Durban Girls’ College

Pool B

Fairmont 0-0 Springfield
Paarl Gim 2-0 St Mary’s Waverley
Fairmont 1-1 St Mary’s Waverley
Paarl Gim 3-1 Springfield

Pool C

Stellenberg 4-0 Somerset College
Pearson 2-1 Waterkloof
Waterkloof 3-1 Somerset College
Pearson 1-1 Stellenberg

Pool D

Reddam Constantia 2-0 St Stithians
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-0 St Cyprian’s
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 3-1 Reddam Constantia
St Cyprian’s 2-0 St Stithians

Pool E

Rustenburg 2-1 Garsfontein
Collegiate 3-2 Durbanville
Collegiate 1-0 Rustenburg
Garsfontein 1-0 Durbanville

The Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge, which kicks off on May 1, will bring together some of the top girls’ hockey teams from across the country for three days of edge-of-your-seat competition.

The showcase, to be hosted by Paarl Gimnasium, will feature 52 teams from 20 schools competing in the u14, u16, and u19 age groups.

It’s the first edition of the tournament and teams will be battling it out for the honour of being crowned the inaugural title holders on 3 May.

Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools!

The hosts, Paarl Gim, will try to ensure that the trophy doesn’t leave their precinct and adorns their cabinet, but they’ll face stiff opposition, all intent on taking the silverware with them.

We take a look at some of the u19 girls who might inspire their sides to glory:

Paarl Gim

The hosts will be led by Joné De Winnaar on the field. The Paarl captain’s leadership style is to lead by example. Her speed and technical ability make her an impactful force on attack. She is also one of the most experienced players in Gimmies‘ lineup, having played in the 1st XI since she was in grade 10. Last year, she was included in the SA u17 squad.

Paarl Gim has an outstanding defence. Players table to pierce that sound backline will still have plenty of work to do, though. Gim’s goalkeeper, Karli van Deventer, has nerves of steel. She is calm and solid in the goal box, a positive communicator, and is outstanding on first- and second-phase saves. She was also part of the SA u17 team that competed in the Mirnawan Cup, in Malaysia, in November 2024.

St Mary’s DSG, Kloof

Coach Nolwazi Nkabinde‘s side is one of the teams to beat this year, despite featuring only one grade 12 learner in their lineup. The ladies from KwaZulu-Natal have their sights on a second title in two months after winning the St Mary’s Waverley Festival trophy earlier in the month. They will be led by the industrious Nicola Forbes, that lone grade 12 player, who was judged to be the Player of the Tournament at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival.

Forbes is a phenomenal midfielder, with a high work rate and the ability to control and manage the tempo of the game. She will have the outstanding Tayte Stewart helping her in the middle of the park. Stewart is a strong carrier of the ball, blessed with pace and a defence-splitting ability when distributing the ball. In 2024, she was selected for the SA u16 team and All Stars indoor hockey side.

Up front, St Mary’s DSG has the prolific Jamie da Silva. The Grade 11 learner is clinical in the circle. Her outstanding finishing made her one of the top goal scorers at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival. She is more than a finisher, though. Da Silva is skilful and extremely capable in one-on-one situations. She scored a memorable winning goal in the final against Bloemhof, at St Mary’s.

Oranje

The Free State side has two of the best defenders in the country: Marichelle Crous and Marlene Du Plessis. Both are in their second year with the first team. Crous made her debut as a Grade 8 learner. She thrives under pressure; the higher the stakes, the better she performs. She has big match temperament.

Du Plessis joined the senior side in Grade 10. Coach, Gys van Schalkwyk, says she can break lines in an unmatched fashion. Du Plessis is also a workhorse and leaves everything out on the pitch.

Waterkloof

Waterkloof’s Lenique Vogel is a dynamic and influential presence on the field. Her ability to create opportunities and drive momentum makes her an invaluable part of Waterkloof’s success.

She has already made her mark nationally, being selected for the SA u16 team in 2024, and she will be challenging for another national call-up this year.

Herschel

Hannah Henderson is one of the best leaders in schoolgirl hockey. The Herschel captain communicates with clarity and leads by example, displaying good sportsmanship and an outstanding work ethic on the field.

