Hockey India League: TN Dragons edge UP Rudras, earn semis berth

Soorma Hockey Club defeat Bengal Tigers via shootout
ROURKELA: UP Rudras gave their all but couldn’t earn a win in regulation time and it was Tamil Nadu Dragons who qualified for the semifinals of Hockey India League at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.
Dragons needed just a point to make it to the top four and they were able to get that after the match finished 2-2 in regular time. Later Rudras won the shootouts 3-2 in sudden death, but it didn’t matter.
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Meanwhile, Soorma Hockey Club grabbed a 3-0 shootout win against Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers in the first match of the day after it finished 1-1 in regulation time.
As a result, the Bengal Tigers finished on top of the table with 19 points followed by Soorma, who also have 19 points but a lesser number of wins. Toofans and Dragons both have 18 points, but Toofans finished third thanks to their better goal difference.
Earlier in the day, Gurjant Singh put Soorma ahead in the 10th minute through a field goal but with just four minutes left for the final hooter to go, Jugraj Singh equalized from the penalty corner to take the game into the shootouts. Vincent Vanasch then helped Soorma win in shootouts.
Later in the day, Rudras had a brilliant start to the game as Sudeep Chirmako put them in the lead in the ninth minute. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay then doubled it at the stroke of the end of first quarter after Rudras won their first PC of the match.
As the match progressed Dragons tried their best to get back into the game, but Rudras did well to keep them at bay. Their perseverance finally paid off though as Jip Janssen converted their first PC two minutes into the third quarter.
Requiring only a draw to make the top-four, Dragons went all out after that, but Rudras goalkeeper James Mazarelo made some brilliant saves to keep Rudras in the match. However, his walls were finally breached when Thomas Sorsby deflected in Blake Govers’ shot from their fifth PC in the 53rd minute.