SuperSport Schools Plus

Herschel to meet Reddam Bedfordview in the Brian Baker final


Herschel Girls School has opened up the possibility of winning back-to-back titles at the Brian Baker Water Polo Tournament in Makhanda, after two eventful victories on Saturday.

The Cape Town school had to dig deep to survive a tough test from Durban Girls’ College.

There was nothing to separate the teams at the end of regulation time in their quarterfinal showdown after they had netted nine goals each. Herschel, though, triumphed after a penalty shootout, taking victory 3-1 from the spot.

In the semi-finals, coach Alex Hawkins’ side faced one of their toughest rivals, Reddam House Constantia, coached by Connor Whiting. Reddam had scraped an 8-7 win over St Anne’s Diocesan College in the quarterfinals.

In a cagey affair, the first half, incredibly, didn’t produce a single goal.

After the break, Reddam Constantia piled pressure on Herschel and they were rewarded when Jessica Bester ended the stalemate. Herschel responded well to that setback and, a few minutes later, they equalised through Sophie Vickers, who struck from long range.

As the minutes ticked by, pressure mounted on both sides. Vickers was, then, presented with an opportunity to put Herschel ahead when Reddam Constantia conceded a penalty. She made no mistake with her shot and the defending champions edged ahead.

Emma Stevens sealed the deal with a third goal, with the win securing a place in the final against Reddam House Bedfordview, who were pushed to the limit in their two playoff games, both of which they won in penalty shootouts.

They handed Roedean School, the tournament’s highest scorers, a first loss of the event, in the quarterfinals. Roedean had captured the spotlight on the opening day by roaring to a 17-5 win over Kingswood College, which they followed with a 24-0 blanking of Alexander Road.

Matters were far tighter in the quarterfinals, with the meeting of the Johannesburg schools ending in a 3-3 draw. Then, Reddam Bedfordview edged out coach Siyabonga Guzana’s Roedean 3-2 in the shootout.

In the semi-finals, they faced another Johannesburg power, St Stithians Girls’ College, who had beaten DSG Makhanda 4-2 in the last eight. Although DSG Makhanda lost, it was a memorable day for Angelique Meyers, who earned her 100th cap for the school’s first team.

The Reddam Bedfordview versus Saints semifinal resulted in both sides scoring six times. The contest was, then, settled by another 3-2 penalty shootout margin, which again favoured Reddam.

The day’s other playoff games included a big win for Collegiate, who thumped Alexander Road 18-0, while St Dominic’s had to dig deep to see off Pearson 7-6. In a clash of East London schools, Hudson Park beat Stirling 9-4.

RESULTS

Quarterfinals

St Stithians 4-2 DSG Makhanda
Reddam House Constantia 8-7 St Anne’s
Herschel (3) 9-9 (2) Durban Girls’ College
Roedean (2) 3-3 (3) Reddam House Bedfordview

Playoffs

St Dominic’s 7-6 Pearson
Glenwood House 6-1 Woodridge
Collegiate 18-0 Alexander Road
Stirling 4-9 Hudson Park
Clarendon 7-5 St Mary’s Waverley
Rhenish 7-6 Kingswood
Woodridge 13-1 Alexander Road
DSG Makhanda 4-7 Roedean
Pearson 9-4 Stirling
St Anne’s (6) 7-7- (5) Durban Girls’ College
Glenwood House 7-5 Collegiate
St Dominic’s 10-8 Hudson Park

Semifinals

St Stithians (2) 6–6 (3) Reddam House Bedfordview
Reddam House Constantia 1-3 Herschel

 FIXTURES

Sunday, 26 January

08:00 –  11th/12th – St Mary’s vs Kingswood; 19th/20th – Alexander Road vs Stirling
08:50 – 9th/10th – Clarendon vs Rhenish; 17th/18th -Woodridge vs Pearson
09:40 – 7th/8th – DSG Makhanda vs DGC; 15th/16th – Collegiate vs Hudson
10:30 – 5th/6th – Roedean vs St Anne’s; 13th/14th – Glenwood House vs St Dominic’s
11:20 –  3rd.4th – St Stithians vs Reddam House Constantia

Final

12:10: Reddam House Bedfordview vs Herschel

Vuyo Ndudane
error: Sorry ol' chap, those shenanigans are not permissible.