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DSG prepares for Collegiate battle, Clarendon visits Kingsridge

By Avuyile Sawula , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-05-16 Tags: , , ,

Photo Credits: DSG Makhanda
Photo Credits: DSG Makhanda

There’s a busy programme awaiting the Eastern Cape’s top girls’ hockey teams this weekend, with sides seeking to further hone their skills ahead of the annual SASHOC Inter-Provincial Tournament, which rolls around in less than a month.

This weekend will see, among others, Westering High School, Pearson, Woodridge College, and Cambridge High in action, all eager to add a tick to the win column.

The two stand-out matches will be late-morning Saturday showdowns, when Diocesan School for Girls Makhanda (DSG) hosts Collegiate Girls’ High in a clash which is expected to produce fireworks. Meanwhile, in Qonce, Kingsridge (KHS) takes on Clarendon.

The visitors, from East London, will be favoured to win. Almost a month ago, coach Luaan Sedras’s charges claimed gold at the Spar Eastern Cape Schoolgirls Hockey Challenge, defeating Hudson Park 2-1 on penalties after the final had finished deadlocked at 0-0.

Soon after, they were humbled by Eunice Girls High, who hit on all cylinders in a shocking 10-0 thrashing of Clarendon.

After a bye weekend, however, Clarendon returned to action on Wednesday and put on a show against Ooskus Gimnasium (formally known as Grens), scoring nine unanswered goals.

Their record against the Qonce side is solid. Last season, it was one-way traffic as they rocketed to a 15-0 victory.

There will be a lot on the line in the match between DSG and Collegiate in Makhanda. They, together with Pearson, are arguably the most dangerous teams in the province, which has been borne out in their results when they’ve competed elsewhere in the country.

Earlier this month, Collegiate participated in the National All Girls Festival in Potchefstroom and finished in an impressive seventh spot.

Last weekend, during their 150th reunion, they took on Pearson. There was nothing to separate the teams as they shared a goalless draw.

DSG, meanwhile, has put together a nice run of victories. Over the past weekend, they thumped Cambridge High 7-1. The week before that, Stirling High was handed a 7-0 loss, and Hudson Park was beaten 2-1 late last month.

DSG will also be brimming with confidence after claiming top honours in the Spar Hockey Challenge last Sunday, where they beat Kingswood 3-1 in the final.

Both teams have players who have been selected to represent Eastern Province at the annual SASHOC IPT in Bloemfontein. Collegiate’s Alulutho Adams, Tiara Finnis, and Gemma Bouwer feature in the U18A lineup, while DSG has Kayleigh Clayton, Hannah Lowe, Abigail Holderness, and Mike Holder in the same EP squad.

In last year’s meeting, it was the side from Gqeberha that claimed a tight 1-0 win at home.

The eagerly awaited clash will, also, present coaches Geowynne Gamiet and Michael Abrahams with an opportunity to assess where their teams stand in the provincial pecking order ahead of the mid-season break.

FIXTURES

Friday, 17 May

17:20 – York High vs Pearson High
17:30 – Alexander Road vs Westering High School

Saturday, 18 May
10:00 – Outeniqua vs Pearson High
10:30 – Woodridge College vs Union High School
10:50 – Stirling High vs Cambridge High
11:00 – Kingsridge Girls High vs Clarendon High School for Girls
13:15 – DSG Makhanda vs Collegiate Girls’ High

Avuyile Sawula
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.