SV Kampong will face Braxgata while Bloemendaal take on Old Georgians in the EHL Men KO8 with each side looking to land a place at next Easter’s FINALS.
Brax show no stage fright on debut
Braxgata’s star studded line-up showed no stage fright as they powered their way past the challenge of Western Wildcats in the KO16 as Loick Luypaert scored the 99th EHL hat trick.
Sebastien Dockier opened the scoring with a beautiful reverse-stick shot in the 13th minute as they turned over possession in a key position.
Sebastien Dockier celebrates the opening goal. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
Ben Walker flicked in the next in Q2 and Thibeau Stockbroekx made it 3-0 with another classy backhand finish.
Luypaert then took over with a stroke and two corners before Marc Reyné – back at his former club ground – got the seventh goal with a first time strike.
Kampong win epic tussle with Polo
Duco Telgenkamp’s double saw Kampong overcome a fierce Real Club de Polo in front of a packed house 4-2 to set up a KO8 showdown with Braxgata on Sunday.
It was an epic contest played in front of a big crowd and a lively atmosphere generated by the large home support. And they were thrilled to see their side overcome a nervous opening to score from their first penalty corner in the tenth minute.
Telgenkamp equalised with a stunning shot on the spin in the second quarter and they were level on the stroke of half-time when Hidde Plantenga touched in Thies Bakker’s cross from a full-length move.
Polo made most of the play through the third quarter but Kampong were more effective and they had daylight between the teams when Telgenkamp finished off a corner.
Hidde Plantenga of SV Kampong celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
They had a further effort disallowed for the ball never leaving the D from a corner injection and it gave Polo a lifeline.
A Marc Miralles penalty stroke with eight minutes to go got them within one goal but Kampong won the day with 90 seconds to go when Terrance Pieters was fouled when closing in on an open goal.
Jip Janssen took the ensuing stroke to make it 4-2 and no time for the Barcelona side to make another comeback.
Mazkour strikes 100th EHL Men’s hat-trick
Elian Mazkour struck the 100th hat trick in the history of the EHL men’s competition as Bloemendaal blasted past the challenge of Banbridge.
It took just two minutes for Bloemendaal to get rolling, Zach Wallace driving at full speed into the D and then laying off to Mazkour to flick into the goal.
Floris Wortleboer’s delightful through the legs pass was the key initiative as Miltkau snatched the second goal from close range.
Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
And then Wortleboer produced an outrageous piece of work, controlling an overhead and then playing a delicious backhand pass 60-metres up to Miltkau. He squared for Mazkour to finish off.
And the German striker made it 4-0 in the second half with a rocket of a shot from a narrow angle, an historic one as it completed the 100th hat trick in the history of the EHL men’s competition.
Sheldon Schouten added a penalty corner drag, Jan van’t Land walked in the sixth goal and then Miltkau got the final goal of the game. It was a significant one for the striker, bringing him to 37 goals in total in the EHL, back into equal-second with Tom Boon on the all-time scorers list.
Old Georgians make English record
Old Georgians eased into the KO8 with a record EHL Men’s win for an English club as they proved too strong for HC Olten.
They were in control from the moment Alan Forsyth scored a penalty stroke in the tenth minute and they cruised through the gears after that against the Swiss side who were making their debut in this competition.
Henry Croft and Forsyth put further distance between the teams in Q2 before Phil Roper’s pair of close-range finishes in the 28th minute made it 5-0 at half-time.
Ashley Jackson celebrates his record-breaking goal. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/World Sport Pics
A James Albery corner hit, a thunderous Croft strike and a second stroke from Forsyth put OGs level with the English record – held by East Grinstead for their 8-0 win against Montrouge in 2012.
And appropriately Ashley Jackson scored the record-breaking ninth goal; he scored three times for EG in that previous win. Croft and Roper both completed their hat tricks in the closing minutes.
Sunday schedule
The key action sees SV Kampong take on Braxgata at 12.00 CET and then Old Georgians face HC Bloemendaal at 14.15 CET with the winners of those two KO8 games going through to the FINAL8.
The Ranking Matches sees Real Club de Polo play Western Wildcats at 09.45 CET while Banbridge take on HC Olten at 16.30 CET.
