Our final preview article for Euro Hockey League's KO16 event features a mouth-watering meeting between the reigning champions and the host club, as Moritz F├╝rste's UHC Hamburg (GER) do battle with Teun de Nooijer's HC Bloemendaal (NED). It is the fourth time in four years that these two giants of European hockey have met, with Bloemendaal hoping to avenge the painful penalty shoot-out defeat that they suffered at the hands of their German opponents in last year's Quarter Finals.
That match takes place on Saturday 23rd April at 14.30 (CEST), being immediately followed at 17.00hrs by an equally intriguing clash between the current national champions of Germany and Belgium. KHC Dragons (BEL) have already shown this season that they are a force to be reckoned with thanks to a 4-2 triumph over reigning European champions UHC Hamburg in Round 1, but Christopher Zeller's dangerous Rot-Weiss K├Âln (GER) will be determined to ensure that they do not become Dragons' second German scalp of the season.
Euro Hockey League's KO16 Bloemendaal event will see sixteen teams reduced to the four tournament Semi Finalists over four days of intense knock-out competition. The event takes place in The Netherlands at HC Bloemendaal, from Friday 22nd till Monday 25th April 2011. More information about the tournament, including news, current broadcasting schedule and details about ticket sales can be found at www.ehlhockey.tv.
KO16 MATCH 7: HC BLOEMENDAAL (NED) V UHC HAMBURG (GER)
MATCH TIME: Saturday 23rd April - 14:30hrs (Central European Standard Time). Broadcast information about this match can be found at www.ehlhockey.tv.
WINNER PLAYS: Either Oranje Zwart (NED) or RC de Polo de Barcelona (ESP) in the Euro Hockey League Quarter Finals.
TEAM INFO - HC BLOEMENDAAL
Dutch championship winners and KO16 hosts HC Bloemendaal are without question one of the most dangerous teams in the Euro Hockey League. The 2008-2009 EHL champions are lead by Teun de Nooijer and Jamie Dwyer, both of whom are considered to be among the finest players to ever grace a hockey field. However, a recent knee injury sustained by Dwyer will keep him out of action not only for this tournament but also the remainder of the European season. Despite this, the team has a host of other sensationally talented players including Ronald Brouwer, Nick Meijer, Wouter Jolie, Laurence Docherty and goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann. Bloemendaal's exciting brand of attacking hockey will ensure that they will be one of the teams to beat during this season's competition, and their exciting clash against reigning EHL champions UHC Hamburg - their fourth EHL meeting in four years - will surely be one of the highlights of the Easter weekend. The team will be looking for revenge against their opponents following their cruel penalty shoot-out elimination to the eventual champions in the last year's Quarter Finals. Their superb current form and the support of the home crowd suggest that they could very well unseat the Euro Hockey League kings from their throne.
ROUND 1 RESULTS - POOL A
HC Bloemendaal (NED) v SC Stroitel Brest (BLR) 12:0 (8:0)
HC Bloemendaal (NED) v Reading HC (ENG) 5:3 (2:0)
POOL A RANKING: 1
RECENT FORM - DUTCH HOOFDKLASSE
27 March 2011: Bloemendaal 4-2 Pinoke
30 March 2011: HGC 0-2 HC Bloemendaal
03 April 2011: HC Bloemendaal 3-0 SCHC
10 April 2011: Oranje Zwart 0-1 HC Bloemendaal
17 April 2011: HC Bloemendaal 5-5 H.C. Rotterdam
CURRENT LEAGUE POSITION: 1st
TOP SCORER: Olmer Meijer (17)
EHL TOURNAMENT RECORD:
2007-08: Round 2. Eliminated by Club Egara (ESP) 3-2
2008-09: Champions. Defeated UHC Hamburg (GER) 5-3 in EHL Final.
2009-10: Quarter Finals. Defeated by UHC Hamburg (GER) 3-3. (5-3 APS)
TEAM INFO - UHC HAMBURG
UHC Hamburg are by far the most consistent team in the short history of the EHL, having won the competition in 2008 and 2010 as well as finishing second in 2009 behind Round 2 opponents and KO16 hosts Bloemendaal. Lead by powerhouse midfielder Moritz F├╝rste, UHC are strong in virtually every position on the field. They have an outstanding goalkeeper in Nico Jacobi who is protected by defender and penalty corner star Patrick Breitenstein. Senior Germany internationals Florian Fuchs, Carlos Nevado, Philip Witte and Oliver Korn ensure there is no shortage of attacking quality, either. Defeat at the hands of Belgium's KHC Dragons in Round 1 came as a shock to many, but you can expect a reinvigorated UHC Hamburg to take to the field this weekend. They have recently hit a fine streak of form coming into KO16, a fact proven by a remarkable 8-4 victory over the all-star line up of Rot-Weiss K├Âln, the current champions of Germany. With both Bloemendaal and UHC in great shape it promises to be yet another superb showdown between two of the finest club teams in world hockey.
