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PAHF Challenge: Guyana qualifies for Pan Am Cup in 2013

Alysa Xavier
Team Guyana Goal Keeper - Alysa Xavier

Despite a 2-0 loss to top seed and pre-tournament favourites, Uruguay, the Guyana Women’s Hockey Team has achieved its primary objective of making the final of the PAHF Challenge. The Challenge which is being played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, begun on July 31st and will be completed when the finals are played on Sunday August 7th 2011. The top two teams in the PAHF Challenge, Guyana and Uruguay, who clash in the final tomorrow (August 7), both earn spots in the World Cup Qualifier for the Americas, the PAHF Cup, to be held in Argentina in 2013.

Leigh Sandison and Ulrica Sutherland
Leigh Sandison joins Ulrica Sutherland (partly hidden) to disposses a Uruguayan striker

Going into their final pool match of the tournament against the unbeaten Uruguayans, Guyana needed to concede as few goals as possible against them to have the best chance for qualification. The Guyanese had drawn their match against Brazil 1-1 earlier in the week and now had to do their best on the final day to finish with a better goal average than the hosts to qualify for the final. The match however proved to be a difficult one with the Guyanese going down by one goal as early as the 4th minute when a powerful penalty corner strike from Uruguayan full back, Karina Bisignano, deflected off the stick of Captain Chantelle Fernandes and into the Guyanese net. Guyana played strong defence but struggled to mount any meaningful attacks as the Uruguayans controlled the possession and applied continuous pressure. In the 22nd minute, Uruguayan substitute, Florencia Norbis produced a skilful deflection on a pass across the scoring circle that proved too difficult for Alysa Xavier who had been having a fine game in goal for the Guyanese.

Ulrica Sutherland
Team Guyana's sweeper Ulrica Sutherland

With the Guyanese down 0-2 at the half, their chances appeared to be slipping away as there seemed to be no way around the organised and skilful Uruguayans. Guyana would however produce a greatly improved second with brave efforts from many of their players including Leigh Sandison, Ulrica Sutherland and Xavier in goal. Uruguay would fail to produce any more goals for the remainder of the match and while Guyana managed to enjoy greater possession of the ball, never seemed to threaten the outcome. The game finished at 2-0 in favour of Uruguay.

With Brazil now needing the beat Paraguay by 5 goals in the final match of the day, the Guyanese girls remained tense as their fate was now in Paraguay’s hands. Brazil would muster a gutsy 4-1 victory but it would not be enough to deny the Guyanese their place in the final. Uruguay topped the pool round with 12 points, Guyana and Brazil managed 7 points each but Guyana placed second with a better goal average. Paraguay finished fourth in the pool with 3 points and Bermuda remained on zero at the end of the pool round. Guyana now faces Uruguay again in the finals at 14:30hrs while Paraguay will challenge Brazil for third place at 12:00hrs tomorrow, Sunday 7th.

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PAHF Pan American Challenge: Hockey ladies open with 2-1 victory over Paraguay in PAHF Challenge

Team Guyana
Team Guyana

A diving finish by right wing Amanda Garnett sent the Guyana ladies into wild celebration as the goal signaled their first lead in a game that saw them drop behind from the outset.  The Guyanese ladies played the second match of the opening day as the PAHF Challenge began on July 31st in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Despite a good start, Guyana conceded in just the third minute to Maria Servian Giosa of Paraguay when Guyanese left back, Marzana Fiedtkou, lost her footing and the ball deep in the Guyana half.  Paraguay made good on their counter-attack and were up by one goal in just the third minute of the match.  Guyana controlled most of the possession for the rest of the half and forced the game into the Paraguayan half but a number of corners and run-of-play chances were squandered as the Guyanese, in their golden Dixie Lee gear, tried to settle their nerves and the pressure of being down.

The second half would see an improved performance by the Guyanese who earned their 7th penalty corner of the match and first of the second half in the 61st minute.  Striker Kerensa Fernandes, who was unfortunately on the substitutes’ bench during the penalty corners of the first half, blasted home a rocket of a shot past the Paraguayan goalkeeper to draw her team even.  Fernandes would have a golden opportunity to put her side ahead when she intercepted an errant Paraguayan pass in defense but found the sliding goalkeeper with her hurried shot.

Gabriella Xavier, who had been enjoying a productive game in midfield received the ball from the right and made a long through pass to the Fernandes high on the left wing.  Fernandes, noticing the Paraguayan defenders being caught out, threaded her pass across the face of goal to find the sliding right wing Amanda Garnett for the winner in the 60th minute.  Although Paraguay would threaten through a few long counterattacking runs, the Guyanese looked firmly in control of the match and maintained their lead for the rest of time.

Earlier in the day, hosts Brazil made light work of Bermuda with a 3-0 victory after gaining a 1 goals lead at the very end of the first half.  Favourites, Uruguay, take the pitch for the first time on Monday August 1st against Bermuda at 10:00 while Guyana faces Brazil at 12:00 in the following match.