A PACKED slate of hockey action saw plenty of goals across both Men’s and Ladies’ Senior and Minor Cups respectively as league action took a back seat.
Pierre Sangan stole the show as Crusaders put Victoria College 1st XI to the sword.
Tom Millar reports …
PIERRE Sangan scored an excellent hat-trick as Crusaders began their bid to win the Rathbones Men’s Senior Cup with an emphatic 8-2 victory against Victoria College on Saturday at Les Quennevais.
The striker scored the first two goals of the match with instinctive finishes following saves from the opposing keeper, before netting his third in the second period with a regulation conversion at the far post.
Despite Sangan’s early heroics, the schoolboys scored twice in quick succession to level the match – the first a solo run and terrific finish on the reverse from Ben Heelis, and the second a well-timed volley from Jake Le Boutillier.
In fact, it was only a penalty corner strike from Tom Millar towards the end of the half which gifted Crusaders a 3-2 lead at the turnaround.
The boys in blue began the second period with a renewed impetus and slowly took control of the match.
Miserly defending, coupled with precision finishing enabled Crusaders to score five unanswered goals in the second half, as they ultimately ran away with the match.
Along with Sangan’s third, Millar added a second, Mike James scored twice and Mark Dicker snatched a single to complete the rout.
While defending champions JHC Leopards were not in action, OVs Convicts had to come from behind against a dogged Hautlieu later on Saturday.
Rupert Lee had put the Hautlians ahead and it was only late goals from Peter Millar and Ed Hodgson that rescued the points for last year’s beaten finalists.
The Senior Cup begins with a league stage, where each team plays the four other sides just once. The top two then progress to the Senior Cup final.
Elsewhere, in the Men’s Minor Cup, Victoriana had a pair of games in the space of a few days.
On the weekend, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw with the Ladies Island First XI, as Euan McArthur’s strike was matched by Tallulah Spry.
Then Victoriana came out on the wrong side of a 2-3 loss at the hands of VC 2nd XI.
A Sunny Reid double and one from Edo van Eijden sealed victory, despite the efforts from Johnny Heward and Jacob Bell.
Meanwhile, JHC Panthers comprehensively beat VC Colts 5-2.
Paul Fieldhouse grabbed a memorable debut goal, with father and son duo Jamie and Charlie Bore also on the scoresheet, along with Sean Bilson and Dom Simpson.
Herbie Hampton and Indy Simpson netted for Colts.
In the Ladies Senior Cup, a high-scoring thriller ensued between Pastella JLHC 1s and Caesarean Flames.
Emma Bower reports …
In a thrilling end-to-end encounter, Jersey Ladies Hockey Club emerged victorious against a determined Caesarean Flames side, securing a 7-5 win in a high-scoring spectacle.
The game started at a blistering pace, with Jersey Ladies showing early intent. Their first goal was a product of fluid teamwork, as Sarah Jenkins and Emma Bower combined in a silky one-two before Bower calmly slotted the ball past the keeper.
The lead was soon doubled from a well-executed short corner. Harley Cadoret’s precise delivery was deftly deflected in by Jenkins at the near post.
However, the Flames responded with resilience, as Lucas McAllister’s individual brilliance saw him break through the JLHC defence to pull one back.
But Jersey Ladies were relentless in attack, and Farrah Firby’s blistering run down the right wing ended in a pinpoint cross to Emily Wilson, who finished smartly at the back post.
The intensity remained high, and the Flames refused to back down. Edward Johnson found space in the circle and capitalised to reduce the deficit once more. But JLHC struck again – Cadoret showcased her vision with a pinpoint slap pass into the circle, where Phoebe James was perfectly positioned to deflect the ball into the top of the net.
With momentum swinging wildly, McAllister completed his hat-trick for the Flames with two more well-taken goals, keeping the contest alive. But JLHC dug deep, with Lucy Kirby and Maddie Edwards both hammering in solid strikes to give their side breathing room.
The Flames continued to press, netting once more through a well-worked team move finished by Josh Winstanley, but Jersey Ladies had the final say.
Bower capped off the scoring with her second of the match after linking up beautifully with Wilson down the right side.
The pair of Ladies Minor Cup matches both proved very one-sided.
Walkers Falcons defeated Walkers Puffins 7-1, with a brace apiece from Torin Ruark and Jude Pirouet, while Arthur Powell, William Farley and Lewis Kemble also netted.
Alexandre Rousselle was the lone Puffins scorer.
It was even more convincing for Walkers Eagles, who cruised to a 7-0 win over JLHC 2s.
Henry Rigby stole the show with a hat-trick, while the other four were shared between Indy Simpson, William Aikenhead, Charlie Bore and Scott Kingham.
