The Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons held their nerve under pressure to defeat Ranchi Royals 4–2 in a dramatic shootout after a thrilling 3–3 draw in regulation time in the Men’s Hero Hockey India League (HIL) at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium on Tuesday night.
While the Dragons walked away with the valuable shootout bonus point, the Ranchi Royals had enough in the bank to finish second on the points table, confirming a high-profile Qualifier 1 clash against table-toppers Vedanta Kalinga Lancers later this week.
The evening had significant playoff implications beyond just the two teams involved. Hyderabad Toofans also booked their place in the playoffs, while JSW Soorma Hockey Club now face a daunting task of winning their final league match against SG Pipers by a seven-goal margin if they are to snatch the fourth and final playoff spot ahead of HIL GC.
On the field, it was a game of shifting momentum, high-quality finishing and tactical battles. Ranchi Royals made a dream start, striking inside the opening minute through veteran forward Mandeep Singh. A sweeping move saw Maxime Van Oost unleash a close-range effort that was blocked, but Mandeep reacted quickest to scoop the rebound into the net from a tight angle, giving the Royals a 1–0 lead after just 28 seconds.
The Royals doubled their advantage in the ninth minute from a penalty corner. Tom Boon’s initial drag-flick was stopped, but the Belgian skipper showed sharp awareness to pounce on the loose ball and push it past Dragons goalkeeper David Harte, making it 2–0. Ranchi continued to press, with Araijeet Singh setting up Manmeet Singh on the edge of the circle, only for Harte to make a vital block and keep the Dragons within touching distance.
The second quarter marked the start of the Dragons’ revival. Although Ranchi continued to look threatening in attack, it was Tamil Nadu who struck from their first penalty corner of the match. Blake Govers stepped up in the 24th minute and converted with precision to reduce the deficit to 2–1, shifting the momentum and injecting belief into the Dragons’ camp.
That momentum carried into the third quarter. Govers was again at the heart of the action, this time providing a deft touch that allowed Karthi Selvam to tap the ball home from close range and level the scores at 2–2. However, the Royals were quick to respond. Tom Boon, already on the scoresheet, calmly converted a penalty stroke to restore Ranchi’s lead at 3–2, notching his second goal of the night.
With both teams desperate for points, the final quarter unfolded at a frenetic pace. The Dragons refused to go away and were rewarded for their persistence in the 53rd minute when Govers struck again from a penalty corner, completing his brace and making it 3–3. In the dying moments, Araijeet Singh nearly snatched a dramatic winner for Ranchi with a fierce reverse tomahawk from the edge of the circle, but Dragons goalkeeper Suraj Karkera stood firm to keep the scores level at the end of 60 minutes.
With no separation possible in regulation time, the contest was decided by a shootout. The Dragons showed superior composure, with Nathan Ephraums, Blake Govers, Uttam Singh and Tom Craig all converting their attempts. Ranchi Royals, by contrast, managed only two successful efforts, allowing Tamil Nadu to clinch a 4–2 shootout win and take home the bonus point.
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For the Dragons, it was a morale-boosting result that underlined their attacking depth and mental strength in pressure situations, with Govers once again emerging as a match-winner through his two goals and shootout conversion. For the Royals, the draw and second-place finish keeps their title hopes very much alive, setting up a mouth-watering Qualifier 1 against the formidable Kalinga Lancers.
The Hero Hockey India League now moves into a decisive phase, with the final playoff positions still up for grabs. JSW Soorma Hockey Club will face SG Pipers on Wednesday in a must-win encounter, needing an extraordinary seven-goal victory to leapfrog HIL GC into the top four.
All matches of the Hero Hockey India League continue to be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 and DD Sports, with live streaming available on Waves and the Hockey India League YouTube channel, as the league builds towards an electrifying climax.
