Bhubaneswar witnessed pure hockey drama on Wednesday as Tamil Nadu Dragons outlasted Ranchi Royals 4-2 in a penalty shootout during the Men’s Hockey India League. Tied at 3-3 after 60 minutes of intense action, the shootout proved decisive, awarding Dragons a vital bonus point.
Ranchi Royals, now confirmed in second place, will face Kalinga Lancers in Qualifier-1 on Friday. Hyderabad Hurricanes have also qualified for playoffs, while Surma Hockey Club faces a herculean task: beating SG Pipers by 7 goals on Thursday to advance.
The game exploded into life early. Just 28 seconds in, Mandeep Singh capitalized on a Maxim van Ost rebound to open scoring. Tom Boon made it 2-0 in the 9th with a quick follow-up on his own drag-flick. Dragons responded in the second quarter, Blake Govers scoring from a penalty corner in the 24th to make it 2-1.
The third quarter saw Karthi Selvam tie it at 2-2 after Govers’ assist. Boon’s penalty stroke goal in the 35th gave Royals the edge again at 3-2. But Govers’ second penalty corner goal in the 53rd forced extra drama. Ranchi’s late push was denied by Dragons’ keeper Suraj Karkara, leading to shootout heroics from Nathan Ephrams, Govers, Uttam Singh, and Tom Craig.
This result underscores the unpredictability of HIL, where every point counts in the playoff race. Dragons stay in contention, setting up an exhilarating conclusion to the league phase.
