Goals galore on final day of Saints Fest
Hoërskool Waterkloof finished their Standard Bank St Stithians Easter Hockey Festival campaign with a bang.
The Pretoria school was one of four teams to end the event on a high after scoring 10 unanswered goals in their last two games.
DSG Makhanda also ended the festival in style with back-to-back wins over Beaulieu College and Hoërskool Menlopark. Garsfontein also racked up two victories on Saturday, defeating Springfield Convent School and the hosts, St Stithians.
Bethlehem Voortrekker edged Beaulieu 1-0 to sign off with a victory, while Springfield, beaten by Garsfontein in the afternoon, claimed a 4-0 win over the St Stithians’ Festival XI in their morning contest.
“I’m really happy with how our team performed. We worked on various strategies and stuck to our processes, resulting in four wins in five matches and only one loss. We scored 15 goals and conceded just two,” Omari Pienaar-Geyer, the Waterkloof head coach, told SuperSport Schools Plus.
Compared to the way they brought down the curtain, Waterkloof made a slow start to their campaign. They beat Springfield 2-0, lost 0-1 to DSG Makhanda in their second match, and then overcame Beaulieu 3-1.
After a rest on Good Friday, Pienaar-Geyer’s side returned to the turf rejuvenated and on fire. Lenique Vogel scored a brace, while Nadia Opperman, Abigail Grobler, and Renske Smit also netted as Klofies romped to a 5-0 victory over Voortrekker.
They were just as ruthless when they tackled the St Stithians Festival XI, once again running away to a 5-0 win. This time, it was Renske Smit with a double, while Abigail Grobler, Mila Rodenburg, and Mia Perold also made it onto the score sheet. The Elzaan Wessels-captained side almost made it 6-0, but Chené Oosthuyzen‘s shot on target came a second after the final hooter sounded.
“The girls did a fantastic job in both matches today,” Pienaar-Geyer enthused. “We successfully scored several team goals, and some from penalty corners, which was great to see. We’re working really hard on those.
“Our focus was on the basics, moving the ball effectively, and our pressing strategies, and when we did that well and together as a unit it paid off.”
DSG Makhanda, led by Abigail Holderness, cruised to a 4-1 win over Beaulieu College on Saturday morning before ending their Saints Festival experience with a tight 1-0 victory over Die Hoërskool Menlopark.
Beaulieu’s goal was the only one conceded by DSG at St Stithians. At the opposite end of the field, they averaged two goals a match, tallying 10 from their five outings.
“We brought an electric attack this weekend at Saints. The interchanging and the ability to put the opposition defence under pressure is a key element that this team brings,” Geowynne Gamiet, the DSG Makhanda head coach, told Supersport Schools Plus on Saturday evening. “Not only are they sharp in attack, but they are also dogged in defence.”
After breezing to a 3-0 win over Voortrekker in their last match on Thursday, coach Charlene Jonsson‘s Garsfontein girls enjoyed a good rest on Friday before seamlessly picking up from where they had left off on Saturday morning. Garsies cantered to a 3-1 win over Springfield and then completed their campaign with a solid 2-0 win over St Stithians.
RESULTS
Menlopark 2-0 Epworth School
Waterkloof 5-0 Voortrekker
Springfield 4-0 St Stithians’ Festival XI
St Stithians 1-0 Epworth School
DSG Makhanda 4-1 Beaulieu
Waterkloof 5-0 St Stithians’ Festival XI
Garsfontein 3-1 Springfield
DSG Makhanda 1-0 Menlopark
Voortrekker (Bethlehem) 1-0 Beaulieu
