SCHC did what it had to do Wednesday night. The team qualified for the quarterfinals of the EHL at the expense of Railway Union. The Irish offered some resistance, but the difference in strength was – logically – too big. The score was 0-4.
A tour of the Guinness factory, a few good bottles of wine or tickets to a rugby match. All prizes Railway Union was giving away, to finally travel to Den Bosch. For five euros you could buy tickets for the lottery last year, sponsoring the Irish ladies for their EHL adventure. Their debut on Europe’s highest stage, the Champions League of field hockey.
The Irish must have gnashed their teeth when it became clear in December that Stichtsche would be their opponent in the eighth finals. Playing against such a superpower is of course a baptism of fire.
Photo: Willem Vernes
But Railway Union started the duel with SCHC full of guts and power. Those who had already grabbed their abacus must have been scratching their heads. The Irish managed to get two penalty corners in the first minute. And both times Elodie Picard had to show her best side. She headed a ball from Katie Mullan (Irish international) out of her goal with her helmet and later dove into the corner for a shot by Orla Patton. Railway Union would have been close to taking the lead.
The cutting backhand of Yibbi Jansen.
It was then clear that the glorified practice game was going to be more difficult for Stichtsche. SCHC switched to a higher gear and not much later got two penalty corners. The first was not stopped nicely, but the second was a hit. Yibbi Jansen hit a rebound with her backhand: 0-1. Even before halftime Maud van den Heuvel made it 0-2. She neatly tipped in a cross from Xan de Waard.
It was nice to see how Emma Maloney – the goalkeeper of Railway Union – celebrated every save. Maybe it was because of the app she received earlier that day. Coming from David Harte, her Irish goalkeeping colleague. The message? Enjoy. It’s not often you are on such a European stage, against such an opponent. That worked pretty well, until SCHC’s fourth penalty corner. Via the rebound, Pien Dicke – masked by a broken nose – tapped in the 0-3. The fifth penalty corner also went in, which was especially nice for Yibbi Jansen. This effort went exactly as it should. Straight and hard against the board: 0-4.
Photo: Willem Vernes
Ready for Den Bosch
It was actually waiting for more goals. A point of attention for SCHC, which will have to do without strikers Jip Dicke and Mette Winter, who are struggling with hamstring problems. And that lack was obvious, as there were so many more scoring chances. In fact, Van den Heuvel and Pien Dicke could have made one more. Something that will have to improve on Friday night in the quarterfinal against Den Bosch.
Anyway, the job against Railway Union was done nicely. But the real work only begins now. In the quarterfinals – Friday 20:00 – SCHC meets archrival Den Bosch. A mouth-watering sight. Not a final, but it feels like the title is already at stake.
Railway Union – SCHC 0-4 (0-2)
6′ Yibbi Jansen 0-1 (SC)
27′ Maud van den Heuvel 0-2
36′ Pien Dicke 0-3 (SC)
45′ Yibbi Jansen 0-4 (SC)
Read the highlights of the match between Railway Union and SCHC below
by Hockey.nl
