Wednesday 21, April-2004

by Mike Owen

Barbados’ women’s hockey team got a taste of the standard of competition to expect in the second Women’s Pan American Cup which gets under way this morning at the Wildey Astroturf.

In their final warm-up Sunday night, they had a practice game against a Canadian team which put on an impressive display of running, fitness and positional and tactical play and came out winners by a convincing 8-0 margin.

The following day, Canada established themselves as the team best able to take on odds-on favourites Argentina when they beat the United States 1-0, thanks to Crystal Timmer’s well taken 40th minute goal, in another practice game.

In Sunday’s game, much of the play was in the Barbadian half and skipper Maria Browne and the Bajan defence fought valiantly to keep the scoreline to 2-0 at half time. But the visitors were able to maintain their pressure for the whole 70 minutes and six more goals were added in the second half.

Goal scorers were Stephanie Jamieson (2), Sarah Simpson (2), Deb Cuthbert, Leslie Mayers, Robin Leslie and Lauren Maclean.

What was particularly impressive was the continual movement of the Canadians off the ball, so that players attacking always had teammates in support and then on the few occasions that Barbados attacked, the Canadian players were marking and covering to snuff out the moves.

Canadian coach, Kimo Linders, was pleased with the performances of his players and the standard of the Astroturf playing facilities.

He noted that his team had made tours to the United States and Holland to prepare for the tournament and this was reflected in the effective teamwork on display

The level of their preparation and the intensity of the performances on Sunday and Monday suggests that their final placement in this tournament should show a significant improvement on that in their last major outing – fifth in last year’s Pan American Games, behind Argentina, United States, Chileand Uruguay.

The extent of that improvement might be clearer tonight after their first tournament game against Argentina.

From the Barbados perspective, coach Peter Norville had the chance to play all members of his squad and as a result was in a better position to assess his options ahead of his team’s first game against Uruguay at 10:30 this morning. This follows the tournament’s first fixture which brings together United States and Trinidad and Tobago at 8:30 a.m.

There will be an opening ceremony at 2:30 p.m and then Chile will play Netherlands Antilles at 6 p.m.

Day 1 should then come to an exciting climax with the Argentina/Canada game at 8 p.m.

Compliments of Nation News

Barbados were beaten 1-7 by the United States in the Pan American Women’s Hockey Championship at the Astroturf of the Garfield Sobers Complex

Caribbean Hockey

Sporting islands

BARBADOS