Madibaz too strong for Joburg varsity

A DOMINANT Madibaz hockey team beat the University of Johannesburg (UJ) 57-29 at the Rembrandt Centre in Pretoria on Sunday.

UJ have struggled to register a win this season and came into the game wanting to prove themselves as formidable contenders.

However, the Madibaz team cemented their place in the top four – with UJ losing their fourth game of the season.

The match got off to a rather slow start with UJ breaking the deadlock within the first minute of the game.

It took the Madibaz more than three minutes to equalise, before they found their rhythm and got on the scoreboard.

The first quarter concluded at 14-9, as UJ fell behind the visibly talented Nelson Mandela University side.

The Madibaz were strong and dominated throughout as they applied their defensive strategies to dispossess the lacklustre UJ and widen the gap. The first power play of the match came into effect within the last five minutes of the second quarter, giving the Madibaz an extra eight points, while UJ earned an extra two to make it 31-13.

UJ managed to secure three more points going into the half-time break, making the score 31-16.

The onslaught continued as the Nelson Mandela University students kept up with the flow before the second power play kicked off.

Both teams squandered opportunities to earn any two-pointers as the power play concluded with no goals scored, closing the third quarter at 43-24 to the Port Elizabeth university side.

UJ tried to fight back and made some positive movements to reduce the big deficit in the final quarter, but the Auckland Park side were overpowered by the Madibaz and the game finished at 57-29.

The Madibaz earned an extra point for reaching the 50-point mark, leaving them in fourth place with 15 points on the log, while UJ remain in sixth place, on zero points.