A clinical Belgium won the first Test of the two-Test series against the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team 3-1 at Randburg Hockey Stadium Saturday.

Belgium led 1-0 at half-time through Stephanie de Groof before Alix Gerniers added another 12 minutes after the break. SA pulled one back via a Kate Woods penalty corner but a Sofie Gierts penalty stroke restored the two-goal margin three minutes from the end.

Mindful of what is sure to be a physically taxing Olympic Qualifier Tournament in Delhi that starts in a fortnight’s time, SA’s 33-year-old world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee was rested for the third consecutive match, while Lesle-Ann George (Free State) and Jade Mayne (WP) celebrated their 150th and 50th Test appearances respectively.

Photo by: Lee Warren (Gallo)

Belgium earned a soft PC in the third minute and De Groof opened the scoring. Soon after, Annie-Sophie van Regemortel shot wide. Belgium won a second and third PC but sound defence from goalkeeper Sanani Mangisa and first wave defender Sulette Damons dispelled the danger

In the 25 minutes to half-time SA got into several very good positions in the strike zone and were most unfortunate when Belgian umpire Laurine Delforge disallowed what looked to be a textbook goal finished off by Damons after nifty work down the right channel from co-striker Dirkie Chamberlain.

By the 26th minute SA won their first PC and were dominating the game but didn’t take advantage of further genuine goalscoring opportunities as the half-time clock wound down.

After the re-start SA strikers Lauren Penny and Chamberlain had shots saved by keeper Aisling D’Hooghe, Damons came close once again before Belgium’s Emilie Sinia shot into the side-netting. In the 47th minute Belgium went 2-0 up against the run of play through Alix Gerniers.

The revitalised Belgians enjoyed a productive spell and skilful captain Charlotte de Vos earned her side’s fourth PC before Helene Delmee was agonisingly close. A turnover resulted in Belgium’s fifth PC and De Groof’s slap-shot was padded away by Mangisa.

SA continued to mount goal-threatening moves and with seven minutes left captain Marsha Marescia, in her 275th Test match – the most capped athlete in any SA team sport – showed true grit in shrugging off heavy tackles to win the girls in green and gold’s second PC, which Woods smashed into the backboard (2-1).

Belgium hit back and their sixth PC saw an Anouk Raes strike result in Delforge awarding a disputed penalty stroke, which the superb Sofie Gierts flashed into the roof of the net three minutes from time (3-1).

The second Test is at 11 am Sunday at Randburg.

Goals from Kate Woods (2), Dirkie Chamberlain (2) and Kathleen Taylor gave the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team a thrilling 5-3 victory over a game Belgium in the Investec Tri-Nations match at Randburg Hockey Stadium Wednesday night after the scores were locked 2-2 at half-time.

Stephanie de Groof,  Sofie Gierts and Charlotte de Vos scored for the Europeans, but the win ensured that captain Marsha Marescia’s have won the Tri-Nations Series.

SA now have eight log points from their four matches, while Belgium have four points and Ireland are on one point. Thursday’s 7 pm clash between the Belgians and Ireland at Randburg is the last match left in the competition.

The Irish fly home after Thursday night’s match while Friday is a rest day for SA and Belgium before they tackle each other in a separate, two-Test series at 2 pm on Saturday and 11 am Sunday respectively at Randburg.

SA have a few days’ rest before they fly to the crucial Olympic Qualifier Tournament in Delhi on February 15, the event where SA must win the gold medal to gain automatic entry to the London 2012 Olympic Games in July/August.

World record SA goalscorer Pietie Coetzee was rested for the second consecutive match.

In the third minute Belgian captain De Vos won the first penalty corner and Stephanie de Groof’s fast, low shot clattered into the backboard for the opening goal . Two minutes later Jade Mayne forced SA’s first PC and Woods made not mistake with a sweetly-timed strike.

In the 14^th minute Gierts conjured up a superb reverse-stick strike that whistled into the net to restore Belgium’s one-goal margin. Belgium were working on closing down the SA ball carrier but Shelley Russell broke free to set up Marescia, whose shot at goal won the girls in green and gold’s third corner. The move perfected in practice worked a treat and Woods’s pinpoint pass saw Chamberlain equalise with a magnificent deflection after 22 minutes.

Not 25 seconds after the changeover Russell instigated a stunning move that went to Marescia, who one-touched to Mayne, the cross being helped past the keeper by an on-song Chamberlain for SA to take the lead for the first time (3-2). But De Vos made something out of nothing for the equaliser in the 41^st minute (3-3).With 10 left, SA drew away from Belgium with a corner goal from Woods and one from field play by Taylor soon after (5-3).

