Sat 24 May 16:00
Women
1 – 1
SCHC D1
Den Bosch D1
The first match in the final of the playoffs for the national championship in the Tulp Hoofdklasse Women ended in a draw. In Bilthoven, SCHC and reigning champion Den Bosch kept each other balanced: 1-1. Thursday will see the return in Den Bosch.
Den Bosch went close to the opening goal in the first quarter through Pien Sanders, but the starter shot wide on a pass from Babs Reijnen. Shortly afterwards, SCHC had a great chance through Jip Dicke, but she too aimed wide after preparatory work by Xan de Waard.
The return of Dicke, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, was a boost for the home team. In contrast, the visitors suffered a major setback: midfielder Laura Nunnink dropped out in the second quarter with what looked like a nasty knee injury. It is still unclear whether the routine player will recover in time for her comeback.
After half-time, Den Bosch still took the lead through Sanders, who tapped in sitting on the ground after an action on the right flank by Joosje Burg. SCHC reacted quickly: from a rebound of a penalty corner by Yibbi Jansen, Maud van den Heuvel brought the score back into balance. It was already the eighteenth goal of the season for the young striker, in all competitions.
In the closing stages, SCHC was still close to scoring 2-1, but a brilliant tip-in by Jip Dicke on a pass from Famke Richardson smashed into the crossbar. So it remained 1-1, the first draw ever in a play-off match between these two top teams. Of the 18 previous meetings in the nacompetition, Den Bosch had won 15 and SCHC three.
Watch the SCHC-Den Bosch summary below
