Absolute thriller in Utrecht brings Het Ravijn to semifinals | Polar Bears and GZC Donk other semifinalists | Waterpolo.nl
Het Ravijn captain Susan de Vries on reaching the semifinals
The women of Het Ravijn, Polar Bears, and GZC Donk have won the quarterfinals of the playoffs. They will play the semifinals on the weekend of May 16th to 18th to secure a spot in the championship final (May 23rd to 25th). Today, the ladies of ZV De Ham ZC are playing the Nordic League final, so the team from Krommenie will face ZV De Zaan next weekend. View all photos of the games viathis link.
The semifinal matches:
GZC Donk - Het Ravijn
ZV De Zaan / ZV De Ham ZC vs Polar Bears
Exciting return in Utrecht
After the thrilling match in Nijverdal (12-11), UZSC had to win against Het Ravijn in their own home for a deciding game. The pressure was palpable in the water and on the sidelines as enthusiastic spectators witnessed a delightful and exciting match.
The thrilling, emotional, and intense return ended in a 13-15 victory (4-4, 3-4, 4-4, 2-3) in favor of coach Sander Roelofs' team. The quarterfinal was filled with beautiful goals, passion, and determination. Pien Gorter (six) and Hanna Hogervorst (five) were crucial with their goals in a match where both teams gave their all, and overall team spirit was the key for both sides.
Initiated by key player Sam Jutte, Hogervorst opened the scoring beautifully. Margreet ter Schure quickly equalized with a clever shot in the next attack. The teams were evenly matched in their tactical play, and both goalkeepers excelled repeatedly.
No challenges were shied away by the passionate women who did everything to secure the victory. Captain Keijser was unlucky to hit the crossbar at 4-3, after which the talented Amy Kleinlugtebeld leveled the score from a penalty shot.
After exchanging goals up to 5-5, Gorter scored two exceptional goals (an exquisite lob and a powerful shot) to give her team a comfortable 5-7 lead. UZ was not fazed and quickly equalized. Kleinlugtebeld's 7-8 goal from 10 meters in the corner was a gem, followed by a showcase of class, strength, and precision by Hogervorst at 8-8. With two minutes remaining (10-11) in the third period, Jutte received a red card, followed by an immediate 10-12 goal.
Leading with three goals in the last eight minutes at 11-12, Gorter, including a splendid backhand goal, sealed the victory. Reaching the semifinals is a great achievement for captain Susan de Vries' team as they can only train with the full team on Friday evenings.
Positive rehearsals for GZC Donk
GZC Donk secured a 24-8 victory on Friday at Groenhovenbad (8-2, 7-2, 3-3, 6-1) over PSV, while on Saturday evening, they won 5-18 (0-4, 3-5, 0-5, 2-4) in Eindhoven. Sabrina van der Sloot and Maartje Keuning scored seven goals in two games, Saskia Vos and Vivian Sevenich (6), Renske Overdam (5), Sabine Bergsma netted four goals. Brigitte Sleeking (3), Kimber van der Linde, and Anouk Vermeulen (both 2) scored the other Gouda team goals.
Anouk Vermeulen on reaching the semifinals.
‘’The matches against PSV were good preparations for the semifinals! We played two solid matches where we could practice different strategies. Both offensively and defensively, we were well-prepared, so there were no surprises for us. It was nice to give all players playing time and let everyone contribute.’’
According to Vermeulen, the Gouda team is ready for the semifinals.
‘’We will use the next few weeks to fine-tune everything in preparation for the semifinals. We are looking forward to playing them! After all, it's these kinds of matches that you train hard for the whole season!’’
Polar Bears is ready for the final showdown
In Ede, Polar Bears secured a 21-5 victory on Friday against ZVL-1886, followed by a 7-14 win in Leiden. The match statistics with reactions from Polar Bears team manager Tessa Koenen and ZVL-1886 captain Janieke Oosting.
Polar Bears vs ZVL-1886 21-5 (6-1, 5-0, 3-1, 7-3)
Top Scorers
Polar Bears: Laura Schinkel 5, Renée de Kleer 4, Nina van de Geijn 3, Kiara Heerink, Tatum van der Elst (both 2), Jill Oort, Iris Wolves, Storm Willemsen, Aniek Roekevisch, Frauke Ingels (All 1).
ZVL-1886: Jolijn Joor 3, Lizzy Terpstra and Moran Lindhout (Both 1)
Tessa Koenen; ‘’From the start of the game, we showed that we are ready for the final showdown. We made clear agreements and executed them well from the beginning, making it difficult for ZVL to break through our defense. We remained stable throughout the game and played it out well. Except for Fleurien, everyone scored, and we made good rotations.’’
ZVL-1886 vs Polar Bears 7-14 (2-3, 0-6, 3-2, 2-3)
Top Scorers
ZVL-1886: Jolijn Joor 3, Mathilde Voorvelt 2, Anna Pauli and Esmée Kraaibeek (Both 1)
Polar Bears: Nina van de Geijn 4, Kiara Heerink 3, Storm Willemsen 2, Frauke Ingels, Fleurien Bosveld, Laura Schinkel, Iris Wolves, Tatum van der Elst (All 1).
Leiden captain Janieke Oosting on the quarterfinal and the season with coach Niels Joor.
"Unfortunately, on Friday, we couldn't play our own game, and Polar Bears was clearly superior. On Saturday, we regrouped at our home pool and could play much more our own game. It was good to end that way. Since we've now been defeated, this was also our last game with Niels as coach. We want to thank him for his dedication and enthusiasm throughout the past season.''
Tessa Koenen:
''The return match was different from the first one. The atmosphere and fun were still there, but due to some sloppiness at times, we still gave ZVL a chance to score. However, we could also score, and midway through, it was 2-9 in our favor. We didn't make the match really suspenseful despite ZVL's continued efforts and goals. We utilized our power plays well (5/6), and we also managed the man-down situations well (2/9). There are certainly some minor imperfections to iron out, but we are fully prepared for the semifinals and will do everything to secure a spot in the final! Nina was on fire this weekend with 7 goals!’’
