Men’s A Section: Southern Gauteng Leads, Thrilling Matches Unfold
Southern Gauteng remains the only team with a perfect record in the 2024 SA Hockey IPT. Their second victory came against Eastern Province, thanks to an early goal by Liam Hermanus and a follow-up from Tyler-Reed Napier, both in the first half. The second half saw no additional scoring, leaving the hosts with a 2-0 win.
South Africa’s Under-21 team bounced back from their opening day loss with a standout performance against the Northern Blues. Reuben Sendzul was the key player, scoring in the third minute and adding two more goals to complete a hat-trick. Brett Horn also contributed, making it 3-0 before Cameron le Forestier pulled one back for the Blues, ending the match 4-1 in favor of the juniors.
In Pool A, Western Province secured their first win, defeating SG Witsies. Luthando Jonas scored just before halftime, with Josh Opperman doubling the lead early in the third quarter. Witsies fought back with a goal from Sibusiso Chili, but two late strikes by Niel Raath and Jordan Groenewald sealed a comfortable 4-1 victory.
The KZN Raiders and WP Peninsula delivered one of the tournament’s most exciting matches. Daryl Lotter opened the scoring for the Raiders, but WP Pens responded strongly. Goals from James Flint, Tristan Cooke, and Xola Karelse gave them a 3-1 lead with 20 minutes to go. The Raiders, however, mounted a comeback, with Grant Pio and Dylan Ferreira leveling the score. Ferreira’s second goal in the final quarter clinched a dramatic 4-3 win for the Raiders.
Women’s A Section: Northern Blues in Form, KZN Raiders Bounce Back
In Pool B, Northern Blues continued their strong start with a commanding 6-0 win over Free State. Hanrie Louw led the charge with two goals, while Tegan Fourie, Maikemisetso Marokoane, Marguerite van Wyk, and Izelle Cilliers completed the scoring, taking the Blues to six points in the tournament.
The KZN Raiders also found redemption after their opening day loss, defeating Southern Gauteng 2-1. National player Lilian du Plessis and Cailynn den Bakker both scored in the first half. Although Southern Gauteng’s Kiara Fitzhenry managed to pull one back, the Raiders held firm to secure the win.
In Pool A, South Africa’s U21 side edged out North West in a tightly contested match. Ntsopa Mokoena emerged as the hero, scoring the only goal to give the juniors a narrow 1-0 victory.
Western Province, the defending champions, responded to their opening day defeat with a 4-0 win over SG Witsies. The match was decided in the first quarter, with Paige Thomas, Daniella de Oliveira, and Jodie Blows scoring within seven minutes. SG Witsies struggled to recover, and a late penalty corner conversion by Siliziwe Mxinwa capped the victory for Western Province.
