Mexico move into box seat with big day six win

8th Men's Pan American Junior Championship - Day 6

Day  Match Reports – part 1, part 2, part 3
Day 2 Match Reports here
Day 3 Match Reports here
Day 4 Match Reports here
Day 5 Match Reports here

Mexico jumped to the top of the Pool B standings to keep the pressure on the chasing teams with a thumping 14-0 win over Puerto Rico on the sixth day of the 8^th Men’s Pan American Junior Championship in Cuba.

Match Reports by Graciela H. Ortiz, PAHF Media Officer
For results, standings, team lists and other information from the tournament, visit the Pan American Hockey Federation website.

Cuba 4 defeated Barbados 3
Goals: Cuba - Alberto Díaz 45m, Walberto Olivares 50m, Lázaro Aguilera 57m, Orlando Quirola 63m; Barbados - Randy Jules 5m, Laurando Davis 11m, Jamar Small 40m

Cuba rallied from a three-goal deficit to beat Barbados 4-3 in the opener of the sixth day of the 8^th men's Junior Pan-American Championship in Cuba.

Barbados surprised the hosts and their followers because of their speed and accurate play. With an offensive scheme the visitors opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Randy Jules and doubled their lead soon after through Laurando Davis’s penalty corner rebound.

Cuba tried to advance, but was overwhelmed throughout the field and they never found a way to harm their rivals.

Meanwhile, Barbados defended well and took control of the midfield to dominate the first 35 minutes.

A Cuban fightback was expected after half-time, but Barbados netted again - five minutes from the re-start - through Jamar Small from a penalty corner.

It seemed that Barbados would win the match easily, but the home side reacted and, pushed by their noisy and passionate fans, surprised the visitors and placed them under pressure in defence.

In the 45^th minute, Cuba finally scored through Alberto Díaz from a penalty corner to begin their remarkable comeback.

Barbados meanwhile tried to take advantage of the counter-attack and in the 48^th minute missed an incredible chance to secure the match the lead when Neil Franklin's penalty stroke weak shot was saved by Cuban keeper Leodán Hernández.

Barbados paid for the costly miss as Cuba converted again - in the 50th minute - through Walberto Olivares - from a powerful dragged corner shot.

At that time, Cuba dominated the match throughout the field, cutting Barbados' circulation. Then, the equaliser arrived - in the 57^th minute - when a Cuban player was knocked down inside the circle and Lázaro Aguilera netted the 3-3 from a penalty stroke.

But Cuba was not satisfied, and six minutes later, scored the winning goal by Orlando Quirola while Cuban fans noisily celebrated their team amazing victory.

USA 3 defeated Jamaica 0
Goals: USA - Patrick Harris 14m 41m, Sean Harris 20m

In the second match of the day, United States defeated Jamaica 3-0 in a lacklustre match to jump into second spot of the Pool A points table ahead of Cuba.

Jamaica presented a tough resistance against USA in the first 35 minutes of the match mainly through another excellent performance by keeper Donovan Shakespeare.

The North Americans were superior, but appeared imprecise in the midfield and in front of goal. However they went to half-time leading 2-0 with goals by captain Patrick Harris in the 14^th minute and his brother Sean six minutes later.

The match did not change after the break as USA continued to attack before increasing their lead to 3-0 with another goal to Patrick Harris again.

The slow rhythm did not change for the remainder of the match and USA finally took a deserved victory.

Mexico 14 defeated Puerto Rico 0
Goals: Mexico - Reyson Aguayo 18m 59m, Oscar Galván 23m 41m, César García 27m, Edgar García 54m 56m 64m 66m 69m, Jorge Gómez 48m 55m, Roberto García 40m 57m

Mexico obtained an overwhelming victory over Puerto Rico by 14-0 in the third match of the day to jump to the top of the Pool B but with one more match played.

Mexico had to struggle to break the opposition of an organized Puerto Rico and it took 18 minutes for them to open the scoring when Reyson Aguayo converted. From then on, Mexico appeared more accurate in their combinations to net two more goals before going to the break leading 3-0.

Oscar Galván from a corner rebound, in the 23^rd minute, and César García, four minutes later, obtained the 3-0 half-time lead for Mexico.

Mexico kept the pace in the second half, reaching Puerto Rico's circle several times, to net 11 goals more against a Puerto Rican team who had lost completely control of the ball.

Five of the goals of the second half were netted by Edgar García - in the 54^th, 56^th, 64^th, 66^th and 69^th minutes, while the others were got by Jorge Gómez (in the 48^th and 55^th); captain Roberto García (in the 40^th and 57^th, the latter from a penalty stroke); Galván, in the 41^st minute, and Aguayo, in the 59^th.

Trinidad & Tobago 19 Venezuela 0
Goals: Trinidad & Tobago - Wayne Legerton 2m 16m 20m 26m 34m 46m 54m 68m, Kiel Murray 11m 42m 43m 57m 58m, Akim Toussaint 35m 47m, Alan Henderson 3m, Joel Bodkin 5m, Ezekiel Cupid 28m, Brent Graham 70m

Trinidad & Tobago demolished a young and inexperienced Venezuela 19-0 in the last match of the day to climb provisionally to the third place, but with one more match than Canada, who also have six points.

With eight goals from Wayne Legerton (in the second, 16^th, 20^th, 26^th, 34^th, 46^th, 54^th and 68^th minutes); five by Kiel Murray (in the 11^th, 42^nd, 43^rd, 57^th and 58^th); and the rest through Akim Toussaint (35^th and 47^tH); Alan Henderson (three minutes from the start); Joel Bodkin, in the fifth minute; Ezekiel Cupid, in the 28^th, and Brent Graham, in the final minute, Trinidad & Tobago took the victory.

Change to Match Schedule
Tournament Director Alberto Budeisky of Argentina modified the last two days’ of the program.

Saturday February 26
8.30am: 1^st Pool A v 2^nd Pool B
11am: 2^nd Pool A v 1^st Pool B
1.30pm: ninth-10^th place playoff
4pm: seventh-eighth place playoff

Sunday February 27
9am: fifth-sixth place playoff
11.30am: third-place playoff
2pm: Final