St Stithians clinches St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament title
Former St Anne’s Diocesan College head coach Megan Sileno made a triumphant return to Hilton on the weekend, leading St Stithians College to the title at the St Anne’s Water Polo Tournament.
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In a dramatic final, on Sunday, St Stithians edged out Roedean 7–6 in a penalty shootout after the sides were tied 4–4 at full time.
The final, like most of the day’s playoff games, was very tightly contested, with the defences dominating in an evenly matched battle.
St Stithians’ journey to the title was a gauntlet through some of the country’s top teams. In the quarterfinals, they dispatched Durban Girls’ College (DGC) 8-6, which was a significant win, considering that DGC had already won the KZN Top 10 and Mackenzie Cup tournaments.
They then met Herschel Girls School in an action-packed semi-final, which was also decided on penalties, with Saints holding their nerve to move into the final after a 7–6 (4–4) win.
On the other side of the draw, Roedean defeated St Anne’s 8–6 in their semi-final, to end the hosts’ unblemished run.
After winning the title, St Stithians had more reasons to celebrate, with Isabella Imbriolo being named the Defender of the Tournament, while Danielle Sassenberg, who named the MVP.
The bronze medal match was every bit as dramatic as the final, with the contest needing to go to penalties to be settled.
In regulation time, St Anne’s and Herschel finished level at 5-5, but the Capetonians then edged out the home side, triumphing 7-6.
St Anne’s head coach Cameron Wiid was thrilled with how the event unfolded. “The tournament was a massive success,” he enthused. “Having 16 of the best u19 ladies’ teams from across the country, all staying on the St Anne’s campus, created a unique atmosphere not often found elsewhere on the calendar.
“Five out of the six match officials have represented South Africa at the World Aquatics Championships, with two officiating at the Olympic Games. That level of experience elevated both the competition and the officiating to the highest standard.”
Wiid also expressed his excitement at the tight level of competition. “With all top medal matches and even the 5th/6th playoff going to penalties, it’s clear that the level of women’s water polo in South Africa is on the rise,” he said.
“I was proud of my team’s performance in finishing fourth after a narrow shootout loss to Herschel. I’m excited to see what this special group can achieve at the upcoming Stayers and Interprovincial tournaments later this year.”
In other games, after working hard the whole weekend, the defending champions, Reddam House Constantia, finished fifth, sneaking by Reddam House Bedfordview 7-6 on penalties after their playoff ended 5-all.
Reddam Bedfordview, nonetheless, put together a strong run, winning their first three games to go undefeated in their group. In the quarterfinals, though, Herschel controlled the contest to run out 9-2 winners.
Meanwhile, DGC beat Reddam House Umhlanga 5-3 to finish seventh, while St Mary’s Waverley claimed the Plate, beating St Dominic’s 5-3 in the final.
RESULTS
Plate Semifinals
St Mary’s Waverley 3-2 Beaulieu
St Dominic’s (5) 3-3 (3) Kingsmead
Cup Semifinals
St Stithians (7) 4-4 (6) Herschel
Roedean 8-6 St Anne’s
Plate
7/8: St Mary’s DSG, Kloof 4-10 Maris Stella
5/6: Rhenish 4-3 St Cyprian’s
3/4: Beaulieu 0-2 Kingsmead
1/2: St Mary’s Waverley 5-3 St Dominic’s
Cup
7/8: DGC 5-3 Reddam Umhlanga
5/6: Reddam Bedfordview (5) 5-5 (7) Reddam Constantia
3/4: Herschel (7) 5-5 (6) St Anne’s
1/2: St Stithians (7) 4-4 (6) Roedean
