The second season of the Women’s Hockey India League comes to an end on Saturday, January 10 with the SG Pipers taking on the Shrachi Bengal Tigers in what is expected to be a close contest. The Pipers witness a revival under the Sofie Gierts and Navneet Kaur regime as they went from finishing last in season one to being the first team to qualify for the final.
The Delhi-based franchise finished at the top of the table with 11 points as they have found no issues with getting goals this season. They’re the second-highest goalscorers this season with 11 to their name and Navneet scoring four of them. They have also got the second-best defence this season, having conceded just nine.
Navneet said that the on-field chemistry has improved this season with the addition of some more experienced players to their ranks.
“Last season, on-field connection was not good. We had many young players. This season, we focused on getting experienced players so that there is good connection in every line — defence, midfield and attack. We started planning right after last season ended about what kind of team we wanted. That is the biggest difference and the result is that we are on top this season,” said Navneet.
For the Bengal Tigers, there has been a dependence on penalty corner specialist Agustina Gorzelany, who has scored five out of the seven goals scored by the team. Despite this, captain Vandana Katariya feels that the team has improved with each game.
“From the start, our coach’s message was clear – he wanted us to fight for the title. He won it in the Men’s league last season and his aim was to achieve the same with us. So, that’s the mindset we’ve played with throughout the season. We’ve improved game by game, and now it’s about staying consistent. As a team, we’ve bonded tightly through team meetings, understanding each other’s game. Now, all our focus is on becoming champions,” said Katariya.
With the Women’s HIL set to crown a new champion, Ranchi is ready for an instant classic on the hockey field.
Women’s HIL Final: Squads
Shrachi Bengal Tigers
Jennifer Rizzo (USA), Aditi Maheshwari, Agustina Gorzelany (Argentina), Valentina Raposo (Argentina), Gurjit Kaur, Puja Sahoo, Mahima Choudhary, Monika, Manisha Chauhan, Noor de Baat (Netherlands), Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Emma Findlay (New Zealand), Purnima Yadav, Sukhveer Kaur, Anjali Gautam, Victoria Manuele (Argentina), Sosha Benninga (Netherlands), Lalrinpuii, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya.
SG Pipers
Cristina Cosentino (Argentina), Bansari Solanki, Udita, Jyoti Singh, Lola Riera (Spain), Costa Biondi Valentina Isabel (Argentina), Manisha, Suman Devi Thoudam, Shilpi Dabas, Sunelita Toppo, Kaitlin Nobbs (Australia), Juana Castellaro (Argentina), Ishika, Khaidem Shileima Chanu, Navneet Kaur, Deepika, Sharmila Devi, Preeti Dubey, Maria Teresa Vianaache (Uruguay), Priscilla Jardel Mateos (Argentina).
Women’s HIL Final: Head-to-Head
The Bengal Tigers have beaten SG Pipers in all the four matches played between both teams. The matches between both sides this season ended in a shootout with Bengal Tigers edging past to hold the edge going into the summit clash.
Women’s HIL Final: When to watch
The Women’s HIL final will be played on Saturday, January 10 in Ranchi. The match will begin at 8:15 PM IST.
Women’s HIL Final: Livestreaming details
The Women’s HIL final will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3, and DD Sports. The livestreaming for the Women’s Hockey India League will be on the HIL YouTube channel.
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