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CANADIAN side Toronto Galaxy made a magnificent last-gasp effort to snatch the first-ever Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey title from Everest Hikers while Trinidadian top club Carib Magnolias made a clean sweep on the distaff side to end the year on a high note.


Toronto Galaxy, playing in the feature game of the four-day tournament, dashed the hopes of the local Hikers when they equalised in the dying seconds of the match 3-3 to push the game into sudden death overtime.


The Canadian team, who bounced back from their first loss to Hikers in the preliminary round match ended 4-3 when the golden goal was slotted in by Creegan Joseph in the 44th minute of play.


The overseas-based Guyanese had taken a one-nil halftime lead from a penalty shot by Jonathan Roberts in the 18th minute. However, upon resumption of play Shane Samuels equalised for the locals to send the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall into an uproar. Minutes later Jerry Bell sent Everest into the lead in the 35th minute and soon after Marvin Dannett made it 3-1 for the Hikers in the 36th minute.


Toronto Galaxy were up against the wall but never gave up the fight as Sean Barretto, who was very dependable throughout the tournament, brought his team back into the game with his 38th minute goal from a short corner shot.


He made no mistake in the 40th minute when he again sent an accurate floor shot past the Hikers’ defence to draw the game level at 3-3 and force it into overtime play.


The teams battled for the first three minutes of extra time and it was with just over one minute remaining that the ‘danger man’ Barretto guided the ball down the left-wing and after being cornered by three Hikers players, he skilfully evaded them and managed the pass to Joseph who was a sure shot and ‘boom’ the end of the game. The Canadians celebrated while the Hikers were dismayed though it was a very well played tournament.


Hikers came into the tournament as the underdogs and asserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with when they topped group ‘B’ with nine points from three games and got past Trinidad side Malvern in the semifinal on Saturday night 8-7.

For Canada, it was the second game that they won in overtime, after winning the semi-final clash against national champions Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) 3-2 in sudden death penalty flicks.


They were locked at one-all in regulation time and two-all in penalty shoot-out until it came down to sudden death.


In the ladies’ final, hot favourites Magnolias after a slow start shifted into high gear to beat their closest rivals Malvern in the final 7-2.


Jillian Walker-Bath put Malvern up one-nil in the 7th minute, but Gayle Ann Nieves equalised in the 9th while eventual MVP of the tournament, Stacy Ann Siu-Butt, equalised and sent Magnolias into the lead in the 20th minute.


When play resumed Nieves netted in the 22nd minute, Nicole Bradshaw the 24th, Siu-Butt the 26th and 35th and then Nieves topped it off in the 36th minute.


Liselle Parris scored in the 38th minute for Malvern.


Magnolias had gotten past Malvern 7-4 in the final preliminary round game on Saturday night.


Earlier yesterday the male teams battled to decide the final places at the end of the competition.


GCC placed third with an 8-3 thrashing of Trinidadian side Malvern to put them into fourth position while Brooklyn All Stars finished fifth with a 3-2 win over Combermere School of Old Scholars and Old Fort took the seventh spot with a 7-1 thrashing of Police.


Ventures finished third in the female round robin division, while Old Fort placed fourth, Everest Hikers fifth and national club champions GCC sixth.


At the conclusion of the festival Wayne Legerton of Malvern was adjudged the male MVP, with Siu-Butt of Magnolias the female MVP.


GCC goalie Towana Basil was the best female goalkeeper and Andrew Boyce of Brooklyn the best male goalkeeper.


Participatory plaques were given to all teams while tokens were presented to Trinidadian referees Susie Gomes and Garth Baptiste.


The top teams carted off the top prizes of US$1 000 while the runner-up teams got US$500.


Among the sponsors on board for the tournament were Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) - the major sponsor, the National Sports Commission, Guyana Olympic Association, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, John Fernandes Limited, Beepat’s, Guyenterprise and GT&T.

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