North West and Western Province Boss IPT Pools

Kaspersky Southerns face Pool A leaders, the rampant North West, in their top of the pool clash on Thursday, with the loser likely to face elimination in Friday’s semifinal stage at the hands of Pool B’s winning machine, Western Province, after day four in the 2013 U21 Women’s Hockey IPT, at Tuks in Pretoria and Queensmead in Durban, from 28 April to 4 May, 2013.

Though the Southerns outfit were held to a 2-all draw by the never-say-die Eastern Province squad, they can still top their log if they emerge winners in Pool A’s clash of the titans, just after noon on Thursday.

North West, meanwhile, continued their winning ways, a clean-sheets win over the ever-dangerous KZN Raiders, boosting their goal difference advantage to a tournament high of +27, and will fancy their chances in the highly-ancitipated pool stage finale.

Western Province also have a fully kitty of 12 points from their four fixtures, and stretched their legs in a 7-1 whipping of KZN Inland on Worker’s Day Wednesday, after leading 4-0 at the turn-around.

Free State has the harder route in their semifinal qualification struggle against the Northern Blues – while the both teams are on nine points from three wins each, the Bloemfontein-based outfit is up against the mightly Province in their final pool B outing, and will be hoping that the log leaders take a day off to enhance their chances at medal status in this year’s tournament.

In their final pool B fixture, the Blues will be wise not to underestimate the WP Peninsula, the coastal outfit has one win in four outings but their goal difference indicates that an upset may be on the cards.

The Northern Blues’ Jacintha Jubb leads the tournament’s goal-scoring individual player rankings, with four field goals, five penalties and a penalty stroke giving her 10 of her team’s total. Jubb is followed on eight goals by the North-West’s Tiffanie Jones, followed by a trio of Western Province shooters, Tarryn Glasby (7 goals), Quanita Bobbs (6) and Jenead Brodell (6).

Tellingly, the first Southern Gauteng Striker in the top ten list is Georgina Crisk, with five goals to her name, who follows Peninsula’s Ashleigh Ratcliffe (5), and leads Tanya Britz (5) and Catherine Morris (4). Izelle Lategan and Lenthia Kamffer (4 goals apiece) make up the top-10 list.