David Harte scored a brilliant goal to lead Tamil Nadu Dragons ( Tamil Nadu Dragons defeated Hyderabad Toofans in a thrilling penalty shootout with a score of 4-3.
Dragons goalkeeper Hart made four saves in the shootout and added a string of saves in regulation to frustrate Tufan’s attack and push his team to the top of the table. Maico Casella’s goal from the corner – Tufan’s 13th of the night – tied the game at 2-2 with less than 120 seconds left, but Hart once again found his feet in the penalty shootout.
ALSO READ: After success as analyst in Belgium, Emily Calderon struggles to climb the men’s hockey ladder
The game started at an intense pace, with both defenses caught off guard, scoring two goals in the first two minutes. Tufan took the lead when Tim Bland slid the ball into the goal after receiving a pass from Rajinder Singh. The Dragons responded immediately through Blake Govers, who collected a pass on the edge of the area before knocking home the rebound with a crisp, low strike.
It was an end-to-end game with the Dragons often finding the forwards but they were denied by goalkeepers Vikas Dahiya and Bikramjit Singh. Tufan fought back strongly in the second quarter, winning several short corners but were unable to break through the Dragons defense.
However, the Dragons’ Jip Janssen seized the opportunity and the Dutch defender fired the ball past Dahiya into the right corner, taking his tournament tally to six.
Also Read: Delhi SG Pipers redeem pride with penalty shootout victory over Odisha Warriors
Irishman Hart came to the Dragons’ rescue with several stunning saves, including three consecutive blocks in a matter of seconds to keep the lead alive. The Tufan team tried to use Amandeep Lakra and Rajinder of the second team as bait for penalty corner changes, but they were frustrated.
David Hart (goalkeeper) of Tamil Nadu Dragons in action. |Photo credit: HIL
David Hart (goalkeeper) of Tamil Nadu Dragons in action. |Photo credit: HIL
In the final seconds, Gonzalo Perat, Arthur de Slover and Brand all tried to equalize before Casella managed to get past Hart with an accidental deflection.
result:
Tamil Nadu Dragons 2 (Blake Govers 4′, Jip Jansen 37′) vs Hyderabad Tuvans 2 (Tim Bland 3′, Mytho Kasela 59′ ) drew; the Dragons defeated the Toofans 4-3 on penalties.
