SSB wins B division title at Senior National Women's Hockey championship

In the final, SSB prevailed over Steel Plant Sports Board (SPSB) 4-2 in the penalty shoot out after the teams were locked 1-1 after regular time.

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) which won the B division title in the 10th National Senior Women's Hockey tournament in Kollam on Saturday.

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) was crowned the champion of the B division in the 10th Senior National Women's Hockey championship at the National Games Hockey stadium here on Saturday.

In the final, SSB prevailed over Steel Plant Sports Board (SPSB) 4-2 in the penalty shoot out after the teams were locked 1-1 after regular time. In the shootout, SPSB was successful in converting only one attempt while SSB converted three.

SPSB's initial strategy to blunt the effectiveness of SSB's prolific strikers Preeti Simran and Manisha Rathi paid off. Both the strikers found it difficult to find space inside the rival box and SSB's initial forays fizzled out. SPSB had more of procession in the midfield and the side looked dangerous in the counter attacks.

SPSB went ahead in the 18th minute as Shailja Kumari Gautham weaved her way into the D and drilled a low shot from an acute angle for the opening goal. SPSB continued its offensive game and came close to increasing the lead at least twice in the second quarter.

SSB regrouped after the break and displayed the cohesiveness - which was missing in the first half -  in the midfield. The threatening moves came from both flanks and SSB earned a succession of penalty corners and equaliser came through one of them.

The SPSB goalkeeper Nisha Yadav did well to repel the  first shot from Babita but Ranjita Minj pounced on the rebound and tapped it in for the equaliser in the 38th minute. SPSB showed more intent in the fourth quarter but SSB defended well to push the match into shootout.

In the shootout, Manisha, Preeti and Kanika Raj converted their attempts for SSB while Manisha Dhawal was successful for SPSB. Both SSB and SPSB qualified for the A division championship for next year. Earlier, UCO Bank WHA hammered Bengaluru 10-0 to take the third place. Priya struck four goals including a hat-trick while Pooja and Chanchal struck a brace each.