“For sure, this is one of the biggest moments of my career!” SV Kampong captain Quirijn Caspers could scarcely contain his delight as the Dutch club won the biggest trophy in their history, claiming the Euro Hockey League (EHL) title thanks to a 2-0 win over AH&BC Amsterdam in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday.
In so doing, they became the sixth different winner of the famous Alain Danet Trophy in its ninth edition, capping a blistering run through the competition that saw them defeat French, German, Spanish and Dutch opposition.
On Saturday, Kampong turned on the style to overpower Spain’s Atlétic Terrassa 5-1 in the semi-finals, with Martijn Havenga, Caspers, Björn Kellerman, Philip Meulenbroek and Robbert Kemperman all on target. The result set up an all-Dutch final, with AH&BC Amsterdam seeing off a strong challenge from 2014 EHL champions Harvestehuder THC thanks largely to a double strike from Mirco Pruyser.
In Sunday’s final, captain Caspers opened the match scoring early in the second half with a brilliant lifted finish, before FINAL4 player of the weekend Bjorn Kellerman sealed the result late in the game with a neat volley after exchanging passes with Constantijn Jonker.
“What a way to end the season,” Caspers said. “We got our prize, we fought for it really hard for the last couple of years and that feels amazing.”
Kampong Head Coach Alexander Cox echoed Caspers’ sentiments, saying: “It’s amazing that we won this trophy. It’s a great feeling, the first big prize we have won in the club. We worked hard for this the whole season, especially after the winter break. We had to do a lot to reach the play-offs in Holland and, since then, we were really good in the second half of the season and the EHL tournament.”
It concluded an epic season for the EHL in which the competition enjoyed record viewership across a range of platforms. In addition, key sponsor ABN AMRO has agreed to extend its partnership for a further three seasons.
Harvestehuder THC claimed the bronze medal with a 3-2 win over Spain’s Atlètic Terrassa. Michael Körper scored twice along with a David Goodfield strike, with Marc Sallés and Roc Oliva goal on target for the Spanish giants.
Just like the Euro Hockey League final, the title match of the women’s EuroHockey Club Champions Cup is also set to be an all-Dutch affair, with SCHC (Stichtse) taking on Den Bosch ((s-Hertogenbosch) in Bilthoven, Netherlands.
Reigning European champions and competition hosts SCHC have a team packed full of internationals such as Dutch stars Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Ginella Zerbo and Xan de Waard. Den Bosch – who have competed in the last 17 finals, winning the title on 14 occasions – are certainly not short on star quality either, with 2015 FIH Player of the Year Lidewij Welten and legendary Netherlands drag-flicker Maartje Paumen just two of many exceptional talents that the club has at their disposal.
The final takes place on Monday (16 May 2016), and promises to be an absolutely thrilling contest. More information about this and other European club competitions can be found on www.eurohockey.org.
If you missed any of the action from the Euro Hockey League FINAL4 weekender in Barcelona, there is still the chance to catch up on all of the results and relive the key moments. Video highlights, photos, reports and much more are all available on Euro Hockey League’s official website: www.ehlhockey.tv.
With its innovation and increased levels of professionalism, the Euro Hockey League is very much in line with FIH’s Hockey Revolution Strategy, creating a powerful image for hockey as the sport aims to become a global game that inspires the next generation. To learn more, click here.
#lovehockey
