The first hockey team from St Mary’s DSG were victorious in the 2012 SPAR KZN Shield Teens U18 Hockey Tournament on 22 July 2012 after a fast-paced final against Durban Girls’ College at St Mary’s DSG hockey fields.
Story: Sophie Thompson
The two KZN coastal rivals topped the log in their respective pool games, advancing through to the finals. The teams have met three times in a year, with St Mary’s DSG dominating in all encounters. The two teams met in the bronze final of last year’s SPAR KZN Shield Teens U18 Hockey Tournament where St Mary’s won the game 1-0, claiming third spot.
The fast-flowing game saw St Mary’s control possession with constant attacks on the Girls’ College goals. The home teams’ link, Amy Rogers, managed to get stick onto ball during some broken play in a congested goal mouth, giving them the lead in the 10th minute. Out of five corners, St Mary’s drag flicker extraordinaire, Keren Kinsey netted her second attempt beautifully sealing the result for the Kloof team.
RESULTS
1 St Mary’s DSG
2 Durban Girls’ College
3 Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
4 The Wykeham Collegiate
5 Ferrum High School
6 Creston College, Ladysmith High School,
8 Empangeni High School
9 Danville Girls’ High School
10 Durban Girls’ High School
Durban Girls’ College was the first team to make it through to the final when they got the better of The Wykeham Collegiate in the first semi-final with a 2-1 win.
St Mary’s DSG played against Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High in an exciting second semi-final with five out of the six goals being scored from short corners. In the first minute, Girls’ High went ahead in their first short corner with St Mary’s DSG response immediate down the other side, levelling the game in their first short corner. In the seventh minute St Mary’s broke the Girls’ High defence, making it 2-1. The final three goals all were scored for St Mary’s DSG with a powerful display of tactical short corner precision.
The bronze final was a ‘Maritzburg derby with the 2011 silver medallists, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High taking on The Wykeham Collegiate. Girls’ High’s Caitlyn Seegers gave her team a one nil lead in the middle of the game and sparked renewed enthusiasm in her team as they surged towards Wykeham’s goals but were unable to get any more points on the board.
The award for top goal scorer for the tournament was tied between Toni McCann from St Mary’s DSG and Kelly Schweggman from Durban Girls’ College, both scoring four goals over the two days.
In the Pietermaritzburg North regional games, The Wykeham Collegiate dethroned the 2011 defending champions, St Anne’s. The newcomers to the tournament did well to finish off in fourth position but also walked away with a magnificent prize. Leading up to the tournament, SPAR in conjunction with Shield Teens held an in-store competition where the ten competing teams could enter. The Midlands team won for themselves a cheque valued at R15,0000 and will have the honour of being coached for half a day by South African Women’s Hockey captain, Marsha Marescia.
Ferrum High School from Newcastle placed fifth this year, one position up from last year. They took on Creston College from Port Shepstone and won the fifth and sixth position game 3-1. Ladysmith High School played against Empangeni High School for the eighth position and beat them 1-0. Danville and Durban Girls’ High School placed ninth and tenth respectfully.
Rob Philipson, MD of SPAR KZN stated, “The last two days have been about sport and all of the teams put on some wonderful displays. This is our future South African talent that we are grooming and SPAR is very proud at how this tournament has grown. We look forward to more action in the future.”