Hikers Cadets continued their adventurous run with their second victory while Flora GCC Tigers ladies enjoyed a good run of form on the second night of the Noble House Goals Galore Indoor Hockey tournament at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue Friday night.
The Cadets, with a +3 handicap in the men’s category, faced the consistent Bounty GCC (0) in a battle that went down to the wire.
The voluminous Hikers supporters erupted as junior national Aroydy Brandford scored the winning goal in the penultimate minute by guiding home a well-executed pass from the skilful Shaquille Assanah as the Cadets won 5-4.
While the Cadets held GCC scoreless in the first 10 minutes of play, the Bourda Boys began to carve inroads as Captain Devin Hooper was on target twice while Kevin Spencer and Alan Fernandes added a single each to take the lead just around the end of the first half. The Cadets, however, did not relent and continued to seek ways to success against the so far impenetrable GCC defence.
Their efforts paid off in the end as a swift counterattack was tipped in by Yonnick Peters with just four minutes remaining and then Brandford created a thrilling finish with his first-time swipe for the Cadets win.
The other senior division match of the evening saw GCC Brodras hang on for a draw against the experienced Hikers Generals.
The Brodras began the match with a +3 handicap and looked in control when speedy striker Rafael DeGroot put them further ahead through a successful penalty corner strike.
Although the Generals Shane Samuels pulled one back 10 minutes later to take the score to 4-1, the Brodras Trevon Smith restored the four goal margin with one of his own just two minutes after. The effective Samuels, however, kept the Generals in contention as he found the back of the net twice more through a penalty corner and field goal.
The GCC Brodras seemed to have lost the impetus midway through the second half and scrambled to defend their two-goal lead.
Prolific poacher Robert France however, capitalised on a defence error to bring the Generals within one goal with six minutes of play remaining before Randy Hope brought the crowd to its feet as he slammed his shot home two minutes from full time to secure the 5 – 5 draw.
Pool leader in the junior division, the Flora GCC Tigers romped to a cool 12-8 victory over newcomers Hikers Revelation.
With Revelation starting on a +8 handicap, the Tigers hammered in 12 unanswered goals to complete the match with a 12 – 8 score line.
Captain Sonia Jardine led from the front by scoring the first two goals in as many minutes to signal the team’s intention.
Teammate Gabriella Xavier scored four goals to lead the table while Marzana Fiedtkou, Samantha Fernandes and Kerensa Fernandes each scored doubles.
The Hikers Divas (+4) recorded a draw against Old Fort (+5) in the junior division as ladies national squad members Maria Munroe and Shaundell Durant were both on target for the Divas. Omar Hopkinson managed the lone goal for Old Fort in the 6-6 draw.
The Divas (+4) would go on to a 6-4 victory in their second match of the evening against the GCC Snipers (+2) as Munroe was again on target along with Divas Captain Avonda James. Former national, Brennette Gordon, and Vanessa Pires each scored one in the Snipers losing effort.
The Snipers (+2) completed a tough day of losses with a defeat by the GCC Pitbulls (+5) as a double strike by Ulrica Sutherland and one each from Brennette Gordon and Tricia Fiedtkou would not be enough to avoid the 9-6 loss.
Mark Sergeant slotted in a double for the Pitbulls while teammate and newcomer Michael Craig added one more. In the battle of newcomers, Hikers Revelation (+8) managed to edge Saints (+5) for their first win of the tournament.
Needing three goals to even the handicap, one each from Parmanand Dindyal and Omesh Dhanram saw Saints fall shy by one goal and leaving Revelation to savour the 8-7 victory.
The Hikers Cadets lead the senior pool with six points going into the third day of play followed by the GCC Brodras on four points. The Flora GCC Tigers in amassing nine points thus far lead the junior competition pool with the GCC Pitbulls in second position with six points. Shane Samuels leads the scorer’s table for most goals so far having registered five while Tigers Captain Sonia Jardine tops the junior division with seven goals.
The final set of preliminary matches were set for last evening while the finals in the two divisions will take place this evening at the National Gymnasium starting at 17:20 hours.