Gutsy Ireland weathered an assault on their goalline by the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team to draw the Investec Tri-Nations match 1-1 at Randburg Tuesday night.

In the 70 minutes, SA had 20 shots at goal including eight penalty corners, while Ireland had five shots including three corners.

Head coach Giles Bonnet’s SA team meet Belgium at 7 pm Wednesday.

From the first whistle, SA went through 12 passes before Ireland gained possession but the green and whites got the first opportunity when a neat touch-on by Lisa Jacob to Aine Connery won the first penalty corner after five minutes.

SA Player of the Year in 2011, centre midfielder Tarryn Bright, returned for SA while world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee was rested.

In the ninth, Kate Woods fired a pass into the strike zone and Jade Mayne got in back-to-back shots before Dirkie Chamberlain deflected over the crossbar, but Ireland won a hotly disputed second PC at the other end awarded by Belgian umpire Laurine Delforge and Michelle Harvey evaded goalkeeper Sanani Mangisa’s outstretched left leg (1-0).

At 1-0 down after 13 minutes, the South Africans went back onto the attack from the re-start and a super roundabout run by Bernadette Coston earned the girls in green and gold’s first PC.

Play swung from goalmouth to goalmouth at pace and Chamberlain shot on the turn but goalkeeper Emma Gray saved – and saved again from Kathleen Taylor. Good work by SA captain Marsha Marescia and Chamberlain won a second PC and Woods’s shot was turned away near the post by Sinead McCarthy. Marescia won a third PC and SA then won a fourth, which hit the post after Woods’s powerful shot. A fifth PC came soon after and Ireland survived despite shots from Marescia and Lenise Marais.

Seconds into the second half Chamberlain forced SA’s sixth PC, which Gray saved . A defence-splitting Bright pass and Marescia layoff saw Ireland escape the goalmouth scramble. A stick-check on Shelley Russell brought SA’s seventh PC and Gray stick-saved diving low to her right from Marescia. Mayne won SA’s eighth PC as Ireland struggled to contain the waves of attacks – but Woods’s shot went wide. Then Lesle-Ann George lined up her shot but again the effort went wide.

A superb Chamberlain reverse-stick strike was brilliant saved by Gray before Cliodhna Sargent set up Jacob whose effort slipped past the post.

SA’s opportunity-creating hockey was finally rewarded in the 64^th minute when Nicolene Terblanche took advantage of a backing off defence to slide the ball home (1-1).

Ireland came back hard with a field shot and a third PC, both superbly saved by Mangisa, while Taylor brought another remarkable save from Gray before Sulette Damons broke free but shot wide.

World record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee nailed a penalty corner drag-flick past outstanding Ireland goalkeeper Emma Gray in the seventh minute for the Investec South African women’s hockey team to clinch the opening Investec Tri-Nations Series match 1-0 at Randburg Astro Saturday.

With both sides making too many unforced errors, it was not a good Test match. And while South Africa made life very hard for themselves, their eight penalty corners to two against  is indicative of who was on top for most of the match. On another day Coetzee, who took her world record tally of goals to 231 in 234 Test matches, would have netted a hat-trick.

Photo by: DUIF DU TOIT (GALLO)

The superstar striker hit the post with her first PC drag-flick while the eighth corner saw Gray make a magnificent stick save low to her right. The half-time watering of the pitch did make life difficult for the players as areas of the surface didn’t drain efficiently, while SA also used a number of corner variations to counteract the sluggish pace of the ball.

It must be said, though, that the loss of 2011 SA Player of the Year Tarryn Bright in the sixth minute after Coetzee’s PC drag-flick deflected off the post into the centre midfielder’s face, was a big blow to the team’s fluidity.

Nicole Terblanche at right half was a constant headache for Ireland’s left-side defence and she was one of the few who can look back on this match with satisfaction. Jade Mayne and a number of others did have their moments but overall the performance was inconsistent.

SA defended well at times as Lisa Jacob and Shirley McCay and company made dangerous counter-attacks but the Irish will not look back on this match with much fondness either.

Head coach Giles Bonnet’s team meet Belgium at 2 pm Sunday and will be looking for a much slicker performance in every department.

“As SASCOC we are firmly behind this group of players chosen to represent their country in this all-important 2012 Olympic Games qualifier on foreign soil in New Delhi, India. We are also grateful that upon our request both the FIH and the IOC were gracious enough to grant us a slot in one of the three qualifiers into the Games in London. you would recall there was no slot for Africa in these qualification tournaments.

