Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival…Revamp of Canada remain unbeaten

Dec 01, 2013 Sports

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The ladies took center stage in the Digicel women’s competition with a riveting clash between the GCC Tigers and the Toronto Toros as the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival continued, at the National Gymnasium.
Revamp Hockey Club of Toronto continued their unbeaten run with a victory over YMCA of Barbados, while Queens Park buried GCC in convincing fashion to make them also strong contenders.  GCC vets and Hikers, both of Guyana have qualified top of their pools for the semi-finals with Fatima of Trinidad and Old Old Fort poised for

the challenge in the semi-finals.
The Toronto Toros went on the offensive from the outset of their clash with the GCC Tigers as Lauren Sudac smashed home a rebound shot five minutes into play.  The Toros celebration was short-lived however as, less than a minute later, GCC’s Marzana Fiedtkou wove her way past two defenders and sliding her shot past the Canadian keeper to level the scores.
As the game progressed, producing several exciting moments and fine goalkeeping at both ends, GCC earned a penalty stroke which was converted with aplomb by Trisha Woodroffe.  Striker Kerensa Fernandes sent the Tigers up by two with a precision strike five minutes from the half to take the game into the break at 3-1 for GCC.
The second half saw resurgence from the Toros and although the game produced good hockey at both ends, Canadian national Kaelan Watson managed to get the better of the GCC defenders in a goal mouth scramble to her team back within one.  A defence error in the dying moments saw GCC squander their lead, as Ally Evanyshyn pounced on a loose ball and levelled the score to end the game at 3 apiece.
Although succumbing to an early goal by Mika Ella-Tang of Trinidad’s Magnolias, fellow islanders Malvern managed to pull off the come from behind victory by scoring the winner just two minutes from full time.  Former top Trinidad international Oire Trotman-Martin was on fire for Malvern as she rattled home the double leaving her team in contention for a spot in the final.  The Toros returned later in the day to squash the Hikers ladies by 7-0 in a one-sided duel eliminating the Hikers chance of progressing to the final.
With a packed Friday schedule including three matches, the Queens Park hockey club from Trinidad firmly established themselves as the surprise of the tournament.  Led by former Guyanese international, Jerazeno Bell, the Parkites outclassed local men’s side Old Fort by 7 to 4 in their first duel of the day.
After two quick opening goals by Nicholas Gonsalves and Sean Lee-Quay, Old Fort managed to keep their opponents silent for the rest of the half while pulling one back on the buzzer through Aderemi Simon.  Queens Park however would have the better hand in the second half, pouring in five more goals to Old Fort’s three leaving the score at 7-4.
Queen’s Park came back later in the day to defeat the YMCA of Barbados by 9 – 6.  Although the Bajans strung together some brilliant moments of hockey mainly through Rohan Thomas and Sean Harewood, Bell commanded his troops to a disciplined performance that was impossible to match.
In their final outing of the day, Queens Park brushed aside local national champions GCC by 9 – 2 with a physical high pressure game that left the Bourda side short of answers.
The Revamp hockey club of Toronto put on a clinical display of finishing as they upended the YMCA of Barbados by 6-4.  YMCA put in a spirited performance but lacked the quality and depth of Revamp to trouble the Canadians.
Jonathan Roberts exhibited a litany of skills in producing five of Revamp’s six goals with Tim Branco scoring the sixth.  Ryan Cowie and Donovan Smith each scored one goal for YMCA in the first half but trailed Revamp throughout the match.
Right back Sean Harewood made some effective overlapping runs and produced two goals for YMCA in the second half but fell short of catching the Canadians with a final score of 6-4.
Fatima enjoyed good success in the Carib veterans division by defeating Old Old Fort by 7-3 and returning to bury Malvern by 6-2.  Colin Young and Nicholas Wren were the top marksman for Fatima, both with a six-goal hauls in the two matches.
The GCC vets advanced their unbeaten run by defeating Malvern of Trinidad by 4 to 1.  The evening was highlighted by the opening ceremony where the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport was on-hand to give a few words of welcome and encouragement to the teams.
The finals in all the categories will be played today, at the same venue.

 

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