Ugu and Sisonke Regional
Suid Natal Hoërskool: Saturday 22 April
King Edward High School (KEHS) made a convincing third consecutive victory, winning the Ugu and Sisonke Regional in the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge after a commanding final against Creston College on Saturday 22 April.
The final between the defending champs, KEHS and previous winners, Creston, got off to a gentle start with KEHS slowly building momentum. Spearheading the offensive, star-forward Zhanique Sissing capitalised on camping out in front of the Creston goals bysuccessfully knocking in the first two goals for her team. The third goal came courtesy of Azisa Cokoto, who in the semi-final secured her teams position by scoring the only goal in the game against Kokstad College.
In a show of gutsy determination, Matatiele’s finest had pummelled in 15 goals after their pool games, leaving them with 13 points, four points ahead of second placed, Southcity. The two top teams drew nil nil when they met in the pool games. King Edward won their other games, while Southcity was held to their second draw in a Sheppie derby against Port Shepstone High School.
In the second pool, Creston College ended their endeavour with ten points, three points ahead of Kokstad College. Both Creston and Kokstad drew when they took each other on in the pool game but unlike KEHS and Southcity, their scoreline was 1 all. Kokstad was held to a goalless draw against host school, Suid-Natal.
Top goal scorer for King Edward High School was the skillful centre striker, Lukhona Ndumndum who was cool as a cucumber when in the circle, showing off fantastic stick work and when one-on-one with the goalie, she beat them most times.
Coach for King Edward, Deidre Duminy said, “It was a good outcome! Some games better than others. The game against Southcity was hard, they did a really good job marking us and kept a tight lid on us.”
Continuing, she said, “The Kokstad game was frustrating as always, they play a very physical game, and the girls end up losing discipline and play a bit of a hit and hope game.”
“Things came together nicely in the Creston game though and I was proud of their composure in the circle and general discipline. They played with huge hearts and have a never say die attitude. We have a lot of young players with huge potential.”
In the playoff for third place, Kokstad College were surprised by a focused and hard-working outfit from Southcity. Only one goal was netted and for the first time in this regional, Southcity landed up on the podium, claiming the bronze.
In the first semi-final, King Edward met Kokstad College Cokoto successfully slotted in the only goal. In the second semi-final, Southcity and Creston ended full time with the goal line level on nil nil. Creston College’s Fezeka Nzama and Lara Bounverie both scored while their keeper Daniella Horn kept an impressively clean sheet in the penalty shoot-out.
Nine schools participated in the Ugu Sisonke Regional, one of the biggest regionals in the tournament. Games were 23 minutes long, with the teams only playing one way in perfect warm autumn conditions.
King Edward is now the seventh team to make it through to the Grand Final in July, they join Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central).
The next regional will be hosted by Wembley College, in Greytown on Saturday 13 May.
For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page.
Results
1 King Edward High School, 2 Creston College, 3 Southcity Christian Schools, 4 Kokstad College, 5 Port Shepstone High School, 6 Suid-Natal Hoërskool, 7 St Patrick’s College, 8 Ixopo High School, 9 Scottburgh High School
ENDS
Sharlene Versfeld
Versfeld & Associates
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