3rd June 2017: Following today’s semi-final games here in ‘s Hertogenbosch, it was the hosts ‘Den Bosch’ and UHC Hamburg who prevailed against Surbiton and Amsterdam H&BC respectively.
1st Semi-Final: UHC Hamburg 2 – 2 (3 – 1 SO) AH&BC Amsterdam
The opening quarter of the game saw both teams testing eachother, but neither was able to break through and open the scoring. VERSCHOOR dominating the the centre of the park for Amsterdam.
In the 9th minute ALBERS (AH&BC) turned over the ball and had a darting run but she was stopped by the German defence.
Just before half time, a PC awarded to UHC in the 27th minute for UHC, the direct shot stopped in it’s tracks by VEENENDAAL kept the score to 0-0 and that’s how it remained into half time.
The start of the second half was marked by a lot of small errors and turn over ball in the middle of the park.
Amsterdam certainly had the best of the 3rd quarter as they dominated the play and were rewarded with a goal in the 41st minute as VEGA took a direct strike at FRANK who stood tall and saved the initial shot, but the ball fell at VEGA’s feet and she thumped the ball into the back of the net, putting Amsterdam ahead 1-0. An unbelievable reverse shot from VAN MALE stretched the lead in the 49th minute.
UHC worked hard in the 4th quarter, refusing to accept their fate, HOFFMANN’s deflection brought the score back to 2-1 in the 55th minute.
A PC awarded to UHC in the dying minutes saw VERSCHOOR as first runner blocking the shot and it seemed that AH&BC would be heading to the final.
However a foul from AH&BC in the last minute saw UHC awarded another PC, with 20 seconds left on the clock WILDE equalised for UHC with a PC flick into the top corner forcing the game to shoot out!
Hamburg went on to win the shoot out, aided by top class keeping from FRANK.
Speaking to UHC’s coach Claas HENKEL on their historic win he said “He was very happy and very proud about the girls and their performance. Amsterdam was full of quality in the third quarter.” He added that Amsterdam’s lead was not by chance but well deserved but “We made an unbelievable comeback, we had a ‘punch’ in the last quarter, we know we have a really good corner and we knew that we could score, we aslo have a great great keeper for shootouts.”
Speaking about their historical placing into the final, he said that of course with some Amsterdam players not here that helped with some good luck for UHC. Suffice to say that UHC took that lucky chance and will now face the hosts HC ‘s Hertogenbosch in the Final on Monday.
2nd Semi-Final: HC ‘s-Hertogenbosch 7 – 1 (1-1) Surbiton HC
The second semi-final saw current hosts HC Den Bosch face England’s champions Surbiton. Den Bosch started the game firing on all cylinders, but Surbiton’s defence held firm with a coupe of decent saves from the young keeper, BRAY.
Den Bosch’s first goal came from a turnover deep in their territory, KEIL got on the end of a fantastic pass to slot the ball home. Surbiton equalised via WEBB in the 26th minute, a direct strike PC to equalise the game.The score remained 1-1 at the break.
A PC awarded to Den Bosch in the 36th minute as a scramble in front of goal resulted in a foul from Surbiton. Paumen on strike, the initial strike saved but padded down for KREKELAAR to pounce bringing the score to 2-1.
Paumen stepped up on strike for a 3rd PC in this quarter in the 38th minute, this time the keeper had no chance as she flicked the ball low and hard into the bottom right corner. The score now 3-1 in favour of the hosts.
A foul from Surbiton forced a PC for Den Bosch in the 43rd minute and Paumen put it away, a replica of her earlier strike, low and hard.
van GEFFEN stretched the lead to 5-1 as she beat 3 tired Surbiton defenders, striking just before the end of the 3rd quarter.
SHAHBO (Surbiton) came into the goal for the final quarter here in Den Bosch, a baptism of fire as her first real action is to defend a Paumen corner. A Surbiton foot and another conceded corner in the, this time keeper denied Paumen and the ball was offloaded and safely put over the sideline.
A further corner, from another foot as Paumen seemed determined get her hattrick! A 3rd effort and finally the same strike and the ball finds the back of the net, that low, fast, hard flick proving impossible for Surbiton to defend.
A tough day at the office for the young keeper as van GEFFEN gets her second in the 55th minute and the score extends to 7-1, and that’s how the game ended.
Tomorrow we see the teams knocked out in their first game in the first of the classification games:
10:45 – Canterbury v Krylatskoye
13:00 Hermes-Monsktown v Complutense
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When? 2nd – 5th June 2017
Where? Hockey Complex Oosterplasweg, Oriental Plasweg 35, 5215 HT ‘s-Hertogenbosch
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Photographs: copyright (EHF/Ady Kerry)