ROUND 1 RESULTS - POOL E
UHC Hamburg (GER) v Izmaylovo Moscow (RUS) 6:0 (4:0)
UHC Hamburg (GER) v KHC Dragons (BEL) 2:4 (0:2)
POOL E RANKING: 2
RECENT FORM - GERMANY LIGA
November 2010 - March 2011: Winter Break.
03 April 2011: UHC Hamburg 0-5 Club an der Alster
09 April 2011: D├╝sseldorfer HC 1-9 UHC Hamburg
16 April 2011: UHC Hamburg 8-4 Rot-Weiss K├Âln
CURRENT LEAGUE POSITON: 2nd
TOP SCORER: Patrick Breitenstein (11)
EHL TOURNAMENT RECORD
2007-08: Winners. Defeated HGC (NED) 1-0 (golden goal) in the tournament final.
2008-09: Finalists. Defeated by HC Bloemendaal (NED) 5-4.
2009-10: Winners. Defeated H.C. Rotterdam (NED) 3-1.
KO16 MATCH 8: KHC DRAGONS (BEL) V ROT-WEISS KÖLN (ESP)
MATCH TIME: Saturday 23rd April - 17:00hrs (Central European Standard Time). Broadcast information about this match can be found at www.ehlhockey.tv.
WINNER PLAYS: Either East Grinstead (ENG) or Reading HC (ENG) in the Euro Hockey League Quarter Finals.
TEAM INFO - KHC DRAGONS
KHC Dragons stormed into their first ever Euro Hockey League competition by winning the Belgian championship last season, and strengthened their squad in a bid to take on Europe's elite club teams. Last season's side contained a number of renowned and respected Belgian international players such as former KHC Leuven goalkeeper Manu Leroy, while impressive new signings have arrived in the shape of Olympian siblings Charles and Loic Vandeweghe as well as Ireland legend Stephen Butler, formerly of Glenanne HC. Their performances in Round 1 were simply stunning, the highlight being a dazzling 4-2 victory over double Euro Hockey League champions UHC Hamburg, a win masterminded by respected Australian coach Colin Batch. The results suggest that they could be a team to watch at Bloemendaal. Loic Luypaert has scored an impressive 18 goals this season, 15 of which came from penalty corners. Currently top of the table in Belgium, KHC Dragons look like a team that may be EHL contenders for many years.
ROUND 1 RESULTS - POOL E
KHC Dragons (BEL) v Izmaylovo Moscow (RUS) 5:1 (2:1)
KHC Dragons (BEL) v UHC Hamburg (GER) 4:2 (2:0)
POOL E RANKING: 1
RECENT FORM - BELGIAN LEAGUE
13 March 2011: Antwerp 0-2 Dragons
20 March 2011: Dragons 2-1 Wellington
27 March 2011: Pingouin 2-6 Dragons
03 April 2011: Dragons 1-2 Leopold
10 April 2011: Dragons 7-3 Gantoise
CURRENT LEAGUE POSITION: 1st
TOP SCORER: Loic Luypaert (18).
EHL TOURNAMENT RECORD:
This is KHC Dragon's first season in the Euro Hockey League.
TEAM INFO - ROT-WEISS KÖLN
Rot-Weiss K├Âln claimed a second successive season in the EHL by winning Germany's national championship. The team defended their Bundesliga title by defeating double EHL champions UHC Hamburg in the championship final, and are determined to transfer their domestic dominance into European success following last season's Quarter Final exit to Spain's RC Polo. The line-up features Beijing 2008 Olympic Gold medallists Tibor Weissenborn, Max Weinhold (GK) as well as the immensely talented Zeller and Wess brothers. Exciting young Dutch international Robbert Kemperman is another eye-catching player in the RW K├Âln line-up. An injury hit side showed tremendous fight in Round 1.1 to remain unbeaten, guaranteeing their place here at KO16 Bloemendaal this weekend. The team were not been at their best in their most recent game, suffering a heavy 8-4 defeat against UHC Hamburg in their final league match ahead of KO16 Bloemendaal. Despite this, you only need to look at the playing talent available to Rot-Weiss to know that they have the potential to go a very long way in this competition.
ROUND 1 RESULTS - POOL B
Rot-Weiss K├Âln (GER) v RC Bruxelles 4:2 (2:0)
Rot-Weiss K├Âln (GER) v Club de Campo 2:2 (1:1)
POOL B RANKING: 2
RECENT FORM - GERMANY'S LIGA
November 2010 - March 2011: Winter Break
02 April 2011: Uhlenhorst M├╝lheim 3-3 Rot-Weiss K├Âln
09 April 2011: Rot-Weiss K├Âln 8-1 R├╝sselheimer HC
16 April 2011: UHC Hamburg 8-4 Rot-Weiss K├Âln
CURRENT LEAGUE POSITON: 6th
TOP SCORER: Christopher Zeller (12)
EHL TOURNAMENT RECORD
2007-08: Did not qualify for Euro Hockey League
2008-09: Did not qualify for Euro Hockey League
2009-10: Quarter Final. Defeated by RC Polo (ESP) 3-2.
SOURCE: Euro Hockey League Media Release
