The Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) Police, GBTI GCC, GCC Spice, and YMCA Old Fort have all booked semi-final berths in the women’s category of the Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival.
The T&T Police side played twice yesterday at the National Gymnasium and won both fixtures to seal their semi-final appearance, which is slated for today.
In their first match against YMCA Old Fort, the Twin Island Republic outfit ran out 5-2 winners. Despite conceding a goal to Old Fort in the 13th minute to Carolyn Deane, the T&T Police women rallied back to score five unanswered goals and knock the wind out of Old Fort’s sails.
First skipper Brittney Hingh equalised from a penalty corner in the 15th minute before doubling up just a minute later with a field goal to get things going. Antoinette Taylor-Henry, Tineil Garcia, and Victoria Pierre all got in on the act with field goals in the 18th, 22nd, and 26th minutes apiece to cement the win. At the end, Old Fort mustered a second consolation goal courtesy of Shonette Freeman.
In their second encounter, T&T Police defeated the Saints 2-1. Hingh yet again got on the score-sheet with the opening goal in the 16th minute before the Saints equalised in the 26th minute through none other than Clayza Bobb. However, the two sides would be separated by Hingh’s winner in the 30th via a penalty corner conversion.
Much like their country women, the T&T Masters also had two matches en route to booking a spot in the Masters O-45 category final.
In the very first game of the day, the TT Masters faced the Old Fort Generals and had a resounding 5-2 win, with Derek Tang Nian opening the scoring for the eventual winners. Ellis Chance would briefly put Old Fort back on level terms in the 10th minute with a field goal, but the T&T Masters scored twice more in quick succession in the 11th and 14th minutes, thanks to skippers Rigel Gomes and John Lewis, respectively. Old Fort would snatch another in the 15th minute to make things interesting at 3-2, but the game was put beyond them as Hillary St. Louis and Roger Daniels scored field goals in the 21st and 29th minutes, respectively.
In their second fixture, the T&T Masters faced fellow finalists GCC Vintage and ran out 2-1 winners, avenging their earlier defeat on Thursday night at the hands of the same opposition. Roger Daniels and Tang Nian were on target for the winners in the fourth and 20th minutes, respectively, while the losers’ lone conversion came from the stick of Patrick Edghill in the 11th minute.
In other results from yesterday, Old Fort Expendables drew 0-0 with GCC the Sequel in the men’s O-35 category, while the latter came back to beat the same opposition 5-1 in a second meeting on the day. Kevin Spencer with a hat-trick and Orland Semple with a brace were on target for GCC, while Old Fort’s only goal was scored by Roger Daniels.
In women’s action, GCC Spice saw off Saints 5-2, while GBTI GCC administered a 6-1 drubbing on YMCA Old Fort. At press time last night, four games were yet to be played to determine the semi-finalists of the Men’s Over-35 competition.
