Northern KwaZulu-Natal Regional has a new winner – host school, Hoërskool Pionier took the title in a scintillating final at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge on Saturday, February 29.
Hoërskool Pionier had a cracker of a day, starting its efforts off with a five-nil victory and continuing its winning streak all the way to the final, where it met St Dominics Newcastle. St Dom’s started the regional final with a spring in its step, as it worked its way to the Pionier goal from the whistle.
The visiting team opened its account with an absolute pearl of a goal when Vanessa Abudo entered the circle left of goal, slapped the ball in from the top of the D, passed the waiting keeper, Chrysna van Rhyn’s defence to a cleverly placed Andiswa Mhlongo camping out on the right post. Mhlongo calmly popped the ball across the line, netting the first goal.
After eight minutes, the home team started chipping away at St Dom’s dominance when it broke into the opposition’s circle and earned a short corner after eight minutes and 21 seconds. The team set up a basic attack, with the ball getting trapped at the castle and then being rocketed towards the goals, but a brave charge-down stopped Pionier’s first real attempt.
After a few more unsuccessful short corners, Pionier magicked up an equaliser after a scramble in the St Dom’s circle resulted in the ball slipping across the line. The game was then one-all with only two and a half minutes of play left. St Dom’s response was a solitary break from midfield with the player running out of turf, pushing the ball in from the right only to find no support from her players.
As the game time ran out, the action moved to the pressure spot, where three players from each team had a chance at a penalty shot. Pionier started the proceedings by nailing the first one, with St Dom’s rising to the challenge and also finding the back of the box on its first penalty. The second round saw both teams slot in their attempts. In the final round, Pionier’s Berne van Heerden’s flick went wide giving St Dom’s captain, Nosipho Magula’s a tournament-winning chance, but it wasn’t to be as her attempt agonisingly didn’t get the rewards.
The tournament went to sudden death, with St Dom’s stepping up to the spot first. Abudo’s earlier success didn’t continue to the spot and her chance went abegging, giving Pionier’s Charnique Oosthuizen a tournament-winning chance. Oosthuizen rose to the occasion, pummelling in her shot past the advances of keeper van Rhyn and earning the regional honours for Pionier.
Pionier is the third team to become NKZN champion, claiming the title from defending champ Ferrum High School, who has won the trophy eight times. Pionier met Ferrum in the second semi-final and knocked out the defending champs, with two goals scored by Oosthuizen and Kayla Becker. In the first semi-final, St Dom’s was victorious with a two-nil win against Dundee High School. Awande Mbuli and Vanessa Abudo netted the two for St Dom’s in the semi.
Pionier is the first team to earn a spot at the Grand Finals, which will take place at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof in July.
ALSO READ: New kit for St Dom’s first hockey teams
Contact us
WhatsApp: 082 874 5550
Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za
Make sure you follow us for regular updates:
