The ladies of Kampong have secured a ticket for the play-offs on the penultimate matchday of the Tulp Hoofdklasse Dames. The Utrecht team won 3-1 against direct competitor Pinoké on Saturday. The Oranje-Rood will also play at the highest level next season after the 4-2 win over Hurley. The match between Amsterdam and Den Bosch ended in a draw (1-1).
In the battle for the last ticket for the play-offs, Kampong only needed a draw. Pinoké had to win to reduce the deficit to one point and then leave the decision on the last matchday. However, Kampong was too strong for the Steekneuzen 3-1 in the Amsterdamse Bos and took the fourth and last ticket for the play-offs after Den Bosch, Amsterdam and SCHC. With three out of three from penalty corners, the Utrecht team was deadly efficient in the game against Pinoké. Luna Fokke scored two goals. The other goal came from Noor van den Nieuwenhof. Kampong thus recorded its eighth win in the last ten competition matches and is undefeated in that series. Pinoké was without a victory in front of his own audience for the fifth time in a row.
Joy at Noor van den Nieuwenhof after her goal for Kampong against Pinoké. Photo: Bart Scheulderman
The Oranje-Rood recorded a victory over Hurley for the first time since October 13, 2019 (3-0 win in Eindhoven). The score was 4-2. The victory ensured that the Oranje-Rood is assured of another season in the Tulp Hoofdklasse Dames. Three of the four goals came from a penalty corner. It is the weapon of the team of outgoing coach Rob Haantjes, because fifteen of the last eighteen goals were scored from the penalty corner. Moreover, the Oranje-Rood achieved another victory in front of its own audience after four consecutive defeats. The spectators were therefore treated to six goals. In the last nine matches of the Oranje-Rood, 52 goals were scored, an average of 5.78 goals per match. Hurley suffered its fifth defeat in the last nine league games.
Just before the match it was announced that Maartje Paumen had immediately taken over the duties as head coach of Tilburg from Ageeth Boomgaardt. The Tilburg team started the match well and took the lead through Lauren van der Geld. However, Bloemendaal, which was already relegated, played its five hundredth major league match, seemed to walk away with the full spoils in Tilburg. Two goals from Katerina Langedijk and a goal from Ankelein Baardemans provided a 3-1 lead. The second victory of the season for Bloemendaal seemed to be in the making, but Marloes Timmersmans threw a spanner in the works. Thanks to her two goals, Tilburg still grabbed a point. This division of points caused Tilburg to drop from tenth to eleventh place. The gap with number ten Rotterdam is only one point. Next week Tilburg will play against leader Den Bosch and Rotterdam against the already finished Hurley.
The top match in the Wagener Stadium between Amsterdam and Den Bosch had no winner. The score was 1-1. After Michelle Fillet’s opening goal, Frédérique Matla equalized. The attacker was involved in at least one goal for Den Bosch for the tenth round in a row. In that series, Matla scored twelve goals and provided four assists. Her equalizer was her 23rd goal of the big league season. Den Bosch remained undefeated for the fortieth time in a row and is one game away from ending a major league season without a defeat for the fifth time in history. The draw prevented Den Bosch from seizing an EHL ticket. SCHC has closed within two points of the leader with one more competition match to go. Amsterdam dropped to third place. The team only picked up four points in the last three matches.
Despite the fifth competition victory of the season, Rotterdam has been sentenced to play-outs. However, the starting position for those decisive matches has improved. The Rotterdam team passed Tilburg in the rankings and is the new number ten of the Tulp Hoofdklasse Dames, one point ahead of the Tilburg team. It was Rotterdam’s eighth win in a row on its own field against HGC, which only won one of the last eleven away matches.
For the thirteenth time in a row, SCHC closed its mutual meeting with HDM without a defeat. With three goals, Ginella Zerbo accounted for half of Bilthoven’s production. Club top scorer Yibbi Jansen scored twice. The penalty corner specialist scored 34 official goals for SCHC this season (21 in the Tulp Hoofdklasse, nine in the Gold Cup and four in the EHL). It is the third season in a row that Jansen has scored more than thirty goals for the club. With the 6-1 win, SCHC rose to second place in the rankings, meaning the team still has a chance of winning the EHL ticket. Then the Bilthoven formation Den Bosch, which has two points more, must pass in the rankings on the last match day. HDM suffered its ninth defeat in the last twelve competition matches.
Read the highlights of the 21st matchday in the Tulp Hoofdklasse Ladies below
