Slotfase strafbal bepaalt degradatiekraker

In the battle against relegation, HDM recorded a much-needed victory. The team from The Hague beat bottom-placed Huizen 2-1, thanks to a penalty stroke scored by Belén van den Broek just before time. After half-time, HUIZEN took the lead through Taheera Augousti. Daphne Koolhaas brought HDM alongside before the end of the third quarter. Shortly afterwards, HUIZEN had a great chance to take the lead again, but goalkeeper Julia Remmerswaal turned away Sam Luttmer's penalty stroke. In the closing stages, HDM was then awarded a penalty stroke, which Van den Broek took and made it 2-1. With the victory, coach Diederik van Weel's team broke a string of nine defeats in a row. Moreover, HDM moves up from eleventh to the safe ninth spot in the league table. Things look bleak for Huizen: the team remains last and is now six points behind new number eleven Rotterdam. Direct relegation thus seems barely avoidable.