Women’s FIH Pro League: India Defeat USA In Shootout For Second Consecutive Win

Indian women’s hockey team posted their second win in a day as it defeated USA in a shootout 2-1 in their latest Women’s FIH Pro League match in Rourkela.

A day earlier, India defeated World No. 3 Australia.

Sunday’s encounter went into the shootout after the match ended 1-1 after four quarters. India scored the opening goal in the 19th minute through young drag-flicker Deepika Kumari before Ashley Seesa equalised for the USA in the 45th minute.

Mumtaz Khan and Sonika were on target in the shootout, while Leah Crouse scored for the losing team. Despite the win, the Indian chief coach, Janneke Schopman, would be unhappy with the way the Savita Punia-led side dominated for most part and still could not win the contest in regulation time despite earning several penalty corners.

The win on Sunday came after India had thrashed the US 3-1 in the Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League. The victory would have soothed the nerves of the 20,000-odd crowd at the stadium, who saw US score the equaliser in the dying minutes of the third quarter.

India completed their Pro League engagements at home with five defeats and three wins — twice against the USA and once against Australia. Having defeated Australia on Saturday at the same venue, the Indians definitely had spring in their steps but they displayed the tendency to hang on to the ball for far too long and their penalty corner conversion remained abysmal.

Four minutes into the second quarter India earned their first PC, and Deepika punched in the goal, sending a solid and low shot that hit the bottom-right corner of the goal.

The US team was a bundle of energy all through and desperately tried to get back into the game, but against the run of play, India earned three more penalty corners before the end of the second quarter, all of which were not utilised.