Hockey India League: Navneet Kaur scores again as SG Pipers make it two wins in two

It was an early dagger for Soorma, who must have felt a sense of deja vu. In their opening match against Bengal Tigers, they had 28 circle entries and 13 Penalty Corners, failing to convert any of those into a goal. And against Pipers, they managed a whopping 35 circle entries without finding the final touch that mattered. Rushed attacks in the final third were a constant feature for Salima Tete’s side as attacks repeatedly broke down once they entered the circle.

For Pipers too, the scoreline could have been better as Navneet was denied a second goal late in the piece by a sensational piece of goalkeeping by Savita. In the final quarter, with Soorma pouring forward in search of an equaliser at the very least, spaces opened up in their defence. Sharmila Devi and Sunelita Toppo, two speedy Indian internationals, combined at pace to release Navneet through on goal. In hockey, it is not easy for a goalkeeper to rush out and save in such situations because of the gear they wear, but Savita read the danger early. She took the call to go towards Navneet instead of tracking back, and swept the ball away with her stick, nailing the late tackle when Navneet was ready to add to her goal tally.