Jubilant bunch: Lancers players gather around shootout hero Snowden.
| Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
Table-topper Vedanta Kalinga Lancers edged Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons via penalty shootout to remain unbeaten and register its sixth successive win of the Hockey India League at the Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.
Following a 1-1 deadlock after the regulation period, Lancers beat Dragons 4-1 in the shootout for their second victory through a tie-breaker.
The Tamil Nadu-based team suffered its third loss on the trot.
The determined Dragons seized the momentum in the 19th minute. Following their ill-trapped first penalty corner, Blake Govers beat Krishan Pathak on the left off a penalty stroke.
Five minutes later, Dilpreet Singh deflected in Liam Henderson’s cross from the left. But Dragons relied on a video referral to get it cancelled.
Dragons maintained the pressure with their organised and quick moves before Lancers got three consecutive short corners and Alex Hendrickx drew parity with a fast one in the penultimate quarter.
In the shootout, Cooper Burns, Angad Bir Singh, Antoine Kina, and Arthur van Doren scored for the host, while Uttam Singh was the lone scorer for Dragons. Custodian Jed Snowden, replacing a brilliant Pathak in the tie-breaker, made a superb save.
Defending champion Shrachi Bengal Tigers erased a two-goal deficit to beat bottom-placed SG Pipers 3-2 in its last round-robin engagement to post its third win and finish on a high.
Bengal Tigers erased a two-goal deficit to beat SG Pipers 3-2.
| Photo Credit:
BISWARANJAN ROUT
Pipers struck early when Aditya Lalage passed it to Dilraj Singh and the latter tapped it in.
Pipers, who saw three of their goals being disallowed due to different reasons, doubled their lead with Tomas Domene’s penalty corner conversion.
The relentless Tigers earned six short corners and Jugraj Singh found the mark with a low flick to reduce the margin before the final break.
Abhishek Nain utilised an aerial ball to equalise. Affan Yousuf’s winner frustrated Pipers in a contest that was interrupted by heated exchanges.
The results: Shrachi Bengal Tigers 3 (Jugraj Singh 45-pc, Abhishek Nain 45, Affan Yousuf 48) bt SG Pipers 2 (Dilraj Singh 5, Tomas Domene 31-pc);
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers 1 (Alex Hendrickx 44-pc) drew with Accord Tamil Nadu Dragons 1 (Blake Govers 19-ps); Lancers won 4-1 via shootout.
Published – January 18, 2026 09:51 pm IST
