Odisha Warriors’ only loss in the tournament came against the Soorma Hockey Club in a league game with a 1-2 margin and Janneke Schopman’s side avenged it rather decisively, in the summit clash. Rutuja Dadaso Pisal starred with a brace and was named the Player of the Match.
A Janneke Schopman side was finally able to win a decisive clash at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi as Odisha Warriors became the first-time champions of the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL). Schopman may not have done it then against Japan as the then-India coach, but her side made sure to complete the redemption arc as she got over the line against Soorma Hockey Club’s Jude Menezes, then coach of Japan, in the final 2-1 with Ruturaj Dadaso Pisal emerging as an unlikely hero.
Soorma Hockey Club won the toss and chose to play. The Salima Tete side had the lion’s share of the possession in the first five minutes. There was a bit of pushback from the Warriors and Soorma HC even got a yellow card but the goalpost remained largely untroubled in the first quarter. The Warriors came back into the second quarter with a bit of steel and fire with Rutuja leading the pack.
Victoria Sauza served a long ball, which seemed very high and likely going for a long corner and there was Rutuja with wolf eyes, expertly intercepting the pass to deflect it into the goal post having the best goalkeeper of the tournament, Savita, stunned. However, Soorma didn’t have to wait for the equaliser for long.
The table-toppers decided to remind the Warriors what a champion outfit looks like as they earned a penalty corner and managed to convert it (after having done it only once whole tournament) in a surprise to many as Penny Squib got into the box and the scoreline was 1-1 heading into the third quarter.
Rutuja’s field goal woke something up in Soorma HC. They came attacking at the start of the third quarter and were relentless. They had more shots on goal but no damage was done and it was down to the final quarter. Warriors were starting to feel fidgety as Soorma even though didn’t get many shots on the target weren’t letting their opponents breathe easy but it was Rutuja again to make things happen, with just a little over four minutes remaining on the clock.
Captain Neha Goyal got through and kept Rutuja in play before the latter finally broke the deadlock and Soorma HC was stunned yet again. The Warriors despite the pressure exerted by Soorma in offence and defence, managed to get two quality shots through and managed to keep it at that to win the title.
The trio of Soorma Hockey Club won the individual player awards – Jyoti (Player of the Tournament), Savita (Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament) and Sonam (Upcoming Player of the Tournament) while the award was shared for the league’s Top Scorer of the Tournament between Yibbi Jansen of the Odisha Warriors and Soorma’s Charlotte Englebert.
