LOCAL lasses, Durban Girls College, claimed their third victory in a row when they claimed the title for the 2015 SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament in convincing fashion at St Mary’s DSG on the weekend.
College met Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in the gold/silver final where the defending champions hammered in four goals, making it an impressive consecutive trio of golds in the five years of the tournament. Girls’ High entered the medal game as the “in-form” team but nerves seemed to get the better of them.
The tall, impressive forward Teagan McFall playing for College proved to be a slippery customer for the Girls’ High back line as she managed to shake the defence off and score two spectacular goals. The second shot, a reverse stick sweep, rocketed into the top corner of Girls High's net.
Captain for College, Kelsey Scott said, “We have been working hard for a while in preparation for the SPAR tournament. It was a bit of a shock to us where we drew in two of our pool games but that only made us more determined for today. We were extremely focused and pulled together to work as a solid unit when it counted against Girls’ High.”
The road to the 2015 finals for College had a bit of a bumpy start with a one all draw against a young and spirited King Edward High School team. And then in a classic Durban derby against rivals St Mary’s DSG in their second last pool game ended in a two all draw in a highly competitive, riveting game in the pouring rain at Thomas More College.
Led by SA Women’s Indoor Hockey star, Taryn de Winnaar, Girls’ High resumed their unfortunate streak of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, being awarded their fifth medal in the five years of the tournament. This is their third silver they have won, to add to that they have two bronzes in their trophy cabinet.
MD for SPAR, Rob Philipson stated, “The welcomed torrential rain did not dampen the spirits of all the teams who took part. In freezing conditions, the girls took to the pitch with smiles on their faces as they valiantly represented their schools and their regions. It was heartening to see the eagerness that each of the teams displayed as they tackled each game during the tournament. Congratulations to each and every one of them.”
For the third position, it was a battle of the Saints with St Anne’s College managing to get two goals beating St Mary’s DSG in a hard fought game for the bronze. Both these teams have won previously and both team had similar results leading up to the bronze medal game.
Tournament Director, Les Galloway said, “Our tournament just keeps getting better and better. We really acknowledge the effort and energy that all the players put into their games to make this final weekend a success. We also acknowledge and thank all the coaches and managers who stand on the side-lines, endlessly supporting and guiding their teams, the superb commitment of the umpires, and the parents who spend countless hours making it possible for their girls to play.”
