Englebert hat-trick catapults Soorma into Women’s HIL final, Tigers maul Lancers in men’s game

Charlotte Englebert scored her first hat-trick in the Indian Women’s Hockey League to advance to the finals with a 4-2 victory over Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers.

However, the Tigers’ men put up a better performance later on Friday at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium, featuring from the right side in a 5-3 shootout against Vedanta Kalinga Lancers.

Englebert flew out of the blocks in the final match of the group stage, missing markers and scoring the fastest goal of the tournament in 43 seconds.

Using heavy pressing against the Tigers’ 4-3-3, Jude Menezes’ girls extended their advantage as soon as Sharmila Devi’s cross took a deflection and landed in Hina Bano’s shot area.

The Tigers needed to win by at least five wickets to secure a title shot against Odisha Warriors on Sunday. However, any chance of recovery was dashed when Englebert came back and fired a backhand shot at goal. She rubbed salt into the wound, converting a penalty kick that gave the Tigers nightmares for days.

Vandana Katariya and Shilpi Dabas scored twice in the last quarter to make the final score look somewhat decent.

The Tigers win the men’s competition

High-octane, action-packed action took center stage in the second set. Jugraj Singh equalized with a shot in the 10th minute after Angad Bir Singh opened the Lancers’ account following an exchange of goals.

Lancers’ Thierry Brinkman was quick to respond, but captain Rupinder Pal Singh’s spectacular dragflick from a penalty corner (PC) brought the Tigers level again.

Jugraj grabbed another PC opportunity by the scruff of the neck and the Tigers took the lead for the first time.

Abhishek doubled the Tigers’ score in the dying moments of the first half. But Alexander Hendrickx’s third-quarter goal showed the Lancers weren’t here just to make up ground.

Ultimately, Pardeep Sandhu’s clever attacking play kept the Tigers at bay.