Hockey India League 2024/25 Points Table: Updated HIL standings on January 8

A spectacular 11-goal humdinger had spectators on the edge as the Tamil Nadu Dragons got the better of Team Gonasika 6-5 in a Hockey India League (HIL) thriller, with Jip Janssen scoring a hat-trick.

In the second game of the evening, the Hyderabad Toofans surprised the UP Rudras with some early aggression before carrying the momentum all the way to a much-needed 3-0 win.

The Toofans thus managed to climb three rungs on the Hockey India League points table thanks to their first outright victory in the tournament.

Araijeet SIngh Hundal scored the opening goal with a powerful strike from the edge of the circle in the fifth minute even as Team Gonasika employed a high press early.

Hundal found a second goal a couple of minutes later off an assist from Timothee Clement to make it 2-0 much to the delight of the Gonasika camp.

Moritz Ludwig manufactured a penalty corner for the Dragons in the 15th minute and a re-award that followed. Jip Janssen slipped one forward for Sudev Abharan whose diving effort with an outstretched stick reduced the deficit for the Dragons.

Two back-to-back penalty corners for the Tamil Nadu Dragons helped Jip Janssen score with a monster of a drag-flick in the 19th minute after Manpreet Singh had stopped one on the line a minute earlier.

Jip Janssen, who was in the thick of things, helped the Dragons take a 3-2 lead off a penalty corner in the 33rd minute. Nikkin Thimmaiah, however, did well to direct a peach of a deflection into the back of the net in the 39th minute to restore parity for the Vizag side.

Mandeep Singh was deliberately brought down in the 43rd minute, leading to a penalty corner for Team Gonasika. Struan Walker drove in a powerful, lofted and well-angled drag flick that gave David Harte no chance whatsoever.

Three back-to-back penalty corners were more than the Gonasika could handle in the 50th minute. Blake Govers foxed the Gonasika runners by appearing to take a direct flick before slipping the ball to Jip Janssen, who slotted the ball home for a well-deserved hat-trick.

Nathan Ephrams beat Oliver Payne with the faintest of touches that somehow trickled into the back of the net to make it 5-4 in the 55th minute.

Timothee Clement's diving goal helped Gonasika equalize momentarily in the 58th minute before a spectacular solo angled sprinting run from Karthi Selvam allowed the Dragons to go 6-5 up seconds later.

In the second Hockey India League match of the day, Zachary Wallace had time on hand to aim a tomahawk at the Rudras' goal that dribbled its way into the back of the net in the sixth minute.

Nilakanta Sharma's probing cross found Rajinder Singh in the circle who doubled the lead for his team in the 14th minute. A lapse from Hardik Singh in the midfield allowed a turnover which Shilanand Lakra made the most of by scoring in the 32nd minute.

With all the teams having played four matches each, the Bengal Tigers have just about managed to hold on to the top spot in the Hockey India League standings.

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Hockey India League: Updated Points Table Men's League Phase (Wednesday, January 8)

	PLAYED	WON	LOST	S/O WIN	S/O LOSS	GF	GA	GD	POINTS
Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers	4	3	1	0	0	9	10	-1	9
Tamil Nadu Dragons	4	2	0	1	1	11	8	+3	9
Soorma Hockey Club	4	1	1	2	0	7	9	-2	7
UP Rudras	4	2	2	0	0	6	6	0	6
Hyderabad Toofans	4	1	2	1	1	8	8	0	5
Kalinga Lancers	4	1	2	0	1	12	9	+3	4
Team Gonasika	4	1	2	0	1	11	11	0	4
Delhi SG Pipers	4	0	1	1	2	7	10	-3	4

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Hockey India League 2024/25: Men's League Fixtures (Thursday, January 9)

Team Gonasika vs Kalinga Lancers, 8:15 pm IST (Birsa Munda International Hockey)