Spectators can expect to see her control the midfield and the tempo of the game by maintaining possession and creating chances on attack.

With an outstanding collection of talented teams in action at the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge, these players provide only a sneak peek into the talent that will be on display. More stars will shine brightly at the hockey extravaganza.

Paarl will come alive when 20 of the nation’s top hockey-playing schools descend on Paarl Gimnasium for the inaugural Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge.

The tournament springs into action on 1 May and culminates with the final on 3 May.

“This highly anticipated tournament will bring together some of the top girls’ hockey teams from across the country for a weekend of thrilling competition, skill, and sportsmanship,” the event organisers said in a press release.

A total of 52 teams, across three age groups – u14, u16, and u19 – will take to the field at the hockey extravaganza.

The teams in the u19 tier have been placed into five groups, Pools A to E.

Free State powerhouse C & N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje (Oranje) is in Pool A along with Durban Girls College (DGC), Cornwall Hill, and Herschel.

The hosts, Paarl Gim, have been in good form, recently winning against both Oranje and Eunice in Bloemfontein, and they will be keen to bring joy to their home fans by clinching the trophy on home soil. They are in Pool B where they will compete with St Mary’s Waverley, Springfield, and Fairmont.

Waterkloof produced a good showing at the St Stithians Easter Festival recently, and they will be keen to carry that form forward when they meet Pearson, Stellenberg, and Somerset College in Pool C.

St Mary’s DSG Kloof has already added prestigious silverware to their cabinet this season, winning the St Mary’s Waverley title, and they will be eager to embrace the opportunity of adding the Girls Challenge trophy to their collection at the expense of another strong field, but they will have to get past St Cyprian’s, Reddam Constantia, and St Stithians College in Pool D first.

Garsfontein has enjoyed a good start to the season and will have to contend with a dangerous Collegiate side, Durbanville, and Rustenburg in Pool E for a shot at the title.

“This event marks an exciting milestone in the growth of women’s sports and reflects the increasing investment in providing more opportunities for young female athletes to shine.

“The Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge offers a chance for these talented players to perform at the highest level and make their mark on the national stage,” the organisers stated.

Chris Gibson, one of the organisers, said spectators should look forward to three days of fast-paced, high-intensity hockey matches, showcasing individual skill and team strategy.

“The Belgotex Sport Girls Challenge is more than just a tournament. It is an event that will inspire the next generation of female athletes, encourage community support for women’s sports, and create lasting memories for everyone involved,” the organising team said.

Oranje and DGC will get the tournament underway in a mouthwatering opener on Thursday morning. Despite not going all the way at the St Mary’s Waverley Festival, Oranje showed glimpses of what they are capable of producing, and DGC, with a young side, is beginning to hit their stride

Herschel and Cornwall Hill will also go head-to-head at the same time on the other field.

The curtain will come down on the first day of the competition after Collegiate plays Rustenburg, while Garsfontein and Durbanville will cross swords on the other Astro.

FIXTURES

Thursday

9:00 – Oranje vs DGC; Herschel vs Cornwall Hill
10:00 – Paarl Gim vs St Mary’s Waverley; Fairmont vs Springfield
11:00 – Stellenberg vs Somerset College; Waterkloof vs Pearson
12:00 – Reddam Constantia vs St Stithians; St Mary’s Kloof vs St Cyprian’
13:00 – Garsfontein vs Rustenburg; Collegiate vs Durbanville
14:00 – Herschel vs DGC; Oranje vs Cornwall Hill
15:00 – St Mary’s Waverley vs Fairmont; Paarl Gim vs Springfield
16:00 – Waterkloof vs Somerset College; Pearson vs Stellenberg
17:00 – St Cyprians vs St Stithians; St Mary’s Kloof vs Reddam Constantia
18:00 – Collegiate vs Rustenburg; Garsfontein vs Durbanville.

Durban High School (DHS) made their home crowd happy with a 2-1 win over Northwood when they crossed swords at DHS on Saturday morning.

In Balgowan, Michaelhouse registered a 2-0 win over Clifton College.

“We often get distracted in trying to do all the options. Recently, I have been telling the boys to pick the best option in front of them,” Keegan Hezlett, the DHS coach, told Supersport Schools Plus after the match.

