A determined Maties side did everything in their power to win big against UKZN and even with a 13-2 demolition, it still was not enough to go to top spot on the Varsity Hockey log in Potchefstroom on Sunday night.
Maties were odds-on favourites to get a big score against UKZN at the NWU-Puk Astro turf and needed to win by 21 goals or more in order to topple Tuks from top spot on the log.
They got off to the perfect start when Aimee Pote scored with a field goal to give Maties a 2-0 lead after four minutes. Page Alcock and Minke van Heerden were also constant menaces in attack for Maties against a scrambling UKZN defence.
Danielle Cairns scores the second goal for Maties after 13 minutes to give her side a 4-0 lead as the end of the first chukka neared. There was still time for two more goals as Tarryn Glasby scored with two vicious drives from penalty corners to move the score to 6-0 after the first chukka.
Maties were on a goal-scoring frenzy and scored goal number eight courtesy of Minke van Heerden in the 17th minute of the match. Pote then got her second goal with a push into the net to take Maties into cloud nine with a 9-0 advantage at the half-time break.
The ladies from Stellenbosch kept up the pace in the second half and did everything in their power to bang in the goals. UKZN though defended gallantly and managed to keep Maties scoreless in the third chukka.
Maties knew that they needed to score goals in the final chukka and called the Powerplay directly at the start. Paige Phillips scored in the Powerplay to give Maties hope with an 11-0 lead, needing 11 more goals to topple Tuks at the top of the log.
Heather McEwan lead by example with a fine drive from the edge of the shooting circle to make it 13-0 with nine minutes to go.
UKZN though had the last bit of joy of the night as Nolwazi Mkize scored with a flick from a penalty corner in the power play to reduce the deficit to 13-2.
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Sinethemba Zungu (UKZN)
FNB Player of the Match: Tarryn Glasby (Maties)
Scores
Maties: 13
Goals: Aimee Pote (Field Goal, Penalty Corner), Danielle Cairns (Field Goal), Tarryn Glasby (Penalty Corner x2), Minke van Heerden (Penalty Corner), Paige Phillips (Penalty Corner), Heather McEwan (Field Goal)
UKZN: 2
Goals: Nolwazi Mkize (Penalty Corner)
Teams
Maties: Nicole Le Fleur, Lenta Cullinan, Simone Strydom, Heather Mc Ewan, Paige Phillips, Sandiswe Tabata, Tarryn Glasby, Natasha Rootenberg, Georgia Grobler, Page Alcock, Minke van Heerden
Subs: Stephanie Botha, Simone Strydom, Lida Kotze, Danielle Cairns, Aimee Pote, Polly Mashau, Alegra Dijkstra, Kirsten Block
UKZN: Manele Noxolo, Janine Ndlovu, Jamie Chisholm, Sinethemba Zungu, Chardinay Penniston, Nolwazi Mkize, Chiree Coetzee, Anessa Patel , Nqobile Shange, Vanessa Atkinson, Tanner van den Bergh.
Subs: Nonqaba Bengu, Zafika Yengo, Megan Hargreaves, Nonthando Mlambo, Thandazile Mnguni, Tiffany Jones, Robin Ashton
By Wouter Pienaar
