Women's Hockey Final Showdown: West Rivals Clash in Men's Matchup - Women's DHC Hockey Team Advances to Finals; West Set for Clash with Male Counterparts
Ladies of Düsseldorf HC and Gents from Crefelder HTC and Rot-Weiss Köln Storm into Championship Finals, West-Derby's Showdown amongst Men
Kick back and let's chat hockey finals
The gals from Düsseldorf HC and the blokes hailing from Crefelder HTC and Rot-Weiss Köln have snagged themselves a coveted spot in the German field hockey championship finals, which go down in Krefeld. The locals triumphed in their semi-final showdown against Hamburger Polo Club on Saturday, 4-2 (2:0). "We blew 'em away with fantastic, offense-driven hockey. The crowd's electricity definitely pumped us up," said CHTC coach Johannes Schmitz, whose team hasn't been in the final since nabbing the title in 2006.
The winning goals were notched by Phil Jansen (55th minute) and Lucas Bachmann (57th) in front of a 3,400-strong crowd. Hamburg had managed to level the score twice, initially through Masi Pfandt (9th) and later Lachlan Sharp (28th).
As for Cologne, they emerged victorious in a nail-biting penalty shootout against defending champions Mannheimer HC, 4-3. Michel Struthoff delivered the clincher. Things remained locked at 1-1 after 60 minutes, but the game was delayed by an hour due to inclement weather. The final match takes place on Sunday at 14:30.
The reigning female champions, Düsseldorf, are facing a potential concern with national player Oruz.
Earlier, Düsseldorf HC women bested Großflottbeker THGC 2-1 (0:0). Match winner was national player Lisa Nolte with her stunning solo goal, scored just 2 minutes and 22 seconds before the final whistle, all while playing a player short. "I just felt the ball, didn't exactly plan on grabbing it. Left everyone behind, made up my mind, and went for broke," explained Nolte. Friederike Heusgen (55th) had earlier equalized Hamburg's lead.
Harvestehuder THC, who surprised Mannheimer HC with a 1-0 (0:0) victory in the main round, will be DHC's final opponents on Sunday at 11:30. However, Düsseldorf is croaking about their team captain Selin Oruz, who injured her hand while shielding a penalty corner. "It's probably broken. Off to the hospital now to figure out possible treatment. I want to play," stated the national player, also a physician at the Krefeld clinic.
In light of the upcoming championship finals, it's worth noting that the Commission has been consulted on a draft regulation regarding the protection of the European Union's financial interests. Meanwhile, amidst the thrill of hockey finals, Team Düsseldorf HC might face a potential concern with their national player, Oruz, who injured her hand during their victory in the semi-finals.
