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Americas

by Mike Owen

Last Sunday was a day of hockey upsets when the BWIA 2003 Hockey League men’s and women’s champions were both unceremoniously dispatched from the knock-out competitions.

First, BNB Deacons beat Empire 2-1 in the rescheduled women’s semifinal to earn a place in Saturday’s final against ESA Fields-Kotex Pickwick at 7 p.m. Having beaten Pickwick twice in the BWIA 2004 Hockey League by 1-0 and 4-1 margins, defending knock-out champions Deacons will be confident of regaining their title.

But Sunday’s results should warn them not to be overconfident – especially Sunday’s second game which was a repeat of last year’s men’s final – when league runners-up BS&T Maple upset league champions Peugeot CSOS 4-0.

But this year the margin was one less – 3-0.

The reason for the two upsets was the same – overconfidence versus a strong desire to become knockout champions to make up for coming second-best in the league.

The early stages of the men’s game were evenly contested and then in the 23rd minute Venslough Leacock put Maple ahead from a penalty corner.

He was aided by a deflection but there was no luck involved in the 61st minute when Maple all but put the game beyond CSOS’s reach at 2-0 as Maple’s former CSOS defender Donovan Smith produced one of his trade mark drag flicks from another penalty corner.

Maple then made it 3-0 from another set play, this time, a free hit outside the D. A square pass was made to unmarked Shawn Cumberbatch who fired home an accurate shot.

Deacon’s ladies’ win made it two wins and a draw against Empire in their three meetings this season – and for the third time this season their experienced, physically strong and accomplished players gave the youthful Empire girls a lesson in no-nonsense, straightforward hockey.

They always had sufficient players in defence to cover, mark and break down the solo individual runs that made up most of Empire’s attacks. And when Deacons counter-attacked, they used long accurate passes to players who kept moving into unmarked spaces to receive them and head for goal.

Corlette Kellman converted a short-corner in the fifth minute and fellow veteran Annette Superville pushed home a square pass in the 30th minute, while Empire’s goalkeeper Lana Als had an outstanding game to prevent other seemingly certain goals.

Empire earned several penalty corners but apart from Charlia Warner’s 20th minute conversion, many of the others were not even stopped properly and were wasted.

The defeats of the two league champions have added a new dimension to the Final Four competitions involving the top four placed teams in the men’s and women’s leagues. CSOS and Empire will be going all out to prove that they are really the top teams for the year.

It starts today with Peugeot CSOS playing Banks Eastern Stars (men) at 6:30 p.m and Empire playing ESA Fields Pickwick (ladies) at 8:30 p.m

On Thursday, Deacons will play BS&T Maple (ladies) at 6:30 p.m and Berger Paints YMCA will play BS&T Maple (men) at 8:30 p.m.

The final between the winning women’s teams will be next Monday (November 29) at 7 p.m and the men’s final will be the next day, also at at 7 p.m.

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