The regular season in the Tulip Major League Ladies is over. Saturday marked the 22nd and final day of play. Den Bosch secured first place and thus a ticket to the EHL with a 5-1 victory over Tilburg. Frédérique Matla crowned herself top scorer of the Tulip big league for the fifth time with 22 goals.
Tilburg – Den Bosch 1-5
Den Bosch beat Tilburg in the Brabant derby with convincing figures: 1-5. Without the slightly injured top scorer Frédérique Matla, it was 0-2 within three minutes through goals by Sanne Koolen from a penalty corner and Charlotte Englebert. The visitors extended their lead through Joosje Burg and a penalty ball by Danique van der Veerdonk, after which Englebert scored her second before halftime: 0-5. In the last quarter Jeske van Bavel saved the honor for Tilburg. With this victory Den Bosch closes the regular competition as front runner for the nineteenth time in club history, which means direct qualification for the EHL. Despite her absence, Matla crowned herself top scorer of the Tulip big league for the fifth time with 22 goals, one goal more than Yibbi Jansen of SCHC.
SCHC – HDM 2-1
SCHC ended a historic season at home with a 2-1 victory over HDM. With this win, the Bilthoven-based team ended a regular premier league season with ten home wins for the first time in club history. SCHC is also unbeaten for fourteen consecutive games and won the last five league matches. Lotte Ruts opened the score early for the home team. After halftime Maud van den Heuvel doubled the lead, after which Sabine van den Eijnden returned two minutes later on behalf of HDM. For HDM, the defeat marked the eleventh loss in the last thirteen games. The team finishes tenth in the league and has to play the play-outs against the number three in the Promotion League to avoid relegation.
Pinoké – Hurley 2-0
Pinoké won the Forest derby against Hurley 2-0. Within two minutes the home team struck with goals from Josephine Murray and Maria Steensma. These goals proved sufficient for victory. The win means that Pinoké remained unbeaten for the eighth time in a row against Hurley on their own field. Moreover, with this victory Pinoké set a club record: the team has remained unbeaten for eight league games in a row. For Hurley, it was a disappointing end to the league. The team ended the season with a streak of six games without a win. Pinoké, on the other hand, can enter the playoffs with confidence with six consecutive wins.
Huizen – Amsterdam 2-3
Amsterdam had to pull out all the stops to avoid defeat at already relegated Huizen. In the closing stages, coach Teun de Nooijer’s team turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory. The visitors opened the score in the tenth minute through a penalty corner by Agustina Gorzelany, who scored her eighteenth goal of the season. Home team Huizen fought their way back into the match with a crisp penalty corner by Sam Luttmer before halftime. When Melle Vaessen put Huizen ahead in the fourth quarter, the home team appeared to be on its way to a rare victory. However, Amsterdam, already assured of playoffs, straightened its back. Fiona Morgenstern equalized, then Maria Verschoor scored the winning goal from a penalty corner just before time. The victory marks only the second win in the last five league matches for Amsterdam, while Huizen ends the season without a home win.
Sam Luttmer and Felice Albers dueling for the ball during Huizen-Amsterdam. Photo: Bart Scheulderman
Kampong – HGC 4-0
With large numbers Kampong settled with HGC. It became 4-0. The home team opened the score through Guusje Moes, who also made it 3-0 later in the match. Sosha Benninga and Eline Jansen scored the other Utrecht goals. With twelve goals, Benninga became club top scorer of the season together with Luna Fokke. Kampong ends the season with a victory after a less successful series in which the team did not record a win in three games. For HGC, the loss in Utrecht marked the third defeat in a row, a disappointing end to the season.
Oranje-Rood – Rotterdam 6-3
Oranje-Rood ended the season in style with a convincing 6-3 victory over Rotterdam. Within thirteen minutes the home team already had a comfortable 3-0 lead. Through a penalty corner by Pieke van de Pas, Rotterdam did something back, but Oranje-Rood immediately put things right and ran out to 5-1. Joy Haarman made it 5-2 at halftime and Rotterdam came back to 5-3 in the second half. However, the last goal of the afternoon was for Oranje-Rood: Lisa Sheerlinck made it 6-3 and ended her career at the highest level with a goal. It was the third victory in a row for the Eindhoveners. For Rotterdam, the malaise continues: the team has been waiting for a win for eleven games and finished eleventh, which means play-outs against the number two of the Promotion League will follow.
Joy at the ladies of Oranje-Rood after a goal against Rotterdam. Photo: Rob Römer
by Hockey.nl
