THE national menxs and womenxs hockey teams were both beaten when the Guyana Hockey Boardxs (GHB) Mr Toppers Indoor Championships got under way on Monday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The losses, however, were not embarrassing on the part of the GHB, since the governing body allowed its affiliates to use those players who are members of the national team to play for their respective clubs when necessary.

In the feature match which started around midnight, Hikers men upstaged the national menxs team which was made up of players drawn from Old Fort and GCC by a whopping 10-5 margin and this mainly through the exciting stick work of national striker Jerazeno Bell who found the back of the oppositionxs net five times.

He was supported by another national player, Devin Munroe, who scored two goals, Alex Goveia and Randy Hope who scored one each, along with another off Robert Francexs stick.

Dwayne Scott registered two goals for the national menxs side, while Leonard George, Aderemi Simon and John Abrahams scored one goal each.

In the ladiesx encounter, the national ladiesx team went down to the ever-improving GCC Tigers who scored a narrow 5-4 win.

Like the male Hikers team, the GCC Tigers included several national players.

Scoring for the Tigers were Karensa Fernandes who netted two goals, and Sonia Jardine, Brennet Gordon and Tiffany Solomon who all scored one goal each.

Gabriella Xavier, Avenda Garnett, Cora Towler and Carol Caine responded for the national ladies with a goal each.

In the opening game of the evening, Hikers `Bx defeated their Old Fort junior counterparts by a 7-0 margin after leading 3-0 at the interval.

Ryan Primo and Akeem Thompson both netted doubles while one goal each came off the sticks of Shakuele Assanah, Andrew Stewart and Michael Harding.

This was followed by a senior menxs game that saw GCC `Bx brush aside Old Fort `Ax 7-4.

Shaka Gill registered a double for the victors, while Andrew Xavier, Trevon Smith, Stuart Gonsalves, Chris Xavier and Leonard George scored one goal each.

Scoring for Old Fort were John Abrahams who netted a quick-fire hat-trick in the second half and Dwayne Allen with one goal.

GCC` Ax then took to the playing area and drubbed Dragons `Ax by a massive 13-2 margin.

Kevin Spencer led GCCxs assault finding his target seven times and he got good support from Dwayne Scott who netted four while Alan Fernandes and Orlando Semple scored one each.

Deon Carew scored Dragonsx two goals.

In the other game that was played that evening, Degenerates beat Dragons `Bx 3-0 through goals from former national players Troy Peters, Timothy Jonas and James Mentore with one goal each to their names.

The competition will continue this evening at the same venue and in the opening game Hikers ladies will take on Spartans in a game that should have been played on Monday evening but had to be rescheduled because the national menxs team game was completed in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

Other matches on this evening will see GCC `Ax take on their `Bx team, Hikers meet Old Fort `Ax and Dragons `Ax oppose the national menxs team.

Starting time is 18:00 h.