Bloemendaal takes the bronze medal
HC Bloemendaal has secured third place in the Eurohockey Club Champions Cup. The team led by coach Michel van den Heuvel beat England’s Reading team in Bloemendaal, thereby earning the bronze medal. After a first half with no movement on the scoreboard, the second half contained no fewer than eight goals: 2-6. The home team was the better team for all 70 minutes of the game, but turning chances into successes cost the team a lot – just as it had yesterday against Terrassa. Star players Christopher Zeller and Teun de Nooijer were given a lot of opportunities in the first half, but each time, the ball missed the goal. The score at the break remained 0-0. After the break, the game came alive when Christopher Zeller made the first goal from a penalty corner. It was the seventh time that Bloemendaal received a penalty corner. A few minutes later, Teun de Nooijer made a fabulous goal after getting the ball from Lars Stalling. Credit for the third goal went to Christopher Zeller again. It was his 61st (!) goal of the 2006-2007 season. During the second half, Bloemendaal showed a few moments of top-level hockey. Thanks to goals made by Nick Meijer (after some clumsiness by the English defensive players) and Ronald Brouwer, the count went up to six goals. The fact that Bloemendaal allowed two goals by Reading (made by Mantell and Clarke) did little to reduce the festive mood. After Sunday’s last-second betrayal and the tears, everyone was thrilled with third place on Monday.
