The University of Johannesburg powered their way to top spot in the 2016 Varsity Hockey men’s competition with yet another win on the last day of league action at Maties Astro in beautiful Stellenbosch Sunday afternoon.
The outcome sees the men from Jozi, the defending champions, set to do battle in the second semi-final at 6.45pm Monday when they take on a likely opponent in fourth-placed Wits, although UCT are still in with an outside chance should they beat 2014 finalists Maties in Sunday’s late game.
UJ, under the wise, battle-hardened direction of SA men’s assistant coach and SA Junior World Cup head coach Garreth Ewing, backed up by Southern Gauteng stalwart and London 2012 Olympian Lance Louw, notched their seventh win from seven outings in yet another comprehensive team effort.
The scoreline reflected the following: UJ 8 Madibaz (NMMU) 2. The score was just 2-0 at half-time though, which indicates that Madibaz were by no means a pushover.
The key to UJ’s scoring prowess is a formidable penalty corner battery where a number of players are adept at stepping up to offer multiple drag-flick options.
The skilful UJ strikers, while not possessing the lethal strike power from open play that arch-rivals Maties have at their beck and call, are very good at winning penalty corner decisions and have as much to do with the Johannesburg team’s success as the drag-flick weaponry.
What was pleasing to see were the UJ field goals from Ryan Crowe, Gerald Mpopo and Nic Rowe. The strikes from set-pieces went to hat-trick hero skipper Gareth Heyns (two penalty corners plus a PC goal during a Power Play, which counts as two goals, and a penalty stroke) and Kingsley Botes from a PC.
Madibaz, who were badly undone by a thrashing at the hands of Maties in the UJ leg of Varsity Hockey 2016 a week ago, were very much in the game during certain passages of the match. This was mirrored by the fact of two strikes in the third quarter, which they shared 2-2 with UJ, those goals going to Cerezo Comerasamy and Curtis Samboer.
The Madibaz, who have flair in abundance, probably didn’t do their talent justice in not clinching fourth place but inconsistency cost them dear.
FNB Player of the Match: Taylor Dart (UJ)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Matthew Martins (UJ)
Samsung Super Striker: Kingsley Botes (UJ)
By Jonathan Cook
