Big day ahead for schoolgirls’ hockey

THE SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge gets back on track tomorrow after a twoweek break during the Easter holidays with the Durban North regional qualifying tournament hosted by Crawford College (North Coast) that will decide which of the eight participating schools will go through to the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) at the end of July.

This is the sixth regional qualifying tournament played so far this year which will see defending champions Our Lady Of Fatima (winners in 2011 and 2017), Danville Park Girls High (2012 and 2014), Ashton International College (2013, 2015 and 2016), Crawford College (La Lucia), Northlands Girls HS, Reddam House (Umhlanga) and Durban North College joining the host school at their astroturf venue close to Tongaat in a bid for the honours.

Already qualified for the Grand Finals are Amanzimtoti HS (Durban South Regional), St Anne’s DSG (Pietermaritzburg North), Epworth HS (Pmb Central), Ferrum Höerskool (KZN North) and the reigning overall champions, Durban Girls College (Durban Central).

Tomorrow’s regional contest gets under way at 8am with a round robin format that sees the eight schools split into two pools of four teams each, after which there is a cross-pool knock-out with the two pool winners vying for the title.

Pool A: Crawford College (North Coast), Danville Park, Durban North College, Northlands.

Pool B: Ashton IC, Our Lady of Fatima, Crawford College (La Lucia), Reddam House.

Looking ahead to next Saturday we see that two-time previous winners, Kokstad College, will be hosts for the seventh of the 10 regional qualifiers, this one for schools in the KZN South region which has seen no fewer than three schools which have gone through to the grand finals, including the defending champions, King Edward High School (KEHS).

KEHS have the honour of opening this year’s tournament and have been drawn against St Monica’s in Pool A who had other commitments last year which clashed with the SPAR Challenge but are back in the field again along with Bergview who last played in the tournament four years ago in 2014.

Bergview are in Pool B and play their first game against Kokstad who will be hoping to settle down early before their second game against two-time winners Creston College, while KEHS take on Southcity, third overall last year, in the third game of the day with hopes of finishing even higher this year.

The 10 participating schools have been divided into two pools of five schools each for the preliminary round robin which will be followed by a cross-pool knock-out.

There will be a best-of-three 8-second rolling penalty should any game end in a draw after regulation time has been played.

In the round robin four points are awarded for a win, two for a draw with goals, one for a goalless draw and zero points for a loss.

Pool A: KEHS, St Monica’s, Southcity, Port Shepstone, Ixopo.

Pool B: Kokstad, Creston College, Bergview, St Patrick’s, Suid Natal.

Immediately after the round robin the top two schools in each pool will play in the crosspool semi-finals with the two winners to meet in the final at the end of the tournament just after the bronze medal game for the losing semi-finalists.

The remaining play-offs will be for the third placed schools for places five and six overall, the fourth placed schools for places seven and eight, and fifth placed schools for places nine and ten overall.

Schools to watch out for are the hosts, Kokstad College who were winners in 2011 and 2014, Creston College who won in 2012 and 2013 and KEHS who are defending champions for the past three years after winning in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The winner of this regional will be the seventh team to reserve their place at the grand finals in July.

For more info like the tournament’s Facebook page or follow the tournament on Instagram.