Affies shows class and composure to lift Challengers’ Cup
Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool (Affies) ended their season in the best way possible by winning the Challengers’ Cup, at La Rochelle Girls’ School, in Paarl, on Sunday.
They defeated Cape Town’s Herschel Girls School 1-0 in the final to cap off an amazing run at the tournament.
The Pretoria outfit was one of the favourites heading into the event after putting together a stellar season under the guidance of head coach Nicolene Terblanche.
They were aggressive, played some exciting hockey, and asserted their dominance in Pool B from the get-go.
During the group stage, Affies recorded 2-0 wins over Durban Girls’ College and Hoërskool Outeniqua and beat Springfield Convent School 1-0.
They played out a goalless draw with Paarl Girls’ High and suffered only one defeat, going down to Herschel in their last group fixture on Saturday.
Those results meant they finished second in Pool B with 10 points, which qualified Affies for the semifinals.
In the last four, coach Terblanche’s troops came up against their Pretoria rivals, Hoërskool Garsfontein, and, after the clash ended 1-1, they went to penalties, with Affies advancing to the title game by a narrow 1-0 margin.
That set up a date with Herschel, who remained unbeaten after shrugging off St Mary’s Waverley 2-0 to reach the final.
It was a competitive match, directed by two outstanding coaches, whose teams asked tough questions of their opposition from the first chukka.
There were no goals in the opening half, but Affies took the lead in the third chukka when Minke Van Heerden latched on to a loose ball inside the circle and tapped it into the back of the net.
After scoring, the Pretoria side defended as if their lives depended on it, with skipper, Hannah Henderson, leading Herschel’s push for an equaliser.
However, the Affies’ defence, backstopped by goalie Cara Bouwer, held their nerve to see the game out and claim a maiden Challengers’ Cup title.
“How can any coach not be proud?” coach Terblanche asked SuperSport Schools Plus after the game. “This is an amazing group of girls.
“It’s special to win tournaments, but there is much more than the trophy. Medals and trophies are the bonus, but there are small things that make a team.”
Affies arrived in Paarl just a week after winning the Pullen Cup, where they defeated Garsfontein 2-0 in the final.
Terblanche revealed the message she had delivered to her girls heading into the Challengers’ Cup: “I told them that the Pullen and Howell was over and done, and we needed to focus on the next goal.
“We went into the tournament with a winning mentality and belief. This is a team on and off the field, and that is something that I cannot explain.”
The coach also credited her side’s competitiveness, discipline and sisterhood in shaping what will go down as one of the school’s best seasons after they added two more trophies to their cabinet following their win at the All Girls Festival, in Potchefstroom, last year.
Other matches
In other contests, Garsfontein defeated St Mary’s Waverley 2-0, courtesy of goals by Jana Seebach and Daniella Grobbelaar, to win the bronze medal.
Parel Vallei also finished on a high note, beating Durban Girls’ College 2-0, while Fairmont High put four past Outeniqua to win by three.
Day 4 | Results and scorers
Springfield Convent School 1: (Mackenzie Cathcart-Gates). Paarl Girls’ High 1: (Halle Williams).
Parel Vallei 1: (Skylar Bougaard). Durban Girls’ College 0.
Rustenburg Girls’ High 2: (Agcobile Kata, Ashley Henwood). St Cyprian’s School 2: (Cayleigh Charton, Carolyn Lords).
Garsfontein 2: (Jana Seebach, Daniella Grobbelaar). St Mary’s 1: (Lucy Viljoen).
Fairmont 4: (Madison Ackerman 2, Camryn Corner, Jorja Kruger). Outeniqua 1: (Milla Kruger).
Affies 1: (Minke van Heerden). Herschel 0.
Individual awards
Goalkeeper of the tournament – Cara Bouwer (Affies)
Top goal scorer – Daniella Grobbelaar (Garsfontein)
Most Valuable Player – Caprice Bengtson (Durban Girls’ College)
Final standings
Affies Meisies
Herschel Girls School
Garsfontein
St Mary’s Waverley
Parel Vallei
Durban Girls’ College
Fairmont
Outeniqua
Rustenburg Girls’ and St Cyprian’s School – Joint ninth place
Paarl Girls’ High and Springfield Convent School – Joint 11th place
