Kalinga Lancers to take on Dabang Mumbai for HIL title
CHANDIGARH:Kalinga Lancers and Dabang Mumbai made the final of the Hockey India League here on Saturday. In closely-contested semifinals, Lancers edged past Uttar Pradesh Wizards in sudden death (4-3), while Mumbai defeated Delhi 2-0.
Maintaining their reputation of winning the most number of matches in the league stage, Mumbai dominated most of the match and put up a strong defence, giving very little space to the Waveriders in their striking area.
Mumbai took the lead in the second quarter (26th minute) though a penalty corner conversion by their Dutch import Robbert Kemperman.
Instead of going for a direct shot, Mumbai went for a variation so that the goal could get them two points instead of one.
A 2012 London Olympic medallist, Kemperman was on target again and Mumbai took a 2-0 lead. He got the ‘most entertaining player of the match’ award.
Delhi got a couple of chances, including a penalty corner, but Man-of-the-Match Mumbai goalkeeper David Harte made some brilliant saves and scripted his side’s first entry into the final.
“We remained the strongest team throughout the league stage and I am happy that we maintained the form in the semifinal too. Now our focus is on the final,” said Mumbai skipper and two-time Olympic medallist Florian Fuchs of Germany.
The first semifinal between the Lancers and Wizards turned out to be the clash between the goalkeepers — Andrew Charter (Kalinga) and PR Sreejesh (Wizards). It was Charter who emerged the winner, and he was awarded the man-of-the-match.