Ladies’ gain retribution over perennial rivals

The lasses from Ladies’ College avenged their previous year’s defeat to Bishop’s College with a 2-0 win, to take the LC-BC Challenge Hockey Trophy to Flower Road, in their annual Under 19 hockey encounter at the Astro turf recently.

At the short whistle neither side had crossed the other’s line, though both sides had ample opportunities to do so. While the Bishopians were awarded as much as seven penalty corners, and Ladies’ College were awarded three, neither side was able to rattle their opponent’s goal. In the 32nd minute of the game, Ladies’ College went one up when forward Ishanka Sewwandi ‘Bambara’ broke through and passed to 15-year-old left inside Anishka Gunasekera, who was in position to put Ladies’ College one up.

With Ladies’ College leading and time running out, the Bishopians, sensing that the trophy would be taking up residence at Flower Road, made desperate attempts to break through but the Ladies’ College girls were not going to let the game slip through and every attempt that Bishop’s made was nipped in the bud.

In the fast fading light, with just one minute to go for the final blast, it was once again Ishanka Sewwandi who set up the second goal for Ladies’ when she worked the ball to right inside, Nihinsa Vidanapathirana, to find the back of Bishop’s net and give her side a 2-0 win and the trophy.

The lasses from Flower Road sang, danced, laughed, cried and gave their skipper Jemiah Sourjah her much promised birthday gift. The big match victory on the very day she turned 18 years.

The girls also could not have given a better farewell to the Principal of Ladies’ College, Nirmali Wickramasinghe, as their victory came on the eve of her retirement. And in her farewell address one could not help detecting a tear in her eye and a lump in her throat. Of the special awards that were up for grabs, Anishka Gunasekera of Ladies’ College was awarded the best attacker’s award while, Ruwini Yeshani, also of Ladies’ College, was the Best Defender. Shamika Somawansa of Bishop’s College was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper and Ishanka Sewwandi won the award for the Best Player.

The LC – BC challenge Trophy took up residence at Flower Road when Ladies’ College defeated Bishop’s College by a single goal in their under 17 hockey fixture, at the Astro turf recently.

The solitary goal of the a game was off the stick of Forward Vasthi Samuel off a pass from left inside Anishka Gunasekera.

For the special awards, Yevinka Ellepola of Ladies’ College was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper. Ishank Sewwandi also of the same school, who played in the forward and defensive positions, was the Best Defender, while the Best Attacker was Thrishila, the Bishop’s College centre forward and left inside. (BM)