Marcus James continued his rich vein of form by scoring with a minute left on the clock to lead Defence Force to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Notre Dame in their T&T Hockey Board Men's Championship Division clash at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Saturday night.
Following defending champions Petrotrin 5-3 win over Paradise at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Training Field, Bacolet, earlier in the day, to share the lead, the "Teteron Stickmen", who blanked Corona Fatima 6-0 in its opener followed by a 5-1 whipping of Paradise a week ago were eager to regain the outright lead.
However at the end of the first-half in an evenly matched contest with the Dames, they trailed to a 34th minute penalty from national player Shaquille Daniel, the son of national rifle shooter and Olympian Roger Daniel.
On the resumption, Defence Force led by Nicholas Wren took the match to the Dames and eventually drew level courtesy of an own-goal by national captain Darren Cowie and with a minute left in the match, James banged home a field goal to hand his team its third win from as many matches to lead with maximum nine points.
In the Women's Championship Division, Daniella Martin's 21st minute field goal was enough to hand Malvern a 1-0 win over bitter rival, Shandy Carib Magnolias.
The Malvernites who were hammered by table leaders Harvard Maritime Checkers 5-0 now join Magnolias on three points from two matches, but with an inferior goal-difference, and three points behind Checkers.
On Saturday over at Bacolet, Checkers won for a second straight match, 3-1 over Paradise with Mindy Charles, Brittney Hingh and an own goal accounting for their tally while Brandy Leith netted Paradise's lone item.
Selected Results
Saturday April 14:
Men's Championship:
Defence Force 5 (Marcus James 14th, 67th, Nicholas Wren 3rd, Mickell Pierre 48th, Brian Burrows 64th) vs Paradise 1 (Dwayne John 39th)
Trinity Men:
Paradise 3 (Desmond Arthur 13th, 37th, Jarel Thompson 31st) vs Defence Force 2 (Brian Burrows 8th, 24th)
Wednesday April 17:
Trinity Women:
Magnolias 2 (Gabby Permell 25th, Samantha Olton 53rd) vs Malvern 1 (Margaret Hinds 68th)
Thursday April 18:
Trinity Men:
Police 2 (Thomas Richards 56th, 62nd) vs Fatima 0
Friday April 19:
Mixed Veterans:
QPCC 5 (Richard Govia 3, Gary Griffith, Rob Wyatt) vs Police 0
Saturday April 20:
Under-19 Girls:
Paradise 1 (Kellese Graham) vs Checkers 1 (Marianna Mata)
Malvern 6 (Mia Mitchell 4th, 30th, 64th, Kaya Edwards 34th, 46th, Rachel Davis 53rd) vs Paragon 2 (Gabrielle Thompson 22nd, Genneil Pope 46th)
Trinity Women:
Paragon 1 (Therese Sobers 44th) vs Petrotrin 0
Men's Championship:
Defence Force 2 (Darren Cowie o.g 47th, Marcus James 69th) vs Notre Dame 1 (Shaquille Daniel 34th pen)
Women's Championship:
Malvern 1 (Daniella Martin 21st) vs Magnolias 0
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