Parel Vallei relishing Outeniqua exchange in George
After securing a nerve-wracking and nail-biting 1-0 win over St Cyprian’s School last weekend, Parel Vallei, will aim to make it two wins on the trot when they take on Hoërskool Outeniqua in George on Friday night.
Kick-off is at 18:00. Catch the action LIVE on SuperSport Schools.
The encounter will be PV’s third match of the regular season after they opened their campaign a fortnight ago with a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Paarl Girls’ High.
Before that, the side from Somerset West undertook an international tour to The Netherlands, which formed of their pre-season.
There, coach Jarred Pitout’s girls played five matches, winning two, losing two, and drawing once.
“I think I am blessed with a good depth of strong players, and the progress shows in our team unity on and off the field,” Pitout told SuperSport Schools ahead of their clash against Outeniqua.
“Our tour to Holland was something we have wanted to do ever since Covid-19, so it’s been in the planning for a while.
“We took 35 girls over, and I believe we can measure ourselves against those teams as our hockey in South Africa is very strong and incredibly competitive here in the Boland.”
One of the primary reason teams to tour The Netherlands was to test Parel Vallei’s hockey and measure its depth against some of the best junior hockey teams in the world.
During their time abroad, Pitout’s side was exposed to a different hockey culture, which he believes will have a positive impact on his team moving forward.
“The benefit of going overseas is exactly that, to measure yourselves against opposition that you don’t normally face,” he explained.
“It was a huge experience for our girls to see some 20 Astros in one area and the culture built around hockey on that side is something that can be experienced only by going there.”
PV has retained the bulk of their players from last year’s team, including four girls who are now in matric, and has further infused their lineup with young talent, with girls from grades 9, 10, and 11.
“This side has been working together for a while and so the cohesion is strong on and off the field,” said Pitout.
“We have a few new appointments, but we lost only three matrics last year and our u16 group last year was very strong, so some have now found their position in the first team.”
PV will be led on Friday night by their influential skipper, Jordan Boer, who was selected for the SA u16 High Performance Squad in 2023.
To secure victory, they’ll also bank on the skills of players like Eva Blaauw, who controls the midfield and is an influential attacking force, too, while Michaela Birch brings a workhorse attitude and consistency to the team.
A key to Friday’s showdown will be for Parel Vallei to finish better. They’ve scored only twice in their past two matches, so they’re due for a better outcome soon.
Parel Vallei squad
Jordan Boer, Zelda Rosenstrauch, Anmarie Grobler, Michaela Birch, Joane van Geest, Grace Millard, Elrie Pienaar, Eva Blaauw, Grace Taylor, Jodi Oostendorp, Hannah Ward, Anna Rose Cocks, Jessica Lavies, Skylar Bougaard, Lara Jales, Janae Theron, Andrea Fortuin.
Other matches
In other provincial matches this weekend, Herschel Girls High will face HMS Bloemhof in Stellenbosch on Friday night. Fairmont hosts Westerford.
Paarl Girls’ High, after a narrow 0-1 loss against Bloemfontein’s Oranje last Friday, which was followed by a 1-3 defeat against Bloemhof the following day, will look to get back to winning ways when they face Springfield Convent School on Saturday.
Durbanville will wrap up the action against St Cyprian’s School.
Fixtures
Friday, 26 April 2024
18:00- Outeniqua vs Parel Vallei
18:15- Fairmont vs Westerford
19:00- HMS Bloemhof vs Herschel Girls High
Saturday, 27 April 2024
10:40- Paarl Girls’ High vs Springfield Convent School
11:00- Durbanville vs St Cyprian’s
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