UJ’s prolific striker Lilian du Plessis knows they will have a tough task ahead of them if they are to snatch the Varsity Hockey title from the grip of UFS-Kovsies when the sides come to blows on Monday, May 18 in Bloemfontein.
UJ booked their spot in the final when they claimed a 2-0 victory over UP-Tuks while Kovsies – the only unbeaten side in the tournament – knocked defending champions Maties out of the competition to claim a home final, after finishing on top of the log standings.
“Kovsies are a really strong team and it’s hard to play catch-up to them, especially when they take the lead. They have some amazing players and boast a formidable midfield and strike-force. We know it is going to be a really tough game but we have a week to prepare and give it everything we have.
“We have such a positive vibe going in the squad at the moment and we know we need to maintain that if we are to be successful when that final whistle blows on Monday,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
Du Plessis admits that the home crowd helped motivate the team in their semifinal but will now have to travel to Bloemfontein where the scene will be vastly different.
“Our home crowd really helped to push us through and give us that extra bit of motivation we needed to get the win. It’s always nice to look at the crowd and see your family and friends cheering you on but we know it will be a very different scene in Bloem when they will have the crowd on their side,” she added.
The Johannesburg ladies found the back of the net on two occasion in the first half before keeping Tuks at bay for the remainder of the match to pull off what many perceived as being an upset.
“Taking the lead early in the semifinal was crucial for us and helped us to settle in the match and then grabbing the second goal just before half-time allowed us to have more confidence going into the second half.
“It is a great feeling to know that we are in the final and are one step away from emulating the feats of the guys last year. We are even happier that we managed to turn things around at home after a fairly poor showing in Potch,” she stated.
The National player has noticed a drastic increase in the level of competition in the Varsity Hockey tournament and believes it bodes well for the future of the game as younger players have the chance to be noticed and selected for higher honours.
