SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge - North Coast Regionals - Grantleigh College, Richards Bay

May 19

The final regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge takes place at Grantleigh College in Richard’s Bay this Saturday, May 19.

Hosts and three times winners, Grantleigh College will be keen to hold onto their title. The defending champs have been crowned regional winners in 2011, 2016 and 2017 and are hoping to equal Empangeni High School’s four regional titles, with EHS having dominated the area between 2012 and 2015. 

In the 2017 regional, Felixton College looked impressive, almost toppling Grantleigh in the gold / silver game. 

In total, seven teams will be vying for the title in this highly contested region, in the hope of getting a chance to progress to the Grand Finals that takes place at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof on 21 and 22 July. 

The tournament takes the form of a round robin with games being 20 minutes one way. The top two scoring teams will then meet in a final match of the day. Schools participating in this last regional of the series are Felixton College, Eshowe High School, John Ross College,  Grantleigh College, St Catherine’s School, Empangeni High School and Mandini Academy.

The winners of this regional will be the last team added to the mix for the Grand Finals that take place at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof, Durban on July 21 and 22. The other nine teams are Ferrum Hoërskool (Northern KZN); newcomers Epworth School (PMB Central Regional); St Anne’s DSG (PMB Northern Regional); Durban Girls’ College (DBN Central Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional); King Edward High School (Southern KZN Regional), St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional), and Greytown High School (Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional).

For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page.

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge uMvotii, uThukela and uMzinyathi Regional at Wartburg Kirchdorf

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge

uMvotii, uThukela and uMzinyathi Regional at Wartburg Kirchdorf

Saturday 12 May

The second last regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge takes place in Wartburg on Saturday 12 May.

Leading the uMvotii, uThukela and uMzinyathi Regional is host school, Wartburg Kirchdorf School who have claimed victory five times. 

Coach for the defending champs, Lisa Misselhorn stated that her team was hard at work getting their game plan ironed out to their usual German precision. 

Wartburg have dominated the regional with five consecutive wins, since 2013. Previously Wembley College won in 2011 and Ladysmith High won in 2012. Five schools will be participating in this tournament, with the first game of the round robin tipping off at 8am. The games are 28minutes long, with a changeover blown at 14minutes.

Joining Wartburg are Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg, Wembley College; Domino Servite and Greytown High School. Four points will be awarded for a win, 2  points for a draw with goals, 1 point for a goalless draw and zero points for a loss.

The winner of this region will be heading to the Grand Finals that will be held at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof on 21 and 22 July. 

Teams that have reserved their spot at the Grand Finals are Ferrum Hoërskool (Northern KZN); newcomers Epworth School (PMB Central Regional); St Anne’s DSG (PMB Northern Regional); Durban Girls’ College (DBN Central Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional); King Edward High School (Southern KZN Regional) and St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional). 

The last regional for 2018 is the North KZN Coastals, which takes place at Grantleigh in Richards Bay on May 19.

For more info visit the tournament’s Facebook page.

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge Highway Regional

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge

Highway Regional

Westville Girls’ High School: Sunday 6 May

Maintaining their reign, St Mary’s DSG defended their title in the Highway Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge in a hard-fought battle against hosts, Westville Girls High School.

Saints added to their six titles in this regional when they managed to defeat Westville in a riveting final that concluded in a penalty shootout. Saints opened up their account with their first goal smashed in after 66 seconds of play, by a powerful shot by ace striker, Kiana-Che Cormack. The ball was pushed right from the castle to Cormack who controlled the ball and then sent it flying.

Saints camped out around the Westville circle, earning themselves another two short corners that were both defended. They also had three shots at goal that Westville dealt with valiantly. With 95seconds remaining in the first half Tayla Thwaits found herself unmarked in front of the goals, spun around controlling the ball to the left of her, and slipped the ball in with a cheeky shot notching up the second goal for Saints.

Saints continued dominating the final with their fourth short corner that Westville again defended. In a moment of brilliance, Kerryn Swanepoel ignited her Westville team with a solo run down the left, leaving Saints scrambling with only two defenders still at the back. Swanepoel weaved around the first, dodging the second but the first Saints defender chopped Swanepoel’s stick. Standing on the spot, no-nonsense umpire Mike Lees split his arms indicating a penalty flick for Westville. A calm Swanepoel stepped up to the p spot and slotted in her shot into the top left corner.

Four minutes later, the amped Swanepoel charged down the right of the field surging towards the Saints circle. Swanepoel made a dash for the goals but was forced out of play by a harsh shoulder charge from St Marys, resulting in her second penalty flick that she bravely converted, levelling the score at 2 a piece.

The game then progressed to three players from both teams taking an eight second penalty shootout. After three rounds, both teams only managed to slot in one goal each, meaning the score line was still level pegged at 1-1. The finals then went to a sudden death, with the same three players stepping up to the spot for another chance. Two more rounds were played with no winner being revealed, then Leah Piggot managed to slot her shot in, going 1 up for Saints, earning her team the win and the regional title for 2018.

Special mention must go to the Westville keeper, Saiyuri Govender for her fearless display on the line throughout the game, bravely standing tall surge after surge of Saints powerful attacks.

Saints are the eighth team to head to the Grand Finals that they will be hosting on 21 and 22 July. The girls will be making their seventh appearance at the Grand Finals where they are also the overall defending champs from 2017.

Manager for the St Mary’s Malcolm Reeders said “The tournament is always a highlight on the school girl hockey calendar. Winning the finals today was a fantastic end to the day after all the pressure for us to hold on to the title. There was some fantastic hockey played today. But was a case of a tale of two halves, as at half time we were two up and then after half time, Westville managed to equalize. Our penalty takers were brilliantly composed during the shootout."

Ryan Lees, coach for Westville Girls High said, “It was a smoothly run tournament, but it was hard to perform consistently in all the games. Our team did themselves proud by coming back after being 2 down at half time, to equalize and then take it through to sudden death."

They join Ferrum Hoërskool (Northern KZN); newcomers Epworth School (PMB Central Regional); St Anne’s DSG (PMB Northern Regional); Durban Girls’ College (DBN Central Regional); Amanzimtoti High School (DBN South Regional); Our Lady of Fatima (DBN North Regional); and King Edward High School (Southern KZN Regional).

For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page.

Results

1 St Mary’s DSG, 2 Westville Girls’ High School, 3 Thomas More College, 4 Hillcrest High School, 5 Kloof High School, 6 Curro Hillcrest

ENDS