Saints dangerman, Blatch ready to rip through teams at Aitken Cup
There was jubilation, excitement, and thrills when the St Stithians College first-team hockey side won the prestigious Aitken Cup in 2023.
Playing at home, in front of a jam-packed crowd, Saints defeated Jeppe High School for Boys 4-2 on penalties after their clash had ended tied at 2-2.
It was a momentous occasion, not only for the players and school but also for the alumni, parents, and the Saints’ community, who had last witnessed their side claim the trophy in 1975.
After 48 years, they had broken that drought. However, St Stithians was not about to rest on their laurels. They wanted to go back-to-back in 2024.
They were drawn in a tricky pool and were done in by a slow start to the tournament, which dampened their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
As a result, Saints finished ninth, behind Helpmekaar College, St Benedict’s College, and Trinity House Park Randpark Ridge, while Jeppe won the title after beating Parktown Boys’ High in the final.
This year, Saints is hungry to make a statement and to prove that they are one of the top teams in the country.
Led by coaches Miguel da Graca and Pat Owgan, the Saints Knights have put together a strong season, despite falling to a narrow 3-4 defeat to a high-flying Jeppe team in their season opener.
St Stithians has run rampant since that loss and they dominated at their home festival, the Saints Fest, going unbeaten before finishing an impressive fifth at the Standard Bank Hibbert Shield.
A player who has been crucial to their early-season success is forward Aidan Blatch. The lanky striker, who owns a powerful shot and vicious drag flick, has been their talisman all season long, finding the back of the net with relative ease and causing headaches for many teams.
He scored an insane hat-trick against Hilton College at Saints Fest before introducing himself as one of the players to watch at the Hibbert Shield.
His performances in Gqeberha helped Saints record an emphatic 5-2 win over Grey College in the playoff for fifth-place.
“I feel like Hibbert was nice, even though we didn’t play the type of hockey we wanted to play,” Blatch told SuperSport Schools Plus.
“I think we started very slowly, and that put us on the back foot, but we played very well, especially the last few games.”
Blatch was involved with the Saints’ team in 2024 and also represented Southern Gauteng at the SASHOC National Week in Bloemfontein.
It wasn’t one of his better seasons, though, as he struggled to find form and rhythm. He revealed how he changed his fortunes: “I’m very happy with how I’m playing now. It’’ way better than what it was last year,” he opened up.
“Last year, I lacked confidence. I was getting frustrated and mentally I wasn’t switched on, and this year, I’ve fixed that.
“I’ve also worked on my flicking a lot, and I’ve improved in that area. I’m just glad that I’m stepping up and helping the team this season.”
While Blatch is grabbing the headlines week in and out, his performances and the types of goals he scores wouldn’t be possible without the help of his teammates.
Jason Joiner, who is age only 16, has been distributing some juicy balls from the back, and they’ve remained solid in defence, with Dihian Naidoo and Angelo Dimitriadis playing well.
Skipper Liam O’Flaherty, along with Thomas Robinson and Dylan Burger, has also scored some fine goals and, from time to time, they make Blatch look good.
“Look, I think my teammates have been really good,” Blatch said with enthusiasm.
“I’ve been impressed with our defence so far this season. We conceded minimal goals, and that stepped up everyone’s mindset. They’ve given me the ball in the right areas, and they make it easy for me to play.”
After impressing in their Easter festival, Saints would also have received a big boost from their performance at the Hibbert Shield, while facing the toughest lineup at any event this season. Now, they’re eager to capture the Aitken Cup. Blatch believes they’re in the form of their lives and Saints could go on and win the whole thing.
“Our team goal is definitely aiming to win Aitken. I think we are one of the best teams in Johannesburg, and we have a good chance of winning it,” he reckoned.
St Stithians has been drawn in Pool A with Jeppe, HeronBridge College and Trinity Park.
TEAM:
Joshua Smith, Dihian Naidoo, Jason Joiner, Angelo Dimitriadis, Matthew Douglas, Ross Mountford, Liam O’Flaherty, Thomas Robinson, Dylan Burger, Aidan Blatch, Thomas Venter, Simon Meiring, Thomas Becker, Thomas Collins, Sebastien Pousson, Gofaone Msagala.
Saints Fixtures at Aitken Cup
Thursday, 15 May @Wits AstroTurf
15:00 – St Stithians vs Heronbridge College
Friday, 16 May @Wits AstroTurf
07:30 – St Stithians vs Jeppe High School for Boys
15:00 – St Stithians vs Trinity Park
