Rourkela: Soorma Hockey Club secured a dramatic 1-1 (4-1 SO) victory over Tamil Nadu Dragons in a nail-biting encounter at the Hero Hockey India League 2024-25. Played at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, the match saw both teams locked in a stalemate during regulation time before Soorma triumphed in the penalty shootouts to clinch the bonus point.
Nathan Ephraums (49’) opened the scoring for Tamil Nadu Dragons in the fourth quarter, but Gurjant Singh (54’) equalized for Soorma Hockey Club just minutes later, setting up a tense finish.
The match began cautiously, with both teams taking time to find their footing. Tamil Nadu Dragons showed early promise but couldn’t convert their forays into shots on target. Soorma’s Gurjant Singh added momentum late in the first quarter, nearly breaking the deadlock with a powerful reverse shot, but Tamil Nadu’s goalkeeper David Harte made a crucial save.
The second quarter saw Tamil Nadu Dragons’ Thomas Sorsby win a penalty corner on the counterattack, only to be denied by Soorma’s solid defense. Soorma gained control of possession, with Victor Wegnez coming close to scoring, but the first half ended goalless.
The third quarter offered chances for both sides, including penalty corners for Tamil Nadu’s Blake Govers and Soorma’s Nicolas Poncelet, but excellent goalkeeping by Harte and Vincent Vanasch kept the scoreboard untouched.
The breakthrough finally came in the fourth quarter when Ephraums capitalized on a save from Vanasch to score for Tamil Nadu Dragons. However, Soorma responded with determination, and Gurjant Singh seized the opportunity to equalize from a penalty corner rebound, sending the match into penalty shootouts.
In the penalty shootouts, Harmanpreet Singh, Victor Wegnez, Vivek Sagar Prasad, and Nicolas Keenan converted their attempts for Soorma Hockey Club. Vincent Vanasch, who was named Player of the Match, made two crucial saves to ensure Soorma’s victory.
“I am in a great team. We had a close match, but I did my part in the penalty shootouts, and we walked away with the win,” Vanasch said after the match.
The action continues on December 30, with UP Rudras facing Vedanta Kalinga Lancers at 8:15 PM IST.
