Chaves’ ‘volcanic’ ride earns him Italy stage win
ST Mary’s DSG Kloof prolonged their claim to be the indisputable top high school team in the Highway Regional tournament of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge last weekend, remaining undefeated and without conceding a single goal in the six-team event hosted by Westville Girls High on their Astro field.
Saints’ intentions were made known as early as the first game which saw them in command of their 3-0 victory over local rivals Westville in the preliminary round robin.
It was no surprise when these two teams topped the log after five games each with Saints first (20 points) and Westville second (13) putting them both in the knock-out final.
Thomas More also had 13 points but had an inferior goal difference to that of Westville and so ended up third on the log. Hillcrest High placed fouth and Kloof and Curro Hillcrest fifth and sixth.
The Saints-Westville final was packed with incident with the scoreboard showing 2-2 at the end of regulation time sending the game into a penalty shoot-out. Saints opened their account within 66 seconds of the start of the game at a short corner when a powerfully struck shot by ace striker, Kiana-Che Cormack, flashed past Westville keeper Saiyuri Govender.
Saints then camped out around the Westville circle and earned themselves a couple of short corners and a series of shots at goal.All were well defended until just a minute-anda-half before half-time Tayla Thwaits found herself unmarked in front of the Westville goal and scored with a cheeky shot to put Saints 2-0 up.
Saints continued to dominate early in the second half but Westville suddenly got themselves back into the game when, in a moment of brilliance, Kerryn Swanepoel reduced the leeway with a solo run down the left, culminating in a Saints’ defender attacking Swanepoel’s stick. No-nonsense umpire, Mike Lees, was right on the spot and blew for a penalty flick for Westville. Swanepoel then coolly stepped up to the penalty spot and slotted the ball home.
Within a couple of minutes Swanepoel again charged down the right wing and as she angled inwards with the ball towards the Saints’ circle she was forced out of play by a harsh shoulder charge from a St Mary’s player resulting in a second penalty shot award which Swanepoel again bravely converted (2-2).
There was no further scoring and the game proceeded with three players from each side attempting to break the deadlock by means of an eightsecond penalty shoot-out.
But more drama unfolded when, after three rounds, each side had only managed to score once and the teams remained level at 2-2, 1-1. In accordance with the rules the same three players from each team would attempt to score from an eightsecond penalty but in a “sudden death” situation meaning as soon as the first penalty was converted the match would end.
Neither side had scored after two rounds and it was Saints’ hero Leah Piggot who was on target to give her team a 3-2 victory, the Highway Regional title for 2008 and an invitation to the Grand Finals on July 20-21.
A special mention for the Westville keeper, Saiyuri Govender, for her fearless display.
Saints are the eighth team to qualify for the Grand Finals on July 21 and 22 with St Mary’s making their seventh appearance at the Finals as the defending champions of the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Challenge.
Final rankings: 1 St Mary’s DSG, 2 Westville High, 3 Thomas More, 4 Hillcrest High, 5 Kloof High, 6 Curro Hillcrest . COLOMBIA’S Esteban Chaves won stage six of the Giro d’Italia at the top of Mount Etna on Thursday with a little help from Mitchelton-Scott teammate Simon Yates, who became the new race leader.
Chaves produced a scintillating burst of pace on the climb up the volcano at the end of the 169km stage but was reeled in by Yates who burst clear of the pursuing group in the final 2km.
As the two riders reached the final few metres, powerful Briton Yates slowed to let Chaves, who had spent the day in the escape group, take the stage win. Yates had begun the day in third place, 17 seconds behind race leader Rohan Dennis, who laboured on the twisty Etna climb.
“It felt really good,” the 25-year-old Yates told Eurosport. “There was a little bit of a gap, so I took the chance. I said to him (Chaves) as soon as I caught him that he could take the stage. He deserved it.”
Groupama-FDJ rider Thibaut Pinot finished third, 26 seconds behind the leading duo in the same group as reigning champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), Tour de France champion Chris Froome and UAE Team Emirates rider Fabio Aru.
Dumoulin was 16 seconds adrift of Yates in second place overall while Froome, who has been off the pace at times so far, was one minute 10 seconds back.
Chaves was third overall, 26sec back, ahead of yesterday’s flattish 159km stage. – Reuters