Ranchi Rays have been crowned Hero Hockey India League champions for 2015 following a dramatic penalty shoot-out triumph over Jaypee Punjab Warriors in a high quality tournament final at New Delhi’s Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday.
The two teams met after overcoming tough semi-final challenges on Saturday, with the Rays battling to a 9-8 'sudden death' shoot-out win over Uttar Pradesh Wizards before goals from Indian penalty corner star Sandeep Singh and Argentina striker Agustin Mazzilli gave the Warriors a 2-0 victory over Sardar Singh’s Delhi Waveriders.
Sunday’s showdown was an absolute cracker, with both the Rays and the Warriors putting on a fantastic spectacle for the fans not just in the stadium but also to millions of viewers watching the action on TV. Jaypee Punjab Warriors were forced to play the game without Australian legend and team captain Jamie Dwyer, who was missing through injury. However, it was the performance of another Australian that proved to be decisive, with Ranchi Rays’ goalkeeper Tyler Lovell producing a sensational display to help his team lift the coveted Hero Hockey India League trophy.
Jaypee Punjab Warriors lead the final on two occasions, with Lovell’s 2014 World Cup winning team-mates Kieran Govers and Chris Ciriello finding the net while Stanli Minz and Barry Middleton twice pulled the Rays level as the match finished with the scores locked at 2-2. Lovell, who had made numerous breathtaking saves in normal time, produced a goalkeeping master-class in the shoot-out, keeping out efforts from Simon Orchard, SV Sunil and Robert Hammond to give Ranchi a 3-2 win.
Lovell’s performance deservedly earned him the Hero Man of the Match Award, while team-mate and Rays’ captain Ashley Jackson was named Hero Most Valuable Player of the Tournament thanks to a series of wonderful displays during this season’s HHIL.
Ranchi Rays’ Head Coach Harendra Singh was delighted with his team’s success, and was quick to praise the efforts of his goalkeeper. “Tyler Lovell’s experience got us here today and helped us lift the trophy. The boys followed the ‘C’ formula, which is being Cool, Calm and Competitive. That was showcased in all our matches”.
Delhi Waveriders claimed a third place finish in this year’s Hero Hockey India League, with Rupinder Pal Singh and Yuvraj Walmiki both on target in their team’s 2-1 triumph over Uttar Pradesh Wizards.
You can catch up on all the action from the Hero Hockey India League via the official tournament website as well as their Twitter and Facebook social media channels.
Hero Hockey India League 2015 - Tournament Awards
Winner: Ranchi Rays
Runner Up: Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Third Place: Delhi Waveriders
Hero Most Valuable Player of the Tournament: Ashley Jackson - Ranchi Rays
Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament: Harmanpreet Singh - Dabang Mumbai
Dhruv Batra Motivator of the Tournament: PR Sreejesh - Uttar Pradesh Wizards
Airtel Maximum Goals of the Tournament: Jaypee Punjab Warriors
Star Sports Fair Play: Uttar Pradesh Wizards
