The senior division final of the Noble House Goals Galore indoor hockey tournament could be described as munity as the Hikers Cadets upstaged the Hikers Generals in a highly charged match at the National Gymnasium Sunday evening.
The Cadets won the thrilling encounter 8-5 while debutants GCC Pitbulls won the junior category with a 7-3 victory over Flora GCC .
The Hikers Cadets began the final with a +3 handicap and managed to surprise the Generals with a goal in just the fourth minute of play through striker Travon Young to take the score to 4-0.
The tournament’s top marksman, Shane Samuels, pulled one back for the Generals when he drilled a powerful corner strike into the back of the net in the eight minute.
Shortly after the game resumed the tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), Aroydy Brandford, weaved his way through the Generals defence and blasted home his shot to restore the 4-goal lead of 5-1 for the Cadets.
The games shifted back and forth as a 13th minute Robert France penalty corner goal for the Generals was countered by Jamarj Assanah field goal four minutes later.
Randy Hope added one more for the Generals before the half to leave the score at 6-3 for the ets.
The second half saw more end-to-end action as both teams managed two more goals each, as Samuels and Devin Munroe both scored for the Generals while Assanah and a final minute goal from Michael Harding managed to secure the 8 – 5 victory for the Cadets.
Flora GCC Tigers found the going tough against the young Pitbulls made up of players from Marianb Academy and GCC Junior programme.
being given the tough task of facing pool leaders the GCC Pitbulls who start the game with a +6 advantage.
Tigers truck early when striker Kerensa Fernandes shook the nets with an opening goal in just the second minute of play.
The Pitbulls settled in defence however and quelled the onslaught for a while before Tigers Captain Sonia Jardine added a second field goal for her side to take the score to 6-2 at the half.
Just as the Tigers seemed to be clawing their way back into contention however, youngest player in the tournament, the diminutive Meshach Sargeant provided a vital blow for the Pitbulls as he tipped in a rebound to take his team’s tally to seven goals.
Division top-scorer Jardine would manage one more goal through a penalty stroke in the 18th minute but the Pitbulls would hold on for the remaining time to secure the gold with a 7 – 3 win.
Hikers Cadets midfield maestro, Aroydy Brandford, received the MVP Award for the senior division while Pitbulls goalkeeper Eric Hing was nominated for the junior division.
Generals Shane Samuels’ 9 goals made him the senior division top scorer while Sonia Jardine secured the junior division Top Scorer’s trophy with a 14-goal haul.
Philip Fernandes, President of the Guyana Hockey Board expressed gratitude to Noble House Seafoods for their continued support of the annual tournamament.
Fernandes plans are in place to resume the outdoor season the the current inclement weather has held up the programme.
