HHIL 2014: Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Ranchi Rhinos take on each other in the 2nd semi-final

Ranchi, 21 February 2014: The 2nd semi-final match between Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Ranchi Rhinos will be a nail biting watch for the hockey fans of Ranchi as they will want to see their team in the Finale of the HHIL 2014. But they are also aware of the form with which the Jaypee Punjab Warriors team will be playing on Saturday and will be hoping that their team leaves no stone unturned to ensure that the second team to reach the FINALE should be the defending champions.

Coming into the semi-finals with 7 wins and just 1 loss, team Jaypee Punjab Warriors will be playing the eliminator with great confidence and will be aiming at leaving no space for mistakes. In the 10 matches that the team has played they have the highest penalty conversion rate of 38% in the Pool stages and will be aiming to continue this form in the crucial phase of the League. Dragflicker Sandeep Singh who not only has to his credit of the highest goals in the League but with his penalty corner conversion rate of 36% of his 10 matches, makes him the player to be looked out for and marked for the decider match. Will Jamie Dwyer and his team be able to continue their onslaught is the question in everyone’s mind?

With 4 wins, the journey of Ranchi Rhinos cannot be termed as the most satisfactory performance, but the team will come into the semi-finals with the players whose absence was felt in the last few matches. The team though has to its credit of having the highest possession of the ball, with an average of 56% in the 10 matches that the team played. With this kind of possession rate the team will now look at converting the chances that it gets on the field tomorrow. Moritz Fuertse and his team for tomorrow will take the learning’s from the Pool matches and will work on them on the field which will help seal the match against the Warriors with a win.

While each will be looking at eliminating the other, both the teams will be well aware that the semi-final platform will not consider the points that each scored in the Pool stage or the number of matches that each won or lost. What will be important tomorrow will be to surpass each other to reach the Finale.

Speaking on the preparations of the upcoming match, Coach Gregg Clark of Ranchi Rhinos said, “I am glad that all our boys are fit and fully geared up to play the semi finals. We will be putting out our strategy in place and strength of the squad in the upcoming match against Jaypee Punjab Warriors. Sandeep Singh is a top scorer and he can rise to the occasion, however we will plan and defend well. Team is practicing rigorously and also we are doing the video analysis of our previous matches. The crowd support is exceptional and we are looking forward to defend the title on our home turf and put up a good show for the crowd.”

Defending team’s Captain, Moritz Furste said, “Tomorrow we have a very important match and those 70 minutes are going to be extremely crucial. We are going to play according to our strategy which will be evident on the groundtomorrow. Keeping all our losses behind us, we are completely focused on the semi finals. It is not always about strengthening your weaknesses but it is about strengthening your strength and we are working on it. For last two days we are having good and enjoyable sessions and perfecting our penalty corner execution as we are good at it. Apart from that we are also working on our weak points like goal shooting in circle. We expect a great game tomorrow.”

On facing Ranchi Rhinos in the semi-final clash, Coach Barry Dancer of Jaypee Punjab Warriors said,“Our last two games against Ranchi Rhinos have been evenly contested encounters. But the semi final match against them is going to be a different challenge all together as it’s a must win match for both the teams and no one would like to lose at this stage after working so hard in the tournament. Ranchi would definitely have the advantage of playing in front of their home crowd but we are not going to let that be a disadvantage for us either.”

Speaking on the clashing with Ranchi Rhinos, Captain Jamie Dwyer of Jaypee Punjab Warriors said, “After finishing at top of the league table, the morale in the team is pretty high and we hope for an exciting battle tomorrow.”

Which team will be seen on the grand stage of HHIL 2014 Finale is yet to be seen. The action for the Finale kicks off at 5.30 pm on Saturday with the clash between Delhi Waveriders taking on Uttar Pradesh Wizards followed by Jaypee Punjab Warriors against Ranchi Rhinos and which can be watched LIVE on Star Sports.