Latest update February 14th, 2025 8:22 AM
Brydens Indoor Hockey Classic…Pepsi Hikers edge GCC in thriller
– Flora GCC Tigers, GCC also win
Pepsi Hikers men produced when it mattered most, stunning the previously
The victorious Pepsi Hikers team takes a photo op following their win over GCC in the final of the Brydens Indoor Hockey Classic on Sunday.
unbeaten GCC 2-1 in the final of the Solo Men’s First Division Competition of the Brydens Indoor Hockey Classic which ended on Sunday evening, at the National Gymnasium.
Watched by another encouraging attendance, the mood was tense at the beginning, but the two sides who’ve met in many finals before with mixed results gradually picked up the tempo and treated the fans with an exciting brand of hockey.
Early in the contest neither side seemed willing to take any unnecessary risk, but the Hikers earned a penalty corner in the 12th minute and they executed to perfection with powerful Randy Hope peppering his shot past Michael Xavier into the net to give them a one nil lead.
The game suddenly sprang to life as GCC caught on the back foot scrambled to gain the equaliser. After several raids on the Hikers goal, midfielder Kevin Spencer produced a moment of brilliance as he weaved through a plethora of Hikers defenders and guided his shot past the outstretched left arm of goalkeeper Azad DeAbreu.
The second half saw more thrilling action as the GCC marksmen were off-target with several attempts and the Hikers, Hope missed an open goal off a swift counterattacking move. Hikers Captain and eventual competition Most Valuable Player, Devin Munroe then brought glory to his side, however, with a swiftly executed penalty corner shot that beat goalkeeper Xavier all ends up to secure the 2-1 victory for the Pepsi Hikers.
The final of the Breeze Women’s Competition proved to be just as close an encounter as the Flora GCC Tigers edged by the GCC Spartans 3-2.
In just the second minute of the match, Tigers Captain Sonia Jardine shocked the young Spartans when she took the ball past the right side of defence and slipped her shot into the near post, before the goalkeeper could react.
The Tigers seemed determined to extend their lead and piled on more pressure on the Spartans in the subsequent minutes, but fine goalkeeping from Alysa Xavier and solid defending from the Spartans maintained the score line for the next ten minutes.
Just as the game seemed to have found a balance, however, a pass into the Spartans circle was perfectly timed by striker Shebiki Baptiste who guided the ball into the Spartans net with the gentlest of touches to give her side the 2-0 lead.
Young Aliyah Gordon kept the Spartans in contention with a swift counterattacking finish in the 14th minute, but Tigers striker Kerensa Fernandes extended their advantage once again just before the half leaving the score at 3-1.
Newcomer Athena Seenanon scored the lone goal of the second half in a desperate attempt by the Spartans to launch a comeback, but this would not be sufficient as the final whistle ended the game at 3-2 for the Tigers.
The two GCC teams Flora Tigers and the Second Division unit pose for a photo op last Sunday.
The Kellogg’s men’s second division competition was a thriller that went to the wire. It took a sudden death penalty shootout to separate the GCC and Western Union Hikers teams giving GCC the final 4-3 victory.
With GCC going up by two goals from Stephen Xavier and Shaka Gill early in the match, the Hikers it seemed could not find a way through the rock solid GCC defence marshalled by Stuart Gonsalves and Shad Fernandes. With fading hopes and only four minutes remaining, the Hikers switched out their goalkeeper in favour of an extra field player and produced the spark that they needed as Aroydy Branford’s goal brought the excited crowd to its feet. The GCC defence then made a crucial error two minutes later allowing Colonel Heywood an easy equalizer.
In the penalty shootout that followed, both goalkeepers Jason Hoyte and Alysa Xavier seemed up to the task as they each denied all, but one player in the first series of five penalties. With the scores still deadlocked and the shootout in the sudden death stage, GCC’s Stuart Gonsalves produced a diving finish to seal the victory and flood the floor with blue shirts in celebration.
Brydens Marketing Manager, Mark Kendall, was on hand to present the trophies to the winning teams and individual recipients. Hikers Captain Devin Munroe secured the Solo men’s first division MVP, Spartans Gabriella Xavier earned the Breeze women’s MVP and Hikers goalkeeper Jason Hoyte was the MVP for the Kellogg’s second division competition. Leroy Jack of Saints collected the Brydens Award for being the Most Promising Player.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Protest electoral tyranny
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- There comes a time in the life of a nation when silence is no longer an option, when the... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
