Army cop $10,000 Super Cup

DEFENCE FORCE have captured the first-ever NASAMA Enterprises-sponsored Netball Super Cup Championship trophy, gold medals and the $10,000 cheque. They emerged champions by virtue of holding off Mucurapo Ex-Pupils 37-34 in Game Two of their best-of-three match final at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo. And Police took the bronze medals and $3,000 third place cheque after ekeing out a 43-42 victory over Caribbean Facilities Corporation (CFC) in their Game Two play-off also on Monday night. There was a slight hitch before the start of the finale when Joel Brown a member of the volunteer Defence Force was forbidden to play for Mucurapo Ex-Pupils, the team he played for throughout the four-team preliminary round and in Game One.

But after tournament organiser Selwyn Melville threatened to award the game to Ex-Pupils, and should Brown be further debarred he would award the title to the Mucurapo team, the young volunteer was allowed to play. Now Brown is fearing disciplinary action against him by Defence Force authorities. Defence Force led 12-6 at the end of the first quarter, But Ex-Pupils tightened up their mid-court play to match the Army-Coast Guard team 10-10 in the second period for a 22-16 half-time scoreline. The young Ex-Pupils rallied strongly in the third quarter and had the large crowd screaming in delight as they outscored Defence Force 10-6 to trail by only two goals at the end of the session. The crowd was kept on their feet throughout the final stanza, as the teams traded goals, but Defence Force never surrendered their lead and held off the determined challenge of Ex-Pupils who had to settle for the silver medals and $5,000 runners-up prize.

Goal-shoot Anastacia Wilson was in great form for Defence Force, scoring 24 goals from 27 attempts, while Stephen Lewis had 13 from 16 attempts.  National under-21 goal-shoot Afeisha Noel had 33 goals from 52 attempts and Simone Morgan got one of eight for Ex-Pupils. Police who won Game One in a 66-30 rout, got all they could handle from CFC in Monday night’s match which went down to the final whistle. The Police team were held 10-10 at the end of the opening quarter, but extended to a three-goal lead by the half - 20-17. This lead was trimmed to two goals 31-29 by the end of the third period, and with national skipper and goal-shoot at her best, the teams exchanged shots for the entire 15-minute final period with CFC coming up just one goal shy, leaving them with the $2,000 fourth place money. Donna Elise Charles scored 23 goals from 32 attempts and Floyd Lashley sank 20 of 25 for Police, while Barker had 26 goals from 31 attempts and Raquel Russell scored 16 of 23 for CFC. At the end Brown, the Ex-Pupils goal-defence was awarded both the Most Outstanding Player and Most Disciplined Player prizes, while Under-21 goal-keeper Corissa Blugh (Ex-Pupils) copped the Most Outstanding Youth Player award and Wilson (Defence Force) was named top shoot.