Hockey stick

A BADD CONNECTION (ABC) women, Maple veterans and Rockets successfully defended their titles on finals day in the Banks International Hockey Festival yesterday while Dominion men collected an unprecedented fifth crown.Dominion, led by a double strike from Rohan “Teno” Thomas, saw off All Stars 3-2 in an entertaining final.All Stars had the better early chances before Thomas opened the scoring just before half time.Errol Clarke’s sizzling reverse stick finished off a move he started and sent Dominion 2-0 up soon after the resumption.All Stars got back into the match when Joel Bryant slammed home a rebound, but their revival lasted mere seconds as Thomas deflected home Ryan Drayton’s cross to make it 3-1.SilverwareDamien Downes scored with nine minutes remaining to energise All Stars again, but even though Dominion were handicapped by the sending off of Shawn Harewood for the last five minutes, they held on to seal the silverware. Earlier, ABC women notched their sixth crown by cruisingpast Deacons 4-1.Two Dionne Clarke penalty corner lashes either side of half time set them on the way.Keisha Jordan made it 3-0 after 47 minutes following good approach work from Emma Grenon and Sarah Ennor.Angie Thompson pulled one back for Deacons with seven minutes left but Maria Sealy iced it for ABC when she put away a penalty stroke just before the final horn.The mixed final was a nine-goal thriller in which Rockets snuck past Nedstar Toronto 5-4.Mark Murray was the hero, scoring a penalty stroke a minute from the end to complete a hat-trick and a second successive title for his team.The veterans title was another triumph for Mount Gay Maple, who rode two goals from Venslough Leacock to deny Germany’s Die Keulen and ensure Barbados took all of the trophies.