The PEPSI Hikers equalled the largest margin of victory thus far with a 12-2 trouncing of team 2020 in the men’s first division competition as the GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships continued last evening at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue. Female tournament favourites, the Pizza Hut GCC also made a huge impact with their 9-2 victory over Spartans in their first match of the competition. The men’s second division table remains a close battle as Saint Stanislaus College stunned Old Fort with a surprising 2-1 victory to join GCC as the other undefeated team so far.
From the opening whistle, the PEPSI Hikers men looked solidly in control of the youthful Team 2020 from the outset of their men’s first division matchup.
National striker Aroydy Branford produced a brilliant performance for the Hikers which resulted in a personal tally of 6 goals, while Captain Robert France added a hat-trick.
Branford and France now share the lead for most goals in the tournament on seven each. While Team 2020 managed two goals midway through the second half, the game was all but over by this time with the Hikers performance solidifying them as favourites to retain the crown.
National Centre Forward, Kerensa Fernandes led the impressive Pizza Hut GCC ladies with a hat-trick en route to a 9-2 beating of the Spartans. Aliyah Gordon and Trisha Woodroffe scored two goals each while Marzana Fiedtkou and Sonia Jardine scored one each for the victors. Although the powerful Pizza Hut ladies were clearly beyond the reach of the Spartans, midfielder Shebiki Baptiste put in another spirited performance, scoring a well-crafted individual goal and setting up debutante Paige Fernandes for another.
Latacia Chung managed a pair of goals with single strikes from teammates Maria Munroe and Shundel Durant as the Hikers ladies cruised to a comfortable win over the Old Fort Ladybugs. Bahvini Kaladeen was the lone scorer for the Ladybugs with a well-placed shot off a counterattack.
Saint Stanislaus College out-duelled the Old Fort Supersonics to come away with a 2-1 victory while Saints beat the Hikers 4-2 in the two men’s second division fixtures of the evening. The GCC vets survived a scare as John Abrahams levelled the score for Old Fort deep into the second half.However,GCC managed to seal the 2-1 victory with a Philip Fernandes penalty corner strike just three minutes before full time.
The Pepsi Hikers and Old Fort Ravens share the top spot in the men’s first Division Pool after three nights of competition. The Hikers and Pizza Hut GCC are joint leaders of the ladies pool while the men’s second division pool shows a three-way tie between Bounty GCC, Saint Stanislaus College and Old Fort Supersonics. GCC meanwhile sits comfortably on top of the men’s division.
Matches continue every evening during this week from 5:00pm each day and on Saturday from 1:00pm with the four finals to be contested on Sunday from 5:00pm.