Hurley save, HDM and Oranje-Rood in play-outs

Tilburg - Hurley 0-1
A goal by Margot Hecking Colenbrander from a penalty corner ended all tension for Hurley in the fourth quarter. The narrow win was enough to escape playing play-offs. In doing so, coach Albert Kees Manenschijn's team also benefited from the defeats of competitors HDM and Oranje-Rood. The relief at the club from the Amsterdamse Bos was great, also because the win ended a run of eight games without victory. Tilburg, already relegated to the Promotieklasse last week, ended the season with its second defeat in the last five games.

Kampong - HDM 3-1
For two quarters, HDM could hope for a draw against Kampong, but in the end the home team pulled off the victory. Sosha Benninga tapped Kampong into a 1-0 lead after 39 minutes. Five minutes later, Belén van den Broek equalised from a penalty stroke. At the time, that score was enough for HDM to avoid the play-offs. But goals by Bente van de Veldt and Iris de Kemp in the closing stages plunged the Hague team into mourning. From a safe eighth place, HDM dipped to tenth and, like last season, will have to play play-outs to avoid relegation. It was HDM's fourth defeat in a row and tenth in the last 12 matches. Kampong finally recorded another win after two matches. With third place in the final rankings, the team will meet defending champion Den Bosch in the semi-finals of the playoffs.

Oranje-Rood - Den Bosch 0-6
The match in Eindhoven was actually already played after six minutes. At that moment, Den Bosch, with Laurette Abelen under the crossbar, was already leading 3-0 thanks to goals by Frédérique Matla, Emma Reijnen and Teuntje de Wit. Matla completed her hat-trick with two more goals after half-time. This brought her season total to 24 goals. With that number, she also crowned herself top scorer of the Tulp Hoofdklasse, good for her sixth top scorer title. The other Bossche goal came courtesy of Joosje Burg. Den Bosch, which recorded its sixth win in a row, closed the regular league in second place. Next Thursday, the national champion meets Kampong in the semi-finals of the play-offs. Oranje-Rood dropped from tenth to eleventh place and will play play-outs for survival in the Tulp Hoofdklasse.

Amsterdam - Rotterdam 7-0
In the outward match, Rotterdam kept Amsterdam to a 0-0 draw, but this time Amsterdam had an easy afternoon at the Wagener Stadium. The score was 7-0. Fay van der Elst scored three goals. This was her second hat-trick in the Tulp Hoofdklasse. Van der Elst also scored her first against Rotterdam, on 24 September 2023. Marijn Veen also celebrated a personal milestone. With 6-0, she scored her fiftieth big league goal in the Amsterdam shirt. For the home team, Katerina Langedijk, Trijntje Beljaars and Daantje de Kruijff also scored. It was Amsterdam's ninth win in the last 11 league games. As a result, coach Jesse Mahieu's team finished fourth and will meet regular league leader SCHC in the semi-finals of the playoffs. Rotterdam remained winless for the sixth time in a row, dropping from seventh to eighth place.

Bloemendaal - SCHC 3-4
Both teams made it a goal-rich afternoon at 't Kopje. The home team took the lead after five minutes through Floks van der Beek, but at half-time SCHC led 1-3, thanks in part to two goals by Pien Dicke. Bloemendaal levelled the score in the third quarter, before Jip Dicke put SCHC ahead again in the last quarter. Just before time, Bloemendaal had another chance to make it 4-4, but SCHC goalkeeper Marsha Zwezereijn turned away Demi Hilterman's penalty stroke. The win meant SCHC ended the season without defeat for the third time in club history, after 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. Coach Robbert van de Peppel's team is already 36 games unbeaten in the regular league. Next Thursday, SCHC will meet Amsterdam in the semi-finals of the playoffs. Bloemendaal, which lost its last four home matches, dropped from sixth to seventh place.

HGC - Pinoké 1-0
The statistics did not speak in HGC's favour. Coach Bas Bogaard's team won only one of the last 14 matches with the visitors from the Amsterdam Forest. Amy van den Bosch's goal in the very first minute was enough for the first win over Pinoké since 8 May 2022. Beforehand, HGC was still not completely free of worries about play-outs, but the win meant the Wassenaar team maintained its place in the Tulp Hoofdklasse. HGC even moved up three places in the standings, from nine to six, eight points off number five Pinoké. The team from the Amsterdamse Bos suffered its fourth defeat in the last seven matches.