The South African under-21 women’s side warmed up for the upcoming Junior World Cup with a 2-1 win over Chile in Boston, United States this week.
Chile qualified second in the Pan American Championships, behind America.
The match was played at the Harvard University Astroturf on a scorching day with extreme humidity as the girls tried to run off the remnants of jet lag after their long trans-Atlantic flight.
South Africa led 1-0 at halftime after a penalty corner was converted by Louise Coertzen, a well executed drag flick into the top left corner.
After a slow start, the South Africans went 2-0 up through Nicolene Terblanche, who slammed home a deflection from a Chilean defender’s stick.
A lapse of concentration then Chile pull one back through a penalty corner but South Africa held on to win 2-1.
The next practice match for the South Africans will be against New Zealand, by which time the girls should be fully acclimatised and adapted to the conditions.