There’s a certain smell about a hockey season when it gets going. Fresh turf getting watered, shin guards still stiff, and combinations half-formed but full of promise. It’s the stage where belief matters as much as polish, and where teams start telling you quietly — and honestly — the sort of journey they are on.

Three games into the Hockey India League, Vedanta Kalinga Lancers are telling a story that feels familiar, yet new in its ambition. Eight points from three matches. Unbeaten, but more than that, a side learning how to manage its moments, absorb heat, and choose its battles.

This hasn’t been a loud start, rather a composed one. And sometimes, that’s far more dangerous.

Cohesion on display

The season opener against Ranchi Royals began like a nightmare. Barely a minute in, and the ball at the back of the net. An early concession that rattles your breathing and tests your spine. New season, new combinations, and suddenly you’re chasing the game before you’ve even felt the ball.

What followed, though, was telling.

The Lancers didn’t scramble. They didn’t over-press or abandon their structure. Instead, they tightened the screws. The backline held shape, the midfield stopped forcing the first pass, and the ball started doing the work. The tempo slowed just enough to bring clarity, and soon the game was being played on their terms.

Alexander Hendrickx’s equaliser from the penalty corner was a statement. Clean stop, clean injection, and a drag-flick hit with conviction. From there, Gursahibjit Singh began finding space inside the circle like a forward who trusts his instincts. Two field goals, both earned through timing and movement rather than brute force.

By the time Hendrickx added his second before half time, the match had shifted entirely. Ranchi had fired their early shot. The Lancers had weathered it, adjusted, and taken control.

That 4-2 win was percentage hockey. Win your duels. Protect the middle. Make your penalty corners count. For a side still learning each other’s cues, it was an encouraging blueprint.

Head Coach Jay Stacy spoke afterwards about miscommunication early on, and you could see it, but more importantly, he spoke about growth. About sessions stacking up, about players understanding not just where to be, but when to be there.
That’s the kind of language that matters early in a campaign.

Derby delight

If the Royals tested the Lancers’ composure, the clash against defending champions Shrachi Bengal Tigers tested their soul. Or, as we could call it, the Eastern derby.

This was a proper HIL arm wrestle. No early goals. No loose defending. Just two sides circling each other, trading territory, and probing for weakness. The Tigers had their spells, especially through the second quarter, piling on circle entries and asking questions through layered attacks.

Krishan Bahadur Pathak had answers.

The Lancers’ shot stopper was sharp off his line, strong on his pads, and calm under pressure. Around him, the defensive unit worked as a pack with first runners committing, second runners covering lanes, and sticks down at the top of the circle. Penalty corner variations were read well, broken early, and cleared with purpose.

Through three quarters, the scoreboard refused to budge. And that’s when seasons start to whisper to you. Do you force it? Do you panic? Or do you stay patient and trust the plan?

The Lancers chose patience.

Hendrickx eventually cracked the deadlock again from the top, courtesy a drag-flick that cut through the noise and gave his side the lead. The Tigers hit back almost immediately, a reminder of why they’re champions, and suddenly the contest was wide open.

What came next was instinct.

A penalty corner. A rebound. And Boby Singh Dhami, switched on, alive to the moment, finished from close range like a forward who knows these chances don’t come twice. Five minutes left. Lead restored. Game managed.

The 2-1 win felt heavier than the opener. Not only earned harder, but emotionally draining as well. However, this is a key ingredient that builds belief quietly, inside a dressing room.

Upward trajectory

Yet, the Lancers were far from complacent. With the Chennai leg over, they headed to Ranchi with the toughest assignment yet to come — a tryst with table toppers HIL GC, the new entity replacing the now-defunct UP Rudras but roaring this season. 

To say this was the toughest encounter of the season so far would not be an understatement, as the lancers had to come back from a goal down to take the game to a shootout. Substitute keeper Jed Snowden showed his mettle in the shootout, standing rock solid in front of goal as the Lancers capped a disciplined performance with a bonus point to go top of the table.

While this was far from a classic, ending in a rare scoreline of one goal apiece, it served to remind what makes the new avatar of the Hockey India League special. Goals may win you matches, but your identity defines your journey. 

Across all matches, what stood out wasn’t brilliance, but understanding.
Understanding when to counter-attack and when to recycle. When to hold possession and when to take territory. When to slow the game down and let the clock become your ally. Stacy called it game management, and in a league as tight as this one, it’s the difference between finishing mid-table and playing knockouts.

The Lancers aren’t there yet, no team is, two games in, but the foundations are visible. The structures are clear. The discipline is improving. The group is growing.

Much-awaited homecoming

The Lancers have one final outing in Ranchi, against Hyderabad Toofans. And then, the season turns home. 

Hockey in Odisha doesn’t start in stadiums. It starts barefoot. On mud and uneven grass. It starts in Sundargarh and villages where the stick is an extension of the arm and the game is learned by watching elders play until the light fades.

Over the last decade, Odisha has produced more than 40 Indian internationals, and fed every level of the national system. Nearly 60 percent of elite talent comes from Sundargarh alone. The state runs six High Performance Centres, aligned directly with Hockey India, and contributes one in every four players to India’s current junior pipeline.

Bhubaneswar, the state’s capital, has now cemented its position as the home of Indian hockey. World Cups and the Hockey India League leading to packed stands that understand pressing triggers and penalty corner routines. For the Kalinga Lancers, heading into the home leg isn’t about comfort. It’s about responsibility.

Three matches don’t define a campaign. But they set the tone.

The Lancers have, so far, shown that they are building patterns. They echo trust in their structures and belief in one other. The home leg beckons, and with it, the weight and warmth of Odisha. Expectations will sharpen while margins get thinner.

The red dirt of us has done it’s work. Now, it’s time to see the Kalinga Lancers family growing on the blue turf.