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JSW Soorma Hockey Club: SG Pipers produced a masterclass of attacking flair, midfield chemistry, and goalkeeping heroics to dismantle Soorma Hockey Club 3-1, extending their unbeaten run and solidifying their position atop the points table in the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2025-26 with a performance brimming with resilience and ruthless execution in Ranchi on Saturday.

The opening phase was an end-to-end battle, but it was SG Pipers who carved out the first clear-cut chance when Argentina’s rising star Juana Castellaro slipped a sublime pass into the circle for her compatriot Priscila Jardel, whose finishing touch missed the target by a whisker. Energised by that move, the Pipers pushed higher up the pitch, pinning JSW Soorma Hockey Club back by constantly buzzing around their defensive circle.

Against the run of play, Soorma earned a penalty corner, and Penny Squibb struck in the 12th minute to make it 1-0, but the Pipers’ response was instant and emphatic. Refusing to let the setback rattle them, they forced back-to-back penalty corners, and Spain’s world-class PC specialist Lola Riera stepped up in the 13th minute to drag-flick home a perfectly placed equaliser.