The Spanish women’s field hockey team, affectionately known as the “Red Sticks,” have done it again – they’ve secured their third victory in the FIH Pro League with a thrilling 4-3 win over India. This match was a real nail-biter, with the Spanish team canceling out India’s advantage not once, but twice, before ultimately emerging victorious with two goals in the final quarter. Estel Petchamé was the star of the show, scoring a double that will be remembered for a long time.
After their impressive back-to-back wins over Germany last weekend, the team, led by coach Carlos GarcÃa Cuenca, was looking to continue their winning streak at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. The host team came out strong, with four penalty corners in the first quarter, but it wasn’t until the beginning of the second quarter that they managed to score, courtesy of Kaur Baljeet. However, their lead was short-lived, as Sofia Rogoski equalized just three minutes later, paving the way for Spain’s relentless attack on the Indian goal.
The Spanish team had several penalty corner opportunities, but it was Estel Petchamé who finally managed to break through, scoring just before the break to put Spain ahead 2-1. The Indians weren’t ones to give up easily, though, and they tied the game up at 2-2 just seven minutes into the second half, thanks to a goal from Rana Sakshi. In fact, they even took the lead with a goal from Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, making it 3-2 in their favor. But the Spanish team was determined to come out on top.
With four penalty corners and a never-say-die attitude, Spain pushed hard for victory. Estel Petchamé scored again to tie the game at 3-3, and then Lucia Jiménez scored the go-ahead goal. Even when they were down to 10 players due to a yellow card given to Flo Amundson, the Spanish team managed to hold on and secure the win, with the final score being 3-4. This victory puts Spain second in the standings with 11 points, behind China who have 16 points. The team will close out their second block of matches in the Pro League tomorrow with a double header against Argentina in Valencia, before taking a break until June.