Akim Toussaint netted a minute before the half as Paragon held off defending champion Petrotrin 2-1 to go top of the table in the T&T Hockey Board Men's Championship Division at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Sunday. Going into the encounter, Paragon was second on the table on goal-difference from Queen's Park with 13 points each from five matches. But within four minutes, Paragon was on the way to taking sole possession of top spot on the table when inform Joel Bodkin netted the opening goal. Despite the early setback, the Oilmen, also the reining Big-Four and Indoor champions did not drop their heads and in the 20th minute they got on level terms via Atiba Whittington.
However, a minute before the half-time whistle Toussaint drilled in the decisive item after which his team held on in the second-half to come away with the valuable three points. Paragon now has 16 points from six matches to lead the eight-team table, three more than the Parkites who have a match in hand while Petrotrin is next with 12 and one match in hand also. On Sunday, Petrotrin shook off the loss to Paragon, with a 3-0 shut-out of the Parkites with a goal each from Shackeil Joseph, Triston Grant and Dwain Quan Chan. Joseph scored in the 11th minute followed by Grant (22nd) and Quan Chan, in the 51st.
...Trotman ends Magnolias perfect start
National forward, Oire Trotman got the lone goal as Stag Malvern ended the 100 per cent winning record of defending champion, Shandy Carib Magnolias, 1-0 in the Women's Championship Division on Sunday. After, a 0-0 first 35-minutes, the clash of the two fierce rivals seemed headed for a stalement, but with three minutes left on the clock, Trotman breached the Magnolias back-line to get the decisive item past goalkeeper, Stephanie Moses.
Despite the loss, Magnolias stayed top of the standing with 12 points five matches, three more than the Malvernites. On Saturday night, Harvard Maritime Checkers got its first win of the season in three matches, 2-0 over pointless Petrotrin. For Checkers, Kecia Jones, who celebrated her birthday on Monday banged in the first goal in the 47th minute and national youth team player, and reigning T&THB Women "Youth Player of the Year" Brittney Hingh added the other in the 57th minute.
T&THB RESULTS
Saturday night
Championship Men
Paragon 2 (Joel Bodkin 4th, Akim Toussaint 34th) vs Petrotrin 1 (Atiba Whittington 20th)
Championship Women
Checkers 2 (Kecia Jones 47th, Brittney Hingh 57th) vs Petrotrin 0
Sunday
Boys' Under-19
Shape 5 (Jordan Reynos 19th, 52nd, Damion Bridgelal 8th, Lyndell Byer 21st, Dillon Campbell 26th) vs QPCC 0
Championship Women
Malvern 1 (Oire Trotman 67th) vs Magnolias 0
Championship Men
Petrotrin 3 (Shackeil Joseph 11th, Triston Grant 22nd, Dwain Quan Chan 31st) vs QPCC 0.
CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION STANDINGS
Men
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Paragon 6 5 1 0 24 12 16
QPCC 6 4 1 1 24 9 13
Petrotrin 5 4 0 1 14 9 12
D/Force 3 2 0 1 6 5 6
Paradise 5 1 1 3 8 18 4
Fatima 6 1 1 4 11 21 4
Notre Dame 5 1 0 4 8 11 3
Malvern 6 1 0 5 8 16 3
Women
Magnolias 5 4 0 1 21 4 12
Malvern 4 3 0 1 11 3 9
Notre Dame 3 2 0 1 14 3 6
Checkers 4 1 1 3 4 4 4
Paragon 3 1 1 1 6 8 4
Ventures 4 1 1 2 7 13 4
Petrotrin 5 0 0 5 0 24 0