Goalgetters: Kim Lammers, the purest goalscorer
The Tulp Hoofdklasse Women broke the 20,000-goal mark in the first half of the season. A great occasion to zoom in on the biggest goal scoring machines in the women's league. In part 7: Kim Lammers.
On the eternal Tulp Hoofdklasse women's top scorer list, Kim Lammers occupies second place behind the untouchable Maartje Paumen. But somewhere, the former Laren striker must also feel like a number one. After all, unlike Paumen, Lammers had no significant role at the penalty corner in her premier league career. The lion's share of her 319 goals came from field play, which makes the number even more impressive than it already is.
Lammers was a pure striker, someone who could sense where the ball would end up in a crowded circle. She was therefore often in the right place to give the ball the final push towards the goal line. But the former Huizen player was more than a tip-in queen. She had more than decent technique and was hugely driven on the pitch.
'I am not the greatest talent, I always had to work hard for it as a hockey player,' she once said in an interview with Algemeen Dagblad after she quit in 2016. 'I had to do my best to get far. But with good preparation and a clear goal in mind, I succeeded.'
Top scorers of all time in the Hoofdklasse Women
- 368 goals - Maartje Paumen (Den Bosch)
- 319 goals - Kim Lammers (Laren)
- 265 goals - Lisanne Lejeune (HGC)
- 263 goals - Mijntje Donners (Den Bosch)
- 207 goals - Ageeth Boomgaardt (MOP, Den Bosch)
- 204 goals - Caia van Maasakker (SCHC)
- 192 goals - Wietske de Ruiter (HGC)
- 182 goals - Frédérique Matla (Den Bosch)
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After her first three seasons in the Hoofdklasse - in which she already registered almost 50 goals - she made her debut in the Dutch team at 21. Between 2002 and 2014, she reached a total of 203 international matches in which she scored 123 goals.
Also in the Oranje, her goals came mainly from field play. That makes her the most scoring striker ever in the Dutch national team. Her international highlights were the 2006 and 2014 world titles and winning Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games.
Heavy knee injury
Lammers also experienced setbacks in her career. In late October 2007, she suffered a serious knee injury that kept her sidelined for months. As a result, she missed the 2008 Beijing Games, although she said she had recovered enough to play. Four years earlier, she had also missed the world's most important sporting event because she was not fit enough.
Lammers, who came back very strong after her knee injury, never won the national title with Laren. She did become top scorer in the Hoofdklasse twice (34 goals in 2006-07 and 40 goals in 2011-12) and conquered the European Cup twice with her team. Including her goals in the play-offs (seventeen) and in the European competition (23), there are 358 goals behind her name in the light blue shirt, a club record for the ages.
Previously published in this series:
Lisanne Lejeune's eternal record
Caia van Maasakker, the silent force of SCHC
The unique weapon of Ageeth Boomgaardt
Wietske de Ruiter, nonchalant but efficient
Mijntje Donners, predator in the circle
Frédérique Matla, versatile ice rabbit
