The Georgetown Cricket Club’s under-21 indoor ladies hockey team (GCC) jets off to the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago today to compete in this year’s annual Carib Magnolias Indoor Hockey Tournament.
The youthful group is making its second outing in as many years to compete in the tournament after surprising all in their international debut last year by winning the tournament.
Despite their youth, ages ranging from just 14 to 20, the under-21 girls have been competing in local competitions as a team under the name of GCC Spartans for the last three years.
According to coach Philip Fernandes, the group is much stronger this year having yet another year of hockey under its belt but he hastened to add that so do the opposition and so he expects a tough tournament.
The girls benefited last year from being an unknown group coming from Guyana which had not been in regular international competition for many years.
That advantage of being underestimated is no longer there as this year they return as the defending champs.
The GCC girls will have the handicap of being the youngest squad in the competition and also having to play all their games on one weekend of the two-weekend competition because of logistics.
When asked about their chances however Fernandes seemed optimistic.
Fernandes said that he has several quality players in the side including some who already train with the local national squad.
The squad is made up of Captain Trisha Woodroffe, Anastacia Sardinha, Ashley DeGroot, Briawna Gordon, Dominique DeGroot, Gabriella Xavier, Kelly-Ann Latchman, Thalia Fiedtkou, Marzana Fiedtkou, Odessa Grogan and Alysa Xavier. Philip Fernandes will coach the team while Tricia Fiedtkou is the Manager.
