Collegiate set to battle Rhenish and Bloemhof in the Western Cape
The Collegiate Girls’ High first-team hockey side will journey to Stellenbosch this weekend for challenging matches against Rhenish Girls’ High and Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof.
The girls from Gqeberha will face Rhenish on Friday at 17:45 before taking on Bloemhof on Saturday at 11:30.
A stern examination awaits Collegiate, who would’ve seen plenty of Rhenish and Bloemhof in action at the past weekend’s St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival, in Johannesburg.
There, the Western Cape duo was among the leading teams and played some outstanding hockey, displaying a high level of competitiveness and a burning desire to win.
They dominated throughout the pool stages and met in an enticing semifinal that went down to the wire and needed a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
Bloemhof held their nerve to grab a 3-1 win, which booked them a place in the final against St Mary’s DSG, Kloof. They went down 0-1 in the title-deciding clash.
Rhenish, meanwhile, played to a goalless draw with Eunice High School in the bronze medal match, which meant they tied for third with the Bloemfontein outfit.
While the two Stellenbosch schools battled it out for one of the top four positions, Collegiate was also in action and the girls from Gqeberha certainly punched above their weight.
Led by coach Michael Abrahams, they ended their festival on a high with a 2-0 victory against Herschel Girls School to finish in 20th place in the elite 32-team field.
It was a good showing from Collegiate, especially when considering the opposition they faced and the number of matches they had played before the St Mary’s Festival.
Last month, they played their first competitive fixtures at the Synsport Greg Beling Festival, in East London. They were one of the standout teams, winning each of their four matches to emerge from the challenge unscathed.
“The Greg Beling gave us a good platform for the season,” coach Abrahams told SuperSport Schools Plus after the festival. “We went there looking at different aspects and what works best for us, and the girls did well and implemented what was being said.
“They played a good and exciting brand of hockey and scored some good goals.”
Playing a similar brand of hockey will come in handy against Rhenish and Bloemhof, who might be hurting after the St Mary’s Festival and determined to demonstrate their pedigree against another leading team.
Collegiate, however, has an experienced lineup and they’ll bank on seasoned campaigners Gemma Bower and Aimee Pienaar, who both reached 100 games for the side at Mary’s, to help lead their challenge. Cassidy Williams is another key player and is also a member of the centurions’ club.
Collegiate’s ranks include seven Eastern Province u18A representatives, namely, Kerrin Gillies, Eden Oliver, Bower, Taryn Peltenburg, Ayanda Klaas, Kate Brennan, and Khazimla Nogalawe, who will all look to make their mark against the Stellenbosch powers, both of whom have already staked a solid claim to being among the best teams in the country.
The two clashes will be streamed on the SuperSport Schools App.
Follow SuperSport Schools Plus for all the updates.
