JSW Surma Hockey Club signed off from the Men’s Hockey India League group stage with a statement 6-1 demolition of SG Pipers at Kalinga Stadium. Jeremy Hayward’s virtuoso performance lit up Bhubaneswar, but a shortfall in goals meant no playoff berth for the spirited side.
From the outset, Surma set an aggressive tone. Hayward’s drag flick in the 2nd minute pierced the net, followed by another in the 7th that exposed Pipers’ defensive frailties. The first quarter crescendoed with Lucas Martinez’s 11th-minute strike, a swift counter leaving the score 3-0.
Pipers retreated into a defensive shell during the second quarter, but Surma’s possession game yielded no further breakthroughs before halftime. The third quarter brought innovation: long aerials dismantled Pipers, gifting Hayward a third goal from open play pressure.
Pipers responded with Thomas Domain’s penalty corner equalizer of sorts, but a rash challenge led to a penalty stroke, which Hayward buried confidently. Nicolas Keenan’s poacher’s finish in the 47th made it 6-1, capping a clinical display.
Final-quarter drama ensued as Pipers earned set-pieces, only for Mohit HS to deny Thomas Domain. Surma pressed relentlessly, but time ran out on their seven-goal quest. This match encapsulates HIL’s intensity—brilliant individual brilliance amid collective heartbreak.