"The group is growing with every session," says Jay Stacy as Kalinga Lancers start HIL campaign with win

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 5 (ANI): The Vedanta Kalinga Lancers made a winning start to their Hockey India League (HIL) campaign with a 4-2 victory at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.
Alexander Hendrickx (7', 28') and Gursahibjit Singh (16', 26') scored two goals each as Vedanta Kalinga Lancers recovered from an early deficit to take control of the contest and secure the opening points of the season, as per a press release from Hockey India.
The Lancers settled into the game after conceding early, trailing 1-2 in the first quarter and responded with improved structure and ball circulation. Alexander Hendrickx brought the side back on level terms through a well-executed penalty corner before Gursahibjit Singh added two field goals in the second quarter to give Vedanta Kalinga Lancers the lead. Hendrickx then converted another penalty corner late in the first half to establish a two-goal advantage.
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers remained disciplined in the second half, absorbing pressure and defending resolutely to protect their lead. The defensive unit denied multiple penalty corner opportunities and maintained control in the closing stages to see out the result.
Reflecting on his contribution, double goal scorer Gursahibjit Singh said, "It feels really good that I was able to net two goals, and it was a complete team effort. Our focus is to improve match on match and finish well on the podium."
Speaking about the league environment and team dynamics, he added, "It is a great learning experience for all of us young players. The team is bonding really well, and we want to keep improving that."
Speaking about the progress made by the group in terms of coordination and overall structure Head Coach Jay Stacy said, "It's going pretty well. From our camp in Bhubaneswar, the boys started to get to know each other right from the start. Off the pitch, there was good energy from the beginning. On the pitch, there was some early miscommunication, but that has been improving with every session and continued to grow in this match."
Assessing the performance, he added, "All teams in this league are very strong, with quality foreign and Indian players, so the focus for us is on our structures and discipline within those structures."
"I think we worked very hard in defence as a team. There is still room to improve, but the effort was strong. Moving forward into attack, we can look to improve our flow at the right times. Our decision-making on when to counterattack and when to build with possession is an area we can continue to refine," he noted.
Summing up the key takeaways, Stacy said, "Game management is important. When we are leading, we need to avoid unnecessary risks and adapt to the situation. Holding the ball when required and choosing the right moments to attack will be important because most matches are going to be close."
Vedanta Kalinga Lancers will face defending champions Shrachi Bengal Tigers in their next fixture on January 8. (ANI)