{"id":63708,"date":"2025-02-02T07:19:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-02T05:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=63708"},"modified":"2025-02-02T07:19:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-02T05:19:38","slug":"st-stithians-downs-durban-girls-college-to-win-national-aquatics-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/?p=63708","title":{"rendered":"St Stithians downs Durban Girls&#8217; College to win National Aquatics title"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_63738\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63738\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-63738\" src=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/St-Stithians-team-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"The Stithians College team after winning the National Aquatics Festival in East London. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63738\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Stithians College team after winning the National Aquatics Festival in East London. Photo: <strong>Shot by Shani Photography<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A strong defensive effort, followed by goals in crucial moments, helped <strong>St Stithians Girls&#8217; College<\/strong> overcome <strong>Durban Girls&#8217; College (DGC)<\/strong> 6-3 in the final of the <strong>National Aquatics Festival<\/strong> in East London on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The title game brought to a conclusion to the two-day event, hosted by <strong>Clarendon High School for Girls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Saints<\/strong><\/em>, under the leadership of head coach <a href=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/coach-profile-megan-sileno-st-annes-dsg\/\"><strong>Megan Sileno<\/strong><\/a>, entered the festival among the favourites to go all the way.\u00a0They were drawn in Pool B with <strong>Maris Stella<\/strong>, <strong>Collegiate Girls&#8217; High School<\/strong>,<strong> Clarendon 2nds<\/strong>, and their provincial rivals, <strong>St Mary&#8217;s Waverley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Sileno&#8217;s charges dominated their pool games and won all four of their matches, scoring <strong>37 goals<\/strong> in the process.<\/p>\n<p>The top spot in the group secured a semifinal birth against the hosts, who pushed Saints to the limit in a nail-biting contest. In the end, the Johannesburg school prevailed 8-7 after a hard-fought battle to move on to the final.<\/p>\n<p>They were up against <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/day-2-durban-girls-college-defy-the-odds-to-clinch-national-aquatics-honours\/\">the defending champions DGC<\/a> <\/strong>in the title decider and were out to avenge last year&#8217;s semifinal exit at the hands of the Durban school.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waterpolo - St Stithians Girls vs Durban Girls College - Final - National Aquatics - 1 Feb 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PULAZ8720BE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Johannesburg outfit made their intentions clear early in the final and took control of matters early on.<\/p>\n<p>Saints had the majority of ball possession and were solid at the back, with <strong>Danielle Sassenberg<\/strong>, <strong>Courtney Calenborne<\/strong>,<strong> Isabella Imbriolo<\/strong>, and <strong>Cadha Mosehla<\/strong> pulling the strings.\u00a0They led throughout the first stanza after <strong>Mosehla<\/strong> scored two cracking goals in quick succession before <strong>Sassenberg<\/strong> and <strong>June Stander<\/strong> joined the scoring party.<\/p>\n<p>At the halfway point, Saints was ahead 4-3 after DGC responded through <strong>Kayla Andrews<\/strong> and <strong>Inge Southey<\/strong> (2).<\/p>\n<p>In the third chukka, St Sthithians&#8217; captain<strong> Tori Tanner-Ellis<\/strong> netted her side\u2019s fifth goal to open up a two-goal buffer.<\/p>\n<p>They maintained their lead thanks to the superb goalkeeping of <strong>Ngcali Metu<\/strong>, who made numerous saves to keep her team in front.<\/p>\n<p>DGC created opportunities in the final chukka but misfired, and a second goal from June Stander secured the win for Saints.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_63739\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63739\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-63739\" src=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Metu-400x335.jpg\" alt=\"St Stithians College goalkeeper Ngcali Metu made some crucial saves for her team during the National Aquatics Festival final. Photo: Shot by Shani Photography\" width=\"400\" height=\"335\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63739\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">St Stithians College goalkeeper Ngcali Metu made some crucial saves for her team during the National Aquatics Festival final. Photo: <strong>Shot by Shani Photography<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Reacting to the final, coach Sileno told <strong>SuperSport Schools Plus<\/strong>: &#8220;This is nice. We&#8217;ve only been together for two full weeks of school.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re still trying to figure each other out and find our groove, but I think we&#8217;re getting there quite nicely.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I was very happy with the performance at <a href=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/herschel-clinches-brian-baker-title-for-a-second-year-in-succession\/\"><strong>Brian Baker<\/strong><\/a>. We fixed a few things that helped us in this tournament.