New Update
Indian Junior Women's hockey team kicked off their tour of Belarus with a 4-1 loss to the home team.
High on confidence, courtesy of having won the Cantor Fitzgerald U-21 International 4-Nations tournament, India kicked off its opening game of the tour at a fast pace. Within a few minutes of the match it won a PC, and Gagandeep Kaur made no mistake to convert and give India the lead. After that goal though Belarus pulled up its socks and hit back with a PC of its own. Sviatlana Bahushevich converted to bring the teams at par.. The two teams went into the break level on a goal apiece.
After a tough first quarter both teams settled down in the second, and a as a consequence, the pace of the game dropped considerably. Belarus won the first PC of the period and Krestsina Papkova scored to give the home team a 2-1 lead.
The third quarter started with India hoping to take more control of the game in midfield and draw itself level. Belarus though scored via a PC conversion in the opening minutes of the period, Yuliya Mikheichyk making the score 3-1. In a productive period it scored another to extend their lead to 4-1. India worked hard through the quarter, but despite creating chances its struggle to convert and reduce the deficit proved abortive. The teams went into the break with Belarus leading 4-1.
India built up the pressure in the final quarter hoping to score goals, but in the end Belarus' defence held strong and romped home with a 4-1 victory.
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