ST Mary’s DSG won their seventh title at the Grand Finals of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge last weekend. Ten teams representing various areas around KZN participated in the action-packed finals.

The team played against St Anne’s Diocesan College for the third time in the concluding game of the grand finals since the tournament’s inception in 2011, with St Mary’s winning both previous encounters in 2018 and 2019.

Setting the pace from the whistle, the locals dominated in the early stages, piercing the visitors’ circle on several occasions before knocking in their goal. The first time St Anne’s keeper Kgabiso Marafo got a scare was after three minutes of play when a magnificent St Mary’s break caught her scrambling. A rogue St Mary’s shot from near the top of the D flew well wide of the goals, giving Marafo much relief.

Less than two minutes later, another surge, this time a play coming from the right, found St Mary’s Tayte Stewart rushing goalwards along the baseline. Nearing a wall of defence, she threaded her pass parallel to the line, watching frustratedly as the near perfect pass bisected not only the first defender’s legs, but then rolled directly through the keeper’s legs and finally her own player’s legs who was waiting next to the far post.

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Seconds later, St Mary’s Georgia Short was gifted the ball in front of the goals, and she scooped it into the net, making it 1-0 after a phenomenal build-up of pressure by the home team.

Nearing half-time, St Anne’s earned a short corner. The injected ball flew to the top of the D before rocketing towards goals, but was magically stopped by the first wave. Given a second chance, St Anne’s moved the ball right, beyond the first wave, and the attempt was blocked. A follow-up opportunity was presented to the attacking team but a determined St Mary’s keeper, Ziyanda Mchunu, stood firm.

Mchunu, who hadn’t seen much action throughout the weekend, faced a penalty stroke awarded to St Anne’s Holly Hofmeyer in the third minute of the second half. Hofmeyer boldly stepped up to the spot but the ball flew directly at the ready to pounce Mchunu, who snuffed the shot easily.

St Anne’s mounted several more weaving attacks but a firm defence by St Mary’s prevented the equaliser. St Anne’s, who were victorious in the first grand finals, were denied a second victory in their fifth run for the trophy.

Ashton International College representing the Durban North Regional were placed third.

Results

1 St Mary’s DSG. (Highway Regional); 2 St Anne’s Diocesan College (Pietermaritzburg North Regional); 3 Ashton International College (Durban North Regional); 4 Epworth School (Pietermaritzburg Central Regional); 5 Maris Stella (Durban Central Regional); 6 Ferrum High School (Northern KZN Regional); 7 St Patrick’s College (Southern KZN Regional); 8 Felixton College (North Coast Regional); 9 Kingsway High School (Durban South Regional); 10 Wartburg Kirchdorf School (uMvoti and oThukela Regional).

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