Blazers and Lakers drown rivals in Africa Club Championship
Hockey
By
Washington Onyango
| Nov 21, 2023
Blazers Hockey Club and Lakers Hockey Club continued with their dominance at the ongoing maiden 2023 Africa Cup for Club Champions Tournament (ACCC) after picking their second wins in in Blantyre, Malawi on Monday.
Blazers who begun the tournament last Saturday with a 13-1 win saw off Scorpions from Malawi 14-0.
Caroline Guchu and Barbara Simiyu each scored a hat trick in the match as Eleanor Chebet, Maureen Okumu and Flavian Mutiva each netted a brace.
Lilian Aura and Beverlyne Akoth rounded off the win for Blazers who move joint top on seven points same as Lakers Hockey Club.
Lakers are however top on goal difference after scoring 27 goals and conceding none in three matches.
On Monday, the Kisumu-based outfit thrashed Capital Braves from Malawi 15-0 at the National Hockey Stadium to pick their second win in the 10-day tournament being played in a round-robin format.
Lakers captain Alice Owiti gave the Kenyan outfit a dream start after converting a penalty corner inside the opening four minutes before making it 2-0 two minutes later with a well taken field goal.
Former Kenya national team captain Gilly Okumu, signed temporarily from Amira Sailors, made it 3-0 in the 10th minute before reigning KHU Premier League MVP Aurelia Opondo and Lynn Mumbi made sure Lakers took a healthy 5-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Owiti completed her hat-trick in the 15th minute to stretch the scores to 6-0 before passing the scoring mantle to Debra Achieng, who scored a quick brace for a 8-0 half time lead.
In the final half, Agneta Nafula joined the party in the 33rd minute to make it 9-0.
Okumu bagged her second three minutes later before Achieng completed her hat-trick, her maiden in the continental arena as Lakers led 11-0 at the end of the third quarter.
Pauline Ochieng and Elizabeth Awuor made it 13-0 with 10 minutes left on the clock before Mumbi stretched it to 14-0 in the 55th minute.
Okumu, who won the 2022 KHU Women's Premier League title with Strathmore University Scorpions, completed her hat-trick, her second in the tournament to round off the scores.
Okumu has now scored seven goals in two matches to lead Lakers' top goal scoring charts. Mumbi and Owiti follow with six goals and five goals respectively.
On Saturday, Okumu scored four goals as Lakers showed no signs of fatigue despite covering 2, 228km by bus from Nairobi to Malawi. They defeated Scorpions of Malawi 12-0.
Lynn Mumbi also scored four goals in the match as captain Owiti netted a brace. Aurelia Opondo and Yvette Kanyandong sealed the win.
Lakers' only draw in the tournament came on Sunday when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Blazers Hockey Club.
In February, Lakers drew 1-1 against Blazers when they debuted at the delayed 2022 event.
Lakers' only win against Blazers was in May when they stunned the record Kenyan champions 1-0 at Kisumu Day High School in the Kenya Hockey Union Premier League match.
Blazers also began the tournament with a 13-1 win over Genetrix as Western Jaguars saw off Scorpions men 9-0.
Lakers will play defending champions Ghana Revenue Authority on Tuesday from 10am.