Rourkela (Odisha) [India], December 31 : James Mazarelo delivered a match-winning performance to help the UP Rudras secure a 3-1 victory against the Vedanta Kalinga Lancers in their Hero Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 match at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on Monday.
Despite trailing after an early goal by Enrique Gonzalez (13'), the UP Rudras staged a remarkable comeback with goals from Kane Russell (45', 60') and Sudeep Chirmako (50').
The UP Rudras set the tempo early in the first quarter, with captain Hardik Singh orchestrating play from midfield. Despite dominating in circle penetrations, their forwards failed to challenge Krishan Bahadur Pathak in the Kalinga Lancers' goal.
According to an official statement from the HIL, "The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers finally found their rhythm midway through the quarter with English forward Nicolas Bandurak proving to be a menace for the UP Rudras defence with Arthur van Doren also having a crack at goal."
The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Sanjay's run down the right flank set up Boby Singh Dhami, who threaded a pass to Gonzalez. Gonzalez finished clinically to give the Lancers the lead.
The Lancers could have extended their lead, but Mazarelo's stellar goalkeeping denied attempts by Alexander Hendrickx, Partap Lakra, and Thierry Brinkman.
In the second quarter, the Lancers continued to dominate, frequently penetrating the Rudras' circle. However, Mazarelo's reflexes kept his team in the match, making crucial saves. Meanwhile, the Rudras struggled to create meaningful chances and faced a resilient Kalinga defence, led by 21-year-old Rosan Kujur playing in front of his home crowd.
By halftime, the Lancers had 13 circle penetrations compared to the Rudras' six. Mazarelo's five first-half saves were pivotal in keeping the scoreline at 1-0.
The third quarter saw Mazarelo denying Boby Singh Dhami a spectacular goal in the 33rd minute. The Rudras' attack began to show signs of life, with Akashdeep Singh and Manmeet Singh testing Pathak, who produced fine saves to maintain his team's lead. However, the Rudras finally broke through in the 44th minute when Kane Russell converted their first penalty corner with a powerful drag flick to level the score.
Buoyed by the equalizer, the Rudras pushed forward in the final quarter. Chirmako forced a penalty corner in the 46th minute, but Pathak's sharp reflexes denied the effort. The Rudras took the lead in the 50th minute when Lars Balk's drive was deflected into the goal by Chirmako, silencing the home crowd.
The Lancers intensified their efforts to equalise, but Mazarelo's brilliance thwarted every attempt. In the 54th minute, Thierry Brinkman was denied a promising position by Mazarelo's quick reactions.
With three minutes left, the Lancers removed Pathak for an additional outfield player, but the Rudras capitalised on the open goal. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay won a penalty corner with 14 seconds remaining, and Kane Russell fired home his second goal of the night to seal the victory.
James Mazarelo, named Player of the Match, said in a HIL press release, "It is a massive win just to show that we know that even if we're down in the game, we're always in the match and then we can back ourselves to go and score multiple goals."
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