Voortrekker ends term on a high
Voortrekker (Bethlehem) heads into the mid-year break on a high after a thrilling penalty shootout win away from home over their great rivals, Witteberg, for whom Amy Kotze played her 100th game.
Voortrekker triumphed 3-1 in the shootout after an exciting 3-3 draw in regulation time on Saturday.
It was a welcome victory after the team delivered some good hockey at the St Anne’s Cup, although results didn’t go their way.
A long break lies ahead of them now. They return to action in term three with a contest against Diamantveld on 26 July.
Reflecting on her charges winning the Bethlehem derby, Kirsten Beneke, the Voortrekker head coach, told Supersport Schools Plus: “I am pleased with the way the team played. I think it was one of the best comebacks I have seen at school level in a long time.”
Beneke and her assistant coach, Letlotlo Maphike, watched with pride as their charges put on a coming-of-age performance.
Spurred on by their home supporters, Witteberg took control of the encounter at the outset and Voortrekker found themselves chasing the game for much of the first half while they resolutely defended their goal.
However, the hosts’ persistence was rewarded with a goal when they won a penalty stroke five minutes into the second chukka. Voortrekker wasted no time in conjuring up a response, returning to equal footing when they equalised through Lana Wessels, who converted a short corner two minutes later.
Witteberg was outstanding with their penalty corner conversions, scoring all of their goals from their set piece. They doubled their lead eight minutes into the third quarter and went 3-1 up with another conversion with only 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
Voortrekker needed to reply quickly, and they did by throwing numbers forward and setting up camp in their rival’s half. Then, from an intercepted aerial, they drove towards goal and fired off a shot, which found Joma Viljoen, who slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Matters were intense as time ticked down and the visitors furiously chased an equaliser, dialling up the pressure as they played the game in Witteberg final third.
After repeated entries into the home team’s circle, Viljoen, again, found herself in the right place, picking up a ball played to the far post for a tap-in to make it 3-3. That sent the game to a penalty shootout. The derby winner had yet to be decided.
With the game on the line, Jamie Rayner, Voortrekker’s goalkeeper, stepped up and pulled off two saves to win the game for her side. She was judged to be the Player of the Match for her heroics in the penalty shootout, and also for her role in keeping Voortrekker in the contest across the four chukkas.
Hermien van Biljon, Zanicka Maree, and Jolene Stevens were on target for the girls in black.
“They played with so much heart and as a team. They showed that hockey and this team is so much more to them than just an extramural,” Beneke said.
RESULT
Voortrekker (Bethlehem) (3) 3-3 (1) Witteberg
