NWU-Pukke will be in a better head space thanks to a strong finish to their Varsity Hockey campaign after a very disappointing opening weekend which saw them remain winless in Potchefstroom.
Stephanie Baxter believes their perseverance in wanting to play their brand of hockey as well as the addition of new players being brought into the squad for the Johannesburg leg, aided the Potch girls in their revival.
“We knew we needed to work harder in the week leading up to the Johannesburg weekend and really put in some hard yards to improve certain aspects of our game – including goal scoring. Fortunately, all the hard work paid off and we were able to finish strong and claim fifth place after the disappointing weekend in front of our home crowd.
“We could not quite apply the finishing touches in Potch, so we knew we had to improve on that aspect of the game and fortunately we were able to score some goals at UJ. We are gutted about not making the semifinals but that’s hockey, sometimes things just don’t go the way you planned it to.
“We had a really tough game against Wits in the playoffs and we knew if we stuck to our objectives, we would be successful. We managed to string passes together, hold onto the ball for some time and we really handled ourselves well which led to the win,” she told varsitysportssa.com.
Baxter credited her team mates for sticking together through the tough times and remaining positive throughout their campaign.
“The vibe in the team remained awesome throughout the campaign, regardless of what the outcome of the matches were and because of that positivity, everyone stepped up their game when it was really needed.
“Varsity Hockey was a really good experience and the level of the game has really improved. If I compare it to 2013, it [level] is much higher and the teams are more-or-less on the same level.
“Personally, I know I can do a lot better in my individual game but I was happy to contribute to the team and do whatever was needed of me,” she added.
