Junior hockey teams leave for Pan Am Cup

This country’s men and women Under-21 hockey teams will leave today for Guadalajara, Mexico to compete at the Pan American Junior Hockey Championship. The tournament will start on Monday and end on September 23. Notre Dame’s Aidan De Gannes and Corona Fatima’s Dominic Jaikaransigh have been appointed co-captains of the men’s team while Dames’ Tamara De Nobriga and Amanda George of Ventures are co-captains of the women’s squad. De Gannes, a regular member of the senior men’s team for the past five years is the most senior player in a squad which also comprises Jaikaransingh, Nicholas Triston Grant, Andrew Vieira, Quinn Clarke, Cogie Butler, Shaquille Daniel and Chad Pedro, all of whom have national senior team experience. 

 

 

The T&T men who will have Richard Quan Chan as head coach, have been drawn to compete in Pool A with Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica and Guatemala. Pool B comprises Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Uruguay while Pool C consist of Barbados, Chile, USA and Venezuela. At the end of the tournament, two countries will qualify for the FIH 10th Men’s Junior World Cup while the third place finishers will be the first reserve team. Maritime Harvard Checkers’ Brittney Hingh is the most experienced member of the women’s team and will rely on the experience of fellow national senior team players De Nobriga, Kelli O’Brien, George and Stephanie Whiteman when the Cathy-Ann Boucaud-coached T&T does battle in Pool B with USA, Venezuela, Chile, Jamaica and Paraguay. Pool A features Mexico, Uruguay, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. Three countries will qualify for the FIH Seventh Women’s Junior World Cup. If a PAHF National Association is the host, that country will qualify automatically, together with the two highest placed teams, not including the host.