They scored the same number of points as competitor Klein Zwizerland. The number of matches won was also balanced. Even the goal difference was exactly the same. Witnessed over 22 games, it was Bloomingdale striker Joey Harman’s Sunday afternoon swipe at 1.47pm that ensured the Sparrows overtook the opposing side based on the number of goals scored. As a result, not on Bloemendaal, but Klein Zwitserland should play matches.
Usually, outgoing captain Sanne Caarls has her words ready. She usually responds very quickly to questions. She speaks at such a fast pace that it seems that her voice is being played faster. But on Sunday, when I left the club I played hockey for for five years, another Karl was there to see. The unprecedented apocalypse so baffled her that Karls, who had left for Praxata, did not know what to say for a moment.
Even after the party with her longtime teammates was over, she sought confirmation that it was all true, on the edge of the field. What if someone had mistakenly miscalculated and they were also celebrating thirty kilometers away in The Hague. But it was really correct. The result of the complex calculation was in favor of Bloemendaal.
“If we wanted to take matters into our own hands today, we had to score five goals. I guess. But? But? Or not, four goals, Carles faltered in a few secondary sentences after the sharp final stage against stricken Victoria (0-4), subconsciously showing that she is still You don’t quite know what’s going on.
Goalkeeper Danik Visser jumps for joy. Photo: OrangePictures/Wessel Dekker
Was 4-0 enough? or 5-0?
Relinquishing Bloemendaal was actually impossible. When contender Klein Zweitzerland was set to draw against co-finalist HDM, which happened surprisingly (1-1), Damos had to score four goals on the last day of the competition. Something that hasn’t been achieved in a single game all season.
Eight minutes before the end, defender Karls was gasping on the bench with a score of 0-4, when she first heard about the surprising result in The Hague. We have previously gone through all the scenarios one by one. We knew what to do. “But honestly, I was wrong now,” she said. “When Dave [Smolenaars, red.] I sat next to me, and I told him we have to win 5-0. But he didn’t think it was necessary. 4-0 was enough. He counted everything three times. I said to him: Are you sure? Fortunately, he was sure. The last thing you want is to hear afterwards that you should have registered again.
After the siren went off in Rotterdam, the season’s most nerve-wracking minutes began with the Sparrows. There was no direct line with The Hague. The match was still going on there. When a fan told the players that the score at The Hague was still 1-1, they applauded as if ninth place had already been guaranteed. But one goal from Little Swiss will still judge Bloemendaal in the final matches.
Blumendale cheering after Teonggi Horn won 0-3, just before the end of the first half. Photo: OrangePictures/Wessel Dekker
Confused then
Coach Dave Smolliners’ eyes were drawn like magnets to his phone, as he watched the score. Behind the climb, a fan watched the live broadcast of Little Switzerland-HDM. For a few minutes it was nail biting for the hockey players in Bloomingdale. But at 4.18pm the editorial word finally came from the beach. Without the registration of Klein Zweitzerland, the whistle was blown for The Hague. Camp Blomendale exploded with joy.
A moment later, Karls also had a smile etched on her face. “I am very proud that we were able to finish the season in this way. What a resilience we have shown in recent weeks. It was hard today to shut yourself out of everything that was going on. On the other hand, this was just a game like any other. We are trying to get in. as naturally as possible. We told each other in advance that the fact that Victoria had actually landed last week would be the deciding factor in the end. I thought that was clearly visible on the field. You could tell there was nothing at stake for them anymore. We got into it all Duel with conviction.We fought for our last chance.
joy in Tweet embed After they heard that the match on opponent KZ was over and they played it safe. pic.twitter.com/XskMp1GjYv
– hockey.nl (hockey_nl) May 8, 2022
Nice goal Joe Harman
The moment that saved Blomendale’s season, happened in the 46th minute, with a 0-3 score. Demi Hilterman, a penalty kick specialist who played the match with two silver-plated draft pumps, fired teammate Joey Harman into his own half with a shovel. The striker, who came from Amsterdam last summer, has taken a long way. Victoria goalkeeper Hannah Klender came from her goal. Then it happened. Hard as a stone, Harman hit the ball into the far corner. 4-0. This was the goal Blumendale needed.
What made this moment even more beautiful for her was that she played her last match with Bloemendaal. Harman will play hockey in America next season. There begins a master’s degree in Marketing. “Everyone was so happy for me after that because I scored the decisive goal when they said goodbye,” Harman said. “The release was great when I scored. It was a beautiful moment. At the time I had no idea that was the goal we needed. Looking back, it’s of course great that one goal was decisive. I think it’s great that I finished my year at Bloemendaal with this.” way. This was an unprecedented end to the season.”
Smiling faces in Elke Boers, Demi Hilterman and Teuntje Horn. Photo: OrangePictures/Wessel Dekker
Like Harman, Karls also played hockey in her last match with Bloemendaal. Her thoughts returned to Sunday, March 20, when the situation seemed hopeless. Due to the defeat to Little Switzerland, Blumendahl slipped to eleventh place after a strong first half of the competition, two points behind the latter half of the Orange-Red team.
Carls: Too honest? The afternoon after that pot, we passed all the way through. The weather at that time was terrible. But then came the double weekend with Kampong and HGC. There was a switch with us. Because we won those two games, we stayed in the race. For me that was the turning point. We rose above ourselves in time. Since then, the belief has grown that we will fail. I am very proud of these girls. Now I can leave them with peace of mind. This is much nicer than playing games?
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