North West enjoyed a successful third day at the SA Hockey IPT B Section at The Hockey Farm in Emalahleni, with their women completing a perfect group campaign and their men moving to the top of the standings.
There was also a first victory for the Mpumalanga women, while a late SACD equaliser ensured the men’s battle for a place in the final remained closely contested.
The meeting between North West B and SACD was the headline encounter in the women’s competition, with both teams entering the match unbeaten after two victories apiece.
It was SACD who struck first, with Mathapelo Pitso opening the scoring in the 14th minute. The goal was the first conceded by North West B in the tournament and gave the Country Districts side a 1–0 advantage at half-time. North West responded emphatically after the interval. Erika Neuhoff levelled matters in the 32nd minute before Chanel Genis struck just two minutes later, turning the contest around in a decisive start to the third quarter.
SACD remained within touching distance until the final minute, when Marika Neethling added North West’s third to secure a 3–1 victory and top spot in the group.
North West B finished the group phase with nine points from three matches, scoring ten goals and conceding just once. SACD ended second on six points. Hosts Mpumalanga gave their supporters something to celebrate with a 2–0 victory over the KZN Mynahs, securing their first goals and points of the tournament.
After a goalless opening quarter, Monique Liebenberg broke the deadlock in the 27th minute to give Mpumalanga the advantage heading into half-time. Bianca Kruger doubled the lead in the 39th minute, putting the hosts on course for a breakthrough result.
The victory secured third place for Mpumalanga, with the KZN Mynahs finishing fourth. The semi-final line-up is therefore confirmed: North West B will face the KZN Mynahs, while SACD take on Mpumalanga in a repeat of their group encounter.
In the men’s competition, SACD and the KZN Mynahs shared the points in a 1–1 draw that hinged on a late equaliser. Dylan Pratt gave the Mynahs the lead in the 18th minute, and that advantage remained intact through half-time and the third quarter.
With the clock ticking down, Jarryd Appel once again delivered an important goal for SACD. Having scored their equaliser against North West on the opening day, Appel repeated the feat in the 53rd minute to rescue a point for the Country Districts side.
North West then edged hosts Mpumalanga 1–0 to move above the SG Nuggets at the top of the men’s standings.
Nel Visagie provided the decisive moment in the 19th minute, scoring the only goal of the match. North West maintained that narrow advantage for the remainder of the contest to record their second successive victory.
For Mpumalanga, it was another agonisingly close result. All three of their defeats have been by a single goal, following their opening-day 3–2 loss to the Nuggets and Tuesday’s 1–0 defeat to the Mynahs.
North West now lead the standings with seven points from three matches. The SG Nuggets, who did not play on Day Three, remain second with six points from two games. The KZN Mynahs follow on four, SACD have two and Mpumalanga are yet to get off the mark.
With the women’s knockout matches now set and the men’s finalists still to be decided, the stakes continue to rise. The ultimate reward remains a place in the SA Hockey IPT A Section in 2027.
SA Hockey IPT B Section – Day 3 Results
SA Hockey IPT B Section – Day 4 Fixtures
09:00 – Men – SG Nuggets vs. KZN Mynahs
10:45 – Women Semi-Final – North West B vs. KZN Mynahs
12:30 – Men – Mpumalanga vs. SACD
14:15 – Women Semi-Final – SACD vs. Mpumalanga
16:00 – Men – SG Nuggets vs. North West