“We appreciate the immense effort that they have put in on this lengthy qualification road and have every faith in their ability to go the whole way and do the necessary to join Team South Africa in London later this year.

“SASCOC wishes coach Giles Bonnet, captain Marsha Marescia and all team and management members the very best on this mission.”

The SA Hockey Association Friday named the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team to play in the Olympic Qualifier Tournament in Delhi, India from February 18 to 26.

Captain Marsha Marescia’s team must win the Delhi event in order to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games. There are no opportunities afterwards.

The Investec SA team includes seven players from Western Province, four apiece from Southern Gauteng and Northern Blues, and one each from North West, Free State and KZN Coastal Raiders.

In Delhi, head coach Giles Bonnet’s 18-player team will play India, Canada, Italy, Poland and Ukraine.

After a defeat to Ireland and a win against Belgium in one-off internationals this week, the Investec SA team kick off the business end of their final preparation for Delhi with the Investec Tri-Nations Series, which runs from Saturday to next Sunday at Randburg Hockey Stadium.

The SA women tackle Ireland at 2 pm Saturday and Belgium at 2 pm Sunday.

The team for Delhi includes 11 Olympic Games players from one or two of, the Sydney, Athens and Beijing events, and boasts 2 112 Test matches between the 18 players, an average of 117 each.

“Players with more than 50 Test matches have been left out, which indicates that competition for places was high,” said Bonnet. “The selection of this team is not cast in stone and will be reviewed on a regular basis.”

SA selection chief Mickey Gordon said one of the goals when Bonnet was appointed 18 months ago was to increase the player base: “We have succeeded in that, and now selection is purely performance-based, so no one can rely on reputation alone.”

Since his appointment, Bonnet has spent six of the 18 months with the team, during which they have played in the region of 100 Test matches. It is the most prepared national team in the history of the sport in South Africa.

“It is best practice for a coach to have four years with a team and we are trying to build an Olympic Games top six team in 24 months,” said Bonnet.  “What we are building now will help us in the future after the Olympic Games as well.”

There is indeed a school of thought that this team will only peak once its four-year cycle is complete around the time of the 2012 Hockey World Cup in Holland.

Marescia said that players who just missed the cut had been given constructive advice by the coaching staff on how to improve their performance: “They know it’s not the end of the road and it’s motivated them to get back in.”

SA assistant coach Fabian Gregory kicked claims that the team has played too much hockey into touch: “A big squad of around 35 players has been used over the 18 months. You can only train so much; the best guide to progress and performance is what you see on match day.”

SA Hockey president Dave Carr agreed there is a marked gap in quality between the SA senior squad and SA junior squad: “If they want to go to the Junior World Cup there is a lot of work ahead in the two years leading up to the tournament. Fitness is a controllable and first priority at their next camp is a fitness test. Those who fail will be sent home at their own expense.”

Beijing Olympian Sanani Mangisa, who at 24 is looking to attend her second Olympic Games, said the thrill never goes away. The goalkeeper spent 18 months out in the cold after Beijing and forced her way back into the team: “Having experienced the Olympics makes you even more determined to go to another one,” she said.

Whether they win in Delhi or not, the Investec SA team are scheduled to be playing a series in Scotland from May 24 to June 3; a Four Nations tournament in London from June 3 to 10 and another in Bremen, Germany from July 12 to 15.

The SA U21 team play their Junior World Cup Africa Qualifier Tournament in Potchefstroom from September 17 to 26.

INVESTEC SA TEAM

Mariette Rix, Kate Woods, Shelley Russell, Jade Mayne, Lauren Penny, Kathleen Taylor, Tarryn Bright (all WP); Marsha Marescia (capt), Lisa Deetlefs, Bernadette Coston, Pietie Coetzee (all Southern Gauteng); Sanani Mangisa, Dirkie Chamberlain, Nicolene Terblanche, Kim Hubach (all Northern Blues), Lesle-Ann George (Free State); Lenise Marais (KZN Coastal Raiders); Sulette Damons (North West). Head coach: Giles Bonnet. Assistant coach: Fabian Gregory.

The Investec South Africa women’s hockey team beat Belgium 2-1 in the Test match at Randburg Thursday night.

Belgium opened the scoring when Sofie Gierts slipped the ball past SA goalkeeper Mariette Rix after just 25 seconds. SA equalised in the 10^th minute when Tarryn Bright’s pass into the strike zone was helped past Belgian goalkeeper Aisling D’Hooghe by Kathleen Taylor. The winner came with 25 minutes left after Bright’s penalty corner rocket.

