HOCKEY
U14A
Back row : M Veenstra , M Smith , D Bruyns , R Akerman , L Jansen van Vuuren Front row : C Stubbs , H Askew , S Jansen , Mr R Jones ( coach ), B Jackson ( captain ), D van Niekerk , R Brokensha Absent : Q Lupton-Smith , S Ndlovu
The U14A hockey season began with the annual Nomads Festival which saw them up against some good schools . The team won three , lost one and drew one game . The loss to Jeppe was one of only two losses this season , with the other one coming against Glenwood in the last game of the season . It proved to be a very good season for Maritzburg College U14A hockey , who also said farewell to long standing U14A coach , Mr B Swart . Special thanks go to Mr Swart for his hard work during his time here and producing quality players and teams time and again . One of the highlights of the term was certainly the 5-0 victory over Westville , who have been a bogey side for College U14A in recent times .
The season saw the entire 13-man squad make provincial teams . Not only were the KZN teams dominated by College boys , but both the combined KZN team as well as the KZN Inland A-side won their respective tournaments .
After the mid-year school holidays , the boys returned to school full of confidence after their outstanding achievements in the holidays . It all started with our out-of-province rivals Affies on the first weekend of the third term . The boys were very eager to get going again and it proved to be a day for the record books , as the school U14A record was equalled , scoring 16 goals to none against Affies . We ended the year with a very tough fixture away to PBHS , which we narrowly won 1-0 and a defeat to a very good Glenwood side on the last weekend , going down 2-1 .
It has been an absolute pleasure coaching these boys and the future of College hockey remains bright . Thank you to all the parents for their incredible support throughout a very successful and enjoyable season .
Player Critique :
B Jackson ( KZN Inland U14A , defender , captain ): He led the U14A team very well . He played with pride and had a good , consistent season in the heart of the defence .
D van Niekerk ( KZN Inland U14 , goalkeeper ): He had an outstanding season and his shot-stopping skills proved to be a massive area of strength for this team , as it kept us in quite a few games . His courage and determination were second to none .
C Stubbs ( KZN Inland U14B , defender ): He executed his role very well this season . He always wanted the best for his team mates and was an incredible team player .
R Akerman ( KZN Inland U14B , defender ): He was probably the most consistent player in the team . His season saw a massive improvement from start to finish and he was definitely the most improved player this year .
R Brokensha ( KZN Inland U14A , defender ): A player who was required to play in a different position from what he was used too , but he grew from strength to strength and proved to be a serious threat at right back . He was certainly a candidate for most improved player .
M Veenstra ( KZN Inland U14 , midfielder ): It is not often one comes across a player with so much variety in his skill set . He had the ability to defend , pass well and eliminate . He had an outstanding season at right midfield and is a worthy recipient of the player of the year award for the U14A team .
S Jansen ( KZN Combined U14A , midfielder ): An extremely talented boy who had the ability to eliminate opposition comfortably with his silky skills . One can only be excited at what is still to come .
H Askew ( KZN Combined U14A , midfielder ): Centre midfield is arguably one of the toughest positions to play and Askew embraced this role . He had a very good season with a number of match winning performances .
D Bruyns ( KZN Combined U14A , forward ): A solid player , who had the ability to play as a forward and a midfielder . He had the ability to eliminate opposition with speed and skill and could score goals . He was a threat to most opposition and scored some incredible goals .
Q Lupton-Smith ( KZN Inland U14A , forward ): He is very hardworking boy who always gave his very best . His aggression both on attack and defence made him a difficult player to compete against and he has the potential to become an excellent striker .
M Smith : Speed and power are two of the traits that were always evident in his game . With the correct training and focus , he has the potential to become an incredible hockey player .
L Jansen van Vuuren : It is always an asset for a coach to have a player that can play a few positions and Van Vuuren was that player . His
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