Lancers defeat Wizards via penalty shootout, storm into final

Kalinga Lancers stormed into the final of the Hockey India League (HIL) after defeating Uttar Pradesh Wizards via a penalty shootout in a semifinal here on Saturday.

Both teams were locked 4-4 as the match went down to the wire, and it was only in the sudden death that Lancers won 4-3.

Lancers’ Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter, who won man-of-the-match, saved several goals for his team, not only in the alloted time but also in the penalty shootout.

Earlier, Akashdeep Singh of the Wizards pumped in a goal in the dying minutes of the alloted time after the Lancers were leading 4-2.

The Lancers, who were down 1-2 at the half time, came back strongly post interval to turn the tables on the Wizards.

ON TARGET

For the winners, skipper Mortiz Fuerste and Billy Bakker scored the winning goals.

UP Wizards took an early lead when Belgian Florent Van Aubel scored the first goal in the 4th minute converting from a pass from Arthur van Doren.

Being a field goal, its conversion was counted as two as per tournament rules.

Prior to that they earned a penalty corner in the opening couple of minutes and two more by the half time, but they failed to convert any of these.

Just three minutes before end of the first quarter, Lancers Devindar Walmaki scored through a penalty corner.

Till half-time, the Wizards, who were leading 2-1, played some attacking hockey and had it not been for some valiant saves made by Charter, they would have scored more goals.

Kalinga Lancers, however, were back in action when their skipper Mortiz Fuerste of Germany scored the equaliser in the fourth minute of the third quarter.