National player Shaniah De Freitas scored a second-half hat-trick as title-chasing Shandy Carib Magnolias clobbered Ventures 6-0 to stay in the hunt for the T&T Hockey Board Women's Championship Division title at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Thursday night.
Starting the match in the fourth spot and five points behind leaders Paragon, Magnolias needed a win to keep their hopes of lifting a first crown in five-plus years alive.
The women in blue and yellow uniforms took some time to settle as both teams ended the first 15-minutes quarter at 0-0, but two minutes into the second period, national forward Brianna Govia finally broke down the Ventures back line to put her team ahead 1-0 while she added another eight minutes later for a deserved 2-0 half-time lead.
The third period was again dominated by Magnolias with De Freitas opening her account in the 40th, while she made it 4-0 a minute into the final quarter.
With seven minutes left in the match, speedy T&T international Brittney Hing added her name to the scoresheet for Magnolias to extend the advantage to 5-0 while De Freitas then completed her treble in the 57th to complete a comprehensive 6-0 triumph. The victory pushed their points tally to 20 from 11 matches, the same as Harvard Checkers and Georgetown Cricket Club of Guyana. The latter has already completed its 12-match schedule.
However, Magnolias has a better goal-difference of plus-19 to Checkers' plus six and Georgetown's plus-two and occupies second spot, two points behind Paragon which has only played ten matches.
Today, the league crown will be decided with Paragon taking on Courts Malvern from 5 pm, with a win being enough.
In an earlier clash, Notre Dame faces Magnolias (3.30 pm) while Ventures meets Harvard Checkers (6.30 pm), and in the lone's Men's Championship Divisionn fixture, Paradise and Fatima do battle from 8 pm.