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DMW International Hockey Festival…Hikers hoping to keep tradition of success
Hikers Hockey Club has a proud tradition of success at the Diamond Mineral Water International Hockey Festival.
In the inaugural event back in 2004, the Hikers men endured the cruelest of defeats,
One of the rising stars of the Hikers famle team Nicole Eastman (centre) seen in action at the recently concluded GTT National Indoors Tournament.
leading 3-1 with a minute and thirty seconds left in the final, before they were defeated in sudden death overtime after Jonathan Roberts scored twice for the Toronto Galaxy in the dying minutes of regulation time to take the match into overtime.
As devastating as that defeat was, it became the catalyst for the years of sustained success that were to follow.
In 2005, Hikers became the first local team to win the tournament they followed that up with a treble of titles in 2007, 2008 & 2009.
This dominant side was led by Devin Munroe and included outstanding nationals such as Jerazeno Bell, Alex Gouveia and Marvin Dannett, among others.
Hikers men have since added the 2012 and 2014 trophies to their cabinet for a grand total of 6 titles, which is more than all the other men champions combined.
The club’s success can be attributed to the foundation laid by former club and national coach Timothy McIntosh, who returned in 1999, after spending five years at university in Germany where he competed in that country’s hockey leagues.
Germany has consistently been the top indoor hockey nation in the world and McIntosh saw fertile grounds for this form of the game locally, considering it as Guyana’s best chance for international success since there was, and still remains, an absence of an artificial turf.
Hikers Jamarg Assanah seen in action during a previous tournament.
Under McIntosh’s tutelage Hikers men also won the Barbados International Indoor in 2006 and the Ventures International Indoor (Trinidad & Tobago) in 2008 to remain the only Caribbean Club to win indoor titles in all three countries.
The majority of the players responsible for the club’s early success have since aged into the veterans’ category where they have reeled off the last four consecutive Diamond Mineral Water Veterans titles.
The core of the current team is made up of outstanding youngsters like Jamarj Assanah, Andrew Stewart, Aroydy and Rayon Branford. Stalwart Devin Munroe and the experienced trio of Robert France, Randy Hope and goalkeeper Jason Hoyte add the right balance to a team that is yet to taste defeat in 2016.
They will be focused on keeping this record intact as they face the formidable challenges expected from Canada’s Toronto Lions, Trinidad’s Queen’s Park and “Bal Wash ers” from the Baltimore, Washington area of the USA.
Although still to emulate their male counterparts, the Hikers ladies have seen steady improvement in recent times.
They will be strengthened by the addition of former Trinidadian National Players Alanna Lewis, Krizia Layne and Amanda George, as well as England based National captain Chantelle Fernandes.
Combined with the outstanding young talents of Nicole Eastman, Latacia Chung and Tekeisha DeLeon, as well as the experience of Marisha Rodrigues, Maria Munroe and Latoya Fordyce, this year represents the club’s best chance to take home the Ladies title.
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