Pipers crowned WHIL champions

Three matches. Three shoot-outs. Bengal Tigers won the first two, but SG Pipers won the match that really mattered and were crowned champions of the second edition of Women’s Hockey India League in Ranchi on Saturday.And it was Indian goalkeeper Bansari Solanki, who became their unlikely hero after she put up an exceptional performance during the penalty shoot-outs to help the Pipers win 3-2 after the match finished 1-1 in regulation time.She kept out three shots including a penalty stroke from Agustina Gorzelany during the shoot-outs. On the other hand, Navneet Kaur, Juana Castellaro and Lola Riera scored for the Pipers in front of a packed Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf Hockey Stadium.Speaking after the match, Solanki, named player of the match, was expectedly quite emotional and said, “It could have been only possible because of the team and the belief that we had in each other.”Like their last game against Tigers, Solanki once again came in only during the shoot-outs and, unlike the last time, finished on the winning side this time around.“I was mentally prepared because it was pre-planned that I would be going in if the match went into the shoot-outs. I wasn’t thinking about winning or losing. I learnt from my past mistakes, and I just tried focussing on what my job is,” added the youngster.Not only Solanki, but their other goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino also made numerous saves during the regulation time to keep the Bengal Tigers from running away with the game.Only once her defences were breached when Bengal Tigers took the lead one minute into the first quarter. Sushila Chanu played the ball from just outside the 23-yard line and into the top of the D. It wasn’t well directed but Lalremsiami brilliantly collected it from in front of a defender and played it past the incoming Cosentino and into the net.The goal gave the Bengal Tigers an impetus as they started creating one attack after another and won a couple of PCs but couldn’t convert it.The third quarter saw them continue with their offensive play and Gorzelany failed twice to convert from the PCs. First Cosentino denied her and next she hit the upright. Later, Cosentino made three successive saves off Vandana Katariya, Noor de Baat and Victoria Manuele.However, midway into the fourth quarter, Pipers finally stepped up and it was Deepika, who won their fifth PC of the night. Navneet took the shot, but it went wide. Ishika also tried to get a touch to it but couldn’t connect.Eventually with seven minutes and twenty seconds left, Preeti Dubey got the equaliser. Her shot would have sailed over the bar but the ball hit Jennifer Rizzo’s lofted stick and deflected into the net.With about two minutes left, Naveneet then hit one hard towards the goalmouth, but Toppo sadly couldn’t connect with the bouncy pass, and the match finished at 1-1. However, that miss didn’t matter in the end as the Pipers lifted the trophy after the heroic efforts of Solanki.