Menlopark stuns Eunice to finish Bloem tour on a high
Die Hoërskool Menlopark‘s first girl’s hockey side claimed a big scalp on Saturday in Bloemfontein by outmuscling Eunice to record an impressive 1-0 victory.
The girls from Pretoria were far from their best on the day but dug deep and produced the goods and the all-important goal when it most mattered.
They had kicked off their Bloemfontein excursion with a clash against Oranje Meisieskool in the first of 2025’s Hyundai Friday Night Lights showdowns.
That match ended in a 1-3 defeat. Earlier in the season, their clash with Oranje at the Balling Festival in Bethlehem produced eight goals.
Menlo had to quickly move on from their loss on Friday night and they had plenty of motivation, knowing a win over Eunice would give them something to show for their Bloemfontein excursion.
It was a tightly contested affair, with both teams showcasing strong defensive systems.
The visitors applied relentless pressure throughout the contest and they were rewarded in the final chukka when, after a strong drive along the baseline, 15-year-old Monique Gerber laid off a teasing ball for Naidene Bouwer, who scored a tap-in goal at the far post to secure the victory.
It was a significant win for coach Brook’s team, considering the calibre of their opponents.
“The trip to Bloem is always a tough one,” he told SuperSport Schools Plus. “When you come here, you’re not just playing the best teams in the Free State, you’re playing two of the best powerhouses in the country.
“We went into the matches with a clear vision, and to walk away with a loss and a win is not what we were hoping for, but we will take it.”
Menlopark didn’t have much turnaround time from Friday’s game but finetuned certain areas of their game for the clash with Eunice.
“We were a bit loose on our press against Oranje, so we had to tighten up there,” Brook explained.
“We also worked on our connections and, once we moved the ball, we looked pretty good.
“It wasn’t our most polished performance, but that’s because they are a well-coached side and have great personnel. With that said, we are very happy to walk away with the win,” he said.
The Pretoria school has already played a whopping 13 matches this season and they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
They will play their first league match against Montana in the coming week before shifting their attention to the NWU-Reeks semifinals.
In April, they’ll chase silverware at the St Mary’s Waverley Hockey Festival.
RESULTS
Menlopark 1-3 Oranje
Menlopark 1-0 Eunice
