It’s been another scintillating season of Varsity Hockey. We’ve seen shootouts, showdowns and goals galore. With two nail-biting semi-finals behind us there’s almost no doubt that there will be fireworks on display in the final on Monday. Here are five standout players who could provide a title-winning moment of magic!

Lee-Ann Louwrens (Maties)

Louwrens has been instrumental in Maties’ success. The WP U/21 player has also grown into the game and improved as the tournament has gone on. Her four field goals have been some of the most important goals for the team. Not only because they count for eight goals in Varsity Hockey, but because of the time they’ve been scored. She bagged a brace against defending champions, Tuks, in the semi-final, to help send them through to the final and secure it at their home astro. They call them links for a reason – she’s the link holding the chain together for Maties. 

Carli Pretorius (NWU)

Ruthless from set plays, Pretorius has scored two penalty corners and an incredible four penalty strokes from the spot. With nerves of steel, she stepped up to sink a penalty stroke and second goal of the match against Kovsies in the semi-final to send her side through to the final. A skill that could very well come in handy should the final go down to a showdown. She’s also peaking at the perfect time in the tournament with four goals in her past two matches. All this  as a defender. Is there anything she can’t do? NWU will be hoping not. 

Simone van der Colff (Maties)

You just can’t beat Maties’ shot-stoppers. Kristen Block and Simone van der Colff are two of the best in the country. Nicole le Fleur is a tough act to follow, but Van der Colff is rising to the occasion (at 1.77m tall she’s doing so in more ways than one). 

Maties have incredibly only conceded six goals in the group stages and Van der Colff was at the centre of that success.
With four clean sheets in eight Matches, it’s a 50-50 whether Maties’ opposition will even net one goal – a statistic they’d love to ring true in the final.

Charne Maddocks (NWU)

Maddocks is NWU’s captain fantastic. She’s got heart, she’s a natural leader and she also lets her stick do the talking. At just 20 years of age, she’s often one of the youngest players on the astro, but you wouldn’t say so. Maddocks bosses the game and reads it to perfection. If anyone can lead a team to victory at the intimidating Maties astro, it’s Maddocks! A deadly finisher who leads from the front, there’s a reason she’s often playing in green and gold. 

Paige Phillips (Maties)

Phillips has a calming presence in the Maties squad. A Western Province senior player donning the captain’s armband – her experience is invaluable to the Maroon Machine. Phillips is vital to holding the team’s structure at the back and seems to see things a split second before her opponents in a game where split seconds are the difference between being 5-4 down or 6-5 up! Whether chipping in with goals, preventing opposition attacks, or picking out a timely assist, Phillips is the all-rounder that any title-winning team needs.