North West coach Kim Hubach believes her side’s discipline, determination and commitment to their game plan laid the foundations for their successful run to the women’s U21 IPT title.
NW made a strong start to the pool stage, opening with an 8-0 win over Free State before following that with a 10-0 victory over Eastern Province.
Those results put them in a strong position heading into their final Pool B match against Western Province, with both sides having won their opening two games.
WP edged that encounter 1-0 to finish top of Pool B, leaving NW second and setting up a semi-final against the SA U18 Girls.
The defeat proved to be NW’s only setback of the tournament, as they responded by edging the SA U18 Girls 1-0 in the semi-final to book their place in the title decider in Gqeberha on Friday.
NW held their nerve to win the final 1-0 on a shootout after the match finished 1-1, avenging their earlier pool-stage defeat and securing the national title.
Hubach said the side’s progress through the pool stage was built around taking each performance as it came and steadily building momentum.
“We just tick the boxes every day and make sure we build on yesterday’s performance and just keep climbing the ladder until we get our ultimate goal, which is the gold,” Hubach said.
That approach was evident in the semi-final, where NW held their nerve despite facing sustained pressure and conceding eight penalty corners to their two.
They made the most of their limited opportunities, with Germarie Spershott scoring from a final-minute penalty corner to secure the 1-0 victory.
Hubach said the performance demonstrated the maturity her players had developed throughout the tournament.
“The girls just used the minimum opportunities that we had, which was fantastic. It’s the maturity that comes through and the growth that comes through that they’ve shown results.”
For Hubach, the belief that NW could go all the way was present from the outset.
“I think the attitude and the mindset of the girls, from day one that they could go all the way. If they stuck to what we believed in and what we put out on the game plan from the start, then they would have gone all the way.”
That belief was matched by a strong sense of togetherness, something Hubach identified as a defining characteristic of her champions.
“The team spirit is just incredible. It’s something really, really special, how they put themselves together and hold each other accountable, but can have fun at the same time.”
Having already faced WP in the pool stage, Hubach knew her side would need to handle the pressure differently in the final.
She felt they had forced the game too much in their earlier meeting, but was pleased with how they responded when WP increased the intensity.
“Today [Friday evening] Western Province really brought it to us, and they picked up the pressure, but I think our girls just dealt with it very, very well.”
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