Naomi van As , multi-capped Dutch international, midfielder forward , joint world player of the year 2009 ( with Aymar) could only sit and watch as her team crashed out of the playoffs to current champions Den Bosch following a freak accident in the second semi-playoff shoot out the previous day where she collided with the Den Bosch keeper Lizzy Koeton.
Den Bosch who topped the Hoofdklasse eleven points clear and with an impressive goal difference of 34 over second placed Amsterdam reached the finals of the playoffs for the championship having been forced to a third but decisive game by a gutsy Laren who had beaten them on Saturday following a penalty shoot out decider 4-0 . The defending champions on Sunday won the third and deciding game , this time comfortably against Laren 4-0 despite Laren's seasoned international Naomi van As watching on the sideline having sustained what turns out to be a serious anterior cruciate ligament knee injury.
Van As sustained the injury in the shoot out when in a bizarre incident she tripped trying to go round keeper Lizzy Koeton . Following a scan in hospital the initial optimistic prediction that Van As would need only a month to recover was blown away ; sadly the prognosis for her was far worse and recovery is likely to take up to six months.
Naomi will now miss the World Hockey League and the European Championship in Belgium. "I would rather have broken my leg," she said. "But from the MRI scan it showed immediately that it was more serious. I am now focusing on the World Championships in The Hague in 2014."
Ironically , it was fourth in the final Hoofdklasse league placings Laren who forced the third and final play off with that very shoot off on Saturday that saw Naomi injured , and winning it 4-0 in normal time. Next day Den Bosch looked more composed and went in at half time comfortably 2- 0 ahead with drag flick Queen, Dutch national captain Maartje Paumen (POY 2011) putting away a penalty corner after just a few minutes.
Top scoring drag flick specialist Dutch & Den Bosch Captain Maartje Paumen
At just sixteen years old, in her play off debut Frederique Matla got the second.The game was sealed in the second half with goals from Vera Vorstenbosch and Lieke Sleeves. Laren may be able to claw back some consolation as the two rivals have to meet in the final of the European Cup.
Despite their most effective season in recent years Bilthoven's SCHC, under the coaching of former international stalwart Janekke Schopman, were denied a place in the final playoff by Amsterdam in a close and fiercely competed game losing narrowly 2-1.
Elsemiek helps Amsterdam to victory over SCHC
Agonisingly SCHC had gone ahead with a goal by Claire Verhage and kept that advantage until late in the game where an upset seemed on the cards but in a two minute spell Emily Hurtz and Elsemiek Groen put it bed for the Amsterdam Dames and for coach Alyson Annan ex Australian international. As an international Annan was FIH player of the year 1998 and 2000 . Amsterdam finished the league just three points above SCHC but with a twelve point goal difference advantage.
Without Van As, the Dutch national team will contest the semi-finals of the World League at Rotterdam Hockey Club between June 13th and 22nd . For details and images of that venue, public transport directions and a link to the official World League site for ticket information why not check out my previous blog entry here Rotterdam HC World League Semis