Against Northwood, DHS wasn’t distracted by a buffet of options. They knew what they wanted to achieve and chose what they felt was the best course.

One of those paths was a high press when Northwood had the ball in their half. The other was to make enterprising runs down the left flank, which was interesting, because Northwood wanted School to play down the left, and thus on the Knights‘ strong stick side.

One of the DHS presses caused a turnover in the Northwood final third and the hosts bisected the Northwood defence with precise passes before Tariq Cloete fired the ball into the back of the net from close to the penalty spot with less than five minutes left in the first chukka.

The Knights had started the game a little flatfooted, coming off a tough schedule at the KES Easter Festival last week and their matric dance the evening before the encounter. Gradually, though, they worked their way into the contest, upping their intensity. It was a typical DHS vs Northwood clash – a hard-fought, all-out effort, with little to choose between the sides.

Through the next two chukkas, the game ebbed and flowed, with School having better success at penetrating deep into Northwood’s territory, but the visitors stood firm and kept them at bay, led by a composed performance from their skipper Kyle White.

“We created many opportunities. I think we managed to play the ball against the grain. Everyone running to the front was able to find that middle player and it helped with creating space,” Hezlett said of his team’s efforts.

Three minutes into the final quarter, DHS converted one of those opportunities, from a counterattack, into a goal, with captain Josh Mungherera tapping in from an inviting pass.

Their two-goal lead lasted only five minutes. Northwood is never more dangerous than when they are down and they hit back hard at DHS, looking more like the side that went unbeaten at KES. Coach Justin Collins’ side launched persistent attacks on the DHS goal and made the game more interesting when Ryan Herselman scored with eight minutes remaining.

“I think our big thing is not having consistency,” Collins reflected on his team’s performance afterwards. “We want our practice intensity to match the game intensity.”

Northwood works on ramping up their intensity as the game progresses during training and they stayed true to that in Saturday’s game. However, it wasn’t quite enough and they went down 1-2 in the end.

In the KZN Midlands, Michaelhouse was clinical in their 2-0 win over Clifton. Coach Nick Bérichon‘s side was patient, building from the back, and their accurate passing enabled them to find spaces that led to Clifton’s circle.

Early on, they made several entries into the Clifton D and could have taken the lead but were denied by Clifton’s goalkeeper, Georg Wolhuter, who stood rock-solid between the posts.

In the second chukka, the Durban side appeared invigorated and they launched an attack deep into the Michaelhouse half. However, when they were turned over, ‘House countered down the left flank, quickly switched play to the right, and then made a circle entry on the right baseline before tucking a pass under the shoulder, which led to a well-taken strike that flew past Wolhuter high into the left corner.

Clifton gave as good as they got as the teams headed into the final chukka separated by a goal. With four minutes remaining, though, Michaelhouse made sure of victory by converting a penalty corner to run out 2-0 winners.

RESULTS

DHS 2-1 Northwood
Michaelhouse 2-0 Clifton

Reagan Mudau scored a brace as Hilton College edged out St Charles College 2-1 in a thrilling Hyundai Friday Nite Lights contest in Pietermaritzburg, while Kearsney College clinched a 1-0 win over Glenwood High School in their match on the AH Mason Astro.

Hilton would have been favoured to win but they and St Charles were inseparable in the first 15 minutes of play. Saints had done their homework and executed their game plan perfectly.

They circumvented Hilton’s high press by launching overheads in their buildup. That ploy threw Hilton off balance, and it took the visitors time to adjust. At the end of the first chukka, the contest was deadlocked at 0-0.

The move that resulted in Hilton’s opening goal began on the right flank, just inside the St Charles’ 23-metre line. Coach Damian Kimfley’s charges, realising they couldn’t breach the wall on that side, strung together three quick passes to switch flanks. The move was well-timed and it created an opening. Charging forward, Hilton made a circle entry and registered their opener three minutes before the halftime break.

Both sides emerged from the break with renewed energy, resulting in a frenetic few minutes after the restart, with play flipping from one end of the turf to the other like a yo-yo. Hilton, though, was the first to strike.

