Collegiate show class at festival

Despite losing in the final, Collegiate established their credentials as a top hockey school in the St Mary’s Investec Hockey Festival in Johannesburg recently. The St Mary’s event is seen as the pinnacle of schoolgirls hockey tournaments, with 32 schools participating.

The format of the matches leaves no room for error as pool games are played over 25 minutes and cross-pool and play-off games over 30 minutes.

With a tournament of this nature attracting so many big-name schools, there are no easy games.

Collegiate started the tournament with consecutive 1-0 victories against Affies, Brescia House and Our Lady of Fatima DCS, thanks to goals from Tasmyn Preller, Sinead Walsh and Camilla Warner.

The final game of the day saw them in a goalless draw against Clarendon Girls’ High from East London in an intense encounter.

The second day started sluggishly with a shock 1-0 loss to Durban Girls’ College. That trend carried through to the next game against Windhoek High, where the team from Namibia took a 1-0 lead.

That goal seemed to kick-start Collegiate’s day as penalty corner goals from Tasmyn Preller and Lara Cunningham saw them run out comfortable 2-1 winners.

The biggest match of the pool stage came against hosts St Mary’s, a clash Collegiate dominated to win 3-0 with goals from Monique Titus, Caitlin van Goeverden and Camilla Warner.

Coach Andrew Beynon felt it was the best performance he had seen from a Collegiate team in his time with the team.

The intensity did not let up on day three as the cross-pool playoffs commenced.

They started a bit shakily as they went down 2-0 to St Anne’s, but showed their class by beating a strong and physical Menlo Park 1-0 and gained a respectable 0-0 draw against Herschel to reach the semifinals for the first time.

They had to face Bloemfontein powerhouse Orange in their semifinal, a team they had never beaten.

Goalkeeper Lara Grant and the defenders were intent on denying Oranje a spot in the final and pulled off numerous outstanding saves.
Oranje were starting to feel the heat and, throwing numbers forward, they were hit on the counter-attack for an outstanding goal by Sinead Walsh three minutes from time.

Oranje even withdrew their keeper after that in an attempt to equalise but to no avail.

In the final against St Mary’s Kloof, Collegiate started the stronger and had some chances in the early stages.

The inability by both sides to find the net in the allotted 30 minutes and the five-minute golden goal portion meant the game went down to a shootout. St Mary’s Kloof managed to hold their nerve and won the shootout 2-0.

Collegiate’s Tasmyn Preller was named most promising player.

The U16A side travelled to Stellenbosch to defend the title at the Bloemhof Investec Tournament.

Opening-day victories against La Rochelle (3-0) and Pearson (2-0), coupled with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with St John’s DSG, gave them a good start.

On day two, goals from Jess Parker, Tamryn Evezard, Amy Breetzke and Dannah Moir saw them run out 4-0 winners against Springfield.

They saved their best for DF Malan as they put them to the sword to win 8-0.

The final game of the day, with a semifinal spot already guaranteed, ended in an even 1-1 draw with hosts Bloemhof.

Collegiate came out fully focused in their semifinal against Garsfontein and a goal from captain Dannah Moir was enough to see them into the final against Herschel.

The defending champs pinned Herschel back in their own half. Collegiate would have taken the lead had it not been for a superb stick save by the Herschel keeper and a goal line clearance from the player on the post.

For all their pressure, Collegiate did not capitalise and a momentary loss of concentration saw Herschel score a far post deflection with only two minutes left to take the title.