Photo by Sophie Thompson:
Ashton’s Michelle van der Linde owns the ball asFatima’s Naomi Majuean moves in to tackle and Danelle van der Linde (Ashton) and Stacey Ward (Fatima) wait in readiness during the pool games of the Durban North Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge that took place at Danville Park Girls’ High School on Sunday, April 10.
It was the weekend of the defending champions as Ashton International College booked their Grand Final berth winning the Durban North Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge that took place at Danville Park Girls’ High School.
This is the third time that the Ballito based school has advanced through the Grand Finals that will take place at St Mary’s DSG in July. A total of eighteen games christened Danville’s new astro turf where Ashton International College met Crawford La Lucia in the finals, with the game being decided in a penalty shoot-out.
Ashton International College recovered superbly after their disastrous start. In their first game they took on Our Lady of Fatima and from the whistle, they looked out of sorts and went down by two goals. The team regrouped, putting their heads down and looked unbeatable as they advanced all the way.
In Pool A, Crawford La Lucia and Danville Park Girls’ High topped the log, advancing to the next round. Both Ashton and Fatima were the two teams from Pool B to make their way through to the semi-finals. In the first semi-final, Ashton took on host school Danville. At the end of the twenty minute game, the scores were level on nil. The game then went to rolling penalties where three players each had 8 seconds to score. Ashton netted all of their chances while Danville missed one.
In the second semi-final, Fatima who won the inaugural tournament took on Crawford La Lucia. In an identical result to the first semi, the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Crawford La Lucia won that with the score line of 2-1.
In the finals for the regional title, Crawford La Lucia held majority of the possession but were unable to break Ashton’s hard working defence. As the final whistle blew, again the scoreboard remained untouched. The team to hoist the trophy would be decided by a penalty shoot-out, this time five players lined up to take the shot.
Crawford La Lucia’s Lori Swanepoel rounded Ashton’s keeper, Amy Jansen and sneak it in to the right of the goals. Ashton’s Vice Captain, Danelle van der Linde ran in, and knocked the ball in convincingly. Rachael Wilkinson was unable to score for Crawford La Lucia, as was the next Ashton player, Kezia Vorster. Both Lisa Lister-James for Crawford and Ashton’s Captain, Amy Walker scored, with the score level on 2 a piece. In the fourth round, Crawford’s Tanika Schram strike was blocked by Duni Steyn. Rachel Sarfidis brilliantly controlled the ball as she faked going right, pulled the ball left and ran it straight into the goals to take Ashton into the lead. Jessica Brown’s attempt didn’t get beyond Jansen, securing Ashton into the Grand Finals for the 2016 tournament. The finals score was 3-2 to Ashton.
The visibly delighted Amy Walker, Ashton’s Captain said after their 3-2 win against Crawford La Lucia, “We worked so well as a team; this was all about our love for hockey, and everyone contributed to our success today. It’s just a great privilege to be able to be here and winning was just the cherry on the top. When we go to the finals in July, we will play to the best of our ability for the love of the game.”
For the first time in the tournament, host school Danville used a different scoring system. For a field goal or a goal that was scored through a run of play, the team were awarded with two goals. For a goal scored from either a penalty stroke or penalty corner, the team were awarded with only one goal.
“It was a tough day for the teams playing in unbearable heat, but the girls put their everything into it and as a result there were some hotly contested games with fine hockey played,” says Les Galloway, Tournament Director.
“It was fantastic to have this regional hosted for the first time by Danville on their new astro,” said Rob Philipson, MD of SPAR KZN “It was a well organised and festive event with fantastic support from parents and friends. Big thanks to all involved.”
A surprised Grand Bowles, representing Durban North College was awarded the Most Promising Umpire and will be invited to officiate in July when all the top ten teams participate in the Grand Finals.
Ashton International College will join Amanzimtoti High School who won the Durban South Regionals on Saturday, Sarel Cilliers, newcomers from the Northern KZN Regional along with Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School and St Anne’s College from the two Pietermaritzburg Regionals, Durban Girls’ College from the Durban Central regionals and four other teams that still need to secure their spaces in the remaining regionals that will be held around KwaZulu-Natal.
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Results
1 Ashton, 2 Crawford La Lucia, 3 Danville, 4 Our Lady of Fatima, 5 Northlands GHS, 6 Crawford North Coast, 7 Danville Invitational, 8 Durban North College