Yibbi Jansen, the most expensive foreign player of the first-ever women’s Hockey India League, set the tone for the competition with a brace in the lung opener as Odisha Warriors made a strong statement with a 4-0 win over Delhi SG Pipers at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Stadium here on Sunday.
Odisha put on a sterling defensive show in the first 15 minutes after opting to push-back. When Delhi midfielder Lily Owsley broke into a dash down the right flank, an alert Sakshi Rana marred the Rio 2016 gold medallist’s attempt to cross the ball into the danger zone.
Meanwhile, Delhi custodian Elodie Picard’s wrong-footed slide kept the opposition skipper Neha Goyal, who had crept up into the circle in the third minute, at bay.
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Odisha sniffed an opportunity again in the second quarter when the side won the first penalty corner (PC) of the game. Dutch forward Freeke Moes’ injection found her compatriot Jansen, and the most successful goal-scorer at Paris 2024 didn’t break a sweat as she found the back of the net with a piercing dragflick.
Only five minutes later, Delhi hoped to equalise via a PC after a stray stick tackle from Lilly Stoffelsma. But Jyoti Singh made a mess while trapping the insertion.
Sunelita Toppo and Mumtaz Khan’s attacking runs after the half-hour mark found little support from their teammates. And to add insult to the injuries, Jansen added to her tally thanks to another PC.
Shoulders had begun to droop as Delhi meekly resigned to the status quo. Odisha, which had smelled blood, pumped in two more goals from open play as Baljeet Kaur and Moes decided to join the party.
Delhi won a PC in the dying moments of the game but the scoresheet remained unchanged.
The results:
Odisha Warriors 4 (Jansen 16, 37; Baljeet 42; Moes 43) bt Delhi SG Pipers 0
