GHB/DMW Int’l Indoor Hockey Festival …
HIKERS Hockey Club retained the men’s open title, while Malvern of Trinidad won the women’s category of the 6th annual Guyana Hockey Board/Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival, which concluded on Sunday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

In an all-Guyanese final, defending champions Hikers edged Old Fort 7-6 to retain the men’s open title while in the ladies’ category, Malvern of Trinidad came from behind to edge GCC Flora 3-2 in over time.

Members of the Hikers Hockey Club men’s team celebrate the moment shortly after retaining the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Title at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sunday night.

In the veterans division, GCC edged Old Fort 4-3 to lift the title.

In the men’s final, Hikers came out a hungry bunch, looking for any opportunity to nail their opponents and found that opportunity in the 1st minute when Robert Fernandes found his target, but Old Fort responded when Canada-based Guyanese Jonathan Roberts ended the game with a double flick in his first goal in the third minute. His second goal was scored in the 6th minute.

Hikers’ Devin Munroe, however, pulled the score level in the 13th minute and it (score) remained 2-2 at the interval.

Looking for championship honours, Old Fort took the fight to the opposition and Askofu Simon sent the South Ruimveldt-based team into the lead in the 29th minute.

Seconds later (29th minute also), Alex Gouveia kept his team (Hikers) in the game with a field goal.

Munroe then sent Hikers back into the lead with two goals coming in the 30th and 31st minutes; Quinn Clarke chalked up one in the 37th minute to give Hikers a 6-3 lead.

Sensing the morbid prangs of defeat, Old Fort showed what they were made of as they attacked Hikers’ goal area relentlessly and were rewarded as Trinidadian guest player Nicolas Wren and Roberts found the back of Hikers’ net in the 36th and 39th minutes respectively.

With the clock ticking away, Shane Samuels sent Hikers into the lead with the winning goal in the 40th minute.

In the veteran’s final, Philip Fernandes scored in the 7th and 38th minutes while Damion Woodruffe netted a double also, but in the 13th and 18th minutes, to give GCC a 4-3 win against Old Fort whose goals were scored by Ivor Thompson (22nd), Dexter Wyles (25th) and Chris Low-Koon (26th).

In the ladies’ final, Sonia Jardine gave GCC Flora the lead in the 14th minute and four minutes later Tricia Fiedtkou pushed the local side further ahead with a second goal and the 2-0 lead was maintained until the interval.

However, in the second session, Malvern came out more purposefully and took the fight to the local side (GCC) and were rewarded in the 29th minute of the game, compliments of Landie Flourie from a counter-attack.

Penny Stephens then found the equaliser for the visitors in the 36th minute with a field goal.

With the score tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time, the two teams went into sudden-death extra-time and after playing goalless in the first session (five minutes) of extra time, Malvern upped the ante in the second period and Stephens was able to find her target after being faced with a one-on-one situation with GCC goalkeeper, to secure victory for her team. (Michael DaSilva)