# 2018 Men's Premier Hockey League (South Africa)

The 2018 Men's Premier Hockey League was the 3rd edition of the Premier Hockey League, the annual tournament men's field hockey championship of South Africa.
The Drakensberg Dragons won the tournament for the first time, defeating the Addo Elephants 2–0 in the final.

## Competition format
### Format

The 2018 Premier Hockey League followed a single round-robin format, followed by a classification round.
During the pool stage teams played each other once. The top four ranked teams qualified for the Classification Round. Team 1 played Team 4, while Team 2 played Team 3 in the two semi-finals. The two victorious teams moved onto the Final, while the losing teams competed for third place.

### Point allocation

Match points will be distributed as follows:
* 4 points: win by 3+ goals
* 3 points: win and shoot-out win
* 1 point: shoot-out loss
* 0 points: loss

## Participating teams

Each squad consists of 20 players, made up of 7 marquee players as determined by SA Hockey's team, with a further 3 players into their 20 from the "new generation" pool featuring the country's most exciting young talent. Coaches were forced to release between 4 and 8 players from the 2018 squads ahead of the draft.
Head Coach: Cheslyn Gie
* Onke Letuka
* Ignatius Malgraff
* Zamo Ngubo
* Joshua August
* Cerezo Comerasamy
* Tevin Pieterson
* Miguel de Graca
* Jody Erasmus
* Bjorn Sorenson
* Andrew Manson
* Tim Guise-Brown
* Sinoxolo Mbekeni
* Damian Kimfley
* Julian Hykes
* Daniel Bell
* Andrew Buckley
* Matthew Martins
* Reberto Bosman
* Cody Posthumus
* Robin Jones
Head Coach: Siphesihle Ntuli
* Gary Cooper
* Jethro Eustice
* Grant Robertson
* Cody van Wyk
* Melrick Maddocks
* Dylan Swanepoel
* Keegan Hezlett
* Amkelwe Letuka
* Nqobile Ntuli
* Chad Cairncross
* Nick Gonzalves
* Blake Tyack
* Peter Jarvis
* Mattew de Sousa
* Mbuso Mgobozi
* Francois Pretorius
* Mohamed Mea
* Richard Pautz
* Cameron Ryan
* Lance de Kock
* Gowan Jones
Head Coach:Garreth Ewing
* Matthew Davies
* Chris Makaba
* Lungani Gabela
* Andile Ndlovu
* Che February
* Mark Chong
* Michael Horan
* Max Pike
* Andrew Hobson
* Matthew Roman
* Wade Dollman
* Jared Cass
* Bradley Sherwood
* Michael Forrest
* Clayton Saker
* Samkelo Mvimbi
* Duncan Fischer
* William Eveleigh
Head Coach: Ashlin Freddy
* Siya Nolutshungu
* Brandon James
* Tyson Dlungwana
* Gertjie Lamprecht
* Berne Burger
* Taylor Dart
* Dylan Coombes
* Michael Abrahams
* Gerald Mpopo
* Keenan Horne
* Le-Neal Jackson
* Pierre Botma
* Clinton Panther
* Luke Schooling
* Tom Richardson
* Connor Beauchamp
* Reece Arendse
* Jean-Pierre de Voux
* Keagan de Castro
* Jayson Reed
* Taine Paton
Head Coach: Mark Sanders
* Reza Rosenberg
* Cameron Mackay
* Lethu Thomo
* Steven Paulo
* Thabang Modise
* Lance Louw
* Nduduza Lembethe
* Adrian Abrahams
* Rusten Abrahams
* Rayner York
* Kyle Lion-Cachet
* Ryan Crowe
* Chad Futcher
* Brynn Cleak
* Craig Wiid
* Travis Hardnick
* Tommy Hammond
* Rassie Pieterse
* Stephen Cant
* Ricky West
* Kingsley Botes
* Estiaan Kriek
* Dalan Philips
Head Coach: Lungile Tsolekile
* Rob Mckinley
* Laython Coombs
* Xola Maqula
* Luthando Jonas
* Dillan Langeveld
* Michael Baiden
* Tevin Kok
* Owen Mvimbi
* Caleb Syce
* Jonty Robinson
* Ross Gonzalves
* Callum Buchanan
* Delpiarro Langford
* Winchester Scott
* Alex Stewart
* Kyle Essau
* David Zwemke
* Courtney Halle
* Mjekejwa Mohlaba
* Michael Marki
* Matt Brown
* Kewan Harries

