Ice Hockey League: Changthang Shans, Purig Warriors punch their tickets to semis

Leh, Feb 10 (IANS) Purig Warriors and Changthang Shans confirmed their semi-final berths on Day thirteen of the Ice Hockey League Season 3 at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, Leh. The day also featured clean-sheet wins for Kangs Sing and Purig Warriors, a last-minute win for Kharu Falcons, and a victory for Changthang Shans in their final league-stage game.

Kharu Falcons opened the day with a 6-5 win over Zanskar Chadar Tamers, with Jigmat Choster driving the result with a five-goal haul. Padma Tundup put the Tamers ahead with a late first-period tap-in, and Rinchen Wangyal doubled the lead in the second with another tap-in. The Falcons stayed in touch through Choster’s slapshot to get on the board.

The game opened up in the third. Rigzin Punchok levelled in the first minute, before Choster’s second put Kharu in front.

Tsewang Chosfail responded to draw the Tamers level again, setting up a frantic finish. Choster kept Kharu pressing, and back-to-back tap-ins from Choster and Nawang Dorjey pulled the game level in the closing minutes. With the contest headed for a tie, Choster struck his fifth in the last minute to break the deadlock and seal the win.

Kangs Sing recorded a 6-0 clean-sheet win over United Nubra, striking early and keeping control throughout. Gonbo Tashi opened the scoring inside the first minute with a tap-in, before Stanzin Phuntsog and Gurmet Namgail added further tap-ins to extend the lead.

Mushtaque Ahmad Giri made it four with a late second-period finish. Kangs kept the tempo in the third as Stanzin Samstan converted a tap-in, and Gurmet Namgail completed the scoring with his second, this time with a wrist flick, to seal the result.

Purig Warriors secured a 2-0 win over Sham Wolves in the next game, with the deadlock finally broken in the second period. After sustained pressure at both ends, Anwar Hussain opened the scoring with a tap-in midway through the second.

Sham Wolves pressed for an equaliser, but Villayat Ali doubled the lead later in the third with a wrist flick to seal the result. The win confirmed Purig Warriors’ place in the semi-finals, alongside Kangs Sing and Humas Warriors.

Changthang Shans secured their semi-final place with an 8-2 win over Maryul Spawo. Tsewang Gyaltson opened the scoring with a tap-in, before Captain Urgain Samstan added a slap shot and Chamba Tsetan converted a tap-in to extend the lead.

Stanzin Jigmet made it four with a wrist shot, and Captain Tsewang Nurboo got Maryul on the board in the second period.

Shans came out quickly in the third, with Tsetan scoring a tap-in inside the first 10 seconds. Rigzen Namgyal and Rigzen Chosphel also found the net, while Asif Ali replied for Spawo with a long tap-in. Tashi Sangdup then rounded off the scoring for the Shans with a tap-in after 22 seconds.

Humas Warriors closed the day with a 7-1 win over Shakar Chiktan Royals, turning an early setback into a one-sided finish.

Sobir Hussain put the Royals ahead with a tap-in late in the first minute, but Humas hit back as captain Moheb Ur Rehman Mir levelled with a drag shot.

With four seconds left in the period, Waseem Bilal converted a drag shot to push the Warriors in front. Humas built on that lead through Moheb’s drag flick, Mohd Issa’s backhanded wrist flick, and Iftiqar Hussain’s tap-in to stretch the margin. Shabas Hussain made it six with a slap shot before Waseem added his second, and the final goal, with a wrist flick into the top-right corner in the last 10 seconds of the third period.

Humas Warriors and Kangs Sing retained their positions in first and second, remaining level on points. Purig Warriors and Changthang Shans also held firm in third and fourth, confirming the top four teams’ qualification for the semi-finals. Shakar Chiktan Royals stayed fifth, Sham Wolves remained sixth, and Zanskar Chadar Tamers retained seventh.

The only upward move came from Kharu Falcons, who climbed one place from ninth to eighth, pushing Changla Blasters down one spot from 10th to ninth.

United Nubra slipped one place from ninth to 10th, while Maryul Spawo remained 11th.

The final day of the league stage on February 11 opens with Shakar Chiktan Royals facing Changla Blasters in a key fixture for the men’s semifinal line-up. Maryul Spawo will then take on Kharu Falcons, followed by the first women’s game of the day between Humas Queens and Changla Lamos, which will decide the fourth women’s semifinalist.

Zanskar Chadar Tamers meet Sham Wolves later in the day, before the second women’s fixture sees Shakar Chiktan Queens play Kharu Eagles in the final game.

With Sham Eagles already through to the women’s finals, the remaining women’s games will determine the rest of the line-up.

--IANS

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