The Tamil Nadu Dragons staged an incredible comeback to defeat Team Gonasika 6-5 in a thrilling Hero Hockey India League encounter at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium on Wednesday, with Jip Janssen’s hat-trick stealing the spotlight.
Team Gonasika dominated early on, opening the scoring in the fifth minute when Araijeet Singh Hundal capitalized on space at the edge of the circle with a powerful strike past David Harte. Araijeet struck again in the 10th minute, calmly finishing off Timothee Clement’s precise aerial pass to double the lead.
Just when it seemed Gonasika was in control, the Tamil Nadu Dragons responded late in the first quarter. A clever penalty corner routine saw Janssen set up Abharan Sudev, who found the net to cut the deficit. The Dragons equalized four minutes into the second quarter when Janssen’s perfectly executed drag flick brought the score to 2-2.
The Dragons started the second half strongly, with Janssen completing his second penalty corner goal via a deflection off Oliver Payne. Gonasika almost equalized minutes later, but Tim Howard’s effort struck the woodwork. However, Nikkin Thimmaiah leveled the game in the 39th minute with a composed close-range finish.
Gonasika regained the lead in the 43rd minute through Struan Walker’s sensational drag flick into the top corner, making it 4-3 heading into the final quarter.
The Dragons didn’t relent, winning three penalty corners early in the fourth quarter. Janssen completed his hat-trick off a well-executed variation, leveling the score at 4-4. Against the run of play, Nathan Ephraums gave the Dragons a 5-4 lead in the 55th minute, capitalizing on a crowded goalmouth situation.
Gonasika equalized again in the 58th minute through Clement’s brilliant one-handed finish off Manpreet Singh’s deflection. However, the Dragons responded immediately, with Karthi Selvam weaving through the defense and slotting home to restore their lead at 6-5.
The drama peaked in the final seconds when Blake Govers made a crucial goal-line block to deny Gonasika an equalizer. The win, the Dragons’ second in a row, moved them to second place in the standings with nine points from four matches.