Caribbean Sports Network

TT Water Polo team kept in the medal hunt on Tuesday when they comprehensively defeated Guatemala 18-0 in their third match at the 21st CAC Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. With two wins and one loss, TT need another victory to qualify for the medal rounds. However they lost to hosts Puerto Rico 16-10 on Tuesday night.

Against Guatemala, TT opened the scoring in the first minute with an item from captain John Littlepage, Delano Otero got into the act a minute later after faking the Guatemalan net minder and with 4:10 to go in the period Delano again tricked the keeper but this time he passed to Matthew George who made no mistake, taking the score to 3-0.

With 1:44 left in the period Christopher George drilled one into the top left corner to finally get his name on the score sheet after several attempts.

TT, following coach Kevin Foster’s direction played steady team defence and with Andrew Too-A-Foo gaining in confidence , hauled in everything that came his way.

From the start of the second period TT continued their offensive pressure through Delano Otero. With 6:46 left in the period Alec Chin Lee moved in to space on the near post and netted Littlepage’s pass.

A patient TT got their next goal with 4:11 to go off a brilliant solo effort from Otero 6-0. On the next position Christopher George scored from five metres out 7-0.

Before half time Simon Chin Lee added to Guatemala’s frustration netting twice to extend the TT lead to 9-0.

On the resumption TT kept the scorers busy. Two minutes into the action Kristian Bocage earned his team a penalty and Matthew George converted 10-0. TT continued to apply pressure blocking shots and stopping everything on cage but failing to add to the score missing five attemps at goal.

With 2:33 to the end of the period Bocage gets thrown out of the game after retaliating, TT, a man down with four minutes left in the period. Too-A-Foo stops the ensuing penalty and a Kris Thomas score saw TT to an unassailable 11-0 lead.

Early in the third period a goal mouth scuffle escalates into a full scale fight. TT’s Simon Chin Lee suffered a nose injury, the ball remains in play leaving TT with three players in the water.

TT however kept their composure as Guatemala were unable to settle after the fracas as TT reel off seven unanswered goals. Littlepage in total command scored three and drew a penalty, two goals from Matthew George and one each from Francis and Thomas rounded out the scoring for the 18-0 win.