Undefeated, Berea school wins 13th regional hockey champs
All remaining regionals and the Grand Finals will be livestreamed on the SuperSport Schools’ mobile app or website.
UNDEFEATED champions Durban Girls’ College took home the Durban Central Regional trophy of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge for the 13th time at 3 Schools Trust on Sunday, April 16.
Durban Girls’ College is the only team in the KZN Challenge to have won 100% of their regionals. The team went up against the host school, Durban Girls’ High School, in the action-packed final.
College got out of the starting blocks quickly with a reverse stick attempt in the first minute, on the Girls’ High’s goals, which sailed wide. Their next probe, two minutes later, was an attack down the right, but Girls’ High’s sturdy marking stopped the manoeuvre.
Less than a minute later, College took a free hit outside the circle, but the hosts stood firm and did not allow the visitors any gaps. In just under five minutes, College earned their first short corner, and the ball rocketed to the second castle and towards the goal where a vigilant Divine Arinze firmly booted the shot out of danger.
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College’s attack pounced on the loose ball and pushed play back into the circle, but Girls’ High’s defence prevented any success. College earned their second short corner of the game after 12 minutes. The ball was injected to the second castle, and Emily Macquet sent in a low-flying flick that was stopped on the line, but in a lapse of concentration by Girls’ High’s last line, the ball’s momentum from the flick saw it trickle over the line, notching up College’s first goal.
Seconds later, College took full advantage of Girls’ High being on the back foot after having conceded a goal, netting their second goal. Hannah Hargroves achieved a superb goal, slapping the ball out of the defender’s reach.
With less than five minutes remaining, College got into some space on the left as they dashed down the sideline. The first goal scorer, Macquet, fired off a shot that whizzed towards the box. Arinze managed to get a nick on the ball that ricocheted off her pads into the goals, taking the final score to a 3-nil victory.
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College will join three other regional finalists who have already secured their place at the Grand Finals. Making their 11th appearance at the main event of the Challenge, they are the defending champs, having won Gold last year and on four previous occasions. They join Danville Park Girls’ High School (Durban North Regional); St Mary’s DSG (Highway Regional) and Kuswag Hoërskool (Durban South Regional).
The tournament heads to St Anne’s School on Saturday, April 22, for the Pietermaritzburg North Regional, followed by the uGu and Sisonke Regional at Creston College on Sunday, April 23.
For more info, like the tournaments’ Facebook page (SparSchoolGirlsHockeyTournament) or follow on Instagram (sparkznhockey)
Round-Robin Results
1 Durban Girls’ College 24pts; 2 Durban Girls’ High School 17pts; 3
Maris Stella 14pts; 4 St Henry’s 13pts; 5 Inanda Seminary School 8pts; 6 INK
Schools 4pts; 7 Port Natal School 0pts.
Regional Final Result
Durban Girls’ College 3 vs Durban Girls’ High School 0
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