La Salle and Sportivo Norte Set Sights on Final Qualification
The Copa Santa Fe de Hockey sobre Césped Femenino is officially underway. Saturday’s opening qualifying matches at the Círculo Rafaelino de Rugby (CRAR) and in Humboldt set the pace for a tournament designed to crown a provincial champion later this year in the city of Santa Fe.
At the CRAR facility in Rafaela, La Salle of Santa Fe asserted its dominance early. The team dismantled 9 de Julio de Rafaela 7–0 in their opener before routing Deportivo Bella Italia 10–0, signaling their intent to reach the final rounds.
Sportivo Norte Keeps Pace in Rafaela
Sportivo Norte matched that intensity, carving out a strong position in the standings. They opened with a 3–0 win against Deportivo Bella Italia, fueled by two goals from Camila Gómez and one from Marcia Basualdo. A hard-fought 3–2 victory over local rivals 9 de Julio followed, with Nerea Peralta finding the net twice and Karen Toloza adding a third.
With those results in the books, Sportivo Norte and La Salle are now on a collision course. The two clubs are set to face each other in a decisive match to determine who advances to the final phase. Tournament organizers have not yet confirmed the date for that showdown.
Lopsided Results Define Humboldt Bracket
The competition in Humboldt proved unforgiving for La Cañada of Rafaela. Facing two of the region’s top-ranked sides from the Asociación Santafesina de Hockey (ASH), the team was eliminated after a pair of lopsided defeats.
Santa Fe Rugby Club opened the day with a 15–0 victory over La Cañada. CRAI followed suit, crushing the same opponent 20–0. These results effectively concluded La Cañada’s participation in this year’s tournament.
Broadening the Path to the Provincial Title
The Copa Santa Fe serves as a vital platform for regional hockey development, integrating clubs from the Federación del Oeste Santafesino and the Asociación Santafesina de Hockey into a unified knockout bracket.
Elsewhere, the field is beginning to take shape. Unión de Santa Fe and Sanjustino have both punched their tickets to the next round, each surviving tense penalty shootouts against Ciclón Racing and Colón, respectively. Social Lux also advanced after a successful series against their Rosario-based rivals.
The tournament will eventually move to the provincial capital, where zone winners will compete for the title.