The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) overcame Hikers Cadets 7-5 in their first division semi-final showdown when the GT&T National Indoor Hockey Championships continued on Saturday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
Jamarj Assanah opened the scoring in the second minute for the Cadets, turning and finishing to the lower right hand corner from within the left side of the shooting arc.
Their lead would be shortlived as Kevin Spencer found the back of the net for the Bourda side seconds later with a strike to the bottom left hand side. Orland Semple pushed GCC ahead in the seventh minute, finishing his left sided strike to the right corner after collecting a pass from Spencer.
Andrew Xavier made it 3-1 for GCC in the 10th minute, netting unmarked to the left hand side after a he fortuitously collected a rebound from the right side of the field. The back and forth slugfest continued as Assanah cut the deficit to one with a 12th minute effort.
Spencer would restore the two goal advantage in the 15th minute, stabbing home his effort from just outside the left post to the back of the net following a tussle inside the area.
The Cadets would pull within one two minutes before half time in the 18th minute as Andrew Stewart beat GCC custodian Eric Hing with a powerful right sided strike to the top left hand corner.
The Cadets almost levelled proceedings two minutes into the second period but Stewart’s left sided strike came crashing off the right upright. Xavier would push GCC further ahead with a penalty corner conversion to the lower left hand corner in the 23rd minute.
GCC would double their advantage in the 25th minute with Spencer completing his hat trick as he found the left side of the net from his right side effort following a deflection inside the crowed shooting area.
However, the Cadets would not go down without a fight as Assanah grabbed his hat trick in the 33rd minute, netting right down the middle of the woodwork from a powerfully taken penalty corner strike.
Steven Xavier would strike the hammer blow three minutes before the completion of normal time in the 37th minute, driving his left sided strike down the middle of the open net following the Cadets decision to field a kicker instead of a custodian in the final minutes.
Quiet throughout the majority of fixture, Cadets Aroydy Branford would find the back of the net in the dying moments of the fixture with a powerful penalty corner conversion to the roof of net.
In other results, Hikers, led by a Robert France hat trick in the fourth, 32nd and 39th minutes crushed Old Fort 9-3. Doubles by Randy Hope in the seventh and 22nd, Devin Munroe in the 11th and 19th and Shane Samuels in the 15th and 34th minutes respectively completed the win.
On target in the loss was Dwayne Alleyne, Dwight McCalman and Dwight Sullivan in the fifth, sixth and 28th minutes correspondingly.
Philip Fernandes registered a hat trick of goals in the third, 14th and 38th minutes as GCC needled Hikers 5-4 in the lone veteran’s fixture. Sibling Alan and Stephen Fernandes completed the result with goals in the seventh and 27th minutes respectively.
In the battle of the top ranked female sides, GCC Tigers defeated GCC Spartans 4-2 compliments of a Sonia Jardine’s hat trick in the second 19th and 27th minutes whilst Kerensa Fernandes netted a solo strike in the fifth minute. Netting for the losers were Samantha Fernandes and Gabriella Xavier in the 18th and 22nd minutes respectively.
In the all Hikers female affair, Divas through goals from Avonda James, Janella Munroe and Amanda Garnett in the 17th, 24th and 27th minutes respectively defeated Revelations 3-0.
Hikers crushed Saints 9-2 in the second division matchup compliments of a Leon Bacchus hat trick in the ninth, 15th and 17th minutes and doubles by Aroydy Branford in the 23rd and 24th and Michael Harding in the 18th and 27th minutes.
Adding to the lopsided encounter were Jamarj Assanah and Joshua Carew with goals in the 11th and 26th minutes respectively. Tiase Seepaul bagged a brace for the losers in the 11th and 25th minutes respectively.
Mark Sargeant registered a double in the third and 24th minutes while Kareem Mackenzie, Eric Hing and Steven Xavier found the back of the net in the fifth, 26th and 30th minutes respectively as GCC swamped Old Fort 5-0 in their second division encounter.
