Table-topper Kalinga Lancers continued their flawless run in the Hockey India League, edging past Tamil Nadu Dragons in a tense penalty shootout at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday. The result marked the Lancers’ sixth straight victory and kept them unbeaten in the competition.
After regulation time ended in a 1-1 stalemate, Kalinga Lancers held their nerve in the tie-breaker, winning 4-1 to claim their second shootout triumph of the season. For the Tamil Nadu Dragons, it was a third consecutive defeat, despite a spirited display.
The Dragons showed early intent and were rewarded in the 19th minute when Blake Govers converted a penalty stroke, beating goalkeeper Krishan Pathak to give his side the lead. Five minutes later, Dilpreet Singh thought he had doubled the advantage after deflecting Liam Henderson’s cross, but a successful video referral ruled the goal out.
Buoyed by that reprieve, the Lancers weathered sustained pressure and gradually worked their way back into the contest. A sequence of three consecutive penalty corners proved decisive as Alexander Hendrickx fired in a powerful effort in the penultimate quarter to restore parity.
With neither side able to find a winner in regulation, the match went to a shootout. Cooper Burns, Angad Bir Singh, Antoine Kina and Arthur van Doren all converted for the hosts, while Uttam Singh was the lone scorer for the Dragons. Stand-in goalkeeper Jed Snowden, replacing Pathak for the shootout, produced a crucial save to seal the win.
Earlier in the evening, defending champions Bengal Tigers finished their round-robin campaign on a high, staging a dramatic comeback to defeat bottom-placed SG Pipers 3-2.
The Pipers made a flying start when Aditya Lalage set up Dilraj Singh for a simple finish, and they doubled their lead through Tomas Domene’s penalty corner conversion. Despite seeing three of their goals disallowed, the Pipers looked in control until the Tigers mounted a late surge.
Jugraj Singh pulled one back with a low flick from a penalty corner before the final break, and Abhishek Nain levelled the scores with a well-taken aerial effort. The turnaround was completed when Affan Yousuf struck the winner, sealing the Tigers’ third win in a heated contest marked by frequent stoppages and tense exchanges.
The results ensured contrasting emotions at the Kalinga Stadium, with the Lancers strengthening their grip at the top while the Tigers closed the league phase with renewed confidence.
