Women’s Hockey India League: Odisha Warriors pips Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 3-2 in first shoot-out of tournament

Women’s Hockey India League: Odisha Warriors pips Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 3-2 in first shoot-out of tournament

The Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers will be kicking itself after losing 3-2 against Odisha Warriors in the first shoot-out of the Women’s Hockey India League at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here.

The sides were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time.

Although the Tigers ran the Warriors ragged for a major part of the day, their opponents walked away with two of the three points as Freeke Moes, Sonika, and Kaitlin Nobbs found the back of the goal, and Jocelyn Bartram, the busier of the two keepers on Thursday, played hero in the shoot-off.

In fact, the Warriors were nowhere to be found in the first six minutes. The side had started without Victoria Sauze, the Paris 2024 bronze medallist after the Argentine sustained a minor injury the previous night.

But then out of nowhere, in the 8th minute, Sauze, who had just come on as a rolling sub, showed her teammates what they were missing.

The experienced midfielder linked up with Baljeet Kaur, waiting patiently at the far post, and before Jennifer Rizzo could realise, the 23-year-old Indian guided the ball home for the second time this season.

The Tigers got back to the drawing board, and Beauty Dung Dung got on the scoresheet moments after resumption in the second quarter.

Neha Goyal and Co. were spared the blushes after they managed to ward off Udita Duhan, who had a swipe at goal after the Warriors conceded a penalty corner for having six foreigners on the turf.

Rutuja Pisal threatened to disturb the equilibrium with a minute to go, having a shy at goal with a loose ball on offer, but Grace O’Hanlon was quick to snuff it out.