The quartet of Chelsea Dey, USA-based pair Kristin Abreu and Brianna Govia as well as Saarah Olton were all on target as T&T junior hockey women blanked Mexico 2-0 for their first win of the Junior (Under-21) Women's Pan American Hockey Championship hosted by the T&T Hockey Board resumed at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, yesterday.
Following a 10-0 loss to world seventh ranked USA on Thursday, the Kayla Brathwaite-captained T&T squad was desperate to put up a better showing against the Mexicans, which were also beaten, 4-0 by Canada in their opener.
Playing in blistering sunshine, Dey got T&T off to the perfect start when she netted from field goal play in the fifth minute to give coach Brian Garcia team a 1-0 lead.
Four minutes later USA-based Kristin Abreu of North Eastern University doubled the advantage from a penalty-corner conversion for the host which it took into the half-time interval at 2-0.
With 12 minutes left in the contest, Saint Francis University player, Brianna Govia made certain of victory for the host by making it 3-0 with another field goal before Saarah Olton got the fourth item, three minutes from the final whistle to the delight of the home crowd.
In the first Pool B match on the day, USA led by a double from Gabrielle Major crushed neighbours Canada 5-1 to push its points tally to maximum six points.Despite the loss, Canada with three points is second ahead of T&T due to a better goal-difference ahead of their meeting today from 4pm.
Also yesterday, six-time tournament winners, Argentina slammed neighbours Chile 10-0 led by a treble from Julieta Jankunas to climb to maximum six points, and Uruguay twice came from behind to punish Barbados 9-2 inspired by yet another hat-trick in the tournament from Milagros Algorta.
To join Chile on three points. Also today, Argentina goes after its third straight win when it meets Barbados from 10am followed by Uruguay and Chile at 12 noon, both in Pool A, followed by USA and Mexico at 2pm in Pool B.
At the end of the round-robin phase the teams will have a rest day tomorrow (Monday) to be followed by the cross-over quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The quarterfinals winners will then advance main draw semifinals and the right to contest for a place in the final and a spot at the FIH Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile, from November 26 to December 4.
RESULTS
�2 YESTERDAY: Group A Uruguay 9 (Milagros Algorta 42nd, 53rd, 64th, Sophie Tatton 14th, Carolina Vega 29th, Sol Amadeo 40th, Josefina Curci 55th, Augustina Domingo 66th, Natalia Diaz 68th) vs Barbados 2 (Krysten Mayers 7th, Ayanna Wilson 16th)
Argentina 10 (Julieta Jankunas 5th, 46th, 70th, Maria Granatto 3rd, 15th, Sofia Toccalino 15th, 53rd, Priscila Jardel Mateos 34th, 50th, Lucina Von der Heyde 59th) vs Chile 0
Group B: USA 5 (Gabrielle Major 17th, 33rd, Ashley Hoffman 39th, Cat Caro 56th, Tara Vittese 66th) vs Canada 1 (Nikki Woodcroft 18th)
T&T 4 (Chelsea Dey 5th, Kristin Abreu 9 th, Brianna Govia 58th, Saarah Olton 67th)) vs Mexico 0
�2 Today: Argentina vs Barbados, 10am
Uruguay vs Chile, 12 noon �2 USA vs Mexico, 2pm
T&T vs Canada, 4pm
�2 Tuesday (Quarterfinals)
Thursday April 7: Main Draw & Losers Draw semifinals
Saturday April 9: Final playoffs