Big Apple International Indoor Championships… GBTI/GCC hockey ladies end day one with a mixed bag

Mar 14, 2022 Sports

The GBTI/GCC ladies team: Back row (L-R) – Mickelly Rahaman, Kirsten Gomes, Gabriella Xavier (Capt), Kerensa Fernandes, Abosaide Cadogan, Samantha Fernandes and Philip Fernandes (Coach); Front row (L-R) – Sarah Klautky, Makeda Harding, Alysa Xavier (GK), Madison Fernandes and Aliyah Gordon.

Kaieteur News – The GBTI/GCC ladies hockey team managed to pull off a victory against the highly regarded North Eastern Premiere in a close-fought 4-3 battle on the first day of the Big Apple International Indoor Championships, being held in the WC Eagles Training Center, Philadelphia.
Captain Gabriella Xavier placed GCC in the lead in the fourth minute of the match with a powerful penalty corner flick. Dana Bozeck equalized two minutes later. This all but set the tone for an evenly fought match that would see GCC take the lead no less than four times, only to have Premiere level the scores on three of the four occasions.
Just before the half, GCC’s Aliyah Gordon produced a moment of brilliance by receiving a pass deep into her own team’s half, turning with a burst of speed and eliminating four Premiere defenders before slipping her pass to the open Samantha Fernandes in the scoring circle. Fernandes banked the second goal for the GBTI ladies to give them a halftime lead.
Upon resumption, Emma Bozeck equalized with a field goal seven minutes in, but the teams traded two more goals when Abosaide Cadogan for GCC and Bozeck again for Premiere, scored penalty corners. A Sarah Klautky rebound penalty corner goal, with four minutes left on the clock made the difference between the teams and gave GCC their first victory of the competition by 4-3.
Earlier in the day, GCC lost their opening match against the Syracuse Sharks 7-1, which dominated possession and exposed the first game jitters of the young inexperienced GCC side. Going into their third and final match for the day, a more confident GCC which had split the results of their earlier two matches, were favoured to win over Team Reds.
Despite taking the lead in the 5th minute through Aliyah Gordon, GCC squandered the match by a 1-2 margin, despite them being the team with greater scoring chances. The loss eliminated GCC from making the semi-finals and instead, placed them in the ranking to challenge for places 5th to 8th in the twelve-team competition.
The outcome of matches set GCC up to play a second fixture yesterday against North East Premiere with the winner challenging in a subsequent match for 5th place.
Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, three teams from Canada, the Toronto Lions, OKD and CFHC seem to be dominating the men’s competition with USA Indoor Team completing the four favourites to make the semi-finals.

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