York High makes a big statement on day one of the Independent Schools Festival
The much-anticipated Independent Schools Hockey Festival, hosted by St Alban’s College, in Pretoria, got off to a blistering start on Saturday.
The festival, which produced a whopping 60 goals on the day, runs until Monday, 7 April, and the action is live on the SuperSport Schools App.
On the opening day, York High, Bishops (Diocesan College), St Alban’s, Reddam House Constantia, and Michaelhouse were among the big winners.
York, who travelled from George to Gauteng, were a bit of an unknown, but they quickly made their mark with some impressive hockey.
Led by coaches Jason and Sean Slater, the boys from the Garden Route were impressive in front of goal and scored 11 times while conceding four goals in their two outings.
They thumped Helpmekaar Kollege 7-2 in the morning and returned later in the day to hand St Andrew’s School a 4-2 defeat.
“We knew we were arriving here as a bit of an underdog because we have a very young side that has one matric pupil in it,” Slater told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“The boys had to learn two new structures, and it was a positive to see them implement the game plan. We conceded a couple of goals, and we’ve got to work on that. Overall, we are very happy. The boys stuck together, showed grit and some guts.”
Slater has been in charge of the York side for over 900 matches and is slowly passing the baton to his co-coach, Shaun Slater.
When asked about the influence Shaun Slater has had on the team, Jason Slater said: “He’s had a huge effect on how the boys are playing and taking everything in. Technically, he’s sound and adding a lot of value.”
York will be tested by Michaelhouse and St Benedict’s College on day two.
Reddam House Constantia and Bishops, two of the three Western Cape representatives, were also on song on Saturday. Reddam defeated Bennies 3-2 before thumping Helpmekaar 6-1.
Coach Ryan Julius’s Bishops side was also among the goals while playing some entertaining hockey.
They began the day with an impressive 6-1 victory over St Charles College but were stretched by Michaelhouse in the final match of the day, which finished in a 1-1 draw.
“It was a good start to the tournament,” Julius told SuperSport Schools Plus after their win over St Charles.
“Tactically, we were sound, and the boys executed very well. We are playing with 14 players on tour, one less player, so the way we controlled the tempo of the game and ensured we had energy was good by the lads.”
The hosts, St Alban’s College, also joined in on the wins on Saturday.
Playing on their home turf and in front of their supporters, the Checks defeated Somerset College 2-0 before thumping St Charles College 4-0.
Those were two impressive performances, and St Alban’s will aim to build on the momentum they generated on Saturday when the action resumes on Sunday.
St Benedict’s posted a tight win and a tight loss. They beat Trinity House Randpark 3-2 but fell by the same margin against Reddam House Constantia. Trinity House also claimed a 3-2 win, beating St Andrew’s School by that scoreline in the opening game of the day.
It’s back to the drawing board for St Charles, St Andrew’s School, Helpmekaar, and Somerset College, who all suffered two losses.
RESULTS
Trinity House 3-2 St Andrew’s School
St Benedict’s College 2-3 Reddam House Constantia
York High 7-3 Helpmekaar Kollege
St Alban’s College 2-0 Somerset College
Bishops 6-1 St Charles College
Michaelhouse 2-1 St David’s Marist Inanda
St Benedict’s College 3-2 Trinity House
York High 4-2 St Andrew’s School
Reddam House Constantia 6-1 Helpmekaar Kollege
St Alban’s College 4-0 St Charles College
St David’s Marist Inanda 3-0 Somerset College
Bishops 1-1 Michaelhouse
Fixtures
Day 2 – Sunday, 6 April
07:30 – St David’s Marist Inanda vs Reddam House Constantia
08:00 – St Charles College vs Helpmekaar Kollege @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf
08:45 – Somerset College vs Trinity House
10:00 – St Alban’s College vs St Andrew’s School
11:15 – Bishops vs St Benedict’s College
12:30 – York High vs Michaelhouse
13:45 – Reddam House Constantia vs Trinity House
15:00 – St Charles College vs St David’s Marist Inanda
16:15 – Helpmekaar Kollege vs Somerset College
17:30 – St Alban’s College vs Bishops
17:30 – St Andrew’s School vs Michaelhouse @Pretoria Boys High AstroTurf
18:45 – York High vs St Benedict’s College
