UCT claimed fifth spot in the Varsity Hockey tournament whilst Rhodes and UJ shared the spoils in the wooden spoon match.

The Ikeys secured a tough 2-1 victory over NMMU, whilst Rhodes and UJ ended deadlocked on 2-2 in their early clash.

UCT opened the scoring against the Madibaz, but the goal only came towards the end of the second chukka, with little to choose between the sides in the opening exchanges.

The Ikeys were struck a blow when two of their players were shown green cards, but the held out well and opened the scoring from a short corner.

They extended their lead to 2-0 when Andrew Winter scored at the end of the final chukka, and although the Madibaz were able to pull one back it was not enough to avoid defeat as they finished in sixth place.

Wits struck first in their wooden spoon match with Rhodes, making the most of their extra player during the first powerplay to take the lead.

However, Rhodes fought back well and managed to equalise with a penalty flick just before the end of the first chukka.

The Grahamstown side had the second powerplay and could not take advantage, although they would take the lead for the first time shortly afterwards.

Wits equalised just before the end of the second chukka with some good improvisation from a short corner and that set up a tense but ultimately goalless final chukka as they shared the spoils.

Madibaz sweep Ikeys aside

NMMU secured a vital 5-0 bonus-point victory over a UCT team that was simply outclassed in Stellenbosch on Monday.

NMMU started the game with great attacking intent and it was not long before national squad striker Ignatius Malgraaf won a penalty corner.

The Eastern Cape side moved the ball upfield at pace and forced a number of good saves from UCT goalkeeper Matthew Bekker, but the Cape side absorbed the pressure well as the teams went into the first break still locked at 0-0.

UCT had the powerplay at the start of the second chukka and duly enjoyed plenty of possession, but they could not find a way through as the Madibaz sat back and waited for them.

NMMU broke out once they were back to level numbers, with a number of shots raining down on the UCT goal and Becker prvoing his worth as the last line of defence once again.

The pressure finally told with a superb individual goal from Jason Doherty-Bigara who went on a storming run down the left before cutting back inside and unleashing a stinging shot which hit the bottom right corner.

That lead was doubled soon afterwards when a square ball from Doherty-Bigara saw UCT defender Tiny Robertson put the ball into his own net which put the Madibaz 2-0 up at the second break.

NMMU had the powerplay at the start of the third chukka and they took advantage immediately as Doherty-Bigara deflected the ball in for his second goal.

After that it was all about chasing the bonus point for the Madibaz and the fourth goal came from Malgraaf who unleashed a pinpoint backstick shot to score after a mazy run.

The final nail in the UCT coffin came from a penalty corner in the last minute, with Chad Cairncross whipping a drack flick into the top corner.

UCT goalkeeper Matthew Bekker was the Mugg and Bean Star Saver, whilst Chad Cairncross was the Samsung Super Saver and Jason Doherty-Bigara took the FNB man of the match award.

 

Big hurdle for Madibaz

on May 8, 2014 | 0 Comment

Hockey NMMU

NMMU striker Ignatius Malgraaf knows that his side will have to be at their best this weekend with challenging matches against UJ, Maties and UCT in Stellenbosch.

National squad striker Malgraaf moved down to Port Elizabeth from Potchefstroom at the start of the year, and got on the scoreboard up at Wits when his side smashed Rhodes 5-0 on Monday.

With one win, one draw and one loss from the opening weekend of the tournament the Madibaz currently sit in third position on the log, but Malgraaf knows that they will have their work cut out for them this weekend against the unbeaten UJ who top the standings, hosts Maties and a determined Ikeys side.

“It is going to be a very big challenge, especially our first game against UJ. They have got three national players in their team but hopefully we can give them a good run, it is all about taking our chances,” he said.

Malgraaf said that he is still adjusting to the NMMU set-up, and expects to have more of an impact as the tournament goes on and he gets used to linking up with his teammates.

“As a striker I am not connecting with my teammates as well as I could, but everyone is still finding their feet in this competition so I am sure the standard will improve even more,” he said.

Fitness is a key part of the NMMU gameplan, with the team doing plenty of conditioning to ensure they hit the ground running in Stellenbosch.

“The coach has been drilling us with plenty of fitness, so Varsity Hockey is a great opportunity for the team to make sure we are at our best for USSA,” said Malgraaf.

NMMU powered their way to a dominant 5-0 victory over Eastern Cape rivals Rhodes at Wits on Monday.

They scored two goals in the first chukka and three in the last chukka to cruise to a comfortable victory and shut Rhodes out completely.

The Madibaz made a storming start to the game as they took the game to Rhodes and a great run into the area saw Ignatius Malgraaf sweep the ball into the goal after getting a good square ball.

That forced Rhodes to press higher up the pitch in search of a goal, and they managed to put together some good passages of play although they did not really threaten the NMMU goal.

Instead it would be the Port Elizabeth side to score next when Grant Kapp slapped another goal home after he was given far too much space for the Rhodes defence.

Rhodes got a penalty corner right at the end of the first chukka but they could not get a shot on target and the Madibaz take a 2-0 lead into the first break.

Rhodes had their powerplay at the start of the second chukka as they looked to work their way back into the game and created a few opportunities with some good long balls.

NMMU weathered the storm well and created some chances of their own as they broke out after the powerplay. Rhodes showed glimpses of promise but found it difficult to penetrate the NMMU circle.

The Madibaz continued to press, and there were some heart-stopping moments for the Rhodes defence as they scrambled to clear their line, but they managed to hold on until the break.

NMMU had a chance to stretch their lead even further with their powerplay at the start of the final chukka and they produced a stunning goal as Jason Doherty-Bigara met a backstick cross and hit the back of the net.

They went 4-0 up soon afterwards as a well-taken short corner deflected off a defender and over the line, handing them the bonus point and leaving Rhodes staring down a resounding defeat.

Both teams were reduced to ten men through yellow cards with ten minutes remaining, and NMMU got a golden chance to stretch their lead when they were awarded a penalty flick, but Daylon Phillips hit the post.

However, it was not long before they had made it 5-0, with Malgraaf turning in their last goal to pile more misery on Rhodes.

Daylon Phillips was named FNB man of the match, Jason Doherty-Bigara was the Samsung Super Striker and Rhodes defender Greg Keyter was named Mugg and Bean Super Saver for his clearance off the line.

Kovsies clinched a dramatic 2-1 victory over NMMU in the opening Varsity Hockey match at Wits on Saturday.

The Bloemfontein side scored with the final corner of the game to take a hard-fought victory over the Madibaz and get their campaign off to a solid start.

Brett Walraven was first to score for Kovsies in a very even clash which could have gone either way, and it was Alfred Hensburg who scored the decisive goal right at the end.

Jason Maclachlan had an outstanding game for Kovsies, getting around the park well to deservedly take the FNB man of the match award.

Whilst it will be a bitter pill for NMMU to swallow, they can take heart from a fighting performance which showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with.