The Investec Tri-Nations Series starts at 2 pm at Randburg Saturday when SA face Ireland before facing Belgium at the same time Sunday.

Head coach Giles Bonnet was without several top players in the likes of world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee, 2004 and 2008 Olympian Kate Woods and the silky-skilled Lesle-Ann George to name some, as he had a last look at certain players before the team for the Olympic Qualifier in Delhi is named at the 11.30 am press conference at Randburg Friday.

The SA team did a good job, earning 10 penalty corners to one and getting more shots on goal.

Photo by: Lee Warren (GALLO)

Belgium made an electric start, the ball passing through six sticks before Gierts put the Europeans 1-0 up just 25 seconds into the match. SA’s first two corners went awry and Belgium’s good running on and off the ball ensured that Erica Coppey had a good opportunity before Bright and Taylor combined for the equaliser.

Belgian umpire Laurine Delforge and her South African colleague Annelize Rostron were kept busy in both strike zones as play was transferred at pace from one end to the other.

SA’s flowing movement presented captain Marsha Marescia with an opportunity before a stunning left-right diagonal run by pacy Shelley Russell won the girls in green and gold’s third PC. The fourth PC came and went while at the other end Jill Boon’s shot was blocked by Rix with just the keeper to beat and Celia Evans, in her 50^th international for South Africa, was twice denied.

SA were unfortunate not to go ahead from their fifth and sixth corners just after the changeover as several shots were fired at D’Hooghe but in the 45^th minute it was lucky number seven that did the trick as Bright’s shot scorched the turf (2-1).

Belgium survived corners eight, nine and 10 before winning their first and Rix made a top-class glove save from Boon’s reverse-stick rocket.

Belgium face Ireland in the last warm-up international at 7 pm Friday at Randburg.

The Investec South Africa women’s hockey team went down 2-1 to Ireland after the scores were 1-1 at half-time in the one-off Test match at Randburg Astro Wednesday night.

The hard-hitting Cliodhna Sargent nailed penalty-corner goals in the 19^th and 70^th minutes for Ireland’s first win over SA in four matches, while Jade Mayne scored following South Africa’s first corner in the 21st minute.

For South Africa, who will face Belgium in a one-off international at 7 pm at Randburg Thursday, it was their first defeat in four matches.

Photo by: Duif Du Toit (GALLO IMAGES)

SA captain Marsha Marescia’s girls in green and gold open their Investec Tri-Nations campaign against Ireland at 2 pm on Saturday.

After just 20 seconds a Dirkie Chamberlain deflection off Marescia’s accurate free-hit brought a sharp save from goalkeeper Pamela Smithwick.  In the 11^th minute Ireland missed a great chance after a lapse in the SA defence.

Intelligent running into space and pinpoint passing saw Aine Connery, captain Alexandra Speers and Lisa Jacob combine beautifully at times and Ireland’s industry was eventually rewarded with Sargent’s goal from the match’s second penalty corner, which was only awarded after SA umpire Annelize Rostron and Irish colleague Liz Clifford had consulted (1-0).

SA hit back immediately when the pressured Irish defence conceded a PC and Kim Hubach’s  accurate flick was popped in off the keeper’s pads by Mayne. SA tried the same slip-pass left of the castle with their second PC but this time it didn’t work.

Three minutes after the break Connery got in a crisp shot on the turn and four minutes later Audrey O’Flynn induced a stunning stick save from SA keeper Sanani Mangisa low to her right from Ireland’s third PC. Soon after, a marvellous run by Marescia set up Celia Evans but  her shot was blocked by Smithwick.

The action was intensely competitive with play transferring from one end of the pitch to the other in an instant and midway through the second half Kathleen Taylor worked some magic  up the right flank to earn  SA’s third PC, Smithwick blocking a Lisa Deetlefs effort.

Ireland were forced to defend desperately at times as SA went in search of the lead but it was much the same at the other end with the odd goalmouth melee requiring scrambled defence, but with 43 seconds left Ireland’s industry paid off when Sargent smashed home her team’s fourth PC for the 2-1 victory.

The Investec South Africa women’s hockey team won the five-Test Investec International Series against Spain2-1 after the final international ended 1-1 at Randburg Sunday.

SA trailed 1-0 at half-time in the fifth Test of the Investec International Series after Spanish captain Julia Menendez’s superb goal in the 14^th minute but a lightning-enforced delay with 29 minutes left was kind to the girls in green and gold as world record goalscorer Pietie Coetzee scored the vital equaliser that denied the Spaniards a series-equalling victory.

