A thrilling encounter between Bounty GCC and Old Fort Titans in the Men’s First Division final of the GTT National Hockey Championships saw normal time failing to produce a winner. However, the title was decided via penalty shootout.
Captain of Bounty GCC, Dwayne Scott, continued his outstanding form in the final, and had a brace of goals: first opening the scoring in the eighth minute, then netting again in the 28th minute.
Pizza Hut GCC’s Sonia Jardine was phenomenal in the tournament, and she copped Tournament MVP award
Tournament MVP, Ascofu Simon of Old Fort, claimed a hat-trick and opened the scoring for his side as well in the 15th minute. Jael Gaskin brought the Titans level in the 26th minute with scores at 2-2.
However, Orland Semple and Jason Khalil would pull GCC clear in the 29th and 31st minutes, but Simon would complete his hat-trick in the 32nd and 40th minutes respectively to send the game to penalties at 4-4.
Orland Semple was first to step up for GCC, and duly netted. Jon Abrahams was next for Titans, and he also converted. The dangerous Peter DeGroot was next for GCC, and he produced a brilliant piece of skill to get past the Titans’ goalie. Jael Gaskin was the second penalty taker for the Titans, and the young GCC Goalie Michael Hing produced an outstanding save to deny him.
Jason Clarke for the Titans had the third try, and couldn’t hold his nerve as he also missed his penalty to send the “Bourda Boys” into celebration.
Over in the ladies final, Pizza Hut GCC made light work of iNet Lynx, dismantling them 4-1. As has been the trend throughout the tournament, GCC’s Sonia Jardine tormented the opposition while receiving valuable back up from Shebiki Baptiste.
Baptiste opened the scoring in the 5th minute, but iNet Lynx managed to keep Pizza Hut GCC at bay while equalizing in the 16th minute through Renee Edwards from a Penalty Corner. However Jardine stepped up the plate and netted a brace in the 19th and 35th minute to quell any fears while Baptiste wrapped up proceedings with her second goal of the game in the 38th minute.
GCC Vintage dominated the Old Fort Goal Getters in the Veteran’s final with Dwayne Scott running riot with five goals, while Phillip Fernandes grabbed a hat-trick in the 10-4 drubbing of the Goal Getters.
Scott scored possibly the tournament’s fastest goal in the opening minute of the game, and added four more in the 5th, 6th, 15th and 16th minutes.
Fernandes scored in the 22nd, 24th and 33rd minutes, with Orson Ferguson (36th) and Patrick Edghill (40th) getting a goal apiece.
Scoring for the Goal Getters was Dwight Sullivan with a hat-trick in the 17th, 18th and 29th minutes, while Christopher Low had a solitary goal in the 28th minute.
The Old Fort Warriors claimed the second division title after the beat GCC Pitbulls 3-2 in the final with two second half goals from Jason Clarke.
Omar Hopkinson opened proceedings for Old Fort with a goal in the fourth minute, while Andrew Xavier equalized for GCC in the 20th minute to leave the score at 1-1 going into the half time break.
In the second half, the guileful Jason Clarke netted in the 23rd minute to push Old Fort ahead at 2-1. However, Xavier stepped up his game and equalized for GCC for the second time in the 37th minute. Clarke would have none of it and netted just two minutes later as his side eventually prevailed.
The tournament, which came off a seven year hiatus this year, served as a warm up for the National male and female teams, as they gear up for the Pan American Indoor Tournament slated for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall within the next two weeks.
