Scotland spanks T&T hockey women 7-0

T&T women’s team made a losing start to their campaign in Second Round qualification of the FIH World Hockey League, going under 7-0 to world 19th ranked Scotland at the Deodoro Field Hockey Centre, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday.

Scotland, which qualified for the second round of the competition as third placed finishers in its Round One World League European qualifying group on goal-difference behind Belarus and Italy got off to a fast start as the “Calypso Stickwomen” with Nikki Kidd beating goalkeeper Petal Derry after only four minutes for a 1-0 lead.

The Alanna Lewis-skippered 27th world T&T women’s team ranked 27th in the world advanced had advance to the second round of qualification after ending third in the six-team Round One qualification series at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, last November with nine points behind fellow qualifiers Canada (15 pts) and Uruguay (12 points) and managed to stem the flow of the Scottish women until the 17th minute when Vikki Bunce made it 2-0.

Alison Bell then scored two more field goals in the 23rd and 26th minute for Scotland which had victories over Turkey (12-1), Czech Republic (5-1), Belarus (2-1) and France (4-0) in the previous qualification series to lead 4-0 at the half.

Seven minutes into the second-half, Catriona Ralph banged in a fifth item for the Europeans while Kidd (65th) and Holly Cram, three minutes from full time rounded off the scoring to push their team to the top of the six-nation round-robin table with three points, the same as USA and Chile, but ahead on goal-difference.

In yesterday’s two early matches, Claire Laubach scored a second-half brace to lead tenth ranked USA past 51st rated host, Brazil 6-0, while 18th ranked Chile defeated 50th ranked neighbours, Uruguay 2-0.

Today, is a rest day for the women who will return to action tomorrow with T&T, which had victories over Guyana (5-0), Venezuela (5-1) and Barbados (7-0) while they suffered defeats against Uruguay (0-2) and Canada (0-4) in Round Two at home facing Pan American rivals Chile from 10am.

In tomorrow’s opener at 8 am, USA faces Uruguay from 8am while Scotland and Brazil conclude the second day of competition from 2.30pm. At the end of the round-robin series the two highest finishers will secure places in round three.

Tournament fixtures:
Yesterday:
USA 6 (Claire Laubach 40th, 59th, Melissa Gonzalez 47th, Katie Reinprecht 51st, Katie O’Donnell 55th, Lauren Pfeiffer 65th) vs Brazil 0
Chile 2 (Andrea Greene 3rd, Josefa Villalabeitia 19th) vs Uruguay 0
Scotland 7 (Nikki Kidd 4th, 65th, Alison Bell 23rd, 26th, Vikki Bunce 17th, Catriona Ralph 42nd, Holly C Ram 67th) vs T&T 0

Tomorrow:
USA vs Uruguay, 8 am
Chile vs T&T, 10 am
Brazil vs Scotland 2.30 pm

Thursday:
Brazil vs Chile, 8 am
Scotland vs USA, 10 am
T&T vs Uruguay, 2.30 pm

Saturday:
T&T vs Brazil, 8 am
Chile vs USA, 10 am
Uruguay vs Scotland, 2.30 pm

March 10:
USA vs T&T, 8 am
Scotland vs Chile, 10 am
Uruguay vs Brazil, noon.