Ranchi, Jan 12 (IANS) Kalinga Lancers' goalkeeper Jed Snowden said that the team was very happy after their victory over the Hockey India League Governing Council and was hopeful of making it to the men’s Hockey India League (HIL) final.
Snowden made an immediate impact after coming off the bench in the shootout, helping his team secure a 3-1 victory against HIL GC following a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation in their third match of the tournament on Sunday.
Ajeet Yadav (19’) initially scored to give HIL GC the lead, but Alexander Hendrickx (23’) equalised for the Lancers, intensifying the final moments of the game. Neither team managed to secure a win in regulation time, resulting in a shootout where Snowden’s calmness played a crucial role.
Snowden later commented on the challenges posed by the weather and the tough competition.
“It was a very hard-fought game. It’s a different turf compared to Chennai, so some of the guys struggled a bit with their skills. But we stuck it out right to the very end, and obviously it ended in a draw,” he said.
“We trained on the pitch the day before, so me coming on for the shootouts, the pitch wasn’t an issue for me. To get the extra point in the shootout win puts us in a very good position. Hopefully, we can make the finals and we’re on top of the ladder now, so everyone’s very happy,” Snowden added.
After initially conceding in their first attempts, Snowden and HIL GC’s James Mazarelo rejected the next two challengers. Arthur Van Doren successfully converted for the Lancers, but Ajeet Yadav missed his attempt, enabling Dilpreet Singh to secure the victory.
Although the campaign had a promising beginning, Snowden was quick to emphasise the need to remain focused.
“It feels good, but we still have a long way to go. There are a lot of good teams left to play and we want to win as much as we can. Being in this position gives us full confidence because we’re playing very well, and we don’t see any reason why we can’t finish on top,” he said.
Snowden also emphasised the close camaraderie within the Lancers camp as a crucial element behind their success.
“On and off the field, everyone’s getting along very well, and that’s really important as a team. You understand each other as hockey players and as people, and it makes it easier to have conversations about hockey and how we can all get better together.”
Commenting on the overall quality of the Hockey India League, Snowden pointed to the depth across squads rather than individual stars.
“The biggest difference is the number of international and Indian national players. Every team has a lot of high-quality players, but it’s more important how the team plays together rather than which team has better players on paper.”
For Snowden, the tournament has also been a distinctive personal experience.
“It’s my first time in India and my first time playing with Indian players, which has been awesome. Learning how they approach hockey, and also learning from the Belgian guys and what they’ve picked up over their long careers, helps us get better as a team and even as individual players," he concluded.
Kalinga Lancers secured the win, moving to the top of the table and staying unbeaten in the tournament. Their next match is against Hyderabad Toofans on Wednesday.
--IANS
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