FOR the fourth time, Our Lady of Fatima ended their campaign in fifth place at the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge grand finals that took place at St Mary’s DSG recently.
Earlier this year, the team were crowned the Durban North regional champs, which cemented their spot at the grand finals.
Northglen News spoke to the school’s hockey captain, Sarah Bright, on the team’s performance, which saw the team beat Domino Servite School and Matatiele’s King Edward High School.
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Notably, the team beat Hoërskool Pionier from Vryheid twice in the competition, first in the pool round, and then in the fifth-place play-off which saw Fatima’s vice-captain, Chelsea Peterson, net a hat-trick.
“I am very proud of my Fatima team. Each girl played to their best abilities, and I know each and every one of them are going to do amazing things at the next SPAR hockey tournament. I feel really confident about the team’s chances next year. They have an amazing coach in Jacinta Jibb, and I’ve had the privilege of watching each and every one of the juniors improve throughout the season,” she said.
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Sarah added that competitions like the SPAR hockey challenge are essential for the growth of players.
“This tournament is beneficial for players to be exposed to this level of competition as it helps them gain experience and pushes them to be the best they can be,” she said.
When asked which of the team’s victories was the most impressive, Sarah sited their first victory against Hoërskool Pionier.
“We won that game 5-0. Besides the scoreline, the thing that really stood out to me was the way the team gelled. We played so well off each other. We scored some exceptional goals, and it showed what we can do when the team is on song,” she said.
