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GCC Ladies enjoy success on second stint in Trinidad
After their first stint in Trinidad where the GCC ladies hockey team played five
GCC’s star player Sonia Jardine (with ball) dribbles past a host of Malvern players during their encounter recently.
matches, winning two and losing three, they found themselves sitting in third place of the seven team competition in the Trinidad & Tobago outdoor season.
On Saturday 16th May they embarked on their second of three scheduled visits to the twin-island republic to compete in four more matches over the weekend. The rigorous schedule was necessary in order to manage the high cost of airline flights by getting as many games into each trip as possible.
After an early morning arrival in Trinidad on Saturday, the GCC ladies faced tournament leader Paragon in the hot 11am morning sun.
Paragon had beaten GCC by 5-2 on their previous clash and was likely to prove a strong challenge to the Guyanese in their opener for this visit.
The two teams produced a high-scoring and exciting duel for spectators as the lead changed hands several times en route to an eventual 3-3 draw.
Gabriella Xavier scored GCC’s opener while Kerensa Fernandes and Captain Sonia Jardine,
GCC’s Shebiki Baptiste controls possession of the ball during one of the tour matches recently.
with a brilliant solo run, rounded off their team’s three goal tally. Paragon Captain Allana Lewis scored a double for her side while national striker Zene Henry tipped in their third.
GCC next faced Magnolias later that same evening under cooler eventing conditions but failed to produce similar results.
The Magnolias presented a solid defensive block which gave the Guyanese visitors a difficult time to penetrate. After an opening penalty corner goal in the 14th minute from left back Shaniah Defreitas, the Magnoilas rattled in two more from national strikers Brianna Gouveia and Stacy Sui-Butt before GCC could get on the board.
Although GCC would produce two goals during the match from sisters Kerensa Fernandes with a penalty corner strike and Sonia Jardine with a superb reverse shot, the Magnolias prove too much for the Guyanese.
Speedy striker Brittany Hingh sealed the match with a fourth goal for Magnolias six minutes from full time to leave a final score of 4-2 in favour of Magnolias.
Sunday morning’s 11am match would see GCC face Malvern for the first time in the competition. An uncharacteristic field goal from GCC’s holding midfielder Trisha Woodroffe in the 21st minute broke the deadlock and GCC’s frustration of dominating the possession with no goals to show until that moment.
After a 1- nil lead at the half, GCC’s Shebiki Baptiste scored the lone goal in the second half giving her team a 2-0 victory.
The second match of the day for GCC would pit them against Notre Dame whom they had previously defeated by 3-2 on their last visit.
Notre Dame had noticeably boosted their arsenal with the addition this time around of Bajan international midfielder Nakira Downes and Trinidadian national striker Dana DeGannes.
In the very second minute of the match, with her first possession, Downes weaved through the GCC midfield to feed DeGannbes for the opening goal and one –nil lead to Notre Dame.
After an unnerving start, GCC finally began to settle into their own game and despite a good competitive battle between the two, GCC’s captain Jardine would come through for her side once more to even the score in the 24th minute.
GCC by this time had begun to mount several meaningful attacks with their short passing game and got the breakthrough through striker Kerensa Fernandes just eight minutes from full time when a deflected pass fell kindly for her in the scoring circle.
Fernandes made no mistake with her finish which was enough to give her side the 2-0 win.
After nine games, the GCC ladies have 4 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses. They return to Trinidad on the weekend of May 30 for their final visit and three more matches.
This was a successful visit but was spoiled only by the fact that some of the players were robbed at gun point upon their return home. They were relieved of their entire luggage including hockey equipment and goalkeeper gear which included some of the playing uniforms etc.
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