By Johnathan Paoli
Hoërskool Menlopark sealed a memorable triumph at the second edition of the St Anne’s Cup, lifting the prestigious title after a 2-0 victory over Our Lady of Fatima in Sunday’s final at St Anne’s Diocesan College.
The Pretoria-based school capped off a weekend of high-quality hockey with a performance defined by poise, unity and attacking flair.
“I’m extremely proud of our performances this weekend. We took it one game at a time, relying on our team principles, tons of grit, and sisterhood,” said head coach Brad Brook.
Menlopark’s journey to the title was anything but straightforward.
Finishing second in Pool A, they faced a daunting path through the knockout stages.
A tense 2-1 quarterfinal victory over 2024 runners-up Durban Girls’ College (DGC) tested their mettle, before they survived a dramatic penalty shootout against Free State powerhouses Eunice in the semifinals.
Brook praised his squad’s depth and resilience.
“We’re fortunate to have great depth in our squad. Different players stood up across the five games and delivered when it mattered most,” he said.
Among the standout performers was captain Zoe Badenhorst, whose tireless work rate and sharp finishing earned her the Striker of the Tournament award.
Meanwhile, Annika Kloppers walked away with the Goalkeeper of the Tournament accolade after a series of key saves, especially in the semifinals and the final.
But it was Carlia Potgieter who stole the spotlight in the final, netting both goals in a composed, match-winning performance.
Menlopark took early control of the final, enjoying the lion’s share of possession in the opening chukka.
They created six penalty corner opportunities across the match, with two coming within the first ten minutes.
However, Our Lady of Fatima’s goalkeeper Kayla Driver produced a string of top-class saves to keep the scores level at 0-0 after 15 minutes.
The Pretoria side upped the tempo in the second chukka, with Monique Gerber leading wave after wave of attacks down the flanks.
Despite several more set-piece chances, Driver held firm until the final seconds of the chukka.
A long, speculative ball from midfield found its way into Fatima’s circle, where Potgieter pounced to flick it into the back of the net, giving Menlopark a 1-0 halftime lead.
Early in the third chukka, Gerber made a baseline run and cut the ball back to Potgieter, who finished to double the lead.
Our Lady of Fatima, who had spent much of the match pinned in their half, began to show more urgency.
They created two penalty corners in the third chukka and five more in a frantic final quarter, but Kloppers and the Menlopark defence refused to buckle.
A last-ditch move by Fatima coach Matthew Smith to withdraw Driver in favour of an extra outfield player with a minute left did little to change the outcome.
“Our defence was immense, when it got tight at the end, our players scrambled, blocked, and made sure we stayed in front. I couldn’t be prouder,” Brook said.
In the 3rd/4th place playoff, Eunice produced a dominant performance to dispatch St Mary’s DSG (Kloof) 4-0.
Hosts St Anne’s edged out DGC on penalties after a 2-2 draw to finish fifth.
Waterkloof claimed seventh place after defeating St John’s DSG in another shootout.
St Anne’s coach and one of the tournament organisers, Morne Odendaal, described the second edition of the St Anne’s Cup as marking another significant step forward for the competition, which expanded from eight to twelve teams this year.
“This tournament is about showcasing skill, building friendships and fostering the next generation of talent. And this weekend delivered that in spades,” Odendaal said.
He said that with exciting hockey, strong team performances and individual brilliance on display, the future of schoolgirl hockey in South Africa looks as bright as ever.
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