Igloo Hockey Festival excites fans

Jun 20, 2016 Sports

The exciting Igloo Hockey Festival being staged by the GCC Hockey Team at its home ground at Bourda produced some remarkable moments for kids and adults. The festival, the first of its kind being played on a miniature artificial hockey surface drew a sizable crowd of supporters to watch players from as young as 6 years old right up to those in their forties.

Hickers’ Teikeisha DeLeon displays excellent ball control as she goes for another goal at Bourda on Saturday evening. (Sean Devers photo)

The Under-8 mixed category started the morning off with the enthusiastic GCC Speed Racers out-dueling the GCC Gummy Bears by 5 – 2 in their final match. Seven year old Grant Fernandes was the top scorer of the day with a haul of 6 goals in two matches.
The under-10 mixed category saw the Hikers turn the tables on the GCC Thunderbolts after losing to them in the early rounds. With a second crack to topple the unbeaten Thunderbolts, the Hikers held on for a 0-0 draw at full time setting up the jubilant Federico Cush to score the winning goal in a penalty shootout for the Hikers victory.
Saints and the GCC Warriors put in the most impressive scores on day one in the girls under 14 competition with both making the semi-finals yesterday against the Titans and the Flash respectively. The under-14 boys division saw another dominant performance by Saints with both their teams entered making the semi-finals. Justin Dookie of Saints B is the competition’s top scorer of the day with 5 goals to his credit. Newcomers Phoenix HC however looks the team to beat and can prove worthy opponents for Saints on the second day of competition.
The GCC Spartans created a minor upset over the Old Fort Shooting Stars when they secured an unexpected 5 – 2 victory in the girls under-17 competition. Newcomer Sarah Klauty showed good speed and skills for the Spartans in attack while Mickelly Rahaman was solid in defence. These two sides were to meet again yesterday where the Carolyn Deane led Stars were to be challenged to find a solution for the audacious young Spartans. The GCC Rebels, Old Fort and Phoenix emerged unbeaten after the first day of the boys under-17 competition. They were be joined by Saints in the semi-finals yesterday.
The Old Fort Shooting Stars had their best showing in the girls under-21 division by defeating the powerful Hikers by 2-1. Carolyn Deane was in form again in this division as she claimed both of the goals for the victorious side. In the boys under-21, the GCC Rebels seem to be favourites going into the second day with a 10–3 caning of Saints. The Hikers and Old Fort however both made the semi-finals with an exciting 6-6 draw featuring amazing displays of skill by junior nationals Aroydy Branford and Omar Hopkinson.
The open division of both male and female competitions saw two amazing battles both end on even scores between arch-rivals GCC and Hikers. Perennial favourites the Pizza Hut GCC girls were stunned in the opening minutes of the female matchup when the Hikers hammered home three unanswered goals in the opening minutes of the game. Led by an inspirational performance by striker Gabriella Xavier, who finished with a match-leading 4 goals, the Pizza Hut ladies clawed their way back into the match in the second half. Hikers national midfielders Maria Munroe and Marisha Fernandes would stretch GCC to their limit to deny the Hikers a win as their stellar performances took the game to the wire ending in a final score of 5-5.
In almost the exact reverse to the females match, it was the GCC men who scored first against pre-match favourites the Hikers. After closing the gap in short time, Hikers national striker Shane Samuels kept nudging his side ahead with some fine individual finishes but the surprising hero for GCC came in the form of junior Daniel Hooper who managed to neutralize the Hikers in defence and net a hatrick of his own. The men’s final score mimicked that of the ladies at 5-5 setting up an exciting final day when Old Fort, Saints and Vintage join the stage.
The tournament was due to be concluded last evening.

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