Koji yamasaki

The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers: The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers pulled off a stunning comeback to win a shootout against the Delhi SG Pipers in the ongoing Hockey India League. The Kalinga Lancers were trailing 1-4 at the halfway mark but goals from Alexander Hendrickx (13’, 52’), Thierry Brinkman (35’, 47’) and Angad Bir Singh (49’) saw them make a remarkable comeback and win the subsequent shootout. The SG Pipers, despite strikes from Tomas Domene (18’, 20’), Corey Weyer (21’), Koji Yamasaki (23’) and Dilraj Singh (37’), still await their first win of the season.

The SG Pipers, eager to avenge their loss to the Kalinga Lancers a few days ago, made a strong start to win a penalty corner in the fourth minute. Jarmanpreet Singh, who had missed the previous clash, opted for a slapshot but Krishan Pathak was up to the challenge. Jarmanpreet created a fine chance a few moments later, but Sanjay swooped in to clear the danger. The Kalinga Lancers broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Hendrickx’s dragflick took a massive deflection off Rohit’s boot and sailed into the goal. It was a well-worked variation and Hendrickx had intended to lay it for Aran Zalewski, but a stroke of luck fetched him a goal instead.

Trailing by a goal, the SG Pipers turned the game around in the second quarter. They struck four goals in five minutes to stun the Kalinga Lancers. Domene beat Pathak with a ferocious dragflick in the 18th minute to equalise. Two minutes later, Domene fired another thunderous strike, this time to Pathak’s left, to bag his second goal of the evening. Weyer got on the scoresheet a minute later when he beat Pathak from close range and the SG Pipers took a comfortable 3-1 lead. It only got better for them as Yamasaki became the first Japanese player to score in the HIL. He latched onto a deflection from Pathak and slammed it home to give his team a three-goal cushion at 4-1.