Following the completion of the second day of Round 1.2 Brasschaat, Amsterdam H&BC, Reading HC, H.C. Rotterdam, KHC Dragons and Club an der Alster have qualified for KO16.
Dutch Champions Amsterdam overwhelmed Cookstown HC with 11-1 and moved to the top of pool A. The second defeat for Cookstown means that Englishmen Reading join Amsterdam in the second phase as a qualifier from Pool A. Host KHC Dragons defeated Rotweiss Wettingen 7-0, turning on the style to bring joy to the vast number of fans who had turned up to watch them in action. The win confirmed that Dragons and H.C. Rotterdam will qualify for the second phase from Pool H, with the group winner being decided when Dragons and Rotterdam meet on Sunday. Today’s biggest surprise came when out of form German champions Club an der Alster produced a superb display to gain a 2-1 win over Spain's Club de Campo, silver medalists in last year's Euro Hockey League.
Brief summaries of the matches can be found below.
UHLENHORSTER HC START OFF WITH A 2-0 VICTORY AGAINST MONTROUGE
UHC Hamburg have beaten CA Montrouge in their first round 1.2 game. In spite of losing to Uhlenhorst the French stay leaders in pool F as they still received a point. The French champions had the better start winning a penalty corner after taking a video referral in the 4th minute. Edward Perry took the shot which was saved without any problems by Nicolas Jacobi. Uhlenhorst became stronger in the middle of the first half. Max Kapaun had the biggest opportunity to take the lead but he missed the ball in front of the goalkeeper. The two times EHL-winners from Hamburg took control of the game in the second half. In the 45th minute Montrouge’s Tom Cariolet was sent off with a yellow card. While the French were short in numbers UHC scored twice. Team-captain Jan Simon converted a penalty corner and four minutes afterwards Uhlenhorst showed a nice penalty corner variation. Simon passed to Miltkau who smashed the ball into the goal.
AMSTERDAM H&BC AND READING HC ARE QUALIFIED FOR KO 16
Amsterdam H&BC celebrated a 10-1 victory against Cookstown HC from Northern Ireland. Cookstown have already lost Friday’s match against Reading and stay last in pool A while Amsterdam and Reading qualify for the KO 16. On Sunday both will play off for the first rank in the group. The Dutch Champions from Amsterdam had a great start making three goals in the first eleven minutes of the game. Floris Evers opened the scoring in the third minute. Three minutes later Taeke Taekema flicked the ball to Klaas Vermeulen who picked it up and passed it to Mirco Pruyser who doubled the lead. Afterwards Evers scored his second goal followed by his third goal three minutes before half time. This time he converted a penalty stroke after Cookstown’s team-captain Godfrey Irwin was hit by the ball on the goal-line. Amsterdam was pushed forward by a great crowd. However everybody on the stands cheered when the underdogs from Northern Ireland scored their first goal in EHL history. Greg Allen won possession in the circle and defeated the Dutch goalkeeper Klaas Veering. Afterwards the favorites played stronger again and scored six more goals. Man of the match was Mirco Pruyser netting five times.
HOSTS KHC DRAGONS AND H.C. ROTTERDAM MARCH INTO KO16
KHC Dragons won 7-0 against Wettingen and qualified for the KO16. Wettingen, who have already lost on Friday, will stay last in pool E. KHC Dragons and HC Rotterdam play off for the first rank in the pool on Sunday. The hosts and Belgian Champions KHC Dragons were supported from a phenomenal crowd. Although the Dragons were the big favorites in this encounter, Wettingen had the first big opportunity to score but Benjamin Messerli’s penalty corner shot was denied. Soon after the Dragons took the lead when Arthur van Doren had a great run down the side line, entered the circle and passed the ball to Thierry Stumpe who tipped it in. In the second half Florent van Aubel doubled the lead. He converted the rebound of Loick Luypaert’s penalty corner flick which hit the crossbar. Afterwards team-captain Jeffrey Thys put his name on the match sheet. From now on, the Belgian Champions controlled the game. Loic Vandeweghe, Thys, Luypaert and van Aubel were able to defeat the well-saving goalkeeper Nicolas Bohnlein making KHC Dragons win 7-0 in front of their home crowd.
ALSTER QUALIFY FOR KO16 AFTER BEATING CLUB DE CAMPO
Club an der Alster have beaten Club de Campo in Saturday’s last match. Having seven points, Alster are definitely qualified for the KO 16 while Campo and RC Bruxelles vie for the second spot. The crowd witnessed a very competitive match between the German Champions and 2011’s EHL vice Champions Club de Campo. The highlight of the first half was a penalty stroke for Club de Campo. Edi Tubau flicked but Alster’s goalkeeper Tim Jessulat saved it brilliantly with the stick. Alster missed scoring from four penalty corners. Hamburg scored the opening goal in the second half thanks to Daniel von Drachenfels. Club de Campo were urgent to equalize but the German national keeper Jessulat seemed to be unbeatable this evening. In the 60th minute Campo won their third penalty corner which was successful. Diego Arana’s shot was unluckily deflected by Sebastian Biederlack into the Alster goal. Two minutes before the end of the game Julian Hofmann-Jeckel converted a counter-attack and made the Alster supporters freaking out.
Full reports and video highlights of the matches can be found at www.ehlhockey.tv, the official website of the Euro Hockey League.
Sunday’s schedule has been adjusted due to predictions of cold overnight temperatures in Belgium. The new start-time of the first match can be found below.
10.00 hrs Pool F Banbridge HC v UHC Hamburg
12.00 hrs Pool A Amsterdam H&BC v Reading HC
14.30 hrs Pool E KHC Dragons v HC Rotterdam
17.00 hrs Pool D Club de Campo Madrid v RC Bruxelles
Euro Hockey League Media Release
