Hudson Park ticks all the right boxes at Oakhill Co-Ed Festival

After flying starts to their respective 2024 campaigns, the Hudson Park High School boys’ and girls’ senior hockey teams made their way to Knysna in the Western Cape for the Oakhill Co-Ed Festival over the weekend.
Rewatch the action from the Oakhill Festival on SuperSport Schools
Hudson was the only team from the Border region in action at the festival but they more than held their own against their Western Cape opposition.
Before the festival, both Hudson’s boys’ and girls’ teams had registered wins on the opening weekend of derby action against Cambridge High School in East London.
The girls’ team, under the guidance of coach Jerry Snyman, scrapped their way to a hard-fought 1-0 win, with Inathi Lubelwana netting the winner for her side.
Meanwhile, coach Sipe Matafeni’s boys posted a 2-1-victory, courtesy of goals from Ayola Rubushe and Somila Mkhokeli.
In Knysna, both of the East London school’s teams impressed, with their attractive brand of hockey helping them to score some notable victories.
In six matches, the Hudson Park girls were rampant, scoring a whopping 24 goals without conceding.
They claimed the scalps of Outeniqua (4-0), Oakhill School (4-0), Knysna High (7-0), Reddam House Durbanville (3-0), and Milnerton (5-0).
Their final match on Sunday, against St Patrick’s, was called off due to bad weather. That mattered little though, as coach Snyman was satisfied with what he had seen.

“This past weekend, the girls played with great structure, which allowed them to work on what we’ve been practicing and aiming towards,” he told SuperSport Schools after the festival.
“This includes stuff such as ball speed, connections, and intensity as a team.
“The momentum gained this weekend should carry over into the rest of the season as the players are settling into the team and the expectations.
“We are now entering the derby season, with the Spar Hockey Challenge just ahead of us. The team is working hard and they’re positive, so we’re looking to continue this momentum,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Hudson Park boys’ side will be satisfied with the progress they showed during the festival.
They opened their account with successive wins against Outeniqua (4-2) and Oakhill (3-1). They did, however, stumble against Stellenberg High, going down 0-2, before sharing a 1-1 draw with Knysna.
They bounced back on day three, beating Reddam House Durbanville 1-0 and Milnerton 2-1, before losing out by the odd goal to the Grey High 2nd XI in their final match
Reacting at the end of the event, coach Matafeni said he hoped his boys would take the lessons learned during the festival with them into the rest of the season.
“It’s a well-run festival and playing only two 15-minute halves per match offers a different dynamic,” he said.
“It forces players from both sides to switch on from the very first whistle, as there is simply no time to try and ease into the game.
“It also reduces the amount of time you have to claw your way back, if you concede. All of these factors create an action-packed 30 minutes for each game.
“I am hoping that my boys will carry the ability to get going from the first whistle into the season.”
The girls’ team will be back in action on Sunday, 21 April, when they take part in the Border Coastal Spar Hockey Challenge.
The boys’ side, on the other hand, has a weekend off before returning to the turf against St Andrew’s College later this month.
Hudson Park’s results from the Oakhill Co-Ed Hockey Festival
Girls
Hudson 4-0 Outeniqua 2nd
Hudson Park 1-1 Stellenberg
Hudson Park 4-0 Oakhill
Hudson Park 7-0 Knysna
Hudson Park 3-0 Reddam House Durbanville
Hudson Park 5-0 Milnerton
Hudson Park vs St Patrick’s – No result, rained out.
Boys
Hudson Park 4-2 Outeniqua 2nd
Hudson Park 3-1 Oakhill
Hudson Park 0-2 Stellenberg
Hudson Park 1-1 Knysna
Hudson Park 1-0 Reddam House Durbanville
Hudson Park 2-1 Milnerton
Hudson Park vs St Patrick’s – No result, rained out.
Hudson Park 0-1 Grey High 2nd
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