DSG are the Queens of the Eastern Cape after conquering Collegiate
A near-perfect performance, featuring moments of brilliance and silky skills, secured a 4-1 victory for DSG Makhanda over Collegiate Girls’ High School, in Gqeberha, on Saturday.
The clash between the teams, two of the best in the country in 2025, had been heavily hyped up. It was, undeniably, the match of the weekend in the Eastern Cape.
Both teams carried unbeaten records in the province into the match, with DSG racking up crucial wins throughout May, while Collegiate had carried on from where they left off after winning the All Girls’ Festival in Cape Town.
The week prior, Collegiate had defeated Kingswood College 4-0 while DSG thumped Clarendon High School for Girls 7-0, so both sides were in a confident frame of mind ahead of the showdown.
Collegiate started like a house on fire and reaped early dividends, scoring only four minutes in through the dangerous Kerrin Gillies.
After receiving a pass just outside her half from Taryn Peltenburg, she made a penetrating run into the circle. Unchallenged, she smashed a shot into the back of the goalbox for the contest’s opener.
DSG responded seconds before the end of the first chukka after a pinpoint long ball sliced through the middle of the Collegiate defence and found Emily Walker on the left-hand post, where she deflected it into the back of the net.
The visitors, playing with vigour, upped their intensity in the second chukka and were rewarded almost instantly.
Ava van der Walt got her name on the scoresheet before a moment of individual brilliance by Lucy Holderness made it 3-1 to the visitors at the break.
Collegiate created ample chances to get back into the game, including winning a number of penalty corners, but it was just not working out for them.
With 50 seconds left in the third chukka, Abigail Holderness made sure of the win with a pinpoint accurate PC drag flick that flew past Salome Oosthuizen, in goal, for DSG’s fourth.
The home team kept fighting and attempted a comeback in the final chukka, but DSG’s defence remained rock-solid, and the girls from Makhanda recorded an impressive win.
“We started a bit slow. They scored first, but I think we stuck to our game plan,” coach Geowynne Gamiet told SuperSport Schools Plus after the game.
“We showed more energy, played well in the right areas, and took our chances.”
The DSG hockey programme has been on an upward trajectory for the past couple of years since Gamiet joined the school as the Director of Hockey. While the results haven’t always gone their way, it’s been a work in progress, and the coach said he’s pleased to see the school reap the rewards for its commitment to the sport.
“It’s taken a while for us to get to where we are,” he admitted. “All programmes don’t just click in one go. It takes quite a while. I do think our hockey is where we want it to be now, and we can compete with some of the best teams in the country.
“I think we are playing well, and my girls are always humble. They don’t celebrate too much when they score goals. They get back and get on with it.
“We have some games remaining, but July will be a test for us because we have an empty schedule. We will try and see if we can’t get any friendly matches to fit in there before Top 12.”
In the coming week, DSG takes on Cambridge High before preparing for one of their biggest games of the season, K-Day, against Kingswood, on Saturday, 14 June.
Other matches
Woodridge College played to a 2-2 draw with Outeniqua, in Thornhill, while Pearson High proved too strong for Framesby, thumping their Gqeberha rivals 6-0.
Stirling High made light work of Cambridge, outscoring them 4-0, courtesy of braces from Mathibeni Mqeni and Kishka Baartman.
Queenstown Girls’ High pulled off a massive 2-1 win over Hudson Park.
EASTERN CAPE GIRLS’ RESULTS
DSG Makhanda 4-1 Collegiate Girls’ High
Woodridge College 2-2 Outeniqua
Pearson High 6-0 Framesby
Stirling High School 4-0 Cambridge High
Queenstown Girls’ High 2-1 Hudson Park High
