After announcers ordered silence as they prepared to reveal the award-winners at the prize-giving ceremony of the Golden and Silver Girls Hockey tournament at Arundel recently, few expected what was to happen.

Chisipite – who had put on a brilliant stick work display – were full favourites for most, if not all.

The accolades and the Golden Girls Trophy almost were guaranteed to be theirs, captain Cheryl Dzapasi's hands already itching to lay her fingers on the glittering prestigious silverware.

Apart from the floating trophy, also set to be presented, were the Fair Play Cup, Top Goalscorer, Player of the Tournament and Best Goalkeeper accolades.

For the Silver Girls Division, it was a matter of seconds before the main prize was confirmed into Watershed's bag and there were also similar awards except for the Player of the Tournament which was substituted for the Most Promising Player.

It has been the norm, or rather a regular coincidence, that selection pundits prefer to go for players in teams appearing in the last games of a tournament hence such awards are usually dominated by finalists or, in rare occurrences, third-place finishers.

Chisipite Senior School won the tournament by silencing Hellenic Academy Knights to reclaim the prestigious Golden Girls Trophy they had last won in 2013. Peterhouse and Gateway were the losing semi-finalists.

Indeed the rest of the individual awards went according to script, except the one that got away. Ladies and gentlemen.....AND the winner was . . . Mitchell Chatitiyara of Dominican Convent.

To followers and enthusiasts of Zimbabwe youth hockey, it was not a surprise at all. The selectors had simply demonstrated their alertness and that they never slept on their job.

Convent had not enjoyed a good tournament. They finished fourth in in the six-team Pool B and bowed out of contention early from the Group of Death that included eventual winners Chisipite and their runners-up Hellenic.

Further they lost the Fourth versus Fourth play-off to Lomagundi who competed in Pool A that qualified toppers Gateway and Peterhouse, Kyle College having finished third.

Nonetheless, Convent goalie Chatitiyara still stole the limelight. In spite of an illustrious seven-year career so far, the Zimbabwe Under-18 net-custodian, admits this was her first-ever honour.

"To be honest it is the first time I have won something in hockey. It was a moment to cherish. I guess those behind my selection recognised the hard work I put in throughout the comeptition because like all my teammates, we really wanted to win the tournament,'' reflected Chatitiyara in an interview with Suburban.

Her performance said it all. On Friday, (29 July) the lanky Lower Sixth student guarded her goal area with the vigilance of a night watchman and under-fire Convent were able to hold hosts Arundel to a goalless draw.

Her air-tightness also kept Hellenic at bay in their next group game that again ended 0-0.

Saturday (30 July) would bring another top-drawer performance from Chatitiyara, who has played hockey since she was 11 and began representing Zimbabwe at the Under-13 level in 2010. She once more shut out Petra, Convent winning 1-0 before restricting too-hot Chisipite to a single goal in the 0-1 loss to the champions-in-waiting.

Despite her nets being breached twice in subsequent matches against Hillcrest and Lomagundi, the sturdy goalie had already done enough to attract all the attention, leaving no chance for Megan Wheeler, the Chisipite net girl nor Samantha Mare, her Hellenic counterpart.

Hassan Ranchod, a former Old Hararians player, who has worked in the ranks of junior hockey for nearly two decades, says Chatitiyara is an immensely gifted player and is one of Zimbabwe's most shining youth hockey products.

"At 17, she is now highly experienced and is a shining example of our developmnent. She has been with the national teams as long as I can remember from her primary school days at Westridge through the national Under-14 and Under-16 and now Under-18s,'' said Ranchod.

Chatitiyara also plays club hockey for top women's team Scorpions, the youngest in the team of mainly late-20 and early-30 veterans, but is the first choice goalie in the Harare side.

A semi-professional hockey player, Chatitiyara has not played any other sport and declares sole allegiance to the game of her love.

"I am just a hockey goalie throughout. In that position I find I also grow a lot as a person. Because goalkeeping to me is much more than blocking shots. It's also about leadership because you push your teammates as you can see better all the action from the back,'' she said in the interview.

"So whether it's the indoor season or time for field hockey my focus and concentration remains in goal.''

The Convent goalie takes her training seriously. Every morning she takes a three kilometre road run and supplements it with physical exercises in her backyard, at times joined by her mother who is also a fitness addict, before she leaves for school. This has been her routine since she was in Form One.

"My favourite expression 'wake up with determination, and go to sleep with satisfaction'," she ascertains.

Chatitiyara's most memorable times are when she is in the national team.

"It's an honour to be representing your country, When we go to South Africa, Namibia or Zambia, I have always wanted to show that there is much more to Zimbabwe than just the problems people perceive us to have.

"There is a lot of talent for instance that is just waiting to be unleashed on the world. If I can be one of those sportspersons to one day bring an honour to Zimbabwe I will be the happiest person on earth. That is my whole aim, to represent the country at the highest level,'' says the English Language, English Literature, Travel and Tourism and History scholar.