In a breathtaking encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats, the Tamil Nadu Dragons and SG Pipers played out a spectacular 4-4 draw in the Hockey India League (HIL) on Friday. The match, held at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, was ultimately decided by a tense shootout, which the home side clinched to secure a bonus point.
A Rollercoaster of Goals in Chennai
The game was a goal-fest from the outset, swinging like a pendulum as neither team could establish a firm grip. The Dragons opened the scoring in the 9th minute through skipper Amit Rohidas, who fired a low penalty corner into the net. SG Pipers responded quickly, with Tomas Domene finding the equalizer in the 13th minute to end the first quarter at 1-1.
The second quarter exploded into life with three goals in a dizzying two-minute spell. Paul Philipp Kaufmann (17') restored the Dragons' lead with a brilliant diving effort, only for Domene (18') to strike back immediately from a penalty stroke. Incredibly, the Dragons went ahead again within seconds, as Tom Craig (18') converted another penalty corner to make it 3-2.
Pipers Fight Back to Force Shootout
SG Pipers showed great resilience to fight back in the second half. Ky Willott (38') scored from a penalty corner to level the scores at 3-3. The Dragons thought they had won it when Selvaraj Kanagaraj (40') produced a fine deflection to make it 4-3. However, in a bold move, the Pipers removed their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player in the dying minutes. The gamble paid off handsomely as Aditya Lalage (59') scored a superb late goal to tie the match at 4-4 and send it to a shootout.
Dragons Triumph in Tense Tiebreaker
The shootout was a dramatic affair. SG Pipers converted four of their five attempts, with several coming from penalty strokes awarded due to fouls by Dragons' goalkeeper Prince Deep Singh. However, the young goalkeeper made the crucial save that mattered most, allowing the Tamil Nadu Dragons to win the shootout and claim the bonus point. This result means the Dragons finished their home leg unbeaten, with one outright win and two shootout bonus points.
For the SG Pipers, the match extended a frustrating run. The team is yet to win a match outright in the men's HIL since the start of the last season, a statistic they will be desperate to change in their upcoming fixtures.
In the day's earlier match, Soorma Hockey Club registered their first points of the season with a 3-1 shootout victory against Hyderabad Toofans after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
