HOCKEY INDIA LEAGUE | Pipers undone by Royals ahead of big final

SG Pipers seems to have momentarily lost the plot just ahead of the big final against Shrachi Bengal Tigers of the Women’s Hockey India League 2025-26. On Thursday, it was humbled by the already-eliminated Ranchi Royals 5-2 in this edition’s highest-scoring encounter at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Stadium here.

Royals’ Neha Goyal may have earlier lamented the lack of a leading dragflicker, but on Thursday, it took Lucina von der Heyde merely two minutes to step up to the plate. The Argentine did have help from the opponent’s rusher, Sunelita Toppo, who erroneously nicked the ball to leave the goalkeeper blind-sided.

Madhuri Kindo would have felt betrayed by her defenders when, eight minutes later, Navneet Kaur made a marauding entry into the circle. She not only managed to find Shileima Chanu Khaidem on the left but also managed to tap the ball in after Sharmila Devi relayed it back to the Pipers’ skipper.

The Pipers survived a scare in the second quarter when Hannah Cotter hurled the kitchen sink at the target. It required a diving effort from Bansari Solanki to glove the ball to safety.

The relief was short-lived as the Pipers’ defensive line was caught napping once again, with Albela Rani Toppo threading a pinpoint pass to home girl Sangita Kumari in front of goal. The crowd wasn’t disappointed, as she lived up to expectations.

After an initial unsuccessful attempt, penalty corner injector Agustina Albertarrio and her compatriot von der Heyde made it count on the encore, with the latter squeezing a far-castle delivery through a small gap between Cristina Cosentino and Lola Riera.

Cotter’s efforts around the ‘D’ were finally rewarded as a reverse tomahawk from the Black Sticks playmaker had Cosentino plucking at the air. An extra field player hardly came in handy for the Pipers, for Navneet’s second goal was cancelled out by Cotter’s brace.

The result: SG Pipers 2 (Navneet 10 & 58) lost to Ranchi Royals 5 (von der Heyde 2-pc & 47-pc, Sangita 14, Cotter 55 & 60).