NWU set their intentions clear in the first quarter, when Courtney du Preez came close to opening the scoring but the ball skimmed the top of the crossbar. The whole NWU team kept pressing forward, but were unlucky when more of their shots went wide, resulting in a stalemate at the end of the first quarter.
NWU refused to back down in the second quarter, with Du Preez trying her luck again but still to no avail. Mishka Ellis made two fundamental saves to deny UJ any progress from their short corner, which tied the score at 0-0 going into half time.
Carli Pretorius got the ball rolling for NWU in the second half, when she scored two goals in the space of two minutes, once off a penalty and another off a short corner, to take NWU 2-0 up with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Nothing was going UJ’s way in the final quarter, with Miecke Flemming intercepting a vital ball to deny UJ any chance to get their name on the score board in their biggest opportunity of the game. Nonetheless, UJ prevailed with Kristen Paton and captain Lisa Hawker doing their best to keep their team in it. UJ put huge pressure on NWU in the last five minutes, but NWU stood up to the challenge and Mishka Ellis again made two class saves. NWU’s 2-0 win places them third on the log, with their final game of the weekend set to take place in front of their home crowd.
Mugg & Bean Star Saver Award: Mishka Ellis (NWU)
MTN Connector Award: Sare Laubscher (NWU)
FNB Player of the Match: Courtney du Preez (NWU)
Scores
NWU: 2
Goals: Carli Pretorius (2)
UJ: 0
Teams
NWU: 1. Caitlin Grant, 2. Mishka Ellis, 5. Jessica de Bruyn-Smith, 6. Kirsty Adams, 7. Miecke Flemming, 10. Meeghan Klomp, 11. Kelsey Minnaar, 12. Charné Maddocks, 13. Carli Pretorius, 14. Clarise Smit, 15. Courtney du Preez, 16. Candice Silent, 18. Sherine Ledwaba, 19. Sare Laubscher, 20. Anneke Beukman, 22. Jacolene McLaren, 23. Kutlwano Moshugi, 24. Christa Ramasimang.
Tuks: 1. Nadia Mattana, 2. Dinisha Coopoosamy, 3. Celine da Silva, 4. Zeena Martin, 5. Thato May, 6. Gabriella Terblanche, 7. Phia Gerber, 8. Kristen Paton, 9. Lisa Hawker, 11. Tanika Schram, 12. Tenika Kriel, 13. Demi Harmse, 14. Pauline Jacobs, 15. Kaylim Bowers, 16. Lethabo Nkoe, 18. Kelly Hewitt, 22. Kelly-Leigh Cawrse, 23. Paula-Ivana Rebelo.
By Bronwen Bain
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