But what followed in the remaining three quarters boded well for Lancers as they showed most of their good attacking attributes while combining that with a solid defensive structure. Three goals were scored in the second quarter, from 1-2 to 4-2. They then kept that scoreline intact with a mature performance in the second half, where they were still the better attacking side despite Royals trying to find a way back into the match. Alexander Hendrickx (7′, 28′) once again served as a reminder of his drag-flicking class, while Gursahibjit Singh (16′, 26′) scored two well-crafted goals from close range. For the Harendra Singh-coached Royals, Boon (1′) and Mandeep (9′) were the goalscorers and Araijeet impressed in flashes on his return from injury after missing the Junior World Cup.
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Speak with The Indian Express Before the season, Lancers co-captain Arthur van Doren had said the franchise was conscious of improving their defensive record. “We scored so many goals, but I think we struggled with our PC defense. I think that was the biggest problem. So yeah, if we make sure we get that right, we’re already eliminating half the goals. So we have to make sure our defense is ticked off,” he said. The fact that Pathak’s defense limited Royals to one goal from six corners would have given Van Doren and Co.
While Hendrickx remains their biggest threat from set pieces, Gursahibjit’s two goals would encourage new head coach Jay Stacy, the legendary former Australian player who has taken over from Valentin Altenburg.
Tigers start the defense with a win
In a battle between two sides led by Indian drag flickers – Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh – neither managed to get on the scoresheet, but defending champions Bengal Tigers were deserved 3-1 winners against Soorma Hockey Club. All four goals came from Indians, with Sukhjeet Singh (33′), Abhishek (45′) and Gursewak Singh (60′) on the scoresheet for Tigers, while Prabhjot Singh (54′) scored for Soorma late in the match in what was a consolation strike. Soorma paid the price for not forcing attacking opportunities and creating PC situations where Harmanpreet could intervene. At the end of a cagey first half that finished 0-0, veteran goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch’s fantastic double save kept Soorma in the match. But Tigers came alive in the second, with the highlight of the evening being Abhishek’s sensational reverse strike from the left channel, which stunned even Vanasch with its sheer speed.
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