The Steinhoff Maties Hockey women’s team is firmly in charge of the Western Province Grand Challenge.
Maties are in the first place on the WP league log after Sunday’s match against Conberg. Maties won 4-2 thanks to a hat-trick from Quanita Bobbs and one goal from Heather McEwan. After 10 matches Maties have 28 points having won nine and drawing once. Somerset West is in second place with 20 points, while Conberg and WPCC both have 19 points.
Bobbs and McEwan are co-captains for Maties Women this season.
It has been a great start to the season for Maties. “So far this has been the greatest start to a season I have had for a while,” said McEwan. “Not only has the team grown immensely from game number one, but I can already see every player’s individual game improving as well. There seems to be something extra that this team has, but I cant put my finger on it yet, but what I do know for sure is that everyone is enjoying playing together and you can see it by the energy we display as a team on the field.”
McEwan said that the whole season thus far has been a highlight for her. “A specific highlight for me was our game against Somerset West, although we drew in the last few minutes of the game, the way the team played was absolutely exceptional! I am very excited to see this team perform at USSA in July.”
The USSA tournament is in Johannesburg from 4-8 July.
“The team has been playing extremely well so far in the season but I would really like to see the team turn up the intensity. I would like to see this team perform at their full potential. I don’t think we have reached our full potential just yet. I have seen patches of it, but it has not been consistent enough. It has been a fantastic start to the season, but when we come back I would like to see an even bigger improvement. I believe this team has the potential and capability to achieve a higher standard even though we have already set the bar pretty high for ourselves.”
According to McEwan being co-captain with Bobbs has been a great experience. “I am very grateful for her years of experience, especially technically and tactically, in captaining this side as well as playing along side her. This team makes our captaining job a whole lot easier. It is a very rewarding experience captaining the Maties women, especially when you witness the team achieving great results because of the hard work they have put in. What makes our job a lot easier is the fact that everyone is willing to buy in and work together as a team. I have thoroughly enjoyed captaining the team thus far, and am very excited to see this team perform in the next season.”
Maties are multiple defending champions of the WPGC and this means that teams are out gunning for Maties in every single game. “I have played for Maties for 4 years now and without a doubt, every single time a team comes up against us they bring their best performance because they always want to beat us. To the juniors in our team, they have not experienced this just yet, but for the seniors in the team they have experienced this pressure. Instead of seeing it as pressure, we like to rather see it as extra motivation to play our best and make sure we stay defending champions.”
Maties next WPGC game is on 20 July against Vics (currently seventh on the log).
AFRIKAANS
Steinhoff Maties Hokkie vroue-span vat voor in WP-liga
Die Steinhoff Maties Hokkie-vrouespan is stewig in beheer van sake in die Westelike Provinsie Liga.
Maties is in die eerste plek op die WP-liga punteleer ná Sondag se wedstryd teen Conberg. Maties het met 4-2 gewen danksy ‘n driekuns van Quanita Bobbs en een doel deur Heather McEwan. Na 10 wedstryde het Maties 28 punte; nege wedstryde gewen en een gelykop-uitslag. Somerset-Wes is in die tweede plek met 20 punte, terwyl Conberg en WPKK albei 19 punte het.
Bobbs en McEwan is mede-kapteins vir Maties Vroue die seisoen.
Dit was ‘n goeie begin tot die seisoen vir Maties. “Die begin tot die seisoen is een van die beste wat ek nog by Maties gehad het,” het McEwan vertel. “Nie net speel ons goed as ‘n span nie, maar ek kan sien dat elke speler besig is om as individu te groei. Daar blyk ook iets ekstra aan die span te wees, maar ek kan nog nie vinger daarop lê nie. Dit is egter baie lekker om deel van die span te wees.”
McEwan het gesê dat die hele seisoen tot dusver ‘n hoogtepunt vir haar was. “As ek egter een moet uitsonder is dit die wedstryd teen Somerset-Wes, hoewel ons in die laaste paar minute van die wedstryd verloor het. Die manier waarop die span gespeel het, was absoluut uitsonderlik! Ek is baie opgewonde om te sien hoe dié span in die USSA-toernooi gaan vaar.”
Die USSA-toernooi is in Johannesburg van 4-8 Julie.
“Ofskoon die span goed speel, sal ek graag wil sien dat die spelers hul intensiteit lig. Daar is nog baie potensiaal wat nie ten volle bereik is nie. Ons speel hier en daar tot ons volle potensiaal, maar is nog nie konsekwent nie. Ons kan nog beter speel glo ek en sal graag wil hê ons moet dit in die volgende deel van die seisoen doen.”
Volgens McEwan is om mede-kaptein saam met Bobbs te wees ‘n lekker ervaring. “Ek is baie dankbaar vir Bobbs se ervaring, veral tegnies en takties. Dit is ook lekker om saam met haar te speel. Dit is maklik om ‘n kaptein vir die span te wees. Dit is ‘n lonende ervaring. Dit is wonderlik om die hele span se ondersteuning te hê.”
Maties is die verdedigende kampioene van die WP-liga en dit beteken dat spanne altyd ekstra insit as hulle teen Maties speel. “Ek speel nou al vier jaar vir Maties en altyd kom ander spanne met alles om ons te klop. Die juniors in ons span het dit nog nie voorheen ervaar nie, maar gelukkig is daar verskeie senior spelers wat presies weet wat om te doen in sulke situasies. Ek sien dit ook nie as druk om die verdedigende kampioen te wees nie, maar eerder as ekstra motivering om die kampioen te bly.”
Maties se volgende WP-ligawedstryd is op 20 Julie teen Vics (tans sewende op die punteleer).
