Last year, the Ring Pass women surprised friend and foe by almost clinching a playoff ticket as a promoter. One goal short of finishing third, the team from Delft finished third. This season Ring Pass has shown itself to be no flash in the pan. Especially after the 1-2 victory last Sunday afternoon at and against Victoria, a final ranking in the top three is still a realistic option. Perhaps the sight of team tattoos will give the decisive push.
On Ascension Day, May 29, a large part of the team is scheduled to visit a tattoo shop in Delft. An idea that originated last winter. Anyone who has followed Ring Pass a little knows that a red pepper is the symbol of the team. During the play-offs two years ago, when Ring Pass promoted to the Promotion League as a transitional class, every player received a pendant with a red pepper on it. An idea of the then captain Imke van Heemskerck van Beest, meant to give her team some extra power. Something that had the desired effect at the time.
Almost all players still wear the pepper during their matches. ‘New team members also get one,’ says current captain Teuntje Bruijstens. ‘And so soon a tattoo will be added, to have our special bond with us forever. It’s not something that suits everyone, but we’re going to get it done with about eight of us.’
The red pepper Teuntje Bruijstens wears on her ear every game. Photo: Rob Römer
Club history
Unlike promotion league clubs such as Bloemendaal, Victoria, Push and Nijmegen, Ring Pass does not have a rich top hockey history. The performance of Ladies 1, now two years in a row active in the Promotion Division, is the best so far. According to Bruijstens, this is due to years of playing together. ‘With the core of the group I have been playing together since youth. Back then we were already playing national field hockey. Together we worked very hard to promote to the Promotion Division. That it is now going so well, is of course very cool and special.
This year the team remained together for the most part. A new coach did arrive. Sjoerd Woelders made way for Eelco van Roon after years of leading the team. ‘We needed to develop more tactically. Eelko gives us that. We are a team that partly needs hard work, but have really made strides this season in terms of tactics.’
According to Bruijstens, the good results also bring pressure, which her team struggles with quite a bit. ‘We are then more concerned with winning than with our own play. As a result, we didn’t play too well in recent weeks. We made unnecessary mistakes and missed the connection in the field. Since last week we try to put the focus extra consciously on playing good field hockey. If we do that, those results will come naturally.’
Joy at Ring Pass after the winning goal against Victoria. Photo: Rob Römer
That tattoo is for us much more than just field hockey Captain Teuntje Bruijstens
Against Victoria this approach worked in any case. In an exciting game Ring Pass took the lead in the first quarter. A cross from the left reached the outlawed striker Meike Jansen, who easily tapped in in front of an open goal. After Victoria came alongside in the second half thanks to a fine outburst by Claire Moerman, the game continued to wave back and forth. A tight penalty corner flick by defender Daane Koch ensured that Ring Pass stays in the wake of the top three. The distance to runner-up Nijmegen is now two points, that to Leonidas (the opponent in two weeks) just one.
‘Of course we think it would be great to make those playoffs. We’re going to do everything we can to do that. But whatever the outcome, we are especially proud of how we are showing that we belong at this level. Those peppers have certainly helped us so far, but above all they represent who we are as Ring Pass. A team that goes through fire for each other. For us, that tattoo is much more than just field hockey. But if it helps us on the field to find each other even better, that’s great.’
by Hockey.nl
