Du Badd could seemingly do no wrong yesterday.
The local side was the toast of the town, when they captured both the mixed and women’s titles with emphatic victories when the curtains came down on the Banks Barbados International Hockey Festival.
Playing on a damp surface at Kensington Oval, Du Badd first shot down Sentry Insurance Rockets 6-3 in the mixed finals, before destroying Empire 3-1 to claim the women’s crown.
It was the first time in the club’s eight years of participating in the festival that they have won a title.
What made the victories that much more special, was the fact that they coincided with the birth of one of their players’ first child, while another also celebrated his birthday yesterday.
In fact, both Aaron Forde, who welcomed his son into the world, and birthday boy Kamar Bovell, commemorated the occasion by scoring goals.
For Du Badd coach, Victor “Saucy” Williams, the moment was a long time in coming.
“Right now, there is just enjoyment all over,” he told SUNSPORT shortly after the mixed team had achieved victory.
“We’ve been in the festival now going eight years and we have made finals on consecutive times, but for the first time we can finally understand what the taste of victory at the end of a final really feels like.”
Williams said that having the achievement coincide with the two celebratory dates within the team made it “especially sweet”.
The women were especially dominant against an Empire side, with several members of the team just having a few minutes of rest following their participation in the mixed match.
After Lana Als missed an easy opportunity to put Empire ahead in the opening minutes, Du Badd took control of the encounter.
Cherise Moore eventually put them in the lead in the 19th minute when she expertly placed her shot past Empire’s goalkeeper Ingrid Gaskin after a skirmish in the penalty area.
Another good buildup by Du Badd saw Shrimatee Ault get in on goal, but her powerful shot went just wide.
Just four minutes after the half-time break, Du Badd doubled their lead thanks to a stroke of luck.
Reianne Stoute’s shot from the right flank took a wicked deflection off Empire’s Ayana Wilson’s stick and flew into the far corner, leaving Gaskin with no chance, to make the score 2-0 in the 39th minute.
Venessa Chewitt then put the icing on the cake with a spectacular solo run in the 41st, dribbling three Empire defenders before laying off to an unmarked Gillian Marville who easily slotted home into an empty net.
With seconds remaining in the game, Wilson then netted a consolation goal for Empire.
Despite their eventual margin of victory, Du Badd’s mixed team had to turn back a spirited challenge from Rockets.
Rockets actually scored the first goal courtesy of a fifth minute strike from Ramon Leacock.
Goals from Forde in the ninth and Chetwyn Henry in the 11th minute gave Du Badd the lead, before Rockets’ Akeem Rudder scored in the 24th minute to level the scores.
From thereon though, it was all Du Badd, with Henry (26th), Barry Clarke (30th) and Bovell helping them to open a 5-2 cushion.
And even when Venslough Leacock pulled one back for Rockets in the 52nd minute, the result was never in doubt, with Katrina Downes putting on the finishing touch after 70 minutes.
ABC and All Stars were playing later for the men’s title.