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DGC triumphs, while Eunice and Oranje record draws

By CS Chiwanza , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-04-14 Tags: , ,

The prolific Bianca Rees-Gibbs was on the score sheet for Eunice in their draw with Garsfontein.
The prolific Bianca Rees-Gibbs was on the score sheet for Eunice in their draw with Garsfontein.

The race for qualification for the Top 12 Tournament and top honours in provincial leagues began in earnest on the weekend as schools shifted their focus away from festival hockey.

Durban Girls’ College began their local campaign with an easy introduction to the KZN schedule. They faced Danville Park Girls’ High, not the strongest of opposition, and could have fielded a weaker side. But they chose a full-strength team.

One of the traps of schoolboys’ and -girls’ hockey is a tendency for teams to let their guard down and take things easy in the face of lower-ranked opposition. Talented and well-structured teams can rise to the level of stronger rivals, but not all maintain a high-quality performance against weaker opponents.

Danville was not in DGC’s class, but the St Mary’s Festival champions didn’t allow their standards to slide on Saturday.

Coach Chardinay Penniston‘s charges are young and ambitious. They have big dreams that include a successful St Anne’s campaign, making it to the Spar Finals, and making it to the Top 12 Tournament. They diligently prepare for each match and take nothing for granted.

Against Danville, they displayed a penchant for goalscoring, showcasing the same desire that brought them success at the St Mary’s Festival.

Ruby Krause (4), Caprice Bengston (2), Emily Macquet (2), Chelsey Woolf (2), Holly Jansen (1), Sherya Subramoney (1), and Tara Pakendorf (1) were on target as DGC fired 13 goals past Danville and took another step towards realising their ambitions.

Eunice and Oranje drew 2-2 against Garsontein on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Both teams put their best foot forward, throwing everything at the Pretoria-based team, but neither could overcome Charlene Jonsson‘s charges. They rose to the challenge, and it’s rare that a side comes away unscathed from back-to-back matches against the Bloemfontein powerhouses.

Oranje coach Gyster van Schalkwyk and Eunice’s Nika Coertzen would have preferred victories but will take draws over defeats, and both declared themselves satisfied with the performances of their teams.

Oranje produced their regular high standards on both ends of the field, while Eunice, whose players went into their game after participating in the Southern Free State trials earlier in the day, did not display weariness on the turf and delivered a typically solid display.

Kirsten Beneke’s charges, Voortrekker (Bethlehem), have one main goal for the 2024 season, to qualify for the Top 12 Tournament. They took a decisive step towards turning that dream into a reality with a 4-0 win over Fichardtpark.

The victory further enhances their bid for a spot in the prestigious event. “The table has been changing rapidly every week and we hope to keep improving and make the cut,” Beneke said.

Results

DSG 13-0 Danville, Eunice 2-2 Garsfontein, Oranje 2-2 Garsfontein, Voortrekker (Bethlehem) 4-0 Fichardtpark.

CS Chiwanza
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.