Unlike the first goal that came through their left side, Hilton breached the right flank this time around, before Reagan Mudau received the ball in space and he gratefully slotted an easy tap-in two minutes into the chukka.

It didn’t take long for Saints to respond. Just three minutes later, they reduced the deficit to one goal from a swift counterattack after Hilton had committed bodies into the St Charles half. It was game-on.

The contest continued in its high-energy nature as the teams engaged in rallies of attacks like tennis players, but neither could muster another goal and it finished 2-1 in favour of the visitors.

“I was happy with the overall chances we created, but we need to be more clinical,” Damian Kimfley, the Hilton coach, told Supersport Schools Plus after the fixture.

“We controlled the possession and won numerous penalty corners, which we didn’t convert.

“We can take lots of positives from the win, especially in the way we moved the ball and dominated the game,” Kimfley reflected.

RESULTS

Kearsney 1-0 Glenwood
Hilton 2-1 St Charles

The South Africa Women’s u21 hockey team cemented their standing as the continent’s powerhouse when they cruised to a 5-0 win over Namibia in the final of the Junior Africa Cup in Windhoek on Friday evening.

The gold medal winners were one of three teams – the others were Namibia and Zimbabwe – that qualified for the 11th Junior World Cup Tournament, to be held in Santiago, Chile, later in the year.

From their first match to their last, South Africa was on top form, conceding only once on their way to the title.

They made their presence known with a 5-0 win over Uganda in their opener. That was followed with a 19-0 hammering of Zambia and, then, they beat Kenya 4-0.

They maintained their form with a 5-0 walloping of Zimbabwe before shrugging aside Namibia 6-1 in their last group match.

In the final, the Namibians started well, maintaining control of possession for most of the first five minutes of the contest, but they were unable to progress beyond South Africa’s 23-metre line. Instead, it was the host’s southern neighbours who created the first handful of chances on goal.

Ntsopa Mokoena, who was named the Player of the Match, was a livewire throughout the tournament, yet she saved her best for the final. The former St Stithians College learner made enterprising runs into the Namibian circle and was denied early goals twice, thanks to some excellent shot-stopping from Jasmine Cartwright, the Namibian goalkeeper.

Soon, though, South Africa settled into a rhythm and wrestled control from the hosts, dominating possession. At halftime, the stats showed that South had the ball 70 percent of the time. They had made 13 circle penetrations, won 11 penalty corners, and had nine shots on goal.

Cartwright, in the Namibian goal, was kept busy, but she ensured that the home side did not concede double-digit scores. However, she could do only so much.

Mokoena opened the floodgates with a goal six minutes into the second chukka. She made a brilliant run down the left flank before firing the ball past a despairing Cartwright to put South Africa 1-0 ahead at halftime.

In the third chukka, the visitors spurned fewer chances and tacked on another three goals to their halftime lead.

The first of the three, two minutes after the restart, originated from an interception of an aerial pass made by Reabitswe Phume close to the halfway line. She threaded the ball through to Amber Fairon, who found Mokoena, and she laid it off to Teshawn De la Rey, who made no mistake from close range.

Before Namibia was able to regroup, South Africa struck again. The goal came two minutes after their second from a penalty corner, with Caylin Maree delivering the scoring blow.

Maree, the South African captain, was prolific in front of goal throughout the event. Her goal in the final took her tally to nine, the most by any player in the tournament.

Phume was again involved in the fourth goal. The St Stithians’ alumni picked up the ball on the halfway line and raised her head, scanning the field. She spotted Jodie Blows making a run, up front, and picked her out with an accurate pass. After receiving the ball, Blows brilliantly eliminated the two defenders shepherding her with some sharp stick skills before beating the Namibian ‘keeper to make it 4-0 with just over two minutes left in the chukka.

With five minutes to play, Namibia, at last, won their first short corner. It was their third circle penetration of the match but, like the previous two, nothing came from it.

South Africa retaliated immediately. Mokoena got onto the end of a long pass to the edge of the D, carried the ball into the circle, and tucked it behind the keeper with ease to complete the scoring.

That was the last of a long list of South African goals. They scored 44 during the Junior Africa Cup and conceded only one.

RESULT

South Africa 5-0 Namibia