The 25th edition of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games delivered a landmark achievement for the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia on Tuesday, as the country’s national netball squad, the Piton Sparks, secured the first-ever victory in the history of their participation at this elite regional multisport competition.
This year’s CAC Games marks only the second time netball has been included as an official medal sport across the event’s history, and Saint Lucia is making its debut appearance in the six-team tournament. Earning a spot on the medal podium will require the Piton Sparks to finish in the top three of the group, an uphill battle given the presence of regional powerhouses Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as a highly competitive Barbados roster.
The round-robin stage of the competition got off to a rocky start for the Saint Lucian side on Monday, when the team dropped an opening match to Trinidad and Tobago by a 52-25 scoreline. Just 24 hours later, however, the Piton Sparks bounced back in impressive fashion at the Ciudad Juan Bosch Sports Complex, cruising to a 27-point victory over host nation Dominican Republic with a final score of 49-22.
From the first whistle, Saint Lucia established control, holding a narrow 9-6 lead at the end of the opening quarter, where the team’s defensive unit already notched two critical interceptions to disrupt the Dominican offense. The second quarter marked a turning point for the Piton Sparks, who broke open the contest with an 11-5 scoring advantage over their hosts. By halftime, the squad boosted its shooting accuracy to 85% and carried a comfortable 20-11 lead into the break.
Extending their dominance in the third quarter, Saint Lucia added 13 more goals while limiting the Dominican side to just five. The Piton Sparks saved their strongest performance for the final quarter, sinking 16 goals at an 89% conversion rate to lock in the historic win and secure the squad’s first CAC Games victory.
Offensively, the team was led by standout performances across its roster. Starting goal shooter Dasha Eugene anchored the attack, netting 23 goals on an 80% completion rate. Fifteen-year-old Neriah Charlery, who made her senior national team debut just one day earlier in the match against Trinidad and Tobago, delivered a breakout performance off the bench: the young phenom converted 20 of her 23 shot attempts for an 87% accuracy rate. Veteran utility player Roxanne Snyder added valuable depth scoring, chipping in six goals on just seven attempts as a reserve.
Saint Lucia’s defensive unit was equally critical to the lopsided win, laying the groundwork for the team’s full domination of the match. Goal defence Lizzy Dorvius led all players with four interceptions, while defenders Megan Nestor and Aaliyah Estephor added three and two interceptions respectively. Collectively, the defensive unit held the host Dominican side to only 22 total goals on 35 shot attempts, stifling offensive opportunities throughout the 60-minute contest.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, the Piton Sparks will face off against Bermuda’s Longtails, a side that remains winless through the early stages of this year’s tournament. While Bermuda holds a higher global ranking than Saint Lucia, sitting 21st compared to Saint Lucia’s 31st position in the latest World Netball rankings, a victory against Bermuda would give the Piton Sparks a critical momentum boost ahead of their upcoming challenging group matches against regional giants Jamaica and Barbados.