The Jamaican ice hockey team emerged victorious on Saturday night, defeating a powerful Lebanese team, 12-8, in the final game of the inaugural Ice Hockey Challenger Series at Toronto's College Ice Arena.
In front of a rapt crowd, Jamaica jumped out to an early lead before allowing Lebanon to score three goals in the first period to take the lead.
In the second of three 20-minute periods, Jamaica rallied and fought back to lead 6-4 before Lebanon tied the score at 6-6. Buoyed by the cheers of the crowd, Jamaica maintained their advantage and ended the period up 9-6. In the final three periods, Jamaica maintained their momentum, leading 11-7 with four minutes remaining. Solid defense allowed Jamaica to add another point, but they conceded another late in the match.
Reggie Millett and Givani Smith each scored two goals, while Malik McGowan, captain Taos Jordan, Amari Sellers, Tyler Drummond, Dante Sherriff, Avery Grant, Josh Mitton and Marquis Grant-Mentis contributed the remaining points.
Consistent performance across the series
The Challenger Series, a new tournament involving International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) associate members Puerto Rico, Lebanon, and Jamaica, began in Chicago in April, continued in New York in June, and ended in Toronto. Jamaica performed consistently throughout the series, earning the most points in the first two games and automatically qualifying for the finals. Lebanon defeated Puerto Rico 9-3 in the playoffs to qualify for the finals.
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Jamaica has won six of nine games through three matches to improve to 16-6 overall and score 100 or more points since the start of competitive play in 2019.
Don Anderson, president of the Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF), expressed pride in the team's achievements and outlined future goals. “We are now looking to establish an ice rink in Jamaica and build a strong local program that will enable the team to play in Olympic qualifying tournaments,” said Anderson. He added that experts believe the team has the potential to achieve high rankings in the world rankings if given the opportunity to compete regularly at the next level.
Jamaica's victory in the Ice Hockey Challenger Series marks a significant milestone in the country's sporting history and lays a bright foundation for the future of Jamaican ice hockey.
