Hikers upset defending male champs

VINTAGE HIKERS: These two words sum up the Hikers’ play on the opening night of the GT&T Indoor Hockey tournament, as they humbled the GCC first division male team.Playing at the National Gymnasium, under less than desirable lighting conditions, the Hikers put in a telling performance to come away 6-2 winners.
After two minutes of play, Hikers opened the scoring through Robert France. Two minutes later GCC found the equaliser through Mark Sargeant and the stage was set for an impressive battle.
GCC attacked the goal and so too did the Hikers. After 15 minutes Kevin Spencer gave GCC the lead, but Andrew Stewart found the equaliser for Hikers soon after.
On 19 minutes Aroydy Branford slotted home, Hikers 3-2 at the half.
After the 5-minute interval Branford extended the Hikers’ lead on 22 minutes – GCC down by two, but not out. They would increase the pressure on the Hikers, but the ball just could not find the back of the box.
Hikers staunchly defended their turf and applied pressure on their own, and ten minutes later France collected a clean pass and slotted home – 5-2, a comeback out of the reaches of GCC.
Hikers were not content to defend their lead, instead they pressed on, effected steals and intercepted passes from GCC – a 6th and final goal off the stick of Colonel Heywood three minutes before time.
The margin of defeat was probably the biggest for some time for a senior GCC team who found themselves in unfamiliar territory on Monday night.
Earlier in the evening, the Old Fort/Hikers veterans provided some sparks of their youthful days on the court.
At their stage of play, the plan is to play smarter not harder and Hikers’ James Mentore made the best use of this as he tormented Old Fort at the top of the arch, sending three lightning strikes to goal. 7-5 the game ended.
The Hikers led 5-1 at the half, added two more in the 2nd to go 7 clear, 7-1. Staring down the barrel of a humiliating defeat, Old Fort found their rhythm and scored four goals in four minutes – 24th through 27th. With three minutes left, Hikers knocked the ball around and played defensively.
Devin Munroe scored a double, and there was one apiece from Brian Asregado and Reyad Shivrattan for the veteran Hikers.
John Abraham and Chris Low each scored twice while Dwayne Allen accounted for Old Fort’s 5th.
In Ladies’ play, the GCC Spice Girls outplayed Hikers 4-2, Vanessa Pires and Sonia Jardine accounting for the goals while the National U-19s were 5-1 winners over Old Fort. Macaela Harding and Aaliyah Gordon scored doubles while Rebecca Xavier accounted for the fifth item. Bushani Kaladeen scored for Old Fort.
In the 2nd division, Old Fort beat Saints 3-1 in the evening’s opener, while GCC beat Hikers 4-2 in the other.
Tony Cole opened the scoring for Old Fort with Omar Hopkinson sending in two strikes. Shemar Boston had the lone strike for Saints.
Michael Craig with a double and one each from Eric Hing and Eon Burke gave the win to GCC. Laured Stewart and Colonel Heywood were the scorers for Hikers.
More matches in the round-robin tournament continue tonight. Tomorrow is a rest day while play resumes on Friday and concludes on Sunday in the round-robin tournament.

(By Leeron Brumell)