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Intriguing Hilton-Michaelhouse hockey showdown on the cards

By CS Chiwanza , in Hockey | Featured Hockey | News , at 2024-05-03 Tags: ,

High-flying Hilton College is primed and ready for a mouthwatering derby contest against Michaelhouse on Saturday morning. It’s the latest chapter in a storied rivalry.

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As George Harris, the Hilton Headmaster shared in the run-up to the derby, while there have been eras when the matches have been one-sided contests, Hilton and Michaelhouse have shared the spoils more often than not.

The hosts head into the tie having outplayed Glenwood 5-0 last week. Their captain, Jarred Kitto, was among the scorers, netting the fourth goal of the game. The SA u17 star was also influential in the midfield, challenging Glenwood’s defences throughout with incisive passes.

The home team will be hoping for more of the same from their captain. Leading his side to a win over their Michaelhouse would be a perfect way to celebrate his 50th cap for the 1st XI. Considering that Hilton usually does not play more than 20 matches in a season, that’s a noteworthy achievement.

However, while the scoreline against Glenwood might suggest that Hilton is an uber-attacking team, they are also robust in defence. “If you can’t defend, you are going to lose the game,” Hilton’s Director of Hockey, Devon van der Merwe, said.

The derby is a challenge Michaelhouse coach Nick Bérichon’s charges will embrace.

After falling behind early, they clawed their way back into the game and fired two goals past a finely tuned Kearsney defence in a narrow 2-3 defeat last Friday. That match spoke volumes about ‘House’s fighting spirit as they trailed 0-3 only 10 minutes into the game. It was Michaelhouse, however, who finished the stronger, launching wave after wave of attacks, which stretched the Kearsney defence.

They’ll take heart from the success they enjoyed on the flanks against the Botha’s Hill boys, and that is likely to feature in their game plan against Hilton.

Michaelhouse will be led up front by their X-factor player Gordon Deutscher. The industrious Pat Lambert captains the side.

Bérichon‘s boys have shown growth on the defensive end of the field, too, notwithstanding the three quick goals they conceded against Kearsney. They’ll be marshalled by the reliable Murray Hall-Jones, who does a good job of setting their defensive structure.

“Our character and resilience throughout the season have been brilliant, so we will come out fighting next weekend against Hilton,” Bérichon said after the match against Kearsney.

Now, that weekend has arrived and Bérichon’s charges are primed and ready to take on Hilton in front of a partisan crowd which, admittedly, will not be short of red-clad supporters.

While it’s a daunting challenge against a team that is enjoying a very good season, it is an encounter that has Bérichon’s charges excited. What better way to return to winning ways than with a win over their great rivals in the game that means the most?

Saturday’s match starts at 11:30.

TEAMS

Hilton: Kayson Holtzhauzen, Matt Thomas, Grant Bridgeford, Jarred Maltby, Xavier Enslin, Connor Thomason, Jarred Kitto (c), Oscar Steiner, Reagan Mudau, Jayden Roux, Robert Burman, Murray Loughor-Clarke, Tino Hove, Masud Dakile, Nic Harcourt.

Michaelhouse: Pikolomzi Nkompela, Murray Hall-Jones, Chris Angel, Braunton Bigalke, Basti Hofmeyr, Patrick Lambert (c), Thandanani Zuma, Luke Camerer, Graydon Leslie, Gordon Deutscher, William Gilson, West Mitchell-Innes, Keaton Porrill, Sithsaba Samukonda, Rory Steyn, Nicholas Fearnhead, Mokilibi Makara, Ben Heuer.

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