Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], January 12 : Vedanta Kalinga Lancers goalkeeper Jed Snowden made an immediate impact after coming off the bench in the shootout, helping his side secure a 3-1 win against HIL GC following a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation time in their third match of the men's Hockey India League (HIL) here on Sunday, as per a release.
Ajeet Yadav (19') gave HIL GC the lead before Alexander Hendrickx (23') restored parity for the Lancers, setting up a tense finish. With both sides unable to find a winner in regulation time, the contest went to a shootout, where Snowden's calm presence proved crucial.
Reflecting on the contest, Snowden acknowledged the challenge posed by the conditions and the opposition.
"It was a very hard-fought game. It's a different turf compared to Chennai, so some of the guys struggled a bit with their skills. But we stuck it out right to the very end, and obviously it ended in a draw," he said, as quoted from a release.
"We trained on the pitch the day before, so me coming on for the shootouts, the pitch wasn't an issue for me. To get the extra point in the shootout win puts us in a very good position. Hopefully, we can make the finals and we're on top of the ladder now, so everyone's very happy," Snowden added.
After conceding on their first attempts, Snowden and HIL GC's James Mazarelo denied the next two takers. Arthur Van Doren converted for the Lancers before Ajeet Yadav missed his attempt, allowing Dilpreet Singh to seal the win.
Despite the strong start to the campaign, Snowden was quick to stress the importance of staying grounded.
"It feels good, but we still have a long way to go. There are a lot of good teams left to play and we want to win as much as we can. Being in this position gives us full confidence because we're playing very well, and we don't see any reason why we can't finish on top," he said.
Snowden also highlighted the strong camaraderie within the Lancers camp as a key factor behind their performances.
"On and off the field, everyone's getting along very well, and that's really important as a team. You understand each other as hockey players and as people, and it makes it easier to have conversations about hockey and how we can all get better together," he noted.
Commenting on the overall quality of the Hockey India League, Snowden pointed to the depth across squads rather than individual stars.
"The biggest difference is the number of international and Indian national players. Every team has a lot of high-quality players, but it's more important how the team plays together rather than which team has better players on paper," he added.
For Snowden, the tournament has also been a unique personal experience.
"It's my first time in India and my first time playing with Indian players, which has been awesome. Learning how they approach hockey, and also learning from the Belgian guys and what they've picked up over their long careers, helps us get better as a team and even as individual players," he concluded.
With the win, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers moved to the top of the table and remain unbeaten in the tournament. They will face Hyderabad Toofans in their next match on Wednesday.