By KNEWS

Copyright kaieteurnewsonline

Igloo Ice Cream/Sunshine Snacks National Juniors Indoor Hockey Tournament opens with high-intensity matchups

Sep 18, 2025
Sports

– Old Fort and Hikers Hatchets play to draw as GCC Spartan move ahead with easy win

Kaieteur Sports – The 2025 edition of the Igloo Ice Cream/Sunshine Snacks National Juniors Indoor Hockey tournament got off to a lively start on Tuesday at the National Gymnasium, with several hard-fought battles setting the tone for what’s expected to be a thrilling campaign.

The opening fixture saw a no-show from the Hikers, which handed GCC Spartans a walkover victory to start the tournament on a quiet note.

But the action heated up quickly in Game 2, as the Hikers Hatchets and Old Fort locked horns in a tightly contested Boys’ U17 matchup that ended in a 1–1 stalemate. Both sides played structured defense, with their backlines holding firm throughout.

Old Fort opened the scoring via a penalty corner conversion in the 14th minute. Jhander Carpio stepped up and ripped a shot past the keeper’s gloves to give his side the early advantage. But the Hatchets answered almost immediately—just a minute later—when Elijah Belle broke through the defense and slotted home a well-taken field goal to level things up.

From there, it was a defensive chess match as both sides dug in and denied each other any further breakthroughs.

In the Women’s Open division, GBTI GCC and Old Fort delivered one of the games of the day. Old Fort drew first blood in the 11th minute when Keitanna Percival found the back of the cage with a clinical strike past GCC’s netminder, Isabella Ramjohn. Carolyn Dean doubled the lead before halftime with a powerful shot from outside the circle to put Old Fort ahead 2–0.

The third quarter exploded with five goals. Percival notched her second of the match in the 22nd minute with a dazzling solo effort to make it 3–0. But GCC came roaring back. Abosaide Cadogan pulled one

back via a penalty corner in the 23rd minute, injecting life into her squad. The momentum swung fully in GCC’s favor as Kristen Gomes capitalized in the 28th minute with a slick finish, before Rebecca Ferreira completed the comeback just one minute later with a cheeky strike that knotted things at 3–3. Neither team could find the winner, and the final horn blew with the scores level.

In another Women’s Open clash, GBTI GCC and Saints Women also battled to a 2–2 draw in an evenly matched contest.

The Men’s Open division brought the fireworks. In Match #4, Bounty GCC Men dismantled GCC Outlaws 8–3 in a dominant performance. Kareem McKenzie opened the scoring in the 7th minute, but the Outlaws responded quickly through Luke Sargent to make it 1–1. Bounty GCC then took over, with Mark Sargent restoring the lead, followed by goals from Kevin Spencer and Marcus Fiedtkou in the 10th and 11th minutes, respectively.

McKenzie struck again in the 17th to push Bounty GCC ahead 5–1 at the break. Though Luke Sargent bagged his brace in the 21st, Bounty GCC replied with two more goals in the 24th and 32nd minutes. The Outlaws added a third through Tariq Nelson, but it wasn’t enough to stop the rout. Dwayne Scott capped off the scoring in the dying moments, sealing an emphatic 8–3 win for Bounty heading into Day 2.

In the final match of the evening, Old Fort Men overwhelmed Saints Men with a convincing 6–2 victory. Shaquon Favorite was the difference-maker early, netting a quickfire brace in the 12th and 14th minutes to give Old Fort a solid cushion. Keeland Cummings got one back for Saints in the 18th, but Simeon Moore and Jason De Santos responded to extend the lead to 4–1.

Saints managed a second consolation goal, but Old Fort kept their foot on the gas. Quinn Tobin and Donnell Alleyne each added a goal to round off a commanding performance and a comfortable 6–2 win.

Igloo Ice cream, Indoor Hockey, Lanky Hikers, Old Fort vs GCC, Sunshine Snacks, Zion Scott