Playoffs: a first for Pinoké, Amsterdam wants to win top match again

PINOKÉ - SCHC
Saturday, 12:30pm

• Pinoké has never won at home against SCHC. In the Hoofdklasse, the team kept only two points from nineteen home matches with Stichtsche (L17), and the only Gold Cup match between them in Amstelveen did not yield a win either (2-3).
   
• In eleven of Pinoké's last 12 home matches against SCHC in the Hoofdklasse, the Steekneuzen have scored at least three goals.
   
• In total, Pinoké only won two of its 38 official matches against SCHC. That happened twice in Bilthoven: on 22 November 2006 (2-3) and on 7 March 2010 (1-2). 
   
• Pinoké is in the play-offs for the first time in club history. The Steekneuzen are the thirteenth club in history to make a bid for the national title.
   
• SCHC enters the play-offs for the national title for the sixteenth time. The team from Bilthoven reached the final in five of the fifteen previous participations (2014, 2015, 2022, 2023 and 2024), but never won the national title. 
   
• Pinoké experienced its best season ever in the Hoofdklasse in recent months. The team finished third for the first time, won more matches than ever before (15), picked up more points than ever before (49) and scored more goals than ever before (55).
   
• Pinoké remained unbeaten in its last nine home games: D W D W W W W W W. The last home defeat was a 1-3 against SCHC on 26 September 2024.
   
• SCHC played 27 official matches under coach Gilles van Hesteren and lost only three times in them: all times Den Bosch was the opponent, twice in the Hoofdklasse and once in the EHL. Furthermore, SCHC under Van Hesteren only lost points against Amsterdam (2-2), HGC (2-2) and again Den Bosch (1-1).

Head-to-head in regular league of the Hoofdklasse
37 matches
32 wins SCHC
2 wins Pinoké
3 draws

Head-to-head in Hoofdklasse on field SCHC
18 matches
15 wins SCHC
2 wins Pinoké 
1 draw

Head-to-head in the Hoofdklasse on field Pinoké
19 matches
17 wins SCHC
2 draws

AMSTERDAM - DEN BOSCH
Saturday, 15:00

• Amsterdam (four) and Den Bosch (22) together distributed the last 26 Hoofdklasse national titles. HGC was the last national champion in 1996-1997 before the hegemony of these two superpowers.
   
• Since 1971, the national title went to Amsterdam (18) or Den Bosch (22) in 40 of the 53 seasons. De Kieviten (1), Were Di (2), HGC (8) and Kampong (2) won the other national titles.
   
• Amsterdam and Den Bosch face each other for the 123rd time in an official match. Of the 122 previous matches, Amsterdam won 35 and Den Bosch 59. Both teams drew against each other 28 times. The goal figures are 215-181 in favour of Den Bosch.
   
• Amsterdam won only one of its last 10 official home games against Den Bosch (D4 L5). That was the 2-0 in the league match against the Brabanders on 18 September 2022. After that defeat, Den Bosch remained unbeaten in the Hoofdklasse for 60 matches in a row (W50 D10), a new record.
   
• Amsterdam is in the playoffs for the 27th time in club history, but only won the national title four times: in 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2023.
   
• Den Bosch is in the play-offs for the 28th time and competing in the league tourney for the 27th time in a row (!). Since 1997-1998 (i.e. from the club's second play-off participation), Den Bosch captured the national title in 22 out of 27 seasons. 
   
• Amsterdam has failed to win a top match in all leagues 13 times in a row (D6 L7). The last time it managed to do so was on 31 March 2024: 2-1 against SCHC during the EHL).
   
• Den Bosch lost only one of its last 41 games in all leagues (W33 D7). That was the 3-2 loss at Pinoké on 27 April.

Head-to-head in play-offs (total)
45 matches
27 wins by Den Bosch (in regular play-offs)
10 wins by Amsterdam (in regular play-offs)
8 draws (one win AMS after shoot-outs, two wins DBO after shoot-outs)

Head-to-head in playoffs in Amsterdam
20 games
4 wins Amsterdam (in regular playing time)
11 wins Den Bosch (in regular playing time)
5 draws (one win AMS after shoot-outs, two wins DBO after shoot-outs)

Head-to-head in play-offs in Den Bosch
25 games
16 wins by Den Bosch (in regular playing time)
6 wins by Amsterdam (in regular playing time)
3 ties