DMW Hockey Festival Exciting matches in Wednesday’s opening night

Nov 29, 2019 Sports

Hours after the launch, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) was buzzing with matches in all three divisions of the 2019 Diamond Mineral Water (DMW) Indoor Hockey Festival.

Saints’ Shakeem Fausette in possession during his side’s 2-1 loss GCC in the men’s open on Wednesday.

The Saints ladies were the first to celebrate victory in this year’s festival with a 4-2 victory over Red Wyne in the ExxonMobil ladies competition, while the GBTI GCC Tigers predictably secured an easy 8 – 1 victory over the Spartans. Old Old Fort got the better of Vintage GCC by 5-3 in the lone Lucozade Veterans division match of the evening. The most entertaining match of the evening however, with the highest quality of hockey on display remained the clash between YMCA Old Fort and the Pepsi Hikers which ended in a 4-4 deadlock.
In the Old Fort versus Pepsi match, overlapping Old Fort left back and former national Aderemi Simon executed a brilliant solo run in the 6th minute to finish with a reverse stick goal to bring the match to life. The two teams had started tentatively like professional boxers sizing up their opponents but the pace quickened immediately after the Simon opening goal. Skilful Omar Hopkinson then shocked the Hikers with a second Old Fort goal seven minutes later to give his side a 2-0 lead.
The experienced Hikers were unfazed by their cold start and began to carve inroads into the Old Fort defence which reaped dividends as star nationals Aroydy Branford and Jamarj Assanah drew the first half of the game even with a pair of goals, both in the 15th minute.

GBTI GCC Tigers Striker Shebiki Baptitse is defended by Makedia Harding of GBTI Spartans during the Tigers’ 8-1 win on Wednesday.

The second half saw the Hikers surge ahead through two early goals by Captain Robert France who outhustled his opponents to pounce on loose rebounds in the circle on both occasions to take the Hikers to a 4-2 lead. Old Fort then relied on another spark of brilliance from Omar Hopkinson to bring his team back within one when he feigned the Hikers goalkeeper before dragging his flick around to the right and up into the net. Young Old Fort marksman Warren Williams brought the game to a fitting end when he scored the matches eight field goal four minutes before the end to leave the final score at a well-fought 4-4 draw.
A young Saints team suffered an opening defeat to GCC in the other men’s clash of the evening but the modest 2-1 score showed that Saints has improved to being within striking distance of the country’s top sides. Two penalty corner goals in the first half by Steven Xavier and Kevin Spencer were enough to give GCC the win as Saints only managed one field goal from Seon Sookhai for the match.

In the ExxonMobil ladies competition, three penalty corner goals from Tekeisha Deleon and a field goal

Old Forts’ Omar Hopkinson (possession) attempts to dribble past three Pepsi Hikers players.

from young rising star Claysia Bobb was enough to give Saints an easy win over Red Wyne.
Perennial favourites, GBTI GCC Tigers, outclassed the youthful Spartans team 8-1 in the other ExxonMobil ladies match of the night. The score was 3-1 for the Tigers at halftime but the tiring Spartans conceded five more unanswered goals in the second half to cart off an 8-1 victory.
The Lucozade veterans division was a highly contested affair as Vintage got off to an early start through Kevin Spencer in the second minute. Old Old Fort would respond in fine fashion however, and despite the scores being level at 2-2 at halftime, pulled off a 5-3 victory. The Old Old Fort goals were scored by Jason DeSantos with a brace, John Abrahams, Adrian Brandt and Dwight Sullivan. Vintage got their three goals through a Kevin Spencer double and one from Dwayne Scott.

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