SA were intent on winning the match or at least earning a draw which would give them the series 3-1 or 2-1 respectively, while Spain were all out to level the series 2-2 with the first Test drawn. The second Test went 3-2 to Spain, the third 3-1 to SA and the fourth 3-0 to SA.

Photo by: Reg Caldecott

Play swung to and fro from the outset, Spain still the better team in terms of keeping the ball though the phases and they made the breakthrough when Maria Tost’s thrust up the right channel set up Menendez’s blast into the net (1-0).

SA went in search of the equaliser from the re-start but Coetzee’s rocket shot went into the side-netting. Then 13 minutes from half-time Jade Mayne did well to create something for Lauren Penny but it was a 30-70 chance.

However, Spain’s dynamism down the right continued to trouble SA and centre back Kate Woods made a critical clearance. Carlota Petchame, Spain’s best player was a thorn in SA’s side wherever she popped up with the ball, her enviable close control a lesson to the scores of schoolchildren. Olalla Pineiro was not far behind.

With three to half-time, Illse Davids’ superb reverse-stick pass set up the match’s first penalty corner but Woods’ shot was saved by keeper Isabel Barguno. SA won their second PC on the hooter but a possible equaliser was not to be.

Two minutes after the changeover the talented Olivia Pineiro made ground in close confines but her shot sizzled past the post. After six minutes, play was halted due to thunder and lightning.

Almost an hour later play resumed and the crowd erupted when Coetzee equalised (1-1). Play ebbed and flowed with both sides having opportunities, but striker Lauren Penny and captain Marsha Marescia were instrumental in SA finishing the stronger side to seal the 2-1 series victory.

Marescia picked up the Investec Player of the Series Trophy just ahead of Petchame and Woods.

SA have a short break before the Investec Tri-Nations that includes Belgium and Ireland kicks off on Wednesday, continuing until February 6 – all at Randburg.

Meanwhile, the SA men’s side let slip a 3-0 half-time lead to draw 3-3 with eight-time Olympic Gold medallists India in the fifth and final Test in Delhi Sunday.

SA scored first-half goals through Ricky West in the 26th minute, Ian Haley (31^st) and Miguel da Graca (34^th) with India replying after half-time via the sticks of Yuvraj Walmiki (43^rd), V. R. Raghunath (49^th) and S.K. Uthappa, who equalised four minutes from the final whistle.

India won the series 3-1 with one match drawn.

A Tarryn Bright strike in the 25^th minute gave the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team a 1-0 lead against Spain at half-time in the crucial fourth Test of the five-Test Investec International Series at Randburg Astro Saturday before Pietie Coetzee and a wonderful deflection from Dirkie Chamberlain ensured a 3-0 win.

It was world record goalscorer Coetzee’s 229th successful strike in 232 Test matches and the win gives SA an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series, which will put pressure on Spain in Sunday’s 2 pm fifth and final Test at the same venue.

Spain controlled the game in the early minutes, two opportunities not converted; though SA earned a penalty corner in the 14^th minute but Coetzee’s drag-flick was gloved away by in-form goalkeeper Maria Lopex de Eguilaz.

In the 20^th SA earned their second PC but the keeper read the move. Spain, so good on the counter, then raced away down the right through Beatriz Perez who ran 30 metres before firing into the side-netting.

With 10 left the game split wide open when a move practised on the training pitch worked a charm; Coetzee’s pass to Bright saw the 2011 SA Player of the Year crash her shot home off the far post (1-0).

SA enjoyed their best spell and the keeper twice saved from Coetzee before Spain’s second PC also garnered no return. With two minutes left the dangerous Spanish right wing Raquel Huertas made inroads on the right-hand baseline and central defender Kate Woods did well to clear.

SA went two goals up two minutes after the half-time whistle when Coetzee’s free-hit was superbly deflected past the keeper by fellow striker Dirkie Chamberlain (2-0).

Investec SA captain Marsha Marescia was again in stunning form, be it on attack or defence, but Spain were not done yet and the ever-present Carlota Petchame’s rasping shot was well saved by Rix.  SA defender Lenise Marais, in her 150^th Test, made a vital stop and clearance before Spain’s keeper did the same at the other end.

With 18 left, Coetzee gave SA a three-goal cushion after withstanding intense pressure from the Spanish defence before slotting past the keeper (3-0). South Africa’s third and fourth set-piece attempts came to nothing but Spain had 10 PC’s in the match from drag-flicker Lola Riera that simply could not get past Rix or her corner defenders.

The SA men meet India in the final Test in Delhi at 1.30 pm SA time Sunday. India lead the five-Test series 3-1.