Soorma Hockey Club produced a dominant performance in their final round-robin league match of the Hockey India League (HIL), thrashing SG Pipers 6-1 at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday. However, despite the emphatic victory, Soorma narrowly missed out on a playoff berth, finishing a heartbreaking fifth in the standings.

Needing a win by a margin of at least seven goals to leapfrog HIL GC for the fourth and final playoff spot, Soorma ended the league phase tied on 11 points with Hyderabad Toofans and HIL GC. Goal difference ultimately proved decisive, denying Soorma a place in the knockouts.

Inspired by head coach Philippe Goldberg’s pre-match call to score at least two goals in every quarter, Soorma came out attacking from the opening whistle. Their aggressive intent paid immediate dividends as they struck three times within the first 11 minutes, putting SG Pipers on the back foot early.

Australian drag-flick specialist Jeremy Hayward was at the heart of the onslaught. He converted Soorma’s first two penalty corners with sharp, low flicks, igniting the crowd and setting the tone for the contest. The third goal followed soon after when Gurjant Singh dispossessed Gareth Furlong near the Pipers’ circle and calmly fed Lucas Martinez, who finished clinically to make it 3-0.

SG Pipers attempted to respond with sporadic attacks, but poor finishing let them down. Meanwhile, Soorma, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh and energized by the lively runs of Victor Wegnez, continued to apply pressure. Despite earning two more penalty corners in the second quarter, Soorma found the Pipers’ defence holding firm to prevent further damage before the break.

Early in the third quarter, Hayward struck again, firing an angled drag-flick to complete his hat-trick and stretch the lead to 4-0. Pipers showed resilience thereafter, patiently building possession and eventually pulling one goal back through a powerful Tomas Domene short-corner conversion.

Any hopes of a dramatic turnaround were quickly dashed when Hayward converted a penalty stroke to register his fourth goal of the night, restoring Soorma’s five-goal cushion. Yet, with qualification hinging on a seventh goal, SG Pipers defended resolutely in the final minutes to frustrate Soorma’s desperate push.

Despite the convincing win, Soorma’s campaign ended in disappointment. At the top of the table, Kalinga Lancers and Ranchi Royals finished first and second and will clash in Qualifier 1. Hyderabad Toofans and HIL GC, placed third and fourth respectively, are set to face off in the eliminator on Friday.