THREE-WAY TUSSLE: BUT's Omar Walker (left) and Shaquille Callender battling for possession in the circle with Cortiss Boyce (right) of the BDF, yesterday. The soldiers won 4-1. (Picture by Antonio Miller.)

by Craig Cozier

A BADD CONNECTION (ABC) men and women continued their unbeaten surge towards semi-final spots in the 21st anniversary edition of the Banks International Hockey Festival yesterday.

ABC men, the defending champions, were given a tough assignment against Scotland's Family Ness before emerging 2-1 victors, their fourth straight win.

Family Ness took a first-half lead but a cracking strike from 17-year-old national player Laurando Davis and a controversial winner from Anthony Trotman sealed a second-half comeback.

The ABC women also made it four wins on the trot with victories over Raiders (2-0) and Paragon (6-0).

Royal Navy and ABC will progress from Pool B, with this morning's 10 a.m. showdown at the Astro Turf between the two deciding the group winner.

Navy also made it four straight with a decisive 3-0 drubbing of Empire yesterday morning.

Old Gold Roosters, the 2006 winners, and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF), look favourites to emerge from women's Pool A despite mixed results.

Roosters, through a double strike from Tricia Ann Greaves, scored a fine 2-1 win over TTDF in the morning. Jissel Gilbert converted for the Trinidadians.

The Roosters, through their own Trini contingent of Pauline Joseph and Tonya Marie James, went 2-0 up against Deacons later in the afternoon but let it slip and settled for a 2-2 draw.

TTDF men also seem semi-final bound in Pool A, with local teams Maple and Dominion still maintaining interest.

The Trinidadian soldiers have also been dominant in mixed Pool B play and scored a crucial 3-1 win over ABC. Both teams should advance to tomorrow's final four.

There is a four-way battle to progress from mixed Pool A between Roosters, Maple, Dominion and All Stars.

The veterans title will be decided this morning at 9 a.m at Banks' when All Stars meet the Roosters in a virtual final.

Scores (Tuesday and Wednesday):

Men's Pool A: Do Bad Crew 6, Paragon 0; Maple 6, Paragon 1.

Men's Pool B: BDF 4, BUT 1; All Stars 2, Old Gold Roosters 0; ABC 2, Family Ness 1; Old Gold Roosters 3, BUT 1;

Women's Pool A: Old Gold Roosters 2, TTDF 1; Maple 1, Do Bad Crew 0; Old Gold Roosters 2, Deacons 2.

Women's Pool B: Royal Navy 3, Empire 1; Raiders 3, Avengers 1; ABC 6, Paragon 0; ABC 2, Raiders 0;

Mixed Pool A: Old Gold Roosters 3, UWI TT 0; Dominion 2, Vansittarts 0; Dominion 7, YMCA 0; Vansittarts 5, UWI TT 0; Maple 2, All Stars 1; Dominion 1, All Stars 1;

Mixed Pool B: ABC 5, Do Bad Crew 1; Deacons 2, Paragon 0; TTDF 4, Raiders 0; Do Bad Crew 5, Deacons 0 (forfeit); TTDF 3, ABC 1; ABC 2, Riverside 0.

Men's Veterans: Old Gold Roosters 1, Maple 1.