The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BOTH of the Bahamas' beach soccer teams remain in medal contention after mixed results at the national beach soccer stadium last night.

The boys' team secured the first win of the tournament for the Bahamas, a dominant 7-3 decision over Antigua and Barbuda.

The Bahamas erupted for six goals in the second period for the first international beach soccer win for the programme at the youth level.

Tevin Lewis struck first with his strike that took a favourable bounce off the sand and over the hands of Antiguan keeper Jernya Oscar.

Bahamas goalkeeper Michael Butler followed with a save on a penalty kick and several other shots on goal to keep the visitors scoreless for the remainder of the first period.

Chadwick Russell gave the Bahamas a 2-0 lead at the 9:24 mark in the second and less than a minute later, Phieron Wilson tacked on another goal to give the Bahamas a 3-0 lead at 8:31.

Oakland Duncan continued the high scoring period for the Bahamas with another goal at the 6:41 mark. Wilson scored his second goal on a header to give the Bahamas a 5-0 lead with just under five minutes left to play in the period. Russell added his second goal of the period as the Bahamas rallied for a 6-0 lead.

Antigua took advantage of a miscommunication to finally stop the Bahamas' run when Malique George scored a header into an open net. The Bahamas capped the scoring in the period when Butler delivered a perfect throw in to Johnathan Richardson who pressured Antigua's Isaac Hughes into an own goal. The Bahamas would take a 7-1 lead into the third.

Hughes and George would score goals for the visitors in the third for the game's final margin.

The girls' team rebounded to deliver a valiant effort following day one's blowout loss but still came up just short in their comeback effort.They lost the 2-1 (3-3) decision on penalty kicks to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Both teams were shorthanded with limited benches as the Bahamas had three reserves and Turks just one. Alicia Telle was again the leading goal scorer for the Bahamas and got her goal scoring started early late in the first period. She followed an early Bermuda goal to tie the score at one.

Turks captain Sidney Campbell regained the lead almost immediately for Turks and Caicos with her first goal. Tyra McKenzie would respond for the Bahamas when she corralled a deflection and scored for the Bahamas to tie the score at 2-2 with 2:48 left in the first.

The teams took a tie into the second before Turks scored again to take a 3-2 lead.

With time winding down in the period, Telle was aggressive in the box and drew a penalty. She tied the game at 3-3 with a successful penalty shot.

Neither team was able to score in the third or in extra time as the game went to penalties. Telle converted the lone successful conversion of the three attempts for the Bahamas. Both teams return to the pitch tonight against Trinidad and Tobago. The girls' game takes place at 6:45pm followed by the boys in the final game of the night at 8pm.