Southern Gauteng crowned indoor IPT champions
Raffael Abrahams produced a moment of brilliance to help Southern Gauteng secure a thrilling 1-0 win over KwaZulu-Natal Coastal A in the final of the SASHOC u18 Girls’ Indoor Hockey IPT at Thomas More College on Thursday morning.
The much-anticipated final, which brought together the only unbeaten teams after three days of action, was tension-packed from the first whistle to the last.
Southerns and Coastals A, also, had the best defences at the showpiece, conceding a combined 15 goals on their way to the final.
Six of those goals came in their 3-3 draw in the group stage. Southerns’ defence was breached just eight times in their lead-up to the final, while Coastals A conceded only seven goals.
For their part, KZN Coastal A erected an almost impenetrable wall at the back. Almost, but not quite…
Southerns responded by being patient in their build-up play. Their breakthrough came courtesy of an inspired moment from Abrahams.
She pressed Coastals A defender, Jamie da Silva, robbed her with a sharp tackle to her left, then pulled the ball inside onto her strong stick before racing towards the top of the circle. There, she quickly snapped off a shot to the right of goalkeeper, Enyenhle Nzama, to give Southerns the lead.
It was Abrahams’ third goal of the tournament, but, by far, her most important one.
She, also, scored a brace in Southerns’ 4-0 win over Northerns. She hadn’t featured on the scoresheet since that opening match, but she picked a good time to change that.
Goalkeeper Charlie Dalling was outstanding for Southerns. She stonewalled KZN Coastal time after time and pulled off a save of a penalty stroke late in the contest to preserve her side’s slender lead. When the final whistle sounded, she was swamped by her teammates.
Southerns registered 28 goals in their campaign, with their captain, Amber Fairon, the leading goalscorer in the tournament, striking eight times. Her Southerns’ teammate, Ciara van der Walt, recorded the second-most goals, with six.
Four players – Brigit Arndt (Northerns), Gabi Howarth (KZN Coastal A), Mackenzy Layden (KZN Coastal B), and Anna Schulze (KZN Inland B) – were next best, with five goals apiece.
Coastals A recorded the second-most goals with 26, while their compatriots, KZN Coastal B, were third on the list, with 17.
Northerns was the only other team that reached double figures, with 11. KZN Inland A and KZN Inland B scored eight and five goals respectively.
In the u16 section, Northerns A’s unbeaten run of five wins and a draw earned them top honours. KZN Inland A finished in second place with four wins, a draw, and a single loss, while KZN Coastal A placed third with three wins, two draws and a loss to their name.
RESULTS
U18
Final – Southern Gauteng 1 (Raffael Abrahams). KZN Coastal A 0.
3/4 place – KZN Coastal B 1 (Mackenzy Layden). KZN Inland A 0.
5/6 place – Northerns 4 (Brigit Arndt 3, Jana Seebach). KZN Inland B 2 (Anna Schulze 2).
U16
KZN Coastal B 3 (Becca Short, Isabella Jansen, Rachel McDonald). KZN Inland B 1 (Tyler Kyle).
Southern Gauteng A 3 (Jamie Howard, Kutlo Morule, Lebogang Ngobese). Northerns B 0.
KZN Coastal A 2 (Olivia Lord 2). KZN Inland A 0.
U14
Northerns A 5 (Sarah Gouws 3, Pheladi Ngoasheng, Basetsana Mangaba). Northerns B 0.
KZN Coastal B 3 (Errin Pretorius 2, Charlotte Patterson). KZN Inland B 1 (Hannah Wessels).
KZN Coastal A KZN Inland A TBC
