Lenique Vogel, Elaine Haycock, and Jenna Trewin found the back of the net in Hoërskool Waterkloof‘s 3-0 win over St Mary’s Waverley in the final of the Pullen section of the Pullen and Howell Tournament at St Mary’s on Saturday.
The victory was a fitting way for Klofies to wrap up an indomitable title run that saw them score 34 unanswered goals in six outings.
Vogel, who had an outstanding SASHOC Inter-Provincial Tournament, led the charge with 11 goals.
“I was very happy with the way we executed our plan in the final and how every single player contributed to the team’s performance,” Omari Pienaar-Geyer, the Waterkloof head coach, said..
“It was a real team effort, and our discipline and teamwork made the difference.”
As they had done throughout the campaign, Waterkloof made a fast start. They immediately forced the hosts onto the back foot and didn’t have to wait long before scoring the game’s first goal.
Klofies pressured St Mary’s with a high press, and that resulted in a turnover high up the field, which the Pretoria school turned into a goal by Jenna Trewin just four minutes into the game. It was her fourth in the competition.
Waterkloof came close to doubling their lead six minutes from halftime when they cleverly executed a short corner. However, a well-directed shot on target was parried over the bar by the St Mary’s goalkeeper. Waterkloof, however, would not be denied.
They took the long corner and worked their way into the back of the net a minute later through Elaine Haycock, who netted for the third time in the Pullen tournament.
St Mary’s tried their best to flip the script and put the pressure on Waterkloof. Klofies, though, had an answer to everything the hosts threw their way.
“We stayed composed under pressure, looked after the ball well, and moved effectively for one another throughout the match,” Pienaar-Geyer reflected.
The two-goal cushion provided Waterkloof with a buffer against a potential comeback, but a third goal would make victory almost certain, so they chased it.
Five minutes into the second half, they executed another penalty corner perfectly, with the prolific Vogel, the tournament’s leading goal-scorer, striking.
“It was a special result for the girls, and they can be very proud of their performance,” Pienaar-Geyer said.
Waterkloof will be keen to carry their title-winning form into the Fairtree Super 12 Tournament, which runs from 6 to 9 August at Oranje in Bloemfontein.
Results:
1/2: Waterkloof 3-0 St Mary’s Waverley
3/4: Helpmekaar 5-4 Noordheuwel
5/6: Steyn City 2-0 Affies
7/8: St Andrew’s School for Girls 1-0 Monument
9/10: Garsfontein 4-0 Beaulieu
11/12: St Stithians 2-0 St Dominic’s
13/14: EG Jansen 1-0 Northcliff
15/16: Roedean 3-2 Trinityhouse Randpark Ridge
