As the GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships got underway at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Monday evening, the National Ladies team delivered their potency with an 11-0 drubbing of SIDM in the opening fixture.
With the growing shadow of the FIH Pan American Indoor Tournament looming, the national team is sure to get some much needed practice in the GTT Championships and it was fitting that they got the tournament underway with the first game.
Playing against relative newcomers SIDM the National team looked every inch the well-oiled unit that Coach Dwayne Scott is trying to build. They stringed together some attractive plays with clinical passing and control. Their dominance ensured that they swept aside SIDM 11 goals to nil.
The National Ladies on the attack on the new surf
Scott had earlier told Guyana Times Sports, that players such as Trisha Woodroffe, Minsodia Culpepper, Aliyah Gordon and Kerensa Fernandes would be integral to his team and it proved on the opening night of the six-day tournament.
Woodroffe was lethal in the offensive third as she scored in the 11th and 36th minutes while Fernandes claimed a hat-trick getting past the SIDM goalie in the 15th minute and twice in the 26th minute.
Aliyah Gordon had a good game and was the architect of most of the team’s attacks getting on the score sheet herself in the 9th minute. Marzana Fietdkou will be one to keep an eye on as she also got a piece of the action in the eighth and 38th minutes respectively.
Minsodia Culpepper who is quite an accomplished dribbler also struck in the 19th minute while Maria Munroe recorded a double in the 12th and 40th minutes.
After a seven-year hiatus, the local telecommunications giant has sponsored the tournament as the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) stages the first championship on the newly installed tile floor.
The tournament has been sponsored by GTT for 17 years, and is the top local indoor competition that determines the annual national champions.
However the competition commenced early this year as the GHB gears up for the Indoor Pan-American Cup to be contested in mid-October of this year.
In order to prepare for the International event, the GHB is using the National Championships as a test event, to ensure all systems are in working order. To maximize the benefit to the local national teams, both male and female national teams will compete in the competition, although they will not be eligible for the trophies.
There were seven games scheduled for the opening night. See full details in ames left and the results of those games will be published in a subsequent article.
The tournament is played in three categories; Men’s First Division, Second Division, Ladies and Male Veterans over 35 years old.
Pepsi Hikers, Old Fort, Bounty GCC, Saints, GCC Pizza Hut, Bingo Spartans, SIDM, GCC Vintage, Old Fort Warriors. Meanwhile, National ladies and Blacks and Greens, national male teams are also expected to make appearances.
The action continues daily at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 17:00h
