Zwartkop to face Monument in Noordvaal Cup Final
Hoërskool Zwartkop booked their place in the Noordvaal Cup final after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the hosts, Hoërskool Pietersburg, on Friday.
They’ll face the defending champion, Hoërskool Monument, in the title decider after Monnas cruised to a 6-1 win over Potchefstroom Gimnasium in their semifinal.
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For Zwartkop, the final represents a significant milestone in an already a memorable week. Their rise is particularly notable given that they won Section B of the tournament last year.
Diretcor of Hockey, Marthinus Gouws, was full of praise for his side’s resilience.
“Wow. It is a massive achievement for us,” he said. “We saw ourselves as underdogs this week, and the character the boys showed – especially being 0-2 down in our first game and coming back to win 3-2 [against HTS Witbank] – set us up for a good week of hockey.
“Finals don’t come around that often, and we are privileged enough to be playing in our second final of the year. Hopefully, the experience of the Belgotex Sport Easter Hockey Tournament [Shield] final will give the boys some comfort,” Gouws told SuperSport Schools Plus.
Zwartkop has already faced Monument this season. After sharing a 0-0 draw, they know a tough challenge awaits them.
“Playing against Monument is always a big game,” Gouws said, “and them being defending champion does give them the slightest of edges. But it’s finals’ hockey. Anything can happen.”
Gouws added that the final would be about more than silverware. It would also be about honouring his senior players.
“It is the final game for my matric boys, and they deserve a top-class performance from the team. Go and enjoy today, boys. Remember why we play this game, remember for whom we play,” he said
After losing out in the semi-finals, Potch Gim and Hoërskool Pietersburg will meet in the bronze medal match.
The fifth-place playoff features HTS Witbank against Hoërskool Nelspruit. They previously met in the Mpumalanga League final, with HTS Witbank winning after a penalty shootout.
The Witbank boys scored a 3-1 win over Helpmekaar Kollege on Friday while Nelspruit claimed a tight 1-0 win over Hoërskool Rustenburg. That leaves Helpies to face Rusties for seventh.
A 3-1 win for Hoërskool Waterkloof over Hoërskool Sasolburg set up Klofies for the ninth-place playoff against Midstream College, who downed Hoërskool Middleburg 2-1.
That leaves Sasol to take on Middies for 11th place.
Results
Playoffs
Waterkloof 3-1 Sasolburg (9-12)
Middelburg 1-2 Midstream (9-12)
HTS Witbank 3-1 Helpmekaar (5-8)
Nelspruit 1-0 Rustenburg (5-8)
Monument 6-1 Potch Gim (1-4)
Pietersburg 1-2 Zwartkop (1-4)
