Rosario (Argentina), June 1 (IANS) The Indian Junior women’s hockey team secured a 3-1 win in the shootout against Uruguay following a 2-2 draw in regulation time in their fifth fixture of the Four Nations Tournament.

India’s vice-captain, Hina (10’) and Lalrinpuii (24’) put India in control early in the match, while Geeta, Kanika, and Lalthantluagi converted their chances in the shootout to seal the victory.

India got off to a strong start as Hina opened the scoring in the 10th minute, followed by Lalrinpuii doubling the lead in the 24th minute to give India a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.

Uruguay, however, mounted a comeback in the final quarter. Ines de Posadas pulled one back in the 54th minute before Milagros Seigal struck three minutes later to level the score at 2-2.

In the shootout, India held their composure as Geeta, Kanika, and Lalthantluagi scored three consecutive goals, while Uruguay were restricted to just one conversion.

Earlier, Indian junior women suffered a 1-3 defeat in a shootout against Chile after a 2-2 draw in their fourth match. Sukhveer Kaur (35) and Kanika Siwach (47) were the goalscorers for India, while Jacinta Solari (27) and Captain Laura Muller (42) scored for Chile.

Indian junior women began their friendly Four Nations Tournament on a positive note with a 2-1 win over Chile on May 25. Sukhveer Kaur (39) and Kanika Siwach (58′) were the goal scorers for India. Javeria Saenz (20) scored the only goal for Chile. They then enjoyed a 3-2 victory over Uruguay in their second match on May 26. The game remained level by the end of the third quarter, but Kanika Siwach scored a crucial brace in the final stretch to help India emerge victorious.

They clinched a hard-fought 2-0 win in the shootout against hosts Argentina after a 1-1 draw in regulation time in their third match. Kanika (44) scored India’s lone goal during regulation time, while Lalrinpuii and Lalthantluangi netted in the shootoUt to secure the victory.

–IANS

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