The South African Indoor Hockey Men, powered by Tops at SPAR, were still feeling the effects of a bruising encounter with Czech Republic on Monday night as they returned to the park to take on the USA on Tuesday. Both teams knew a win would give them a wonderful position in lining up for the Quarter-Finals.<\/p>\n
South Africa got the best possible start when they were awarded a penalty stroke early on. Mustapha Cassiem stood up and fired the ball home superbly past Klages. It was a lead that wouldn\u2019t last long as Klages reacted first to fire home and before the end of the first quarter he had a second and the US had a lead.<\/p>\n
South Africa had a golden opportunity to pull level as a stroke was awarded again but Klages went the right way and denied the South African hot shot. Mustapha may have been stopped from scoring but he provided the assist as a diving Ryan Julius levelled matters. But once again the South Africans were trailing as Stuart Kantwell was on hand to finish after an Anton van Loggerenberg save.<\/p>\n
The third quarter was a quarter of few opportunities with the South Africans and Americans cancelling each other out throughout the court. South Africa were chasing the game in the final quarter.<\/p>\n
And in chasing the game the South Africans were caught out. USA Star Aki Kaeppeler made it 4-2 and when South Africa pulled their keeper Pat Harris made it 5-2 to secure the result for the North Americans and send the South Africans back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n
Image supplied by SA Hockey<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"