Double Kavallieri triumph in KO finals

Kavallieri 28
Aloysians 23

Kavallieri defied the odds by beating the highly-charged Aloysians who were aspiring to win the cup and make it a memorable double.

The men's KO final was highly entertaining, especially in the opening half.

The lead changed hands several times until Kavallieri opened a four-goal advantage which was whittled down to one goal just before the break (14-13).

The second half was as balanced as the first. Pivot Orlando Bonnici was having a good match for Kavallieri, constantly tormenting the Aloysians' rearguard.

At the other end, Roberto Ragonesi was Aloysians' main threat in attack as balance continued to prevail.

With just a few minutes left on the clock and the score tied at 22-all, Kavallieri struck five successive goals that killed Aloysians' hopes.

The champions were stunned and had to bow to spirited opponents who ended their season on a high.

Player of the match: Keith Bartolo (Kavallieri Kia).

Women's Final

Aloysians 18
Kavallieri 24

Kavallieri were valid winners of the women's KO competition last weekend after keeping at bay Aloysians' comeback threat in the second half.

Aloysians started off on the right footing as they scored just inside the opening minute.

However, Kavallieri had other plans in mind and against all expectations, they scored nine times without reply to leave Aloysians with a mountain to climb.

The second half started with Kavallieri leading comfortably, 11-3. Despite their significant deficit, Aloysians still tried to fight back. They kept piling up the pressure but Natasha Papric and Sue Nygren made sure that their goals saw Kavallieri through.

Papric was Kavallieri's top scorer with nine goals. Brenda Camilleri scored eight times for Aloysians.

Player of the Match: Natasha Papric (Kavallieri).