Day 3 Recap: Thrills and Surprises at the 2024 SA Hockey IPT
The third day of action at the 2024 South African Hockey IPT delivered intense competition across both men’s and women’s tournaments. With six games in the women’s division, fans at St. Stithians College and Morningside Country Club were treated to a thrilling day of hockey.
Men’s B Section: Free State Takes Top Spot
Free State fought their way to the top of the Men’s B Section on Wednesday, overcoming a tough challenge from KZN Mynahs. KZN’s Cameron Hallowes opened the scoring, but Free State leveled the match just before halftime with a goal from Michael Baiden. As the game balanced on a knife’s edge, Hann-ru van Wyk netted the decisive goal, securing a crucial 2-1 win and catapulting Free State to the top of the standings.
SA Country Districts (SACD) sit in second place following an impressive 6-1 victory over Northern Cape. Carlyle Volmink and TJoff van Staden struck early, followed by a brace from indoor hockey star Steven Paolo. Northern Cape’s Jayesh Kanjee managed to pull one back, but SACD finished the game with two more goals from Courtney Halle and Robbie Corker.
SG Nuggets hold third place, equal on points with SACD but trailing on goal difference. In a closely contested match against Northern Daisies, the Nuggets edged out a 1-0 win, with Leandro Carvalho scoring the game’s only goal in the second quarter.
Men’s B Section – Fixtures – 12 September 2024
- 08:30 – KZN Mynahs vs. Northern Cape
- 11:50 – SG Nuggets vs. Free State
- 15:10 – SACD vs. Northern Daisies
All matches will be streamed live on Supersport Schools.
Women’s B Section: KZN Mynahs Stumble, WP Peninsula in Pursuit
KZN Mynahs maintained their lead in the Women’s B Section, but their title hopes were shaken by a shock 2-0 defeat to Eastern Province. Goals from Elan van Vught and Asithandile Nama gave Eastern Province their first win and marked the biggest upset of the tournament so far.
Earlier in the day, KZN Mynahs had secured a narrow 2-1 win over SACD, with goals from Emily Macquet and Britney Nel. SACD’s Tanya van Bosch pulled one back, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Mynahs from extending their lead at the top—before their later setback.
WP Peninsula continued their strong campaign with a 1-0 win over Eastern Province, courtesy of a goal from Lize Steyn. They followed this with a 2-0 victory over Mpumalanga, thanks to goals from Isabella Booyens and Ashley de Villiers, making them the Mynahs’ most serious challengers for the title.
Mpumalanga, meanwhile, were involved in a high-stakes game against Eastern Gauteng. After Idali Janse gave Mpumalanga an early lead, Theron Mialette equalized for Eastern Gauteng. But in the dying moments, Mpumalanga struck twice in the final minute through Chaney Prinsloo and Nobuhle Dlamini to clinch a 3-1 victory.
The final match of the day saw Northern Daisies cruise to a commanding 8-0 win over Eastern Gauteng. Elizabeth Porter scored a hat-trick, with Pretty Morema adding two goals. Arista van Zyl, Xena Abrahams, and Nicola Meyer also got on the scoresheet, as Eastern Gauteng struggled to respond to the relentless pressure.
Women’s B Section – Fixtures – 12 September 2024
- 10:10 – WP Peninsula vs. SACD
- 13:30 – Eastern Province vs. Eastern Gauteng
- 16:50 – KZN Mynahs vs. Northern Daisies
