3rd night of ExxonMobil Indoor Hockey Championships sees exhilarating action
The third night of competition in the ExxonMobil National Indoor Hockey Championships has seen a few thrillers taking place at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, as the likes of Pepsi Hikers and the GBTI GCC ladies kept their record clean with victories.
Pepsi Hikers midfielder Jamarj Assanah racing up court on a counterattack
On Wednesday evening, The Pepsi Hikers and Bounty GCC squared off in what is traditionally a key men’s first division matchup. After seven minutes of conservative play by both sides, Aroydy Branford dribbled up the left wing, faked out GCC goalkeeper Medroy Scotland, and sent the ball into an empty goal for the Hikers’ opener.
GCC Ignite’s Sarah Klautky being challenged by Spartans’ Vanessa Pires
GCC responded three minutes later with a Kevin Spencer penalty corner flick to level the score at 1-1.
Hikers Captain Robert France then pushed his team ahead one minute later, and the score remained 2-1 for the Hikers at half-time.
The second half was all Hikers, as the GCC defence began to unravel. The Hikers poured in four more unanswered goals in the second half, as Branford amassed a hattrick and France a double, with the sixth Hikers goal coming via a penalty corner from Jamarj Assanah.
The 6-1 victory leaves the Hikers as the only unbeaten team left in the men’s first division.
The GCC Roulettes seemed to be cruising to the semi-final as they dished out another beating, this time on the Misfits by a margin of 5-1. Belgian guest player Leo Berlie led the scorers for GCC with a field goal and a penalty corner goal, while veterans Tricia Fiedtkou, Abosaide Cadogan and Shebiki Baptiste each added one.
Kenisha Wills was the lone scorer for Misfits.
The GCC Ignite and the GCC Spartans ladies provided the most entertaining match of the evening, which saw Ignite pull ahead by 4-1 by half time, mainly through the skilful play and leadership of Captain Aliyah Gordon.
The Spartans, however, made a few tactical adjustments and swayed the momentum of the game in their favour in the second half. Captain Gabriella Xavier almost drew her team level with a hattrick of goals, but the final whistle came two soon, leaving Ignite to celebrate the 5-4 victory.
In the men’s second division competition, YMCA Old Fort obliterated the young GCC War Dogs by a margin of 8–1. The Saints Scorpions drew 2-2 with Hikers Cadets, while counterparts the Saints Sensations defeated the GCC Pitbulls by 2-0.
