Plett ladies secure a playoff spot

KNYSNA NEWS - Courtesy of a hard-fought win over Wanderers last weekend, the ladies from Plett Hockey Club have managed to secure themselves a spot in the top four playoffs in the Eden Senior Hockey League.

This comes at the cost of Old Oaks' ladies, who lost to Crusaders on Tuesday night.

Plett's ability to secure a playoff spot is a remarkable improvement from their fortunes in 2022 when they finished seventh and second-last in the league. A determined outfit this season, they'd managed to win two, draw one and lose two of their five matches preceding the Wanderers encounter.

Going into the clash at the Knysna High School astro on Saturday 17 June, they had one objective – win, and give themselves the best chance to qualify for the top four playoffs.

They gave themselves a great chance to do so, scoring the first goal of the match to go 1-0 ahead in the first quarter courtesy of a goal from Kate McClean.

Wanderers bounced back in the second quarter, equalising through Maryke van de Linde, setting the score at 1-1 at half-time.

Plett continued to show grit though and Estelle Rodrigues gave them the lead again in the third quarter. A goalless final quarter ensured that the score stayed 2-1 in Plett's favour, handing them their much-needed win.

Old Oaks vs Crusaders

This win and the three points they received put them up into fourth place, two points ahead of Old Oaks who were facing league leaders Crusaders at York High School's astro on Tuesday 20 June.

Old Oaks needed to overcome a Crusaders team that had won four out of their five games in the season. Crusaders took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, doing so courtesy of goals from Jade Viljoen and Megan van der Walt, a far from ideal start for Old Oaks.

Tarryn Edkins pulled one goal back for the Knysna ladies in the second quarter though, giving them some hope of a positive outcome. Unfortunately for Old Oaks the necessary second and third goals never came, and Crusaders sealed a 2-1 win. Old Oaks' ladies now finish in fifth place.

A tight men's game

The Wanderers and Plett ladies game wasn't the only one played in Knysna on Saturday with a playoff spot on the line. In the men's game both sides in theory had a chance to make top four playoffs. Wanderers would have to win by 10 goals or more, while Plett simply had to win by any margin.

Plett had a dream start, taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Brad McNamara and Douw van der Merwe. Wanderers battled back and a Chris de Jager goal made the score 2-1. Kyle Strumet however scored Plett's third and gave them a two-goal cushion at 3-1.

There was yet more to come from Wanderers, and they brought the difference back to one goal with Marc van Staden hitting the backboard.

Another twist in the tale lay in wait as a drag flick goal from Malcolm Quirk was Wanderers' third goal, drawing them level.

The game ultimately ended 3-3, with the sides deservedly splitting the points at the end of an evenly contested game of hockey. The result keeps Plett in fifth place and Wanderers in sixth place.

Goalscorer Marc van Staden injects a penalty corner for Wanderers.

Remaining games

There is only one more round-robin game left in the men's league, between Crusaders and Old Oaks, to be played tonight (22 June). The log standings will, however, remain as they stand now regardless of the outcome.

Crusaders are top of the league, with York High in second, Old Oaks third and NMU George in fourth. In the top four playoffs Crusaders will play against NMU while York and Old Oaks will lock horns. On the ladies side of things Crusaders are top as well, York second again, George third and Plett fourth. Crusaders will play against Plett, and York will face George.

At the opposite end of the tables, Wanderers (sixth) and George (seventh) will play each other in the men's league.

The winner will then face fifth-placed Plett in the fifth-place playoff while the loser will finish seventh. In the ladies league Wanderers will play NMU, and the winner will take on Old Oaks.

Nigel Leverton takes a shot at goal during a Wanderers penalty corner.