GTT National Indoor Championships … Defending champs Pepsi Hikers, Pizza Hut GCC retain titles

Nov 08, 2016, Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....t-gcc-retain-titles/

-Old Fort, GCC Vintage also in winners’ row

The Pepsi Hikers entertained the crowd on the final night of the GTT National Indoor Championships with a master class of hockey ending with an 8-1 defeat of Bounty GCC to retain their Men’s crown on Sunday, at the National Gymnasium.
In the Ladies final, The Pizza Hut GCC and Woodpecker Hikers clash produced an almost similar result with the former winning 7-1, while the Old Fort Supersonics and Vintage carted off the men’s Second Division and Veterans titles respectively.
Despite the lopsided score lines in both the men’s and women’s finals, the victors in both cases put on an exhibition of high-class hockey that entertained the crowd throughout the match.
The Pepsi Hikers each seemed to know what the other was doing and scored several goals after stringing together a series of precise passes to mesmerize their defence. While GCC opted to use their individual skill to try to penetrate a rock solid Hikers defence, the Hikers pace in their counterattack punctuated with pin-point accuracy in their passes made them unstoppable on the evening.
National midfielders Jamarj Assanah and Aroydy Branford, both of whom would have benefitted from 6-month hockey stints in the UK earlier this year, showed their class with both players scoring hat-tricks.
Seasoned campaigner Randy Hope managed a double to round out the 8 goals for the Hikers. Bounty GCC managed to scramble one goal back in the dying moments of the match through Kevin Spencer, but was never truly in contention as the Hikers cruised to their 8-1 victory.
The Pizza Hut GCC ladies were also in a class by themselves as they seemed hardly challenged by the Woodpecker Hikers.
GCC seemed to have kept their best for last as they all but doubled the score of their last encounter against the Hikers in the pool rounds while conceding one less on this occasion.
Traditional defender Vanessa Pires was given the reigns by her coach to play on the forward line and delivered in fine fashion for the champs with a match-leading hat-trick.
After a Pires opener and one each from Gabriella Xavier and Sonia Jardine, the Hikers Latacia Chung saw her shot completely trick goalkeeper Natalie Hing and roll ever so gently into the GCC goal for a 3-1 score by the half.
The Pizza Hut ladies stormed back with four unanswered goals in the second half, two from Pires, one from Xavier and one more from veteran striker Tricia Fiedtkou to pull of the 7-1 win.
The GCC Vintage found themselves against the ropes in their vets clash against the Hickers but managed to pull off the win with two goals in the final ten minutes to separate the teams by one.
The 5-4 victory for Vintage came through a deuce of goals each from MVP Dwayne Scott and Philip Fernandes, while Patrick Edghill added a single. Devin Munroe and Timothy Jonas each scored a pair of goals to make up the Hickers’ four.
The most competitive match of the evening probably was the men’s second division final where the score line seesawed throughout the match with Old Fort’s Jael Gaskin deciding the match in the final minute with a powerful first-time shot into the GCC net for a 4-3 win.
Division MVP Omar Hopkinson was first on the score sheet with a 6th minute goal for Old Fort, but Shaquille Leung equalized one minute later. It was then GCC’s turn to go ahead as Leung scored his second in as many minutes, before an Anthony Cole penalty corner in the 8th minute drew the scores level for the third time.
Six minutes into the second half, Steffon Sprosta put Old Fort ahead by one, but Kareem McKenzie levelled the scores at 3-3 two minutes later through a powerful penalty corner strike. Just as the fans were expecting an exciting penalty shootout, Gaskin silenced the GCC supporters with his brilliant finish and game-winning goal.
Director of Sport, Mr. Christopher Jones, was on hand to assist GTT representative Mr Dexter Wyles with the presentation of the individual awards and trophies.
Most Promising Player male: Hilmar Chester (Saint Stanislaus College)
Most Promising Player female: Makeda Harding (Spartans)

Men’s Second Division
Most goals scored: Kareem McKenzie (GCC Pitbulls)
Best Goalkeeper: David Williams (Old Fort Supersonics)
MVP: Omar Hopkinson (Old Fort Supersonics)

Veterans Division
Most goals scored: Devin Munroe (Hickers)
Best Goalkeeper: Rawl Davson (Vintage)
MVP: Dwayne Scott (Vintage)

Women’s Division
Most goals scored: Kerensa Fernandes (Pizza Hut GCC)
Best Goalkeeper: Briawna Gordon (Spartans)
MVP: Dominique DeGroot (Spartans)

Men’s First Division
Most goals scored: Aroydy Branford (Pepsi Hikers)
Best Goalkeeper: Anthony Cole (Old Fort Ravers)
MVP: Robert France (Pepsi Hikers)

Director of Sport Christopher Jones hands over the winning trophy to Pepsi Hikers Captain Robert Frane in the presence of GTT representative Dexter Wyles (right) and teammates on Sunday.