Megan Spurling scored her first international goal but it was not enough to give Bermuda's women's hockey team the point they deserved in their opening game of the tournament in Caracas yesterday.

The 17-year-old forward, who fought back from a broken tibia to win her place in the CAC Games squad, struck in the 50th minute to level the scores in a match played in front of 700 vocal Venezuelans at the city's main sports club.

Helen Farrington's fine run from left to right won Bermuda a free hit just outside the circle. It was punched directly to the far post where Spurling arrived in the nick of time to divert the ball home.

But the team's joy turned to disappointment just three minutes later as Venezuela hit back to claim what turned out to be the winner.

Bermuda were also left ruing a poor umpiring decision which handed Venezuela their opening goal; a penalty flick awarded against goalkeeper Alex Lewis, who otherwise had a fine game between the posts.

Assistant coach Cath Davis was a disappointed but proud woman afterwards.

She said: "These 16 players played out of their skins. They gave 150 percent.

Anyone who was watching who was wearing anything connected with Bermuda could walk away from the ground with their heads held high.'' Bermuda had opted for a more attacking formation than in previous years, as they looked to shake off the inferiority complex of a small nation, with Spurling and Krisanthi Bartley pushed up front.

The move had failed to produce concrete results in terms of goals during the recent warm-up tournament in Canada but yesterday things began to fall into place as the Island's women forced a series of short corners.

Farrington was the supply line from the left side of midfield as Bermuda sought to impose themselves on the game. And veteran Brenda Smith, at 38 the granny of the side, was a tower of strength at the back.

But in the 14th minute, a faulty umpiring decision upset Bermuda's plans.

Lewis dived to save and remained unmoved on the ground in front of goal. The rules say that in such a situation a short corner should be awarded but the umpire claimed Lewis had moved and gave the penalty flick.

"Obviously with every important decision you have to play to the whistle, but it was the wrong decision,'' said Davis.

"But if you look at the whole game we were fighting right up until the end.'' Manager Nicola Wilkinson added: "The team did brilliantly under intense pressure. The noise from the sidelines was unimaginable.'' But that pleasure was mixed with frustration. "We wanted a win and deserved at least a draw,'' she said.

Bermuda go straight back into action today with a daunting fixture against Mexico, one the team's backroom staff had identified as offering the Island a chance of a decent result.

But they were making frantic reassessments last night after Davis cast her eyes over them in their match with Jamaica yesterday; a game they surprisingly won 1-0.

"They were much better than we expected,'' she admitted. "Almost to the degree that we switched our hopes of getting a point from them to Jamaica.

"They were very physical, very fast and just ran the whole time. They attack in packs.

"As for Jamaica we tend to think they haven't sent their best squad here.

Obviously they're planning to go to the Commonwealth Games and that is not the one they've sent here. But they're still quick.'' In the other match of the group yesterday, Cuba beat Barbados 5-0, four of their goals coming in a 13-minute period early in the second half.

HOCKEY HOC