… Men whip Panama 9-0, Women blank Bermuda 3-0

IT was a productive day on the pitch for Guyana’s stick-wielders, with both men and women picking up victories on day four of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Hockey qualifiers, being played at the Jamaican hockey pitch, University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus.
Playing in their fourth match, the Guyanese women defeated Bermuda 3-0 for their second win of the tournament.

Having opened the competition with a 6-0 win over Panama, Guyana then played to back-to-back draws against Jamaica and Puerto Rico, while Bermuda had secured two wins (4-0 against Guatemala and 4-0 against Panama), as well as a draw against Puerto Rico.
Gabriella Xavier, Marzana Fiedtkou and Kerensa Fernandes were the goalscorers for Guyana, who handed the Bermudans their first taste of defeat in the championship.
Today, the women will face Guatemala in their final round-robin play, and a win will ensure them a place in Sunday’s final, which will also see them qualify for the CAC Hockey Championship in Colombia next year.

Meanwhile, the Guyanese men continue to impress, winning their third consecutive match, this time hammering Panama 9-0.
Aroydy Branford netted four times for Guyana, while Robert France and Jamarj Assanah netted a double. Jael Gaskin scored the game’s final goal in the 59th minute as Guyana climb to the top of the table.

Guyana will play their final game against Jamaica and are almost guaranteed a spot in Sunday’s final. The top two teams will play in Colombia next year.