SANTIAGO, Chile – In the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Lynchburg field hockey team found itself in an overtime thriller against the Susquehanna River Hawks.
With the game on the line, the Hornets turned to their two-time All-American midfielder. Khanyisile Mzizi reeled in the injection from a penalty corner with 4:17 remaining in OT, weaved her way through traffic, and punched in the game-winning goal to send Lynchburg to the round of 16.
As the Hornets stormed the field with a dancing Jenni Releford, Lynchburg commentator Kyle Hoehne exclaimed, "Golden Girl with another Golden Goal!" The nickname "Golden Girl" for the Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, native was not given because of her long history of overtime-winning goals on Shellenberger Field, but rather from her tenure with the Zimbabwe national team.
Back in 1980, the Zimbabwe national team was dubbed "the Golden Girls" for its miraculous run in the Moscow Olympic Games that resulted in the nation's first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Mzizi continues to add to her country's legacy on the international stage, competing for the Zimbabwe U21 national team this week in Chile for the Junior World Cup.
The Lynchburg junior and three-time First Team All-ODAC selection has been heavily involved with the Zimbabwe national program from a young age. She first made her mark at age 11, earning a spot on the U13 provisional team. By 14, her rising talent earned her a place on the U16Â provisional team, the final step before selection to the official national squads.
Her ascent continued through high school. Mzizi was named MVP of the Golden Girls National Field Hockey Tournament, an event held annually in honor of the legendary 1980 gold-medal team. She also represented the U21 team and captained the U18 team at 18Â years old. In her final year of high school, she reached the peak of Zimbabwean field hockey and earned a roster spot on the primary national team.
But in Mzizi's eyes, the accolades — whether on the national stage or in Division III — are not what define her relationship with the sport.
"The main goal for me is to grow in the sport… understanding it, enjoying it, and learning how I can impart it to the younger generation," Mzizi said. "I love field hockey, and I love helping other people grow in it."
Mzizi retakes the turf today, Dec. 2, for her first matchup in pool play against the 2021 champions, Argentina, at 6:15 p.m. EST.
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