Excelsior Sports Correspondent
LEH, Feb 10: Purig Warriors and Changthang Shans confirmed their semi-final berths on Day thirteen of the Royal Enfield Ice Hockey League Season 3 at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan (NDS) Stadium, Leh, organised in partnership with the UT Administration of Ladakh and the Ice Hockey Association of Ladakh. 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.
Purig Warriors secured a 2-0 win over Sham Wolves in the 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 post Changthang Shans, Purig Warriors punch their tickets to semis appeared first on Daily Excelsior.