## Results
### Pool stage

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | WD | LD | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | –– Drakensberg Dragons | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 12 | Semi-Final |
| 2 | –– Addo Elephants | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 12 | Semi-Final |
| 3 | –– Garden Route Gazelles | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 10 | +6 | 10 | Semi-Final |
| 4 | –– Maropeng Cavemen | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 6 | Semi-Final |
| 5 | –– Golden Gate Gladiators | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 4 | |
| 6 | –– Mapungubwe Mambas | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 3 | |

#### Matches

* 11 August 2018 08:00
| Golden Gate Gladiators | 1-3 | Mapungubwe Mambas |
| Forrest 38' | Report | Jonas 2' Baiden 19' Robinson 49' |
* 11 August 2018 12:00
| Addo Elephants | 3-2 | Drakensberg Dragons |
| Hykes 13', 60+' Manson 15' | Report | Pretorius 26' Pautz 42' |
* 11 August 2018 16:00
| Maropeng Cavemen | 3-3 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Mackay 30' Lion-Cachet 49', 58' | Report | Dlungwana 21' Arendse 24' Schooling 60' |
| Penalties |||
| Hardnick Mackay Crowe Futcher Paulo | 4-3 | Panther Coombes Dart Horne Abrahams |
* 12 August 2018 10:00
| Golden Gate Gladiators | 3-3 | Addo Elephants |
| Roman 2' Dollman 7' S. Mvimbi 32' | Report | Hykes 21', 25' Manson 36' |
| Penalties |||
| Pike Hobson Davies Sherwood February | 2-3 | Hykes Sorenson da Graca Manson |
* 12 August 2018 14:00
| Mapungubwe Mambas | 1-4 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| Syce 21' | Report | Futcher 1' York 4' Thomo 22' Paulo 41' |
* 16 August 2018 08:00
| Drakensberg Dragons | 4-2 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Tyack 10' Pautz 14' Maddocks 45' van Wyk 46' | Report | Paton 2' Beauchamp 11' |
* 16 August 2018 14:00
| Golden Gate Gladiators | 3-1 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| Makaba 1' Dollman 18' Cass 60' | Report | Rosenberg 47' |
* 16 August 2018 14:00
| Mapungubwe Mambas | 1-2 | Addo Elephants |
| Gonzalves 28' | Report | Guise-Brown 29' Malgraff 40' |
* 17 August 2018 10:00
| Golden Gate Gladiators | 3-5 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| S. Mvimbi 28' Sherwood 35', 0' | Report | James 4', 20' Abrahams 23' Paton 45' Horne 46' |
* 17 August 2018 14:00
| Drakensberg Dragons | 6-1 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| Eustice 9' Tyack 23' Ryan 34' Cairncross 46' Jarvis 50' Ntuli 59' | Report | Futcher 26' |
* 18 August 2018 10:00
| Mapungubwe Mambas | 1-3 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Syce 25' | Report | Beauchamp 1' Panther 44' Burger 47' |
* 18 August 2018 14:00
| Addo Elephants | 2-1 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| Malgraff 26', 60' | Report | Futcher 55' |
* 18 August 2018 16:00
| Golden Gate Gladiators | 0-2 | Drakensberg Dragons |
| | Report | Pautz 21', 50' |
* 19 August 2018 10:00
| Addo Elephants | 1-3 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Malgraff 60' | Report | James 27' Abrahams 53' Mpopo 60' |
* 19 August 2018 14:00
| Mapungubwe Mambas | 2-3 | Drakensberg Dragons |
| Halle 54' Jonas 57' | Report | Mgobozi 26' Pautz 35' Letuka 47' |

