GT&T National Indoor Hockey Championships Cadets, GCC Tigers impressive

Oct 27, 2013 Sports

In another thrilling performance in the men’s first division competition, the Cadets and GCC battled to a 6-5 finish in favour of the Cadets as the GT&T National Indoor Hockey Championships continued on Friday evening, at the National Gymnasium.
GCC’s Orland Semple began a fine performance on the evening by converting a third minute penalty stroke to give his side the 1-0 lead. Young Aroydy Brandford managed to even the score with a swift drive into the circle to finish between the goalkeeper’s legs and even the scores.
Brandford added another to their total before full time as the game hung in balance until the very end.
With the scores still at 1-1, the Cadets rattled off a volley of goals to end the first half with a 5-1 lead. Cadets Goalkeeper Laured Stewart gave the performance of the evening as he kept the GCC strikers at bay despite numerous penalty corner attempts, winning over the crowd with his reflexes and dexterity between the uprights.
GCC, however, took a tactical risk that paid off in the second half as they opted for a kicker-back rather than goalkeeper for most of the second half and changed the direction of the match.
The managed four goals in short time to the Cadets one as the momentum swung in their favour and the extra man giving the Cadets no end of difficulty. The Cadets managed to hold on for the victory by 6-5 to place themselves above the defending champions at the end of the pool round.
Aroydy Brandford’s two goals for the Cadets were matched by teammates Hilton Chester and Captain Jamarj Assanah, while Semple and Kevin Spencer scored doubles for GCC with Andrew Xavier adding a single.
The Hikers never looked troubled in the other men’s first division clash with Old Fort as the top pool round finishers cruised to a 7-3 victory. Captain Robert France put in an outstanding performance in finishing with 4 goals to his credit, while Shane Samuels and Yonnick Peters added one each for the Hikers. Tony Cole, Dwight McCalman and Ascofu Simon each scored a goal in Old Fort’s effort.
Top Ladies side GCC Tigers, showed no mercy to newcomers Old Fort as they drowned them with a 23-0 performance in the women’s competition. Captain Sonia Jardine finished with game high 10 goals, including the first 5 for her side.
Jardine’s sister and National center forward Kerensa Fernandes added 7 goals, Tricia Fiedtkou and Ulrica Sutherland scored two each, while Tiffany Solomon and Sandy Roopnarine scored one each.
The Spartans cruised to a 6-0 victory over Revelation with Captain Gabriella Xavier and young Shania Riley scoring two each, while Samantha Fernandes and Aliyah Gordon added singles.
The Hikers Recruits completed their unbeaten run to continue their dominance of the men’s second division competition with an 8-2 beating of Old Fort.
Featuring many of the Cadets first division players, the Recruits were in charge from the opening whistle and were up 4-0 by the half. Striker Leon Bacchus dominated the score sheet once again with a hat-Trick to his name, while the other Recruits goals came from Aroydy and Ryan Brandford, Michael Harding, Jamarj Assanah and Joshua Carew. Shaquille Thomas managed a double for Old Fort.
In the lone Veterans match of the evening, GCC continued to crush all-comers as they defeated Old Old Fort by a 12-2 margin. Brothers Alan and Philip Fernandes led the scorers with 4 and 3 goals respectively while overlapping defenders Damon Woodroffe and Marcus Fiedtkou scored doubles and Fernandes sibling Stephen added a final goal to the team’s tally of 12. Former nationals Ivor Thompson and Dexter Wyles scored on each for Old Old Fort.
The men’s first division semi-finals feature the Hikers against Old Fort and Cadets repeating last night’s duel with GCC. The ladies competition finds the Tigers sitting comfortably at the top of the pool with 9 points, Spartans and Divas await the outcome of Saturday’s matches to break their deadlock for second with 6 points, Revelation has 3 points and Old Fort has thus failed to get off the mark.
The men’s second division sees the Hikers with 6 points ahead of GCC and Old Fort with 3 each and Saints bringing up the rear. The vets’ competition sees GCC leading the pool with 9 points followed by the Hickers and Old Old Fort.
Th finals will be contested today from 16:00 hours.

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