St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls fired three unanswered goals past Hellenic Academy to win the girls’ hockey title at the St Dunstan’s Easter Sports Festival, on the final day (April 21).
Coach Seth Goodwin’s side was clinical in their execution as star player Jemma Ferreira scored three cleanly executed strikes from short corners on their way to a 3-0 victory, helping Saints defend the title they won last year.
“The girls worked hard. We came off a tournament where we weren’t too happy with our finish. I think the mindsets were locked in and the girls decided to show up and prove their worth on the field. They did it in good style,” Goodwin said.
St Dom’s and Hellenic were the two top teams in the competition; coming into the final unbeaten, with St Dom’s scoring 33 goals and conceding once, while Hellenic scored 29 goals and conceded twice, in the round robins.
Saints looked the more edged side as both teams traded blows in the early exchanges, but nothing came of it. However, the Saints asserted themselves and soon took control of the game, with Katarina Jardim crucial in helping her team make several circle entries early in the first chukka.
Saints were rewarded in the seventh minute when Ferreira opened the scoring from a well-worked corner.
They continued to mount an unrelenting offensive on Hellenic and their pressure won them another shortie, which they converted in the 16th minute.
Jardim did well to retain possession after they fumbled their corner. She passed to Ferreira, who had created space for herself on the right before drilling the ball past the Hellenic keeper to make it 2-0.
Saints led 2-0 into the break and Goodwin’s team kept working hard.
Hellenic, to their credit, didn’t just sit back and allow their opponents to come at them. They mounted attacks of their own but each time they made circle entries the Saints defence was on alert to deal with them.
Ferreira added their third six minutes from time, with another strike from a brilliantly executed short corner and Saints ultimately triumphed 3-0 to win their second successive title.
Goodwin credited his team’s mindset for their glorious run in the competition.
“Coming back as winners, there’s always an expectation to perform well. From being an underdog the previous year to being a favourites always brings pressure. I think the mindset has to be the most important thing. If you get the mindset right, which the girls showed, work hard and respect every team, you can win it.”
The coach was chuffed with his team’s overall performance and reserved special praise for Jardim and Ferreira, saying they have been the rocks of his team for the past three years.
“The team played well but those two girls have rocks for this team. They came to the party. They brought their experience. You can see their potential and we’ve got an SA player in Katarina. I think Jemma is looking to try to write her name in those same books,” he said.
Ferreira was named the player of the tournament and was also the tournament’s leading goalscorer.
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