GCC teams, Western Dragons claim titles

Nov 11, 2008 Sports

GCC Ladies team celebrate after capturing the senior titles in the GT&T national indoor Hockey championships.

GCC Men and Ladies produced some fascinating hockey against their respective opponents to capture the senior titles as the curtains fell on this year’s GT&T national indoor championships last Sunday, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

GCC Men defeated Old Fort 5-4 in an absolute scorcher that went right down to the wire, while their Ladies unit successfully defended a 1-0 lead until the end.

Also, in winners’ row was the emerging Western Dragons unit that carted off the Second Division title with a convincing 5-2 triumph over Old Fort.

Last years men’s and women’s champions Old Fort and Hikers both did well enough to make the final, but fell just shy to determined GCC squads who wrested control of the tournament on the final night with two stunning victories.

Western Dragons managed to further bar Old Fort from the spotlight as they dominated the newly introduced second division men’s competition through some entertaining hockey.

Nine goals were scored in the blistering men’s final which saw Old Fort take an early lead through a penalty corner by Canadian-based international Jonathan Roberts.

GCC, however, seeming the more organised of the two sides enjoyed several raids at the Old Fort goal and levelled the score before the half through a field goal by veteran Alan Fernandes.

GCC Men team celebrate after capturing the senior titles in the GT&T national indoor Hockey championships.

GCC produced some spectacular hockey to open the second half and Orlando Semple netted a field goal just one minute after the restart, a Devin Hooper penalty corner bullet and possibly the goal of the tournament in the 24th minute as Kevin Spencer took the Old Fort keeper out with a dribble before floating the ball across the goalmouth for the open Semple to add his second and the team’s fourth.

Despite the now seemingly overwhelming score at 4-1, Roberts who had represented Canada in the last indoor World Cup had not yet given up and his counterattacking raids on the GCC goal produced the breakthrough that his side desperately needed with a field goal in the 27th minute.

GCC’s Alan Fernandes showed his experience as among the excitement and voluminous support of the crowd for both sides, received a Dwayne Scott pass up the middle and patiently placed the ball in the back of the net past the advancing keeper.

The tides had turned in Old Fort’s favour however and national Aderemi Simon brought his team within two through a penalty corner with nine minutes left on the clock and Roberts completed a hat-trick to lead Old Fort within one three minutes later. Time expired on Old Fort, however, as the fans applauded the teams for providing an entertaining spectacle deserving of a final.

Earlier in the evening the Western Dragons’ Adrian Sampson produced some superior stick skills to register a hat-trick for the victors and Deon Carew and Deon Branford added singles.

Jason DeSantos made a gallant attempt for Old Fort and seemed the most skilful player on show, but his efforts to goals fell well short of the mark.

The GCC Tigers and Hikers ladies shared another of their usual closely fought battles. Both goalkeepers Alysa Xavier for GCC and Tonza Sarrabo for Hikers were in top form and managed to keep the score line to much lower than the many opportunities created.

National defender Trisha Woodroffe broke the deadlock with a penalty corner flick for GCC four minutes into the second half which remained the meagre difference between the two sides to the end.

Hikers ‘A’ defeated GCC ‘B’ in the first division bronze medal match 3-2, while Carib Degenerates pulled off a 4-3 win over Hikers ‘B’ to secure the second division bronze.

The Guyana Hockey Board thanked the sponsor for their many years of consistent support and GT&T Marketing Officer #1, Mrs. Phaedra Cramer- Phillips, was on hand to present the trophies, during the ceremony that followed.

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