Match 8 of the 4th edition of the Coal India Hockey India League, the premier league for hockey in the world will witness the second encounter of the match between the Uttar Pradesh Wizards and Kalinga Lancers in Major Dhayanchand Hockey Stadium, Lucknow.
The first match between the two teams resulted in a win for the UP Wizards in a hard-fought encounter at Bhubaneswar by a score of 8-6. The previous two matches for the Uttar Pradesh Wizards on the home turf have been close but haven’t resulted in a win for the team.
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The home team lost to Ranchi Rays 4-2 with all the goals coming for the away team in the third and fourth quarter. The match against Delhi Waveriders also ended in a loss for the home team by 3-1. Uttar Pradesh Wizards having beaten Kalinga Lancers in the previous match are confident of their first win on their home turf.
Roger Van Gent, Head Coach, Uttar Pradesh Wizards said, “The previous two matches have been close and we are only going to learn from our mistakes. The Kalinga Lancers is a strong team but we have defeated them previously so it will be an immense boost for the team. We are taking one match at a time and our aim is not to get complacent and keep working hard. The team has been practicing hard and are focussed on the goal of winning the match putting forth a good show for the home crowd.”
Kalinga Lancers coming back from a win against Dabang Mumbai are confident. They have played two close matches with one in favour and one result going against them. The team under the leadership of star captain Moritz Fuerste and the good form of Australian forward Glenn Turner will be looking to keep the momentum going.
“The team is playing in good spirits and are enjoying the game. The international and the Indian players have been really getting along well after the first two matches on home ground. The home match against Uttar Pradesh Wizards was a close one and it could have gone either way in the finishing moments of the game. It was hard luck for us but we have regrouped and are looking all set for the reverse fixture” said Mark Hager, Head Coach, Kalinga Lancers.
