College retain Central regionals in schools hockey challenge
Durban Girls College once again secured thier place in the grand finals of the SPAR KZN School Girls Hockey Challenge over the weekend.
IT was the weekend of defending champions as Durban Girls’ College once again secured their place again at the grand finals of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge after Sunday's Durban Central Regionals.
College, who are the tournament’s overall champions, met host school Maris Stella in the regional finals, the hockey giants built up to some fabulous attacking situations but just lacked the finishing touches and at full time were nil nil against Maris Stella.
The game looked to swing Maris Stella’s way as the umpires blew a short corner for them at the countdown for the final whistle but going into extra time, the host school took a shot at goals but the shot went wide of the post. As the shot was fired, the umpires signaled for another short corner and the fate of the teams yet again went to the set play for Maris Stella’s corner. In almost identical fashion, the shot went wide meaning the outcome of the regional went to a penalty shootout.
Maris Stella won the toss and opted to go first. The first attempt went wanting, giving College the upper hand. Their experience in these deciding moments showed, with all of the College attempts convincingly finding the back of box. The final score was 4-2 to College.
Keeper for College, Georgia Gutteridge kept a clean score sheet during the rolling penalties, and during the course of the day. While on the other side, Caroline Meek took the honours of top goal scorer for the regional champions.
In the semi-finals, College met St Henry’s who finished off second in last year’s tournament. St Henry’s defence we unfaultable for three quarters of the game, but College’s fitness saw them persevere and once they scored their first goal, they quickly followed it up with another three more.
In the second semi-finals Maris Stella met Durban Girls’ High School. Girls’ High started off strongly camping out in the Maris Stella goal area but quickly lost possession with the game then heading up to their goals and Maris Stella remaining there for the remainder of the game with a well-earned victory against Girls’ High.
Durban Girls College join newcomers Sarel Cilliers from Glencoe and both defending champions from the Pietermaritzburg regionals, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High and St Anne’s College in Kloof at the grand finals in July.
