The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers celebrated their first win in the Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 with a stunning 6-0 victory over the Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Tuesday. This victory was powered by impressive performances from Thierry Brinkman, who scored twice, and contributions from Sanjay, Alexander Hendrickx, Nicolas Bandurak, and Boby Singh Dhami.
Entering the match, the Tigers were riding high with three wins from three games and topped the league standings. In contrast, the Lancers were looking to turn things around after suffering two losses and a draw. Right from the start, the Lancers set the tone, jumping ahead 2-0 in just four minutes. Brinkman opened the scoring in the third minute with a well-placed shot after receiving a nice assist from Dilpreet Singh. Shortly after, a penalty corner led to another goal, as Sanjay scored on the rebound after a saved attempt from Hendrickx.
Hendrickx then added to the tally with a powerful drag flick in the sixth minute, stretching the lead to 3-0. This was a marked improvement for the Lancers, who had struggled with penalty corners earlier in the tournament. While the Tigers struggled to capitalize on their chances, Sukhjeet Singh managed to create one solid opportunity in the early going. As the first quarter progressed, the Lancers continued to apply pressure, but goalkeeper Carr managed to keep the score from getting even worse.
In the second quarter, the Tigers earned a penalty corner but were unable to convert, thanks to the excellent saves from Lancers’ goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak. At the other end, Dilpreet Singh’s powerful shot hit the post, coming close to adding to the Lancers’ score. A few minutes later, in the 29th minute, Brinkman made another key play, passing to Bandurak, who deflected the ball into the net for the Lancers’ fourth goal.
The third quarter saw a brief moment of hope for the Tigers when Sukhjeet Singh launched a counterattack, but Pathak again came up big, denying Affan Yousuf’s shot. Pathak’s standout performance continued as he made a critical save against Jugraj Singh’s drag flick in the 40th minute.
The fifth goal for the Lancers came in the 47th minute, where Bandurak assisted Brinkman, who skillfully navigated the goal line before scoring. Just two minutes later, Boby Singh Dhami capped off the scoring with an impressive tomahawk shot from the edge of the circle. Despite some chances, the Tigers couldn’t find the back of the net, and this victory propelled the Lancers to fifth place in the standings while the Tigers remained at the top, despite the setback.
Published On: January 7, 2025
