The Varsity men’s hockey tournament will start on Friday with a repeat of the 2016-final when Tuks takes on the University of Johannesburg (UJ) at Wits.
UJ won that encounter and are the defending champions. The Joburg team went on to beat Tuks in the 2016 USSA-final also. Hendrik Kriek who played for Tuks in both games is quietly confident that they might be able to revenge those defeats this time around.
He is however realistic saying that Varsity Hockey can be very unpredictable.
“Each team has a realistic chance to win. It is going to boil down to who can keep its cool in pressure situations and make the least mistakes. As far as Tuks is concerned the 2016 finals are done and dusted. What happened two years ago counts for nothing. We anyway got a whole new team, so there is no historical baggage,” said Kriek who completed his BCom accounting sciences degree last year.
Being a goalkeeper is a challenge Kriek relishes. He admits there are moments when things get nerve-racking especially when a game ends in a penalty shootout, and the outcome boils down to his abilities.
“Even if you know your teammates won’t blame you, in the end, I can’t help feeling bad if we lost. It hurts. It is the same as when a fly-half misses with a vital penalty attempt in the dying minutes of the game.
“The most important thing during a shootout is not to let your nerves get the better of you. It is easier said than done. I got a ritual I try and stick to between each attempt as it helps me to remain calm. The most significant mistake you can make is to let it get to you when a goal is scored because if you do things can quickly start spiralling down.
“The reality is that the striker is in control, but as a goalkeeper, there are things you can do to unsettle him. It becomes sort of a mind game. I might try and force him to play the ball in a certain direction which will suit me.”
Kriek said he read a football article where it was speculated that wearing red could be beneficial for a goalkeeper as it seems as if subconsciously players tend to kick the ball towards the red target.
“My favourite clothing as a keeper is red and yellow unfortunately for the Varsity Tournament the organisers decide what colours we get to wear. I will have to play in purple, but I will still wear red pads.”
According to Kriek one of his most important roles during a game is to organise the team’s defence.
“Being right at the back I got the best view of what is happening so I can tell my teammates where to be. But there is always a fine balance. You don’t want to end up being a commander ordering everybody around. That is wrong. I see myself more as an advisor. Once the player is in position, he is skilled enough to know what to do. In the end, it is all about trusting each other’s abilities.”
Tuks plays UJ at 13:30 on Friday. On Saturday at the same time, Tuks will play Northwest Pukke. Sunday at 18:45 they get to play Wits and Monday at 17:00 the Madibaz.
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