Rourkela, 08/01/2025: The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers proved their critics wrong with an amazing 6-0 win over the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers in the Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 on Tuesday at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. This big win was their first of the season, giving a boost to their campaign and moving them up to fifth place in the standings.
The Tigers, who were unbeaten and at the top of the standings, were the favourites to win. But the Lancers, who had struggled before, came out strong from the start. Thierry Brinkman shone by scoring the first goal in the third minute after a great pass from Dilpreet Singh. A few minutes later, Sanjay scored from a rebound to make it 2-0. Alexander Hendrickx then added a third goal with a perfect drag flick, leaving the Tigers shocked within the first six minutes.
The Tigers had the ball, but they couldn’t make the most of their chances. Their best opportunity came from Sukhjeet Singh in the first quarter. The Lancers’ defense, led by goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, was very strong. Pathak stopped several penalty corner attempts, including shots from Jugraj Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh. On the other side, Dilpreet Singh hit the post, but the Lancers kept their lead.
The Lancers kept attacking strongly in the second half. In the 29th minute, Nicolas Bandurak increased the lead by redirecting Brinkman’s pass. Brinkman scored again in the 47th minute, running along the goal line and shooting past Bengal’s goalkeeper. Two minutes later, Boby Singh Dhami finished off the game with a powerful shot from the edge of the circle.
The Tigers tried a few times but they couldn’t get past the Lancers’ strong defense. Pathak’s great goalkeeping kept the home team’s goal safe. This heavy loss didn’t change the tigers top spot in the standings, but it was a reminder for them to improve. Meanwhile, the Lancers will aim to continue their strong play in future matches.
