Despite Kovsies leading for most of the match in their Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein on Monday, Maties booked their spot in the Varsity Netball final by winning 62-60.
The visitors, Maties, got the first semi-final underway with the first centre pass and goal. Although Kovsies started with a few errors, goal keeper Ané Retief was the first to break a Maties centre pass with a neat interception under the Maties goalpost. An unfortunate error by the home side saw Maties levelling the scores again.
Kovsies quickly took a one goal lead again with their defenders picking up a loose ball in the Maties circle, followed by a Kovsies centre pass to stretch their lead to two goals. A rebound gathered by Jana Scholtz, started her side’s rampant attack as they extended their lead, with exceptional shooting from Rolene Streutker and Lefébre Rademan, to five goals. Kovsies centre, Sikholiwe ‘Sne’ Mdletshe, ended the first quarter with a classy interception and the scores standing at 17-12.
The Maties side got the second quarter underway with changes in their defence. With Stephanie Brandt off, Khomotso Mamburu moved to goal keeper, Sasha-Lee Petersen moved to goal defence, and Caleigh Stuart came on at wing defence. The home side made their first goal difficult, but an early interception by Maties centre, Jo Prins, saw them closing the deficit to three goals, but an overthrow in their saw Kovsies back ahead by four.
With just over six minutes left in the first half, interceptions and rebounds gathered by Retief saw the Kovsies extending their lead to eight.
With five minutes left, Maties made changes to their defence again with Mamburu and Petersen moving back to goal defence and wing defence respectively, with Nicola Smith coming on at goal keeper. Rebounds gathered under the Kovsies goalpost saw the visitors closing the deficit to four goals and an overthrow narrowed the gap further to three goals, ending the first half 32 goals to 29, in favour of the local ‘Dream Team’.
Maties started the second quarter with an immediate turn of the Kovsies centre pass to take them within a goal of the home side. Three minutes into the quarter, Kovsies were forced to make their first change as Oageng Khasake replaced an injured Khanyisa Chawane, followed by Maties evening the scores at 33 goals each.
An interception by Maties goal keeper, Smith, saw her side taking the lead for the first time in the game and quickly extending it to five goals. With Khasake finding her feet, Kovsies clawed their way back within two goals. Shortly after, Chawane was back and classy play from the ‘Dream Team’ saw them levelling the scores at 40 goals apiece.
Maties again capitalised on the Kovsies mistakes to take their lead back to five goals at the end of the third quarter with the score standing at 47-42 in favour of Maties.
With both Powerplays still to come, the visitors took the first centre pass of the final quarter. Three minutes into the quarter, the first of the Powerplays was called with Maties getting the upper hand to extend their lead to seven goals. This was shortly followed by a caution for Prins, and Kovsies closing the deficit to four goals.
Maties again capitalised on the home side’s errors and extended their lead to seven goals, with Kovsies’ Powerplay still to come. As if the final quarter was not tense enough, the final Powerplay was forced in the final two minutes, starting just before a Maties goal. This saw the visitors keeping up the pressure to book their spot in final with a two goal lead, ending the match 62-60.
Final score
KOVSIES 60
MATIES 62
Awards
FNB Player of the Match: Ané Retief (Kovsies)
Wimpy Moment Maker: Adri Uys (Maties)
MTN Pulse Interceptor of the Match: Nicola Smith (Maties)
Teams:
Kovsies: 7 Khanyisa Chawane (vice-captain), 2 Bianca de Wee, 12 Oageng Khasake, 5 Sikholiwe Mdletshe, 15 Ancia Pienaar, 4 Lefébre Rademan (captain), 6 Ané Retief, 8 Meagan Roux, 3 Jana Scholtz, 1 Rieze Straeuli, 14 Rolene Streutker, 13 Chanél Vrey.
Coach: Burta de Kock
Maties: 12 Stephanie Brandt, 3 Claudia Jarrard, 11 Khomotso Mamburu, 4 Chrisley Marshall, 1 Sian Moore, 10 Sasha-Lee Petersen, 8 Jo Prins, 13 Nicola Smith, 9 Caleigh Stuart, 2 Nicholé Taljaard (captain), 6 Adri Uys, 5 Carla Werth.
Coach: Zanele Mdodana
By Mary Gordon
