GALLERY: Worthy champions after best of battles in PHL

IT took eight days and 38 games to determine the worthy winner of the CTM Premier Hockey league (PHL).

The 2019 tournament came to an end on August 4 with some of the best battles on the pitch seen by the spectators at Randburg Astro fields in both women’s and the men’s competitions.

Madikwe Rangers celebrated their first title in the women’s division while the Drakensberg Dragons became just the second team to retain the title in the men’s division.

After a goal-a-piece for both teams at full time, the women’s title was decided by a penalty shootout between the Rangers and the Wineland Wings, and only after sudden death did the Rangers walk away as worthy champions.

The Rangers scored their opening two, while the Wings missed theirs before a turnaround and three saves gave Stephanie Botha the chance to win the Wings the title. Although she did eventually score, it was well after the eight-second limit and it meant that they had to go to sudden death. The order reversed and when Tarryn Glasby missed, it gave Lise-Marie Deetlefs the opportunity to end the pain of two previous final defeats. She didn’t need to be offered the chance twice as she fired home an unstoppable shot that sealed the match and a maiden CTM PHL title for the Rangers.

The result of the women’s final was Madikwe Rangers (3) 1-1 (2) Wineland Wings.

On the other side in the men’s division, the Drakensberg Dragons were also in their third final, but unlike the Rangers, had tasted victory before. The Mapungubwe Mambas, who had topped the table, were competing in their first final. Although a highly competitive final was expected, in truth it was a largely one-sided final.

The Dragons were tasked with keeping the attacking trio of Tevin Kok, Wade Dollman and Mustapha Cassiem quiet and they did that with spectacular effect. The best form of attack is defence, and from the start that’s exactly what the Dragons did. Creating at least three early chances before Miguel da Graca, whose team has made the final in every PHL, he found himself with a little space and punished the Mambas.

The Mambas would have been pleased to get to the half-time break only one goal down as they had very little attacking opportunities in the opening half hour. After a big chat with his team at half-time, Lungile Tsolekile would have wanted the boys to come out fighting, but they found themselves 3-0 down in just four minutes.

Bili Ntuli got another PHL final goal to his growing collection of big game goals. Richard Pautz produced a moment of magic to put the ball through his legs and find a fine run by Ntuli, who chipped it over Mckinley. Pautz turned goal scorer two minutes later by collecting a ball by Pierre Bothma and finishing on the stretch. Pautz’s goal was the 100th goal of the men’s tournament in this year’s CTM PHL.

Ntuli then made it a record final score when Bothma ran up the wing and fired in a cross for Ntuli to score another final goal, and the final goal of this year’s CTM PHL men’s final. The Dragons became the second team to defend a PHL trophy.

The men’s final ended in Drakensberg Dragons 4-0 Mapungubwe Mambas.

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