Current Indoor Champions, Saints, continued their seven games unbeaten streak as they cemented their dominance in the Bank Windhoek National Field Hockey Premier League this past weekend in Windhoek.
As it stands, Saints are four points clear of Windhoek Old Boys (WOBSC) in the Men’s Premier League. This means that Saints have one hand on the trophy. “We only need a draw or a win from our next game to secure the title. The whole team is focused on winning and we are prepared to carry this through. I am happy with the attitude of the players in the squad,” said Saints’ Head Coach, Ruan Oosthuizen.
In the Women’s Premier League, Saints sit second on the log separated by a single point margin against WOBSC who have played two more games compared to their opponents. A third consecutive title in a season is within Saints’ grasps as the season’s conclusion looms.
Men’s Premier League
On Friday evening the much anticipated return leg fixture between Windhoek Old Boys (WOBSC) and Saints, was the clash of the titans in the men’s division. It would have been a title decider if Saints won with a bonus point. Saints’ intent was evident from the start as they came out guns blazing from the first whistle to catch WOBSC off guard. As a result, Saints were 2-nil up in just two minutes of the opening half.
WOBSC responded as the match turned into a see-saw affair as both teams continued to score in rapid succession. Towards the end, WOBSC led down their guard when they made self-inflicted errors in their defence. Saints’ highly rated youngster, Liam Hermanus, noticed this as he sliced past WOBSC’s defence and scored a hat-trick for his team. Nico Neetling similarly scored twice for Saints as they defeated WOBSC 6:4.
Full of confidence from their previous match, Saints went on and defeated Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS) on Saturday with a 2:1 win. Damien Shutz and Fagen Hansen scored for Saints. Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) locked horns with BDO Wanderers. The latter continued their strong form this season with a robust display to secure a 4-nil victory against NUST. Francois Fuscher scored twice for BDO Wanderers.
On Sunday WOBSC played NUST whom they convincingly beat 11:1. Siyabonga Martins and Dylan Finch each scored a hat-trick during the match.
Women’s Premier League
On Friday evening Saints Angels took on WOBSC and in what was expected to be a game with a lot of goals. It was however not the case as the game ended in a 1-all draw with goals from Melissa Gillis and Analien Davin. Saints Angels later played DTS and the result was the same as their previous match.
The last game of the weekend saw Saints Angels battle it out against BDO Wanderers. It was a hard-hitting encounter which was settled by Angels who walked away with a narrow 3:2 victory. Saints Angels’ Melissa Gillis scored twice for her team.
Below are the log tables for both the Men’s and Women’s Premier Leagues:
Men’s Premier League
Teams | Matches Played | Wins | Draw | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Difference | Bonus Points | Total | Place |
Saints | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 6 | 24 | 3 | 24 | 1 |
WOBSC | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 20 | 2 |
DTS | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
BDO Wanderers | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
NUST | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 41 | -39 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Women’s Premier League
Teams | Matches Played | Wins | Draw | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Difference | Bonus Points | Total | Place |
WOBSC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
Saints | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
Angels | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
BDO Wanderers | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
DTS | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
NUST | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | -35 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
The next round of fixtures will take place this coming weekend at the Windhoek High School’s hockey fields in Windhoek.