Elite Clubs and Elite Champions

Elite Clubs and Elite Champions

On a day when South Africans at Loftus went viral for their display of the national anthem, another truly South African celebration took place at Riverside Sports Complex as the final day of the Belgotex Elite Club Challenge took place.

Throughout the women’s tournament the 2019 champions Crusaders had been sublime and were hoping to emulate their success from five years ago taking on first time finalists Phoenix Hockey Club. It took only 30 seconds as Rea Phume drove the ball up the right hand side and crossed it in for Sylvia van Jaarsveldt to score her 6^th of the tournament and give Crusaders a lead. Despite chances for both sides neither was able to add in the first half and it was 1-0 a the interval.

Sylvia van Jaarsveldt doubled her own tally and that of the Crusaders with a great reactionary strike and the captain completed the Siya Kolisi like captain's performance when she completed her hat-trick early in the final quarter with the simplest tap in. Phoenix got a late consolation through Cailyn Jordaan but it wasn’t to be as Crusaders sealed their second Elite Club Challenge.

Bronze medal went to WPCC with a 3-1 win over Riverside, Kearsney took 5^th over Wanderers and Beaulieu won the relegation match against PHSOB.

As far as classics go, the Men’s final will live up there in the memory for all that witnessed it. Central the defending champions took on WPCC the team that last won in 2015. The two teams from the WP Hockey league know each other well and they proved exactly that in a titanic tussle.

Central, in their all black kit, opened the scoring through Reuben Sendzul from an early penalty corner. They would double their lead half way through the opening quarter. Michael Royden-Turner received the ball from Dayaan Cassiem and turned on the reverse stick low into the bottom corner. WPCC pulled their first goal back through a Cameron Ryan penalty corner and they restored parity shortly after from a penalty stroke was awarded. Ryan scored to setup a cracking second half.

Half way through the third quarter a WPCC penalty corner wasn’t cleared and Tevin Petersen gave a first lead of the final to the Badgers. It was a lead they looked like holding until the end but with 3 and a bit minutes left Central finally levelled. Big moments need big players and Mustapha Cassiem was sublime in dragging into the top right corner. All signs were pointing to a shootout to decide the winner and Central’s top scorer Sendzul fired home to mass celebration and to seal a consecutive title for Central.

Bronze medal was decided in a shootout between Riverside and Beaulieu with the hosts winning the medal. Kearsney took 5^th over 6^th MCC and Wanderers avoided relegation with a 2-1 win over PHSOB.

We can’t wait for next year!

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