### Classification stage

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 25 August 2018 | 25 August 2018 |
| Drakensberg Dragons | 2 |
| Drakensberg Dragons | 2 | 26 August 2018 | 26 August 2018 |
| Maropeng Cavemen | 0 | 26 August 2018 | 26 August 2018 |
| Maropeng Cavemen | 0 | Drakensberg Dragons | 2 |
| 25 August 2018 | 25 August 2018 | | Drakensberg Dragons | 2 |
| 25 August 2018 | 25 August 2018 | Addo Elephants | 0 |
| Addo Elephants | 3 | Addo Elephants | 0 |
| Garden Route Gazelles | 1 | | |
| Garden Route Gazelles | 1 | Third place | Third place |
| | | 26 August 2018 | 26 August 2018 |
| | | Maropeng Cavemen (SO) | 2(0) |
| | | Garden Route Gazelles | 2(2) |

#### Semi-finals

* 25 August 2018 12:00
| Addo Elephants | 3-1 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Kimfley 47' Guise-Brown 60' | Report | Arendse 38' |
* 25 August 2018 16:00
| Drakensberg Dragons | 2-0 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| Ntuli 44' Letuka 54' | Report | |

#### Third place game

* 26 August 2018 12:00
| Maropeng Cavemen | 2-2 | Garden Route Gazelles |
| Cleak 15' Abrahams 53' | Report | Abrahams 22' James 37' |
| Penalties |||
| Mackay Abrahams Crowe Futcher | 0-2 | Mpopo Dlungwana Botma Arendse |

#### Final

* 26 August 2018 16:00
| Drakensberg Dragons | 2-0 | Addo Elephants |
| Ntuli 3' Pautz 20' | Report | |

## Awards

| Player of the tournament | Goalkeeper of the tournament | Top goalscorer | Young Player of the tournament |
| Jethro Eustice (Dragons) | Siya Nolutshungu (Gazelles) | Richard Pautz (Dragons) | Peter Jarvis (Dragons) |

## Final ranking

| Rank | Team |
| | Drakensberg Dragons |
| | Addo Elephants |
| | Garden Route Gazelles |
| 4 | Maropeng Cavemen |
| 5 | Golden Gate Gladiators |
| 6 | Mapungubwe Mambas |

## Goalscorers

There have been 63 goals scored in 16 matches, for an average of 3.94 goals per match.
6 goals
* Richard Pautz (Drakensberg Dragons)
4 goals
* Julian Hykes (Addo Elephants)
* Brandon James (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Ignatius Malgraff (Addo Elephants)
3 goals
* Michael Abrahams (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Chad Futcher (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Nqobile Ntuli (Drakensberg Dragons)
2 goals
* Reece Arendse (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Connor Beauchamp (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Wade Dollman (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Tim Guise-Brown (Addo Elephants)
* Luthando Jonas (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Damian Kimfley (Addo Elephants)
* Amkelwe Letuka (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Kyle Lion-Cachet (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Andrew Manson (Addo Elephants)
* Sam Mvimbi (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Taine Paton (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Bradley Sherwood (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Caleb Syce (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Blake Tyack (Drakensberg Dragons)
1 goal
* Rusten Abrahams (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Michael Baiden (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Berne Burger (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Chad Cairncross (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Jared Cass (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Brynn Cleak (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Tyson Dlungwana (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Jethro Eustice (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Michael Forrest (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Ross Gonzalves (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Courtney Halle (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Keenan Horne (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Peter Jarvis (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Cameron Mackay (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Melrick Maddocks (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Chris Makaba (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Mbuso Mgobozi (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Gerald Mpopo (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Clinton Panther (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Steven Paulo (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Francois Pretorius (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Jonty Robinson (Mapungubwe Mambas)
* Matthew Roman (Golden Gate Gladiators)
* Reza Rosenberg (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Cameron Ryan (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Luke Schooling (Garden Route Gazelles)
* Lethu Thomo (Maropeng Cavemen)
* Cody van Wyk (Drakensberg Dragons)
* Rayner York (Maropeng Cavemen)
Source: SAHA