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>After breezing through the pool stage, Sileno and her charges were met by a stern challenge in the last four from Clarendon.<\/p>\n<p>The teams exchanged the lead numerous times, but Saints claimed victory after a last-gasp five-metre penalty scored by Mosehla.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our semi-final was a bit chaotic, and the girls were losing their heads and getting involved in too many things that weren&#8217;t about the game,\u201d Sileno said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waterpolo - St Stithians Girls vs Clarendon GHS - 2nd Semi Final - National Aquatics - 1 Feb 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cNlOSNRA3f8?start=11&amp;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The key in the final was controlling the defence, and we knew the attack would come, and I think they did very well.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our matrics are very good leaders, and they remained calm and composed in the pool, and that helped us get through today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The title is coach Sileno&#8217;s first with Saints since joining the school in January.<\/p>\n<p>She made the switch from KwaZulu-Natal&#8217;s <strong>St Anne&#8217;s Diocesan College<\/strong>. Her husband, <strong>Jason Sileno<\/strong>, the new <strong>Aquatics Director<\/strong> at Saints, formerly plied his trade at <strong>Hilton College<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_63741\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63741\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-63741\" src=\"https:\/\/ssschoolsplus.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/megans--400x266.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: Shot by Shani Photography\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63741\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Shot by Shani Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;We haven&#8217;t really experienced Joburg yet because we&#8217;ve been trying to get our feet under the desk and find our way,&#8221; she remarked when asked about the transition.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But it&#8217;s been great. Saints has been welcoming. The community in Johannesburg is awesome, and we have a great family.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a nice routine to slot into, and we&#8217;re getting there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The St Stithians Girls&#8217; College team will return to tournament action at the <strong>Old Petrian&#8217;s Water Polo Tournament<\/strong> at <strong>St Peter\u2019s College<\/strong> this month.<\/p>\n<p>The bronze medal match was between Clarendon and Rhenish.<\/p>\n<p>The hosts, under the guidance of coach <strong>Hannah Muller<\/strong>, comfortably clinched third place, beating their opponents 9-4.<\/p>\n<p>That final placing matched Clarendon&#8217;s performance at the National Aquatics Festival in Durban in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Waterpolo - Durban Girls College vs Rhenish - 1st Semi Final - National Aquatics - 1 Feb 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kn2kQ8LMR2Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Scorers in the final<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>St Stithians Girls&#8217; College 6<\/strong>: Cadha Mosehla (2), June Stander (2), Danielle Sassenberg, Tori Tanner-Ellis. <strong>Durban Girls&#8217; College 3:<\/strong> Inge Southey (2), Kayla Andrews.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Results<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>DGC 18-1 Our Lady of Fatima<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Waverly 9-0 Clarendon 2nds<br \/>\nSt Stithians 9-3 Maris Stella<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Waverley 6-4 Collegiate<br \/>\nMaris Stella 8-5 Clarendon 2nds<br \/>\nClarendon 14-4 St Mary&#8217;s Kloof<br \/>\nDGC 10-7 Rhenish<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Kloof 11-6 Our Lady of Fatima<br \/>\nRhenish 3-2 St Mary&#8217;s Waverley<br \/>\nClarendon 9-5 Collegiate<br \/>\nClarendon 2nds 5-4 Our Lady of Fatima<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Kloof 5-1 Maris Stella<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Waverley 3-2 Collegiate<\/p>\n<p><strong>Semi-finals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>DGC 10-3 Rhenish<br \/>\nSt Stithians 8-7 Clarendon<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>St Stithians 6-3 DGC<\/p>\n<p><strong>Final standings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>St Stithians Girls&#8217; College<br \/>\nDurban Girls&#8217; College<br \/>\nClarendon High School for Girls<br \/>\nRhenish Girls&#8217; High School<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s Waverley<br \/>\nCollegiate Girls&#8217; High School<br \/>\nSt Mary&#8217;s DSG Kloof<br \/>\nMaris Stella<br \/>\nClarendon 2nds<br \/>\nOur Lady of Fatima<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A strong defensive effort, followed by goals in crucial moments, helped St Stithians Girls&#8217; College overcome Durban Girls&#8217; College (DGC) 6-3 in the final of the National Aquatics Festival in East London on Saturday. The title game brought to a conclusion to the two-day event, hosted by Clarendon High School for Girls. Saints, under the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":63738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/63738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.ssschoolsplus.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}