By The Hockey Paper
Four of Holland’s World Cup-winning squad carried on where they left off in London last month as the Dutch ladies Hoofdklasse got under way this weekend.
Skipper Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Xan de Waard, Caia van Maasakker and Laurien Leurink were all honoured by the club after SCHC’s 8-0 blitz over Bloemendaal on Sunday.
It came nearly a month after Holland’s almost peerless charge to the successful defence of their World Cup title.
Maddie Hinch, England’s goalkeeper, played her first match of the domestic season and kept a clean sheet before being taken off before the final quarter as coach Teun de Nooijer made changes.
Ginella Zerbo proved the match winner with four goals as SCHC scored three in the last seven minutes against hapless Bloemendaal.
Van Maasakker also scored, as did debutant Leurink, while Argentinian star Delfina Merino also played her part.
Na doelpunten van @GinellaZerbo (sb) aankopen @laurien6 en @delfinamerino leidt @SCHC_Dames1 na het 1e kwart met 3-0 vs @hcbloemendaal #SuperSunday pic.twitter.com/r9MLP75E3H
— SCHC (@Stichtsche) September 2, 2018
Elsewhere, Amsterdam also got in on the act with a 5-0 hammering over hdm. Kelly Jonker notched a brace while Maria Verschoor, left out of the Dutch World Cup squad, scored a welcome goal.
In the men’s top flight, Kampong underlined their status for the title with a 7-2 win over SCHC.
Orange-Red, Rotterdam and Bloemendaal also won as four sides remained unbeaten after two rounds of action.
