The men of GZC Donk and the women of Polar Bears have become national champions in the Netherlands. Polar Bears got the job done in two games, GZC Donk needed a third tiebreaker.
Men
GZC Donk played against ZV De Zaan. Both teams were hardly inferior to each other in the triptych. In any case, there was no home advantage this year. On Friday, GZC Donk (the number 5 of the regular season) won the away match in Zaandam convincingly with 4:9, while ZV De Zaan (the number 2 of the regular season) tied the score in their away match in Gouda on Saturday (8:10). On Sunday, the decision was made in Zaandam. GZC Donk was the best with 8:9. The team from Gouda had a patent on playing decision duels this season. Both in the quarterfinals against ZPC Amersfoort and in the semifinals against UZSC, GZC Donk had to play three times to force a decision.
On Sunday, it was a close match. In the third period, the visitors punched a two goals distance, which turned out to be sufficient. It seemed like a repeat of Friday’s game in which GZC Donk also made the decisive gap in the third period and ZV De Zaan created opportunities, but saw them too often misfired on blocks from GZC Donk. On GZC Donk-side first it was Stan van den Heuvel who hit the target and then Guus van Yperen who scored a penalty. Angelo Corver and Stan Meijn put De Zaan next to GZC Donk for a while, but when Maurice Dentro made his second goal of the afternoon and the Spaniard Erik Brugué scored 6:8 in the last attack of the third period, ZV De Zaan had to start catching up again. After goals from Angelo Corver and Mick van den Bree, the team of Johan Aantjes came close, but it was not enough to keep GZC Donk from its seventh title. The last title was back in 2010.
Finale Eredivisie men (best-of-three)
Friday May 14
ZV De Zaan – GZC Donk 4:9 (2:3, 1:1, 0:3, 1:2)
ZV De Zaan: Thomas Lucas 2, Angelo Corver 1, Pascal Janssen 1.
GZC Donk: Guus van Yperen 3, Stan van den Heuvel 2, Kjeld Veenhuis 1, Cas Westerwoudt 1, Ton van der Velden 1, Quint van den Heuvel 1.
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Saturday May 15
GZC Donk – ZV De Zaan 8:10 (0:3, 3:3, 4:3, 1:1)
GZC Donk: Cas Westerwoudt 2, Quint van den Heuvel 1, Ton van der Velden 1, Stan van den Heuvel 1, Kjeld Veenhuis 1, Maurice Dentro 1, Jimmy Sjardijn 1.
ZV De Zaan: Erno Snoek 3, Pascal Janssen 2, Thomas Lucas 1, Don Rempt 1, Angelo Corver 1, Mick van den Bree 1, Phil Brantjes 1. Â
Sunday May 16
ZV De Zaan – GZC Donk 8:9 (2:2, 2:2, 2:4, 2:1)
ZV De Zaan: Pascal Janssen 2, Phil Brantjes 2, Angelo Corver 2, Stan Meijn 1, Mick van den Bree 1.
GZC Donk: Stan van den Heuvel 2, Kjeld Veenhuis 2, Maurice Dentro 2, Guus van Yperen 1, Erik Brugué 1, Cas Westerwoudt 1.
Women
The women of Polar Bears achieved their seventh national title as well. The team of Evangelos Doudesis eliminated GZC Donk. After the 9:10 victory on Friday, the next day it became 12:10 in Ede.Â
After a goal-rich first period (4:4), GZC Donk got a little more the upper hand. First international Brigitte Sleeking and the Brazilian Viviane Kretzmann Bahia found the net and after the long rest Sabine Bergsma brought the score to 5:7. Polar Bears could be in pursuit. And for that, the team of the Greek coach succeeded with flying colors. First, Nina ten Broek punished a Gouda exclusion, then Simone van de Kraats cashed a penalty and after that Nienke Vermeer made a beautiful center goal. With two goals by the 16-year-old talent Lola Moolhuijzen it became 10:8, but Sleeking and Isabella van Toorn completely brought the tension back into the match.+
It was the retiring 31-year-old Vermeer who then got up and threw all her experience into the fray. On her beloved center forward position, she turned and dragged so successfully that the Gouda defenders could do nothing else then pulling the emergency brake. The penalty throw that resulted was used by – who else – Van de Kraats and when Vermeer shot the 12:10 against the ropes with a beautiful solo action two minutes before the end, the loot was in. Vermeer could not have wished for a better farewell.
Finale Eredivisie women (best-of-three)
Friday May 14
GZC Donk – Polar Bears 9:10 (3:1, 2:3, 2:2, 2:4)
GZC Donk: Anouk Vermeulen 3, Brigitte Sleeking 3, Marit van der Weijden 1, Isabella van Toorn 1, Sabine Bergsma 1.
Polar Bears: Simone van der Kraats 4, Lola Moolhuijzen 3, Jasmijn Dikmans 1, Jill Oort 1, Fleurien Bosveld 1.
Saturday May 15
Polar Bears – GZC Donk 12:10 (4:4, 1:2, 4:2, 3:2)
Polar Bears: Simone van de Kraats 3, Nienke Vermeer 3, Lola Moolhuijzen 3, Fleurien Bosveld 2, Nina ten Broek 1.
GZC Donk: Brigitte Sleeking 3, Sabine Bergsma 2, Nomi Stomphorst 2, Marit van der Weijden 1, Viviane Kretzmann Bahia 1, Isabella van Toorn 1.
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