It has been another great week for Maartje Paumen, the captain of The Netherlands and double FIH Player of the Year (2011 & 2012).
The iconic Dutch drag-flicker – who represents Den Bosch, a club that has been crowned champions of Europe an incredible 13 times in 14 seasons – has been named as the best player in the women's Rabo Hoofdklasse, the elite division of Hockey in The Netherlands.
Paumen was an inspirational figure for her team, being a true leader on the field and her usual prolific self in front of goal. She finished the season as top scorer, netting a hugely impressive grand total of 39 goals, 20 more than nearest rival Eva de Goede of Amsterdam H&BC, who scored 19. 32 of Paumen's goals came from penalty corners, with six penalty strokes and one strike from open play.
Paumen saw off competition from De Goede, Miek van Geenhuizen, Naomi van As and Carlien Dirkse to win the Player of the Season award, with votes from the fans and the media giving Maartje the prize.
Paumen first claimed the Player of the Season award in 2011, with Laren goalie Joyce Sombroek claiming the title last year.
Den Bosch were the dominant team in last season's Rabo Hoofdklasse, winning the regular season by ten points. However, they fell to defeat in the final of the Play-Offs, with Amsterdam claiming the overall title thanks to a 3-1 victory.
Source material: